Completed Event: Men's Basketball at UNLV on February 7, 2026 , Loss , 78, to, 80
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at UNLV
L 78-80
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Insider: Midtgaard gets NBA time, Euro deal
8/21/2021 4:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball, Paul Coro, Lopes Insider Blog
GCU's All-WAC center signs with pro team in the Netherlands
Less than a month ago, Asbjørn Midtgaard made one more stroll through GCU Arena to take in the sights of where his basketball career changed in the course of a year.
Since then, the fruits of that breakthrough season have come for Midtgaard. He became the first Grand Canyon player to appear in the NBA Summer League. After wrapping up playing for the Orlando Magic in Las Vegas on Monday, Midtgaard traveled to the
Netherlands to report for his new professional team.
Midtgaard, the GCU 7-foot center who led the nation in field goal percentage, signed to play for the same Leiden club where former Lopes All-WAC player Michael Finke starred last season. Zorg and Zekerheid Leiden will be part of the inaugural season for the 22-team BNXT League, which merged the Dutch and Belgian professional basketball leagues.
It was a whirlwind month for Midtgaard, who married Madison Freund in Wichita, Kansas, on Aug. 9 and was in uniform for a Magic game in Las Vegas two days. He watched that Summer League opener but played in Orlando's next four games, going 7 for 12 (58.3%) from the field while averaging 4.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 0.8 blocked shots and 0.8 assists in 11.5 minutes per game.
Midtgaard picked up one start and made his only 3-point attempt, which he added to his game during offseason work at GCU.
"Summer League was a great experience," Midtgaard said. "It was a great way to get your name out there in the NBA environment. That was my plan for the summer, not to necessarily make a team but to make myself known somehow."
Midtgaard will makes his European pro debut next Saturday under former NBA 7-foot center Geert Hammink, his coach in Leiden. Finke, who also spent his summer working out at GCU, averaged 13.1 points and 5.1 rebounds under Hammink and attracted a contract to play next season in the Greek Basketball League for Iraklis in Thessaliniki.
"I'm even more excited to start my pro career," Midtgaard said. "I got a great spot in the Netherlands. Actually, Mike Finke played here last year and won the league. So I'll try to do the same."
Since then, the fruits of that breakthrough season have come for Midtgaard. He became the first Grand Canyon player to appear in the NBA Summer League. After wrapping up playing for the Orlando Magic in Las Vegas on Monday, Midtgaard traveled to the
Netherlands to report for his new professional team.Midtgaard, the GCU 7-foot center who led the nation in field goal percentage, signed to play for the same Leiden club where former Lopes All-WAC player Michael Finke starred last season. Zorg and Zekerheid Leiden will be part of the inaugural season for the 22-team BNXT League, which merged the Dutch and Belgian professional basketball leagues.
It was a whirlwind month for Midtgaard, who married Madison Freund in Wichita, Kansas, on Aug. 9 and was in uniform for a Magic game in Las Vegas two days. He watched that Summer League opener but played in Orlando's next four games, going 7 for 12 (58.3%) from the field while averaging 4.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 0.8 blocked shots and 0.8 assists in 11.5 minutes per game.
Midtgaard picked up one start and made his only 3-point attempt, which he added to his game during offseason work at GCU.
"Summer League was a great experience," Midtgaard said. "It was a great way to get your name out there in the NBA environment. That was my plan for the summer, not to necessarily make a team but to make myself known somehow."
Midtgaard will makes his European pro debut next Saturday under former NBA 7-foot center Geert Hammink, his coach in Leiden. Finke, who also spent his summer working out at GCU, averaged 13.1 points and 5.1 rebounds under Hammink and attracted a contract to play next season in the Greek Basketball League for Iraklis in Thessaliniki.
"I'm even more excited to start my pro career," Midtgaard said. "I got a great spot in the Netherlands. Actually, Mike Finke played here last year and won the league. So I'll try to do the same."
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