LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Jake Thelen figured his basketball playing career would conclude once he laced up his sneakers for Bellarmine University for the last time.

Knights Coach Scott Davenport believed his star forward was selling himself short.

"I wasn't really thinking about it until senior year," Thelen said of playing professionally. "I was actually just planning on being a graduate assistant somewhere and get into coaching. I talked to Coach about it, and he said he thought I could take (my career) further. I listened to him."

Following a 2014-15 campaign in which he garnered consensus All-America honors, Thelen on Sunday announced he has signed professionally with Horsens IC of the Danish Ligaen league.

"I'm very blessed to have this opportunity," said Thelen, the reigning Great Lakes Valley Conference Player of the Year. "Not many people get to say they get to travel the world and get paid to play basketball."

In doing so, Thelen becomes the eighth active former Bellarmine player on an international roster, a list that also includes Chris Dowe (France), Vance Hall (Iceland), Braydon Hobbs (Germany), Jelani Johnson (Australia), Keisten Jones (Germany), Jeremy Kendle (Australia) and Dzaflo Larkai (Japan). In Davenport's 10 years at Bellarmine, 13 former players have inked professional deals.

"Everybody wants to say they are a professional basketball player. Jake performs in every facet of his life — as a student, as a person, as a player — as a professional," Davenport said. "I'm thrilled Jake earned this opportunity with a Bellarmine degree hanging from his wall. This is how you use basketball, and not let basketball use you."

Despite playing only three years at Bellarmine, Thelen departed the Knights 16th (1,412 points) on the program's all-time scoring list. The native of Edgewood, Kentucky, led BU this season in scoring (18.6) and rebounding (10.7) while shooting 66.7 percent from the floor. He racked up 18 double-doubles and guided the Knights to their third Final Four appearance in five years.

"It was unbelievable," said Thelen, who received All-America accolades from five separate organizations. "I couldn't have been put in a better situation with Coach Davenport and my teammates. It was the best year of my life, no question about it. I think about it every day. It was the best season individually, collectively. I had great teammates and I would be nowhere without them."

Thelen said that his agent, Louisville's Alex Johnson of Two Points Management Company, has a strong relationship with Lukas Varga, a former Horsens IC player who is now an assistant coach. The product of Covington Catholic High School anticipates playing power forward overseas and could venture out to the perimeter on occasion.

"They said just to play the game the way I play," Thelen said of the feedback he's received from the organization. "They want me to shoot a little more 3s, which is fine. I can shoot the ball (from the outside), but I never really had to (at Bellarmine) because we had some great shooters on our team. I did what was most effective for our team.

"They said that I have a high basketball IQ, am efficient, a good passer. They told me to just do what I do, and I'll be successful."

Thelen is certainly joining a successful organization. Horsens IC went 23-4 last season and captured the Danish Ligaen championship. Thelen said he will depart for Denmark on Aug. 15. Last season, Horsens IC's regular season began in early October.

"They have a very good team coming back, and I'm excited to be a part of their organization," Thelen said. "Obviously in Europe you usually sign one-year contracts, so I'm just looking to be as effective as I possibly can."