Asbjørn Midtgaard Explained

Asbjørn Midtgaard
Number:33
Position:Center
Height Ft:7
Height In:0
Weight Lbs:270
Birth Date:1997 9, df=yes
Birth Place:Helsingør, Denmark
Nationality:Danish
High School:Espergærde Gymnasium
(Espergærde, Denmark)
College:
Draft Year:2021
Career Start:2014
Years1:2014–2017
Team1:Hørsholm 79ers
Years2:2021–2022
Team2:ZZ Leiden
Years3:2022–2023
Team3:Crailsheim Merlins
Years4:2023
Team4:Antwerp Giants
Highlights:

Asbjørn Engelhardt Midtgaard (born 20 September 1997) is a Danish professional basketball player. He last played for the Antwerp Giants of the BNXT League. He played college basketball for the Wichita State Shockers and the Grand Canyon Antelopes.

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] He wrapped up the 2022-23 campaign, averaging 8.1 points and 4.2 rebounds per game in Bundesliga play.[11] On July 16 2023, Midtgaard was signed by the Antwerp Giants of the BNXT League.[12] He attended only one BNXT contest for Antwerp and parted ways with the team on October 4, 2023 after having suffered a knee injury.[13]

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.[14]

Career statistics

Led NCAA Division I

College

|-| style="text-align:left;"| 2017–18| style="text-align:left;"| Wichita State| 8 || 0 || 6.1 || .500 || – || .500 || 2.1 || .0 || .1 || .3 || 1.4|-| style="text-align:left;"| 2018–19| style="text-align:left;"| Wichita State| 34 || 3 || 11.3 || .632 || – || .595 || 3.1 || .2 || .1 || .8 || 3.9|-| style="text-align:left;"| 2019–20| style="text-align:left;"| Wichita State| 24 || 1 || 8.0 || .484 || – || .333 || 2.0 || .3 || .1 || .5 || 1.5|-| style="text-align:left;"| 2020–21| style="text-align:left;"| Grand Canyon| 24 || 24 || 28.7 || style="background:#cfecec;"| .707* || .000 || .718 || 9.7 || .7 || .4 || 1.3 || 14.2|- class="sortbottom"| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career| 90 || 28 || 14.6 || .658 || .000 || .644 || 4.5 || .3 || .2 || .8 || 5.8

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Coro . Paul . Hoops proved great for Dane . Grand Canyon University Athletics . 10 August 2021 . 1 June 2020.
  2. Web site: Eldridge . Taylor . Danish freshman Asbjorn Midtgaard making impression on WSU . . 10 August 2021 . 15 October 2017.
  3. Web site: Eldridge . Taylor . ‘I’m grateful for everything’: Asbjorn Midtgaard credits WSU for breakout season . . 10 August 2021 . 17 March 2021.
  4. Web site: Obert . Richard . Wichita State, 7-foot transfer Asbjorn Midtgaard commits to Grand Canyon basketball . . 10 August 2021 . 11 April 2020.
  5. News: Midtgaard leads Grand Canyon over Benedictine Mesa 94–63 . 10 August 2021 . . 28 November 2020.
  6. Web site: Obert . Richard . Asbjorn Midtgaard first Grand Canyon player in D-I era invited to NBA Summer League, joining Orlando Magic . . 10 August 2021 . 30 July 2021.
  7. Web site: Obert . Richard . Grand Canyon's Asbjørn Midtgaard, Alessandro Lever, Jovan Blacksher Jr., pick up All-WAC basketball honors . . 10 August 2021 . 9 March 2021.
  8. Web site: Asbjørn Midtgaard signs with ZZ Leiden. 16 August 2021. Sportando. En. 16 August 2021.
  9. Web site: Historic first Award night for betFIRST BNXT League . BNXT League . 30 April 2022 . 30 April 2022.
  10. Web site: Power unter den Körben: Hakro Merlins erzielen Einigung mit Center Midtgaard . 2022-07-24 . Crailsheim Merlins.
  11. Web site: Asbjorn Midtgaard . 2023-07-16 . Basketball-Bundesliga.
  12. Web site: 2023-07-16 . Welcome Asbjorn Midtgaard @ Telenet Giants Antwerp! . 2023-07-16 . Telenet Giants Antwerp . nl.
  13. Web site: 2023-10-04 . Les Telenet Giants Antwerp disent au revoir à Asbjorn Midtgaard . 2023-10-13 . BNXT League.
  14. Web site: Asbjoern Engelhardt Midtgaard's profile: 2015 U18 European Championship Men . . 10 August 2021.