Eugene German
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 2, 1997 |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Listed weight | 185 lb (84 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | 21st Century (Gary, Indiana) |
| College | Northern Illinois (2016–2020) |
| NBA draft | 2020: undrafted |
| Position | Point guard |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Eugene German (born December 2, 1997) is an American basketball player. He played college basketball for the Northern Illinois Huskies and left as the program's all-time leading scorer.
High school career
German grew up in crime-ridden Gary, Indiana and played basketball from an early age under his father's guidance. At age 10, he was noticed by an Amateur Athletic Union coach at a church camp tournament and began playing around the state and country.[1] German started high school at Andrean High School in Merrillville, Indiana but moved to Theodore Roosevelt High School in Gary, Indiana before playing a basketball game for Andrean. He did not play for Roosevelt either due to a left hip fracture.[2]
For his sophomore season, German transferred to 21st Century Charter School in Gary, averaging 17.4 points per game.[3] As a junior, he averaged a state-high 32 points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals per game and was named to the Small School All-State team.[4][5] After the season, he committed to play college basketball for Northern Illinois.[6] As a senior, German averaged 33.5 points, 5.6 rebounds and four assists per game, helping 21st Century win a regional title. He had nine 40-point games and scored 51 points in a loss to national powerhouse La Lumiere School.[7] He led the state of Indiana in scoring for a second straight year, becoming the first player to do so since Deshaun Thomas in 2009 and 2010.[8] German earned Post-Tribune Player of the Year and Small School All-State honors.[3] German finished his high school career as 21st Century's all-time leading scorer with 2,020 points.[9]
College career
On February 18, 2017, German scored a freshman season-high 27 points in an 88–80 overtime loss to Toledo.[10] As a freshman, he averaged nine points per game and was named to the Mid-American Conference (MAC) All-Freshman Team.[3] German gained about 15 pounds after his freshman season and had breakout success as a sophomore.[11] On February 17, 2018, he scored a season-high 31 points in a 75–67 win over Western Michigan.[12] In his sophomore season, German led the MAC with 20.6 points per game while averaging 3.8 rebounds and 1.7 assists and was named to the second team All-MAC.[3]
On November 28, as a junior, he recorded a career-high 33 points and five rebounds in an 85–83 loss to Green Bay.[13] German averaged 20.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game to earn second-team All-MAC honors. He was also named to the MAC All-Tournament Team after averaging 27 points per game at the 2019 MAC Tournament.[3] Against Miami (Ohio) on February 1, 2020, as a senior, German passed T. J. Lux as Northern Illinois' all-time leading scorer and became the first player in program history to score 2,000 career points.[9] In his senior season, he averaged a MAC-leading 20.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game.[3] German was named to the Lou Henson All-America Team by Collegeinsider.com and to the first team All-MAC. He finished his career at Northern Illinois with 2,203 points, which ranked fifth in MAC history.[14]
Personal life
German's father, David German Sr., played basketball for Horace Mann School in the 1980s.[9] His mother, Eugenia, ran track for Mann. German's sister, Princess, played college basketball for Milwaukee and Indianapolis. His brother, David Jr., played basketball for 21st Century Charter School.[8]
References
- ^ Pfeifer, Ben (May 6, 2020). "Empty gyms and one empty seat: The shaping of Eugene German". The Rookie Wire. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
- ^ Hutton, Mike (December 10, 2015). "Well-traveled Eugene German a basketball shepherd for 21st Century". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f "Eugene German". NIU Athletics. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
- ^ Smith, Greg (April 2, 2015). "The Times 2014-15 Boys Basketball All-Area Team". The Times of Northwest Indiana. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
- ^ Neddenriep, Kyle (March 26, 2015). "Several local players make IBCA all-state honors". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
- ^ Hanlon, Steve (September 21, 2015). "E.C. Central's Damien Jefferson visits New Mexico, verbally commits to play for the Lobos". The Times of Northwest Indiana. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
- ^ Neddenriep, Kyle (June 8, 2016). "State's top scorer Eugene German opening eyes with Indiana All-Stars". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
- ^ a b Hanlon, Steve (January 14, 2016). "Eugene 'The Truth' German continues to amaze at 21st Century". The Times of Northwest Indiana. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
- ^ a b c Ferguson, Aaron (February 6, 2020). "German attributes NIU scoring record to Gary upbringing". The Times of Northwest Indiana. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
- ^ "Huskies Rally Before Falling in Overtime to Toledo". NIU Athletics. February 18, 2017. Retrieved May 31, 2020.
- ^ Osipoff, Michael (March 26, 2018). "Eugene German wants to take next step after breakout sophomore season at Northern Illinois". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved May 31, 2020.
- ^ "German Nets Career High As Huskies Down Western Michigan". NIU Athletics. February 17, 2018. Retrieved May 31, 2020.
- ^ "Late Run Comes Up Short at Green Bay". NIU Athletics. November 28, 2018. Retrieved May 31, 2020.
- ^ "Eugene German Named to Lou Henson All-America Team". NIU Athletics. March 26, 2020. Retrieved May 31, 2020.