Impact Of A Scholarship: Nik Caner-Medley

Twenty years after winning an ACC championship for Maryland men’s basketball, Nik Caner-Medley is a retired 16-year professional basketball player and a successful entrepreneur. 

The 6-foot-8 basketball player starred for the Terps from 2002-06 for head coach Gary Williams. He was named Third Team All-ACC as a junior in 2005 and a senior in 2006. He also left his mark in the Maryland career record books. At the time of his graduation, he was No. 13 in points (1573), No. 18 in rebounds (659), No. 6 in assists by a frontcourt player (222), No. 11 in steals (146), No. 13 in blocks (86) and No. 10 in 3-pointers made. He was even the last Terp to have consecutive 30-point scoring games.

Caner-Medley remembers the lessons learned from his time as a student-athlete at Maryland the most. Those lessons allowed him to play for 12 professional teams in eight different countries, create his own real estate investment and management group and own a co-working multi-space business.

“I think that the educational piece at Maryland was the value of my scholarship,” Caner-Medley said. “The responsibility and time management were key. It's very challenging to be a successful college basketball player at that level. It takes a lot of work. It takes a lot of discipline. It takes a lot of sacrifices of your time. But then on top of that, to go to class, do the work and get something out of it. The biggest thing I took was the principles of showing up on time and the responsibility.”

Growing up in Maine, only a few players went on to play basketball in college at the next level. But Caner-Medley was an outlier. He was elected Maine's Mr. Basketball and was the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year. He was a complete prospect but was especially known for his scoring ability. He was Maine’s scoring leader as a junior and senior at Deering High School and led them to back-to-back Western Maine titles.

Caner-Medley received the most exposure when he attended a basketball camp in Los Angeles. He began being recruited at a high level and committed to Maryland the summer before the Terps won the NCAA Tournament in 2002.

“When I came and visited Maryland, I loved the campus and the coaching staff,” Caner-Medley said. “I was recruited by Jimmy Patsos and Gary. I came in as the first team to play in the Comcast Center. It was a really exciting time.”

Caner-Medley became the first true freshman to start for the Terps since Steve Blake. He recalls major upset wins over No. 1 Duke during the 2002-03 season and No. 1 Florida in 2003-04. The improbable run through the ACC Tournament in 2004 where Maryland defeated Duke in overtime to claim its first conference title in 20 years is another he’ll never forget.

He even met Cal Ripken Jr. and received a pre-game speech from Ray Lewis while attending Maryland. Something as simple as the environment and coverage surrounding his Terps teams was something he was grateful for. He appreciated the presence of successful journalists such as Chick Hernandez, Michael Wilbon, and Scott Van Pelt.

“The fans there, the experience there, the people there,” he said. “It was just a very, and I'm sure still is vibrant basketball culture in the DMV area with Maryland, Baltimore and D.C. with a ton of media presence. It was a cool experience for somebody from Maine who didn't deal with that.”

Nothing was greater than the scholarship Caner-Medley received from the school and the Terrapin Club donors. He says the donors allowed him to do something he wouldn't have been able to do. The scholarship allowed him to have a successful basketball career, but it also allowed him to receive a great education as an American studies major.

“I don't think that a lot of people take into consideration that piece,” Caner-Medley said. “The scholarship and the opportunity for a kid from Maine to be able to come in. I certainly wouldn't have been able to afford the education at Maryland. To be able to have the opportunity to come and get the exposure to the people, to the life lessons and education.”

Caner-Medley went on to have a lucrative career playing basketball overseas during a time when the sport was growing. He became an LNB Pro B champion in 2021 and a French League Cup winner in 2017. He made the All-EuroCup First Team in 2012 and was All-Spanish League First Team and All-EuroCup Second Team in 2011.

He even played with and against several future NBA stars. He played with Domantas Sabonis in Spain and battled with Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis  

Caner-Medley retired from basketball in 2022 and transitioned full-time to several business and entrepreneurial ventures. He began by investing in real estate and later started a real estate development company, Medley Properties, that he managed remotely. Through that, he started Cloudport, a company in Portland, ME that offers workspaces available for rent. It’s an all-inclusive place where businesspeople can come build their business.

He even built a non-profit called TruSports where he strives to empower young children through athletics and guide them towards healthy lifestyle choices. Their core values are to teach, reach and unite. J.P Estrella, who plays for Tennessee, and high school basketball prospects Cooper and Ace Flagg went through the program.

Caner-Medley recently returned to the University of Maryland and was honored as part of the 2004 ACC championship team’s 20th anniversary against No. 14 Illinois on Feb. 17. He expressed his appreciation for the many fans that continue to support him.

“The fans are still awesome,” he said. “It was cool that people were still engaged and saying what's up to me. Throughout my career, I’ve had Maryland fans reach out and show support. Just to the fans, it's how much I appreciate the support and it's always been a lot of fun to follow the Terps.”