Former Northeastern basketball standouts Matt Janning and Nkem Ojougboh recently made their professional debuts in the NBA Development League, joining the growing ranks of Huskies now playing professionally.

Jose Juan Barea is in his fifth season with the NBA's Dallas Mavericks, where he is averaging 7.6 points per game as a regular off the Mavericks' bench. Barea is also the starting point guard for the Puerto Rico national team that won the gold medal at Centrobasket this summer.

After opening the season on the Phoenix Suns roster, Janning scored 12 points in his pro debut for the Maine Red Claws in their Dec. 2 game at the Springfield Armor. He has now played in five games for Maine, averaging 7.2 points per game and 23.2 minutes per game. Janning was a two-time All-CAA first team selection in his four-year career at Northeastern from 2006-10.

Janning's classmate Ojougboh made his pro debut a day later, taking the court for the Utah Flash on Dec. 3 in Orem, Utah, against the Austin Toros. Ojougboh is averaging 4.6 points and 3.0 rebounds per game, averaging 13.4 minutes of playing time over five games.

Both Janning and Ojougboh have been reunited with former teammates in their D-League locker rooms. Janning joined Eugene Spates on the Red Claws' roster. Spates was picked in the seventh round of this year's D-League draft. A Husky from 2006-09, Spates has played in nine games, starting four, for the Red Claws and averages 5.8 points and 4.9 rebounds per game.

In Utah, Ojougboh is playing alongside Bennet Davis, who is in his third season with the Flash. Davis played for the Huskies from 2003-07, earning All-CAA honors his senior year. Last year, he averaged 12.8 points per game for Utah and has started four of the five games he has appeared in this season.

Several former Huskies are also playing overseas this season. Manny Adako, an All-CAA selection at Northeastern in 2009 and 2010, has settled into a starting role with Dutch team DeFriesland Aris Leeuwarden. Adako is averaging 12.3 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, good for second on the team in both categories.

Baptiste Bataille, also a member of last season's Huskies, returned to his native France to launch his pro career, where he signed on with Etendard de Brest. Bataille has been a regular in the lineup, chipping in 6.9 points per game while averaging 20.9 minutes.

Sylbrin Robinson is starting for Argentine squad Firmat FC Santa Fe. Robinson has been playing professionally since wrapping up his collegiate career at Northeastern in 2004.

Former Northeastern star Shawn James is in his third season with Bnei Eshet Tours Hasharon in Israel. James, who was named his conference's Defensive Player of the Year in each of his two seasons with the Huskies in 2005-06, averages 10.3 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game.