Avi Koki Schafer (born 28 January 1998 in Osaka, Japan) is a Japanese basketball player who currently plays for the SeaHorses Mikawa of the B.League.
Early life[editar]
Schafer was born in Suita, Osaka Prefecture, to a Japanese mother, Sayuki, and an American father, Douglas. He initially played soccer before switching to basketball in the tenth grade, at age 16. [1] [2] [3]
High School Career[editar]
Schafer attended Kobe University High School in Higashinada and St. Mary’s International School in Tokyo. [4] [5]He subsequently played basketball for the Tokyo Samurai club, a renowned Japan-based American Amateur Athletic Union. Schafer, who initially played the sport for fun, cited that playing with the club opened the door for him to many basketball opportunities, including joining the national team, playing in NCAA Division I and pursuing a professional career. [2] [6]
After moving to the United States, Schafer attended Brewster Academy Preparatory School in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire and played college basketball for the Bobcats his senior year. He contributed to the team finishing the season with a 33-0 record and winning the high school national championship and the NEPSAC Class AAA title. [1] [7]
College career[editar]
Schafer attended Georgia Tech and played for their basketball team. He made his collegiate debut on November 22, 2017, against UTRGV. [8]As a freshman, Schafer had two rebounds and three minutes in four games. [8] [9]As a sophomore, he appeared in two games, earning a total of two rebounds and three minutes, [9] [10]before leaving Georgia Tech in the fall of 2018 to play professional basketball in Japan. [1] [11]
Career[editar]
Alvark Tokyo (2018-2019)[editar]
On December 19, 2018, Schafer signed for B.League side Alvark Tokyo, joining mid-season. [11] [12]He made his professional debut on December 22, against the Yokohama B-Corsairs, scoring two points and grabbing a rebound in three minutes of action. [13] [14] [15]Tokyo won the 2019 B.League championship title after defeating the Chiba Jets Funabashi. [16]During that season, Schafer averaged 1.2 points, 0.7 rebounds, and 0.1 assists in 3.6 minutes in 14 games. [17]
On May 24, 2019, Tokyo decided to extend Schafer’s contract for one more season. [18]
Shiga Lakestars (2019-2020)[editar]
On July 29, 2019, Shiga Lakestars announced that they had acquired Schafer from Alvark Tokyo through a loan. [19] [20]On December 2, Schafer earned his first B.League All-Star selection. He was also named one of the participants in the dunk contest. [21]On March 14, 2020, he recorded his first career double-double with 16 points and 14 rebounds, both season highs, in a loss against his former team. [22] [23]Schafer appeared in 41 games, including 9 starts, averaging 4.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 0.8 assists in 15.2 minutes per game and shooting 49.7 percent from the field. [17]After his performance, he was listed among the B.League’s top five rookies. [24] [25]
SeaHorses Mikawa (2020-present)[editar]
On May 27, 2020, Schafer signed a one-year deal with the Mikawa SeaHorses. [26]On December 14, he was named to the B.League All-Star list, making this his second consecutive appearance. [27]On April 24, 2021, Schafer recorded a season-high 24 points in a 106–102 overtime loss to the Shimane Susanoo Magic. [28] [29]On May 9, he again posted a double-double with a season-high 19 points and 19 rebounds in a win against Osaka Evessa. [28] [30]Schafer started that season and played in all 55 games, averaging 9.5 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game while shooting 51.1 percent from the field and 35.9 percent from three. . [17]
On June 14, 2021, Mikawa decided to extend Schafer’s contract for one more season. [31]
National selection[editar]
Youth National Team[editar]
Schafer made his international debut when he was selected to be part of the Japan squad that competed at the 2016 FIBA Asia Under-18 Championship, where he helped the team win the silver medal. [32] [33]In the game against Indonesia, Schafer had a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. [34] [35]In that tournament he averaged 4.9 points, 4.5 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game. [34] [36]
The following year, Schafer suited up for Japan at the FIBA U-19 Basketball World Cup 2017, where he averaged 5.0 points, 4.9 rebounds and 0.1 assists per game and was the second best rebounder on the team. [37] [38]On that occasion Schafer had a double-double twice, scoring 11 points and 10 rebounds against Mali and 10 points and 10 rebounds against Korea. [38] [39]
Senior National Team[editar]
Schafer made his debut for the senior team at the 2018 William Jones Cup. [40] [41]
A year later, Schafer competed for the Japanese team at the 2019 William Jones Cup, where he led the team to a bronze medal win. [42]He had 14 points and 8 rebounds in a game against Korea. Schafer averaged 7.1 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 0.6 assists per game. [43]The following month, he represented Japan at the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup, where he only played in two games. [44]
Schafer also played for Japan in the FIBA Asia Cup 2021 Qualifiers, where he averaged 6.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game. [45]His highlights from that tournament included a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds against Chinese Taipei. [46]
Personal life[editar]
Schäfer has two brothers. His older brother, Yuki, played soccer at Chapman University. [1]
career statistics[editar]
Co-worker[editar]
References[editar]
External links[editar]
2023-09-01 23:00:23
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