Former Syracuse player Andy Rautins comes out of retirement; signs with pro team in Greece

Andy Rautins

Syracuse's Andy Rautins has been hired as the general manager of the Ottawa BlackJacks.Dennis Nett | dnett@syracuse.com

Syracuse, N.Y. ― Andy Rautins last played pro ball in 2020, but the former Syracuse University star is coming out of retirement.

Rautins, 35, has signed with AEK BC, a pro team based in Athens that plays in the Greek Basketball League, the EuroLeague and the FIBA Champions League.

Rautins last played in 2020 with Panathinaikos; another Greek club. Panathinaikos. He concluded his run with the Greens in March 2020.

According to Eurohoops.net, Rautins is able to join AEK because his FIBA license remained active.

Rautins played at Syracuse from 2005 to 2010. As a senior, he averaged 12.1 points and made 40.7% of his 3-point attempts on a team that was ranked No. 1 in the country and earned a 1-seed in the NCAA tournament.

The New York Knicks selected Rautins with the 38th overall pick in the 2010 NBA draft. He appeared in five games with the Knicks before continuing his pro career overseas. He has played for pro teams in Spain, Germany, Italy and Turkey along with Panathinaikos and AEK in Greece.

AEK coach Stefanos Dedas was the head coach at Bahcesehir Koleji when Rautins was a member of the Turkish team in 2019.

In his retirement, Rautins had been serving as the assistant general manager of the Ottawa BlackJacks of the Canadian pro-League CEBL.

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