EASTON, Pa. – Former Leopard standout Monty Boykins '17 of the Lafayette men's basketball team signed a professional contract with Uratu-Vivaro Basketball Club in Armenia, Boykins and his family announced this past weekend.

"I am excited to officially begin my professional playing career with a team coming off such a successful season," Boykins said. "Becoming a professional basketball player has always been a dream of mine and I couldn't have done it without the support of my family, who have always been in my corner, my friends, teammates and coaches who have helped along the way."

Despite missing the majority of his senior season on College Hill with a shoulder injury in 2016-17, Boykins scored 541 career points for the Maroon and White, averaging 6.2 points per game over his first three seasons. In his junior year, he averaged a career-high 10.7 points per outing, including his best five-game stretch of his career midway through Patriot League play with 14.2 points per game against the Bucknell, Loyola, Army, Boston U. and Lehigh.

Uratu-Vivaro Basketball Club is in the Armenian Basketball League A, the top division in the country. The team won the group with a 12-0 record in the regular season a year ago and plays in the capital city of Yerevan.

Following his time with the Leopards, Boykins played a fifth year at Pittsburgh, appearing in 20 games for the Panthers. His best performance in Western Pa. came against Georgia Tech on Jan. 13, 2018, scoring nine points on 3-of-7 from beyond the arc.

Boykins' former teammates are gearing up for a 2018-19 season that is less than two months away with the opener set for Nov. 7 at Saint Peter's. Lafayette begins its home slate on Nov. 18, hosting St. Francis Brooklyn at Kirby Sports Center at 2 p.m.