Luke Schenscher
Luke Schenscher | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 31, 1982 Hope Forest, South Australia, Australia |
| Occupation | Professional basketball player (retired) |
| Years active | 2001–2017 |
Luke Dean Schenscher (born 31 December 1982) is a retired Australian professional basketball athlete. He spent four years competing at the collegiate level for Georgia Tech before brief periods in the National Basketball Association (NBA) with the Chicago Bulls in 2006 and the Portland Trail Blazers in 2007. He secured an NBL championship title in 2010 while playing for the Perth Wildcats.
Early life and career
Born in Hope Forest, a small community located east of Willunga, Schenscher was raised on a five-acre farm. During his junior years, he represented the Noarlunga City Tigers. In 1999, he relocated to Canberra to attend the Australian Institute of Sport and study at Lake Ginninderra College. Between 1999 and 2001, he competed with the AIS's SEABL squad, leading the team in scoring with an average of 15.2 points, pulling down 9.2 rebounds per game, and recording 1.65 blocks per contest while shooting 54% in 2001. That same year, he earned the title of AIS Junior Athlete of the Year.
In addition, Schenscher made history in 2001 as the first high school player selected for the Boomers, taking part in the 2001 East Asian Games. He also represented Australia's under-21 national team, which finished eighth at the FIBA Under-21 World Championship.
College career
Schenscher's collegiate basketball tenure at Georgia Tech spanned from 2001 to 2005. As a freshman, he started five out of the first six games before missing twelve due to a foot fracture. He led Georgia Tech in field goal percentage (.587), averaging 4.8 points and 3.2 rebounds per game. During his sophomore year, he started sixteen games and ranked third on the team with a .472 shooting percentage while placing second in blocks with twenty-five.
In the 2003–04 season, Schenscher was fourth in blocks per game (1.4) and eighth in rebounds (6.6) within the ACC, shooting .565 from the field. He was Georgia Tech’s second-leading scorer during the NCAA tournament, posting averages of 10.8 points, seven rebounds, and one block per game as he helped guide the Yellow Jackets to the Final Four. In the semifinal matchup against Oklahoma State, he tallied nineteen points and twelve rebounds, followed by nine points and eleven rebounds in their championship game loss to Connecticut.
During his senior year (2004–05), Schenscher achieved career-best averages with 10.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.75 blocks per game while leading his team in field goal percentage (.539). Across his entire Georgia Tech career spanning 119 games, he averaged 7.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.32 blocks each contest.
NBA and D-League
After going undrafted in the 2005 NBA draft, Schenscher joined the Denver Nuggets for Summer League action and signed with them on August 15 but was released by October. Shortly after, he was claimed by the Sacramento Kings but waived before joining the Fort Worth Flyers of the NBA Development League. During the 2005–06 season with Fort Worth, he averaged 8.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.42 blocks, and 1.2 assists across 36 games while shooting .530 from the field.
On March 5, 2006, Schenscher secured a ten-day contract with the Chicago Bulls, followed by a second ten-day deal and then a contract for the remainder of the season on March 25. In twenty appearances for Chicago, he averaged 1.8 points and 1.5 rebounds during limited playing time but was waived after preseason on October 30, 2006.
Returning to Fort Worth for the following season (2006–07), Schenscher improved his statistics to averages of 9.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.20 blocks over thirty-four games while shooting .512 from the floor. On March 15, 2007, he signed multiple contracts with the Portland Trail Blazers, culminating in a rest-of-season agreement on April 4. In eleven games with Portland, he posted averages of 1.7 points and 2.3 rebounds over approximately eleven minutes per contest.
In July of that year, Schenscher participated with the Minnesota Timberwolves during their Summer League activities.
Germany
On 27 July 2007, Schenscher agreed to a one-year contract with the German club Brose Baskets, reportedly marking the highest salary ever offered by the team at that period. The combination of the substantial contract and expectations tied to his NBA background contributed to injuries, restricting him to a single appearance before he returned to Australia for knee surgery.
Adelaide 36ers
In April 2008, Schenscher joined the Adelaide 36ers for the 2008–09 NBL season. He delivered impressive performances, such as scoring 33 points and grabbing 20 rebounds against the Perth Wildcats on 25 October 2008, posting 17 points and 22 rebounds versus the Melbourne Tigers on 6 December, and achieving 37 points along with 15 rebounds against the Wollongong Hawks on 13 February 2009. Throughout 31 games, he averaged 16.9 points, 10.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.4 blocks per contest, which earned him selection to the All-NBL Second Team.
The 36ers permitted him to explore NBA Summer League opportunities with the Los Angeles Lakers, but a back injury compelled him to withdraw from those plans.
Perth Wildcats
In September 2009, Schenscher signed with the Perth Wildcats for the 2009–10 NBL season. He twice recorded a season-high of 22 points in December and secured a season-best of 15 rebounds on 6 February against the Melbourne Tigers. In March 2010, he contributed to the Wildcats’ victory over the Wollongong Hawks in a 2–1 NBL Grand Final series, clinching the championship. Across 33 games, he averaged 10.0 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. By April 2010, the Wildcats parted ways with Schenscher due to his salary demands exceeding their financial limits.
Townsville Crocodiles
Soon after departing from the Wildcats, Schenscher inked a deal with the Townsville Crocodiles. On 30 October 2010, he tallied 26 points and 10 rebounds against the Sydney Kings, followed by similar outputs of 25 points and 10 rebounds in games versus both the Adelaide 36ers and Wildcats later in the season. During the semi-finals against the Cairns Taipans, he posted 15 points and a season-high of 14 rebounds; however, the Crocodiles were eliminated after losing the series 2–1. Over 31 games in the 2010–11 season, he averaged 13.7 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.1 blocks per game, earning both All-NBL Second Team recognition and Club MVP honors.
