Russ Schoene
Russ Schoene | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 16, 1960 United States |
| Occupation(s) | Professional basketball player, assistant basketball coach |
| Years active | 1982–1994 (player), 1997–2004 (coach) |
| Known for | NBA player, assistant coach for University of Washington men's basketball team |
Russ Schoene (born April 16, 1960) is a former American professional basketball athlete who also served as an assistant coach for the men's basketball team at the University of Washington.
During his collegiate career at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Schoene played a pivotal role in securing back-to-back Southern Conference titles in 1981 and 1982, culminating in an NCAA tournament berth in 1982. In his final year, he posted averages of 13.6 points and 7 rebounds per game, which earned him the MVP award for the conference tournament.
Schoene entered the NBA when the Philadelphia 76ers picked him in the second round as the 45th overall selection in the 1982 NBA draft. His rookie year included a trade to the Indiana Pacers, along with future draft selections, where he remained through the 1983–84 season.
Between 1984 and 1986, he competed in Italy's Serie A with Olimpia Simac Milano, teaming up with Mike D'Antoni and Joe Barry Carroll. The squad clinched the Korać Cup in 1985, and Schoene earned the Italian League MVP title in 1986.
On October 2, 1986, the Seattle SuperSonics obtained Schoene’s rights by trading John Long. Over three seasons with Seattle, he became known as a reliable shooter off the bench, earning the nickname "Catch and Shoot." In the 1988–89 season, he achieved a personal best three-point shooting percentage of 38.2% and reached a career-high scoring mark of 20 points on three separate occasions. While with the Sonics, Schoene wore jersey number 40.
Following the conclusion of the 1988–89 NBA campaign, Schoene signed a three-year contract worth $2.4 million with Glaxo Verona in Italy. He spent five seasons playing professionally in Italy, leading Verona to victory in the Coppa Italia championship in 1991. In 1993, prior to that NBA season, he was released by the Sacramento Kings and subsequently had a brief stint with the Rapid City Thrillers of the Continental Basketball Association.
Throughout his NBA tenure, Schoene accumulated totals of 1,491 points (averaging 5.1 points per game), grabbed 735 rebounds (2.5 rebounds per game), and provided 175 assists (0.6 assists per game).
In 2002, Schoene joined the coaching ranks at Washington Huskies as an assistant after spending five years assisting at Bellevue Community College. He departed following the 2003–04 season to dedicate more time to his entrepreneurial activities with Samurai Sam's.