Brandon Gilbeck is a year removed from collegiate basketball and is still very much in love with the game. 

He has hooped all over, from prep play in Wisconsin to a four-year career with the Western Illinois University men's basketball team. The young journey has included: a stint with the Denver Nuggets' 2019 summer league roster; a stop in the Mall of America, no shopping involved, to participate in the Dos Equis 3X3U National Championship; and recent travels sent him across the Atlantic to Denmark, where he enjoyed his rookie season with Horsens IC.

Brandon Gilbeck is a professional basketball player, and that's a statement not lost on him, though the transition took a little while to adjust.   

"I've wanted to be a professional basketball player my whole life. It's been a lifelong dream, but it wasn't what I thought it would be," he said. "You think when you cross the finish line that there will be fireworks or a big ah-ha moment, but once you reach one milestone or point in your career, there are so many more ahead of you, and you just look forward to those.

"Playing professionally has been a lifelong dream, and I plan to keep doing this as long as I can." 

Preseason training began in August of 2019, a few months ahead of the season, and Gilbeck was grateful for the adjustment period and for fellow rookies who were also experiencing European basketball for the first time.

Together, they faced with new coaches, new teammates, and a new training regimen, all while learning a new country. 

"We leaned on each other a ton in the first couple of weeks. It seemed like we went everywhere together. There were three Americans [including Gilbeck], and it was also their first time playing overseas. We traveled everywhere together, just looking out for each other. When we got a little comfortable, it was like 'Alright. Let's go our separate ways,'" he laughed. 

With Horsens, season prep included soccer drills -- imagine a 7-footer doing blindfolded cone exercises – and when he needed a small piece of home, the golden arches helped fill the void. 

"They had us do some pretty wild stuff, stuff I've never done before, and they were a lot harder than I thought they would be. My body wasn't ready for that.

"There was a McDonald's across the street from our apartment, so when we first got there, we made multiple visits. It's what you know and recognizable, but the menu was completely different. You look for greasy food, and it was there, but there were a lot more healthier options. They love burgers in Denmark, but the food really wasn't that different from what I'm used to in the Midwest. A lot of meat and potatoes."

Danish cuisine wasn't out of the ordinary for Gilbeck, and neither was the language as most Danes speak English. He arrived not knowing a lick of Danish but picked up a few lines along the way to assist in routine practices like grocery shopping. Coming from a small town – Spring Green, Wis., lists a population of 1,637 -- the opportunity to experience a different culture was enticing.

"When you're in the Midwest area, you don't experience a lot of different cultures. Over there, you really get a bigger picture. The world isn't just Macomb, Illinois, or little Wisconsin. I encourage everyone to go overseas or take a trip. I really enjoyed my time."   

The Western faithful remember Gilbeck as the third player in Summit League history to be named Defensive Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons (2018-19). He led all NCAA Division I athletes with 3.42 blocks per game during the 2018-19 season, and also sits atop Western's career and single-season block records with 285 and 106, respectively.

"At the lower levels, you can get away with being a one-role specialist. My main thing was blocking shots in college, but if you want to climb the ladder, you have to develop your game. For me, that meant becoming more mobile as a big man, working on stretching the floor, and shooting the outside jumper." 

His first pro season with Horsens saw him average 9.4 points, 6.7 rebounds, and a league-leading 2.9 blocks. The team ranked third in BasketLigaen standings with an overall record of 18-5 before the season was cut short due to COVID-19. 

Eurobasket.com made Gilbeck a three-time Defensive Player of the Year when it released its All-Danish Ligaen Awards in March, and the list also saw him picked an honorable mention. 

He's now stateside and competing for the Fort Wayne Champs, a team attempting to make the field of 24 in The Basketball Tournament (TBT). 

"There are many levels to being a professional. Obviously, the top is the NBA, and I hope to get the shot, but you just want to keep moving up. My goal is to keep moving up."