After contemplating a return to Adelaide, Schenscher re-signed with Townsville for the 2011–12 season, though his debut was postponed until December due to hip surgery. He achieved a season-high of 25 points on 10 March 2012 against the Gold Coast Blaze. In total, across 24 games, he averaged 10.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per contest.
Return to Adelaide
In May 2012, Schenscher committed to a two-year contract with the Adelaide 36ers, marking his second tenure with the club. On 28 December 2012, he recorded a performance of 25 points and 16 rebounds against the New Zealand Breakers. A back injury sidelined him for the final six games of that season; nonetheless, he finished averaging 9.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.9 assists over his participation in 21 games.
Following off-season elbow surgery, Schenscher appeared in all 34 contests during the 2013–14 NBL season. He posted a season-best of 18 points in the regular-season finale against the Melbourne Tigers and was instrumental in guiding the team to the NBL Grand Final series in 2014, where they were narrowly defeated by the Perth Wildcats in three games (2–1). His averages for that campaign were recorded at 6.8 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.
On 27 June 2014, Schenscher opted to extend his contract for the 2014–15 NBL season. He achieved a season-high of sixteen points on New Year’s Eve against the Cairns Taipans. Participating in all thirty fixtures that season, he maintained averages of 6.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game.
Return to Townsville
On 17 July 2015, Schenscher committed to a three-year contract with the Townsville Crocodiles, marking his return for a second tenure with the team. In late October, he suffered a ligament tear in his left ankle, and persistent ankle and back problems curtailed his playing opportunities throughout the 2015–16 NBL season. Across 13 appearances, he recorded averages of 4.1 points and 3.2 rebounds per contest.
Following the dissolution of the Crocodiles in 2016, Schenscher decided to retire from the NBL.
Final years
On 2 June 2016, Schenscher signed on with the Townsville Heat to complete the remainder of the 2016 Queensland Basketball League season.
In February 2017, he briefly joined the Singapore Slingers in the ASEAN Basketball League for two games, stepping in as a replacement for the injured Justin Howard.
April 2017 saw Schenscher sign with the Southern Tigers competing in South Australia's Premier League, where he averaged 8.6 points over 13 matches.
In June 2017, Schenscher's Townsville-based 3x3 squad clinched the Australian CLB 3x3 championship and subsequently participated in the FIBA 3x3 World Tour qualifying rounds held in Mongolia.
Personal
Schenscher holds an avid interest in Australian rules football, showing support for the Glenelg Football Club within the South Australian National Football League. Additionally, he is proficient in playing the traditional didgeridoo instrument.
Regular season
|- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Chicago | 20 || 0 || 7.4 || .615 || .000 || .308 || 1.5 || .4 || .1 || .2 || 1.8 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Portland | 11 || 0 || 10.7 || .304 || .000 || .714 || 2.3 || .1 || .2 || .4 || 1.7 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2" | Career | 31 || 0 || 8.6 || .469 || .000 || .450 || 1.7 || .3 || .1 || .2 || 1.8
Playoffs
|- | style="text-align:left;"| 2006 | style="text-align:left;"| Chicago | 3 || 0 || 5.7 || 1.000 || – || .750 || 2.3 || .0 || .0 || .0 || 2.3
NBL
| † | Indicates seasons during which Schenscher secured an NBL Championship |
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 2008–09
| style="text-align:left;"| Adelaide 36ers
| 31 || 31 || 32.5 || .549 || .000 || .746 || 10.8 || 1.5 || .3 || 1.3 || 16.9
|-
| style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba;"| 2009–10†
| style="text-align:left;"| Perth Wildcats
| 33 || 33|| 23.0|| .520|| .143|| .621|| 6.2|| 1.0|| .3||1.1||10.0
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 2010–11
| style="text-align:left;"| Townsville Crocodiles
| 31||31||24.7||.529||.000||.734||6.8||1.4||.3||1.1||13.7
|-
| style="text-align:left;" |2011–12
|Townsville Crocodiles |24||NA||23.8||.477||.000||.703||5.3||2.2||.4||.7||10.4 |- | style="text-align:left;" |2012–13 |Adelaide 36ers |21||NA||22.8||.453||.000||.613||6.1||1.9||.8||.9||9.0 |- | style="text-align:left;" |2013–14 |Adelaide 36ers |34||NA||15.8||.526||.500||.595||5.4||0.8||0.2||0.6||6.8 |- | style="text-align:left;" |2014–15 |Adelaide 36ers |30||NA||17.6||.486|||1.000|||0.408|||5.1|||1.1|||0.3|||0.8|||6.9 |- | style="text-align:left;" |2015–16 |Townsville Crocodiles |13|||0|||13.4|||0.439|||0|||0.616|||3.1|||0.3|||0.2|||0.5|||4.1
External links
- 1982 births
- Living people
- 21st-century Australian sportsmen
- Adelaide 36ers players
- Australian expatriate basketball players in Germany
- Australian expatriate basketball players in the United States
- Australian Institute of Sport basketball alumni
- Australian male basketball players
- Australian individuals of German heritage
- Basketball athletes originating from South Australia
- Centers (basketball)
- Chicago Bulls players
- Fort Worth Flyers players
- Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets men's basketball alumni
- Australian NBA players
- Alumni of Cardijn College
- Alumni of Lake Ginninderra College
- Perth Wildcats players
- Portland Trail Blazers players
- Singapore Slingers players
- Sportsmen hailing from South Australia
- Townsville Crocodiles players
- Undrafted NBA players