Personal information | |
---|---|
Born | Eugene, Oregon, U.S. | February 4, 1982
Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
Listed weight | 194 lb (88 kg) |
Career information | |
High school | South Eugene (Eugene, Oregon) |
College | Gonzaga (2000–2004) |
NBA draft | 2004: 2nd round, 58th overall pick |
Selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves | |
Playing career | 2004–2006 |
Position | Point guard |
Career history | |
2004–2005 | Partizan |
2005–2006 | Valencia |
Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
Blake Roy Stepp (born February 4, 1982) is an American retired professional basketball player. After a standout prep career at South Eugene High School and college career at Gonzaga University, he was drafted in the second round of the 2004 NBA draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves. However, Stepp spent two seasons playing overseas, before retiring due to chronic knee injuries at the age of 24. After his basketball career, Stepp also played poker professionally.
A native of Eugene, Oregon, Stepp attended South Eugene High School where he was named the Gatorade Oregon Player of the Year his senior year. [1]
He played college basketball at Gonzaga University. In his four-year career with the Bulldogs, from 2000 to 2004, Stepp averaged 13.0 points, 5.0 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.2 steals. He was named the WCC Player of the Year in 2003 and 2004. In 2012, Stepp was inducted into the WCC Hall of Fame. [2]
In the 2004 NBA draft, Stepp was selected 59th overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves. [3] Stepp appeared in a handful of preseason games with the Wolves, but did not manage to make the final cut. [4] Near the end of 2004, Stepp joined Partizan of Serbia and Montenegro, spending there the rest of the 2004–05 season. After playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers during the NBA Summer League, Stepp spent the 2005–06 season with Valencia in Spain.
Stepp had represented the United States at the 2003 Pan American Games. [5]
In the summer of 2017, Stepp played in The Basketball Tournament on ESPN for team A Few Good Men (Gonzaga Alumni). He competed for the $2 million prize, and for team A Few Good Men, he averaged 10.5 points per game. Stepp helped take team A Few Good Men to the Super 16 round, where they then lost to Team Challenge ALS 77-60. [6]
Upon his retirement from basketball, Stepp became a professional poker player, competing at the 2008, 2009 and 2010 World Series of Poker.
The West Coast Conference (WCC) — known as the California Basketball Association from 1952 to 1956 and then as the West Coast Athletic Conference until 1989 — is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with NCAA Division I consisting of nine member schools across the states of California, Oregon, and Washington.
Ronny Turiaf is a French former professional basketball player who played 10 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Turiaf grew up in France and played college basketball for the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the United States, where he led the West Coast Conference (WCC) in scoring in his senior year. After graduating from Gonzaga, he entered the 2005 NBA draft and was picked by the Los Angeles Lakers. He later played for the Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks, Washington Wizards, Miami Heat, Los Angeles Clippers and Minnesota Timberwolves. Turiaf won an NBA championship with Miami in 2012. He was also a member of the French national team. He was inducted into the French Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020.
Mark Norman Few is an American college basketball coach who has been the head coach at Gonzaga University since 1999. He has served on Gonzaga's coaching staff since 1989, and has led the Bulldogs from mid-major obscurity to consistent NCAA tournament contenders. During his tenure as head coach, Few has led the Bulldogs to the NCAA Tournament every season, a stretch that has garnered the Bulldogs recognition as a major basketball power despite playing in a mid-major conference. In his 25 seasons as head coach, his teams have won at least a share of 22 WCC regular season titles, 19 WCC tournament titles and have participated in the National Championship game twice.
The Gonzaga Bulldogs are an intercollegiate men's basketball program representing Gonzaga University. The school competes in the West Coast Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The Gonzaga Bulldogs play home basketball games at the McCarthey Athletic Center in Spokane, Washington, on the university campus.
