Amaurys Fermin hopes to make a big impact in the Dominican Republic professional league this Summer. Photo by Will Parris

But first, he has to complete a final task that all college students have to do — he has to move out.

Fermin spent much of the past month training and playing with the Dominican Republic National Team, which won a recent Tournament, Centrobasket, in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Now Fermin will spend the next several months in the Dominican Republic to prove himself as a professional. Recently, he was drafted in the first round (7th overall selection) by a team in San Pedro de Macoris.

I caught-up with Amaurys over lunch earlier this week in a San Luis Obispo as he took a break from packing boxes and moving things from his college residence into storage. We discussed the aftermath of playing on a team that included Al Horford and Francisco Garcia, matching-up with JJ Barea, and his future prospects as a professional in the Dominican Republic and overseas.

Amaurys Fermin is doing his best to impress for the Dominican Republic National Team at Centrobasket this week in San Juan, Puerto Rico

Weeks removed from walking in Cal Poly’s 2012 graduation ceremony, point-guard Amaurys Fermin is happy to be where he is — a rookie on an up-and-coming national team trying to make its mark. Fermin has always been soft-spoken and humble — deflecting any praise to his Cal Poly teammates and coaches throughout last season — but he came off even more so during his recent interview with the Fansmanship podcast.

Fermin is a young guy trying to make an impression — a far cry from the leader and elder statesman role he played for the Mustangs a year ago. Playing with NBA stars like Francisco Garcia and Al Horford, Fermin is trying to make his mark as the Dominican Republic competes in Centrobasket this week.

Happy listening!