Luke Schenscher
Encyclopedia
Luke Dean Schenscher is an Australia
n professional basketball
player for the Townsville Crocodiles
in the Australasian National Basketball League
.
, and played three years of basketball with the Australian Institute of Sport
. He became the first high school player to represent the Boomers, the Australian men's basketball team.
He attended the Georgia Institute of Technology
, commonly referred to as Georgia Tech, from 2001 to 2005, starting a majority of his career at the center
position, and in the 2003–04 season along with Jarrett Jack
was a member of the Yellow Jackets team which played in the NCAA championship game
against the Connecticut Huskies
where he received all Final Four
Team honors.
roster. He succeeded in becoming a member of the Denver Nuggets
and Sacramento Kings
2005–06 pre-season rosters. He signed to the Fort Worth Flyers
to play in the NBA D-League, ranking in the top 50 players for points per game and top 20 for rebounds per game. He then signed a 10-day contract with the Chicago Bulls
on 5 March 2006 becoming the third Australian centre to play for the Bulls following in the footsteps of Luc Longley
(starting centre for the Bulls 1995–97 championship three-peat) and Chris Anstey
who played in Chicago in 1999–2000. He played 12 minutes, scored 4 points and grabbed 1 rebound in his first game. He earned a second 10-day contract as soon as the first expired and was then signed for the rest of the season.
It was widely believed Schenscher was to sign with the South Dragons
to play in the National Basketball League
as the team's first contracted player for the 2006-07 NBL season
. This did not happen and Joe Ingles
was signed by the Dragons while Schenscher was with Chicago. On 17 July 2006 power forward Darius Songaila
left Chicago to join the Washington Wizards
in a $23m deal, opening up the possibility of Schenscher having a more prominent role on the Bulls, however on 30 October 2006, one day before the beginning of the 2006-07 NBA season, the Bulls waived him. He returned to the Flyers for the 2006-07 D-League season.
In March 2007, Schenscher was signed to a 10-day contract by the Portland Trail Blazers, who at that time had lost several big men (Joel Przybilla
, Raef LaFrentz
) to injury. On 24 March, his stay with the Trail Blazers was extended with a second 10-day contract. At the end of the second 10-day contract the Trail Blazers decided to sign Schenscher for the remainder of the season.
champions, Brose Baskets. As the son of German emigrants, he is eligible for a German passport and therefore not subject to any restrictions on non-EU
nationals in the German league. Later, he was waived due to an injury.
confirmed that they had agreed to terms with Schenscher for a one-year deal for the 2008-09 NBL season
. Adelaide coach Scott Ninnis was ecstatic with the signing of Schensher: "I've received nothing but positive remarks from the public about the current direction of the club, and I am certain there are exciting times ahead. Luke only compliments the group we already have in place and anytime you add a player over 7 feet tall with NBA experience, he's going to have an impact". Schenscher averaged 17 points and 11 rebounds for the season. Receiving player of the week honours twice and player of the month for jan/feb. He had 19 points and 18 rebounds against Sydney, went up against Australian Boomers
and ex NBA player Chris Anstey
and had 17 points and 22 rebounds in one game and 21 points and 15 rebounds in another, he also hit 37 Points and 15 Rebounds against the Wollongong Hawks
and if that was not enough he poured in a massive 33 points 20 rebounds against the Perth Wildcats
. He is the first player in the NBL to record at least 30 points and 20 rebounds in a game since Mark Bradtke
did way back in 1992. In a coincidence, Bradtke was also playing for the 36ers at the time.
In early September 2009, Schenscher signed a deal to join the Perth Wildcats
of the Australian NBL for the upcoming 2009-10 NBL season.http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,26021489-23769,00.html The addition proved pivotal early on in the season, with fellow big-man, veteran Paul Rogers
, succumbing to a serious elbow injury less than a month into the season. Schenscher and the Perth Wildcats went on to win the NBL Championship with a 2-1 series wins over the Wollongong Hawks.
Schenscher signed on to play for the Townsville Crocodiles in the 2010–11 NBL season where he helped the Crocs to finish the regular season in 2nd place with a 17-11 record. He played in all 28 games as the starting centre and averaged 13.8 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 24.5 minutes per game, form that saw him selected to the 2011 All NBL Second team
.
Luke Schenscher's contract with Townsville expired at the conclusion of the 2010-11 season leaving him as a free agent. He was expected to either re-sign with the Crocodiles or to move home and re-join the Adelaide 36ers. Schenscher eventually chose to re-sign with the Crocodiles for the 2011/12 NBL season, with an option for the season after.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player for the Townsville Crocodiles
Townsville Crocodiles
The Townsville Crocodiles are a professional Australian basketball team based in Townsville, Queensland. They compete in the National Basketball League...
in the Australasian National Basketball League
National Basketball League (Australasia)
The National Basketball League, also known as the iiNet NBL Championship for sponsorship reasons, is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in Australasia....
.