Kelly Lee Graves is the current head women's basketball coach at the University of Oregon. Previously, Graves was the head women's basketball coach at St. Mary's from 1997 to 2000, as well as Gonzaga University from 2000 to 2014. He was formerly an assistant coach for the Portland Pilots (1994–1997) and St. Mary Gaels, where he later got his first head coaching stint with the Gaels from 1997 to 2000. From the 2004–2005 season to the 2013–2014 season, he guided Gonzaga to ten consecutive West Coast Conference regular season titles. The 2007 team went 13–1 in conference play, and later won the WCC conference tournament. The school also received its first ever NCAA tournament appearance. He was named WCC co-coach of the year for his accomplishments. In 2005, 2010, and 2011, Gonzaga went undefeated in WCC regular season play.
Matt Bouldin is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for Gonzaga University.
Kyle Gregory Wiltjer is a Canadian-American professional basketball player for Reyer Venezia Mestre of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A (LBA). He spent two seasons of college basketball with the Kentucky Wildcats before transferring to play with the Gonzaga Bulldogs in 2013. A dual citizen of the U.S. and Canada, he has played for the Canada national team.
Kevin Joseph Pangos is a Canadian-Slovenian professional basketball player for Valencia of the Spanish Liga ACB and the EuroLeague. He spent his college basketball career playing for the Gonzaga Bulldogs of the West Coast Conference. He was named the 2015 WCC Player of the Year, as well as a third-team All-American by Sporting News. Pangos has also represented Canada on the international stage.
Lisa Mispley Fortier is an American basketball coach, currently the head coach of the women's basketball team at Gonzaga University.
Przemysław Marcin "Przemek" Karnowski is a Polish basketball player for Stelmet Zielona Góra of the PLK and the VTB United League. He completed his college career at Gonzaga University in the United States in 2017. He has also played for the Polish national team. He had been viewed by some NBA draft analysts as a potential first round pick in the 2016 draft, but chose to return to Gonzaga for his final season of college eligibility in 2016–17.
Killian Wiard Tillie is a French professional basketball player who last played for the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Gonzaga Bulldogs. Tillie joined Gonzaga University beginning in the 2016–17 season.
Rui Hachimura is a Japanese professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Gonzaga Bulldogs and has played for the Japan national team. He plays both the small forward and power forward positions. After being selected ninth overall by the Washington Wizards in the 2019 NBA draft, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team in 2020.
Brandon Clarke is a Canadian-American professional basketball player for the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Gonzaga Bulldogs and San José State University Spartans men’s basketball team. He was drafted 21st overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2019 NBA draft and then immediately traded to the Grizzlies. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2020.
The 2018–19 Gonzaga Bulldogs women's basketball team represents Gonzaga University in the 2018–19 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Bulldogs, are members of the West Coast Conference. The Bulldogs, led by fifth year head coach Lisa Fortier, play their home games at the McCarthey Athletic Center on the university campus in Spokane, Washington. They finished the season 29–5, 16–2 in WCC play to win the WCC regular season. They advanced to the WCC women's basketball tournament where they lost to BYU. They received at-large bid to the NCAA women's tournament where defeated Little Rock in the first round before losing to Oregon State.
The 2019–20 Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball team represented Gonzaga University, located in Spokane, Washington, in the 2019–20 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team was led by head coach Mark Few, in his 21st season as head coach. This was the Bulldogs' 16th season at the on-campus McCarthey Athletic Center and 40th season as a member of the West Coast Conference. They finished the season 31–2, 15–1 in WCC play to be WCC regular season champions. They defeated San Francisco and Saint Mary's to be champions of the WCC tournament. They earned the WCC's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. However, all postseason play, including the NCAA Tournament, was cancelled amid the COVID-19 pandemic, making this season the first one under Mark Few that they did not play in the NCAA Tournament.
The 2001–02 Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball team represented Gonzaga University in the 2001–02 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team was led by head coach Mark Few, in his 3rd season as head coach, and played their home games at the Charlotte Y. Martin Centre in Spokane, Washington. This was the Bulldogs' 22nd season as a member of the West Coast Conference. After winning the WCC tournament for the fourth straight season, the team earned an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
The 2000–01 Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball team represented Gonzaga University in the 2000–01 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team was led by head coach Mark Few, in his 2nd season as head coach, and played their home games at the Charlotte Y. Martin Centre in Spokane, Washington. This was the Bulldogs' 21st season as a member of the West Coast Conference. Gonzaga reached the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA tournament for the 3rd consecutive season.
Jalen Rