Asbjørn Midtgaard
Asbjørn Engelhardt Midtgaard (born 20 September 1997) is a Danish professional basketball player for the Crailsheim Merlins of the German Basketball Bundesliga. He played college basketball for the Wichita State Shockers and the Grand Canyon Antelopes.
| No. 33 – Crailsheim Merlins | |
|---|---|
| Position | Center |
| League | Basketball Bundesliga |
| Personal information | |
| Born | 20 September 1997 Helsingør, Denmark |
| Nationality | Danish |
| Listed height | 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) |
| Listed weight | 270 lb (122 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Espergærde Gymnasium (Espergærde, Denmark) |
| College |
|
| NBA draft | 2021 / Undrafted |
| Playing career | 2014–present |
| Career history | |
| 2014–2017 | Hørsholm 79ers |
| 2021–2022 | ZZ Leiden |
| 2022–present | Crailsheim Merlins |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Early life and career
Midtgaard grew up playing handball and football, as well as weightlifting and judo. He started playing basketball at age 14, and joined the Hørsholm 79ers of the Basketligaen, the top professional league in Denmark, three years later.[1] In the 2016–17 season, he averaged 8.6 points and 6.3 rebounds per game and was named Basketligaen Young Player of the Year.[2]
College career
Midtgaard received limited playing time during his three seasons at Wichita State. He averaged 2.7 points and 2.6 rebounds per game in his time with the program.[3] For his senior season, he transferred to Grand Canyon.[4] On 28 November 2020, Midtgaard scored a career-high 20 points in a 94–63 win against Benedictine Mesa.[5] As a senior, Midtgaard averaged 14.2 points, 9.7 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game, and shot an NCAA Division I-best 70.7 percent from the field.[6] He received First Team All-Western Athletic Conference, Newcomer of the Year and All-Defensive Team honors.[7]
Professional career
After going undrafted in the 2021 NBA draft, Midtgaard signed with the Orlando Magic for the 2021 NBA Summer League. He became the first Grand Canyon player since the program entered the NCAA Division I to be invited to the Summer League.[6]
On 16 August 2021, Midtgaard signed his first professional contract with ZZ Leiden of the BNXT League.[8] He was nominated for the BNXT League Most Valuable Player award and ended third in voting. Midtgaard earned a spot in the All-BNXT League Dream Team.[9]
On June 24, 2022, he put pen to paper on a deal with the Crailsheim Merlins of the German Basketball Bundesliga.[10]
National team career
Midtgaard represented Denmark at the 2015 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship Division B in Austria, and averaged 7.3 points and 8.4 rebounds per game.[11]
Career statistics
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| * | Led NCAA Division I |
College
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017–18 | Wichita State | 8 | 0 | 6.1 | .500 | – | .500 | 2.1 | .0 | .1 | .3 | 1.4 |
| 2018–19 | Wichita State | 34 | 3 | 11.3 | .632 | – | .595 | 3.1 | .2 | .1 | .8 | 3.9 |
| 2019–20 | Wichita State | 24 | 1 | 8.0 | .484 | – | .333 | 2.0 | .3 | .1 | .5 | 1.5 |
| 2020–21 | Grand Canyon | 24 | 24 | 28.7 | .707* | .000 | .718 | 9.7 | .7 | .4 | 1.3 | 14.2 |
| Career | 90 | 28 | 14.6 | .658 | .000 | .644 | 4.5 | .3 | .2 | .8 | 5.8 | |
References
- ^ Coro, Paul (1 June 2020). "Hoops proved great for Dane". Grand Canyon University Athletics. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
- ^ Eldridge, Taylor (15 October 2017). "Danish freshman Asbjorn Midtgaard making impression on WSU". The Wichita Eagle. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
- ^ Eldridge, Taylor (17 March 2021). "'I'm grateful for everything': Asbjorn Midtgaard credits WSU for breakout season". The Wichita Eagle. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
- ^ Obert, Richard (11 April 2020). "Wichita State, 7-foot transfer Asbjorn Midtgaard commits to Grand Canyon basketball". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
- ^ "Midtgaard leads Grand Canyon over Benedictine Mesa 94–63". Associated Press. 28 November 2020. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
- ^ a b Obert, Richard (30 July 2021). "Asbjorn Midtgaard first Grand Canyon player in D-I era invited to NBA Summer League, joining Orlando Magic". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
- ^ Obert, Richard (9 March 2021). "Grand Canyon's Asbjørn Midtgaard, Alessandro Lever, Jovan Blacksher Jr., pick up All-WAC basketball honors". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
- ^ "Asbjørn Midtgaard signs with ZZ Leiden". Sportando. 16 August 2021. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
- ^ "Historic first Award night for betFIRST BNXT League". BNXT League. 30 April 2022. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
- ^ "Power unter den Körben: Hakro Merlins erzielen Einigung mit Center Midtgaard". Crailsheim Merlins. Retrieved 2022-07-24.
- ^ "Asbjoern Engelhardt Midtgaard's profile: 2015 U18 European Championship Men". FIBA. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
External links
- Grand Canyon Antelopes bio
- Wichita State Shockers bio