School/College career
Schenscher was born and raised in Hope Forest, South AustraliaSouth Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
, and played three years of basketball with the Australian Institute of Sport
Australian Institute of Sport
The Australian Institute of Sport is a sports training institution in Australia with world class facilities and support services. The Institute's headquarters is situated in Canberra, the capital city of Australia. The 66.0 hectare site campus is in the northern suburb of Bruce, but some of the...
. He became the first high school player to represent the Boomers, the Australian men's basketball team.
He attended the Georgia Institute of Technology
Georgia Institute of Technology
The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States...
, commonly referred to as Georgia Tech, from 2001 to 2005, starting a majority of his career at the center
Center (basketball)
The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...
position, and in the 2003–04 season along with Jarrett Jack
Jarrett Jack
Jarrett Matthew Jack is an American professional basketball player for the New Orleans Hornets of the NBA. At 6' 3" tall and weighing 197 lbs , he primarily plays at the guard position...
was a member of the Yellow Jackets team which played in the NCAA championship game
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
against the Connecticut Huskies
University of Connecticut
The admission rate to the University of Connecticut is about 50% and has been steadily decreasing, with about 28,000 prospective students applying for admission to the freshman class in recent years. Approximately 40,000 prospective students tour the main campus in Storrs annually...
where he received all Final Four
Final four
Final Four isa sports term that is commonly applied to the last four teams remaining in a playoff tournament, most notably NCAA Division I college basketball tournaments. The term usually refers to the four teams who compete in the two games of a single-elimination tournament's semi-final round...
Team honors.
NBA
After college the 7'1" (216 cm) tall Australian attempted to make an NBANational Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
roster. He succeeded in becoming a member of the Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
and Sacramento Kings
Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings are a professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California, United States. They are currently members of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
2005–06 pre-season rosters. He signed to the Fort Worth Flyers
Fort Worth Flyers
The Fort Worth Flyers is the name of a now defunct team of the NBA Development League minor league basketball expansion team based in Fort Worth, Texas. They began play in the 2005-06 season. The decision was made by the NBADL to not operate this team for the 2007-08 season.- Franchise history...
to play in the NBA D-League, ranking in the top 50 players for points per game and top 20 for rebounds per game. He then signed a 10-day contract with the Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
on 5 March 2006 becoming the third Australian centre to play for the Bulls following in the footsteps of Luc Longley
Luc Longley
Lucien James "Luc" Longley is a retired Australian professional basketball player, who was the first Australian to play in the NBA, where he played for eleven seasons...
(starting centre for the Bulls 1995–97 championship three-peat) and Chris Anstey
Chris Anstey
Christopher John Anstey is a former Australian professional basketball player. At 7'0" his career included stints in the NBA, Russia and Spain. Anstey was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round of the 1997 NBA Draft. He played for the Melbourne Tigers in the Australian NBL...
who played in Chicago in 1999–2000. He played 12 minutes, scored 4 points and grabbed 1 rebound in his first game. He earned a second 10-day contract as soon as the first expired and was then signed for the rest of the season.
It was widely believed Schenscher was to sign with the South Dragons
South Dragons
The South Dragons is a former team in the Australasian National Basketball League . They made their début in the 2006/07 season and played their final season in 2008/09...
to play in the National Basketball League
National Basketball League (Australia)
The National Basketball League, also known as the iiNet NBL Championship for sponsorship reasons, is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in Australasia....
as the team's first contracted player for the 2006-07 NBL season
2006-07 NBL Season
The 2006-07 National Basketball League is the 29th season of professional basketball in Australia. For the first time, a team was established from outside the Australasian area, with the Singapore Slingers taking over the licence of the Hunter Pirates...
. This did not happen and Joe Ingles
Joe Ingles
Joe Ingles is an Australian professional basketball player, currently with Regal FC Barcelona. Joe is in a relationship with Australian Diamonds and Melbourne Vixens netball player, Renae Hallinan. On 17 March 2006, he became the first player to sign with the South Dragons National Basketball...
was signed by the Dragons while Schenscher was with Chicago. On 17 July 2006 power forward Darius Songaila
Darius Songaila
Darius Songaila is a Lithuanian professional basketball player. He is also a member of the Lithuania national team. He can play power forward and center positions. He currently plays for Galatasaray Medical Park in Turkey....
left Chicago to join the Washington Wizards
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
in a $23m deal, opening up the possibility of Schenscher having a more prominent role on the Bulls, however on 30 October 2006, one day before the beginning of the 2006-07 NBA season, the Bulls waived him. He returned to the Flyers for the 2006-07 D-League season.
In March 2007, Schenscher was signed to a 10-day contract by the Portland Trail Blazers, who at that time had lost several big men (Joel Przybilla
Joel Przybilla
Joel Przybilla is an American professional basketball player. A 7'1" center, he last played for the Charlotte Bobcats in the NBA.- High school career :...
, Raef LaFrentz
Raef LaFrentz
Raef Andrew LaFrentz is a retired American professional basketball power forward and center who played in the NBA from 1998 to 2009. Born and raised in Iowa, LaFrentz attended the University of Kansas and was drafted in 1998 by the Denver Nuggets...
) to injury. On 24 March, his stay with the Trail Blazers was extended with a second 10-day contract. At the end of the second 10-day contract the Trail Blazers decided to sign Schenscher for the remainder of the season.
