Tyson Hinz has switched from the tried-and-true that he knew at Carleton University to the oft-turbulent world of playing pro basketball overseas.

Twelve months ago, the 6-foot-8 forward wrapped up his run with the Ravens by winning MVP honours at the Canadian Interuniversity Sport Final 8 in his hometown, where he scored 30 points in his final game in March 2014. After always having a firm grasp of what to expect every day while playing for Dave Smart, the 6-foot-8 forward is thriving as a rookie pro with Zwolle in the Dutch Basketball League. The 23-year-old Hinz is averaging a solid 13.6 points and 7.0 rebounds while ranking third in the league in with a 42.9 per cent three-point percentage. The 23-year-old was also named most valuable player of the league's all-star game.

"Preseason was a little rough, there was a period of getting used to the system after so many years of getting set on Dave Smart's offensive systems and defensive systems," Hinz, an Ottawa native, said in a recent interview. "The first month was tough but then you find your spots in the offence.

"Another thing I find here is the teams change all the time, the players come and go," he added. "In university you have the same core, you lose one or two players. It's a tough job for coaches here because they get new imports almost every year. You usually get the core Dutch players back. It's something to get used and it's part of this new pro life that I'm getting used to. It's usually a roster turnover of 5-6 guys per season for most teams."

Catching on in Europe, where the cap on foreign players is usually much tighter than it is, might seem daunting for a Canadian-trained player competing for work against graduates of the NCAA. Hinz, with his wiry build, isn't a jump-out-of-gym type, but his game has always spoken at every level. The fact that the Ravens' reputation under Smart is now internationally known has helped open doors.

"I've always been confident in myself where others maybe I haven't because I don't always look the part of a pro basketball player," said Hinz, who was CIS player of the year in 2011 before teammate Phil Scrubb was recognized thrice in succession. "I still have my kind of awkward frame. And especially now I'm in a league where imports are usually American guys and when they bring in a Canadian, people are unsure. But I've always been confident in my abilities and my talent."

"Being part of a winning program has definitely boosted my credibility, I owe a lot to Carleton for that," Hinz added. "At the highest level, that's a factor I hold close to my heart. That's something coaches value, you can go for 20 [points] and 10 [rebounds] every night, but if you lose that doesn't mean very much."

The Dutch season is spread out over the fall and winter, with the playoffs beginning in mid-April. Hinz was also found living in Zwolle, a city of 125,000, agrees with him. The team typically draws crowds similar in size to smaller-market junior hockey teams in Canada.

"I'm extremely grateful for the weather — I've heard Canada's had a rough time," he laughed. "The coldest it's got here is maybe four or five below zero. People think that is freezing and I'm walking around in a T-shirt, thinking it's summer.

"The biking is pretty cool. Everyone always talking the Dutch culture, where biking is almost popular than driving. It's nice, everything's compact. I'm only a five-minute bike ride from the gym."

The former all-Canadian had some idea of what to expect while playing in the Netherlands. Hinz credits Colin McCleery, father of his former Ravens frontcourt mate Kevin McCleery, with imparting some knowledge about what to expect while playing in the Netherlands. Ultimately, though, basketball is basketball.

"The game is still the same, even though it is across the Atlantic Ocean," Hinz said. "The same things I could bring at Carleton, I can bring over here."

Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports. Follow him on Twitter @neatebuzzthenet.