Germany
During the 2007 offseason, he signed a one-year contract with the reigning GermanBasketball Bundesliga
The Basketball Bundesliga — commonly abbreviated BBL — is the highest level league of club basketball in Germany. The league comprises 18 teams. A BBL season is split into a league stage and a playoff stage...
champions, Brose Baskets. As the son of German emigrants, he is eligible for a German passport and therefore not subject to any restrictions on non-EU
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
nationals in the German league. Later, he was waived due to an injury.
NBL
On 15 April 2008, Schenscher's home town club, the Adelaide 36ersAdelaide 36ers
The Adelaide 36ers are Adelaide's men's professional basketball team, established as the Adelaide City Eagles when they joined the National Basketball League in 1982. The Adelaide 36ers tally of four championships is equal with the Melbourne Tigers and second behind the Perth Wildcats as the most...
confirmed that they had agreed to terms with Schenscher for a one-year deal for the 2008-09 NBL season
2008-09 NBL Season
-2008-09 league participants:* On 30 June 2008 the Brisbane Bullets confirmed they would be handing back the team's license to the NBL. The NBL confirmed there will be no Brisbane team participating in the 2008/09 season....
. Adelaide coach Scott Ninnis was ecstatic with the signing of Schensher: "I've received nothing but positive remarks from the public about the current direction of the club, and I am certain there are exciting times ahead. Luke only compliments the group we already have in place and anytime you add a player over 7 feet tall with NBA experience, he's going to have an impact". Schenscher averaged 17 points and 11 rebounds for the season. Receiving player of the week honours twice and player of the month for jan/feb. He had 19 points and 18 rebounds against Sydney, went up against Australian Boomers
Australia national basketball team
The Australian national basketball team is the men's basketball side that represents Australia in international competitions. The team is known in Australia as the Boomers, an Australian slang term for Kangaroo. Australia is ranked 9th in the world and finished 7th at the 2008 Beijing Olympic...
and ex NBA player Chris Anstey
Chris Anstey
Christopher John Anstey is a former Australian professional basketball player. At 7'0" his career included stints in the NBA, Russia and Spain. Anstey was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round of the 1997 NBA Draft. He played for the Melbourne Tigers in the Australian NBL...
and had 17 points and 22 rebounds in one game and 21 points and 15 rebounds in another, he also hit 37 Points and 15 Rebounds against the Wollongong Hawks
Wollongong Hawks
The Wollongong Hawks are a team competing in Australia's National Basketball League , based in the New South Wales city of Wollongong. They won the NBL championship in 2001 and finished as runners-up in 2005 and 2010...
and if that was not enough he poured in a massive 33 points 20 rebounds against the Perth Wildcats
Perth Wildcats
The Perth Wildcats are an Australian professional basketball team competing in the National Basketball League. The Wildcats are the only team in the league representing the state of Western Australia and are based in the state capital, Perth...
. He is the first player in the NBL to record at least 30 points and 20 rebounds in a game since Mark Bradtke
Mark Bradtke
Mark Robert Bradtke is a retired Australian professional basketball player who played mainly in Australia's National Basketball League but also had a single stint in the NBA with the Philadelphia 76ers in 1996-97...
did way back in 1992. In a coincidence, Bradtke was also playing for the 36ers at the time.
In early September 2009, Schenscher signed a deal to join the Perth Wildcats
Perth Wildcats
The Perth Wildcats are an Australian professional basketball team competing in the National Basketball League. The Wildcats are the only team in the league representing the state of Western Australia and are based in the state capital, Perth...
of the Australian NBL for the upcoming 2009-10 NBL season.http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,26021489-23769,00.html The addition proved pivotal early on in the season, with fellow big-man, veteran Paul Rogers
Paul Rogers (basketball)
Paul Andrew Rogers is a retired Australian basketball player who played in the National Basketball League...
, succumbing to a serious elbow injury less than a month into the season. Schenscher and the Perth Wildcats went on to win the NBL Championship with a 2-1 series wins over the Wollongong Hawks.
Schenscher signed on to play for the Townsville Crocodiles in the 2010–11 NBL season where he helped the Crocs to finish the regular season in 2nd place with a 17-11 record. He played in all 28 games as the starting centre and averaged 13.8 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 24.5 minutes per game, form that saw him selected to the 2011 All NBL Second team
NBL (Australia) All NBL teams
-NBL First Teams:* 1980 Cal Stamp, Danny Morseu, Brian Banks, Herb McEachin, Ian Davies and Ken Richardson* 1981 Rocky Smith, Danny Morseu, Al Green, David Nelson and Owen Wells* 1982 George Morrow, James Crawford, Leroy Loggins, Phil Smyth and Larry Sengstock...
.
Luke Schenscher's contract with Townsville expired at the conclusion of the 2010-11 season leaving him as a free agent. He was expected to either re-sign with the Crocodiles or to move home and re-join the Adelaide 36ers. Schenscher eventually chose to re-sign with the Crocodiles for the 2011/12 NBL season, with an option for the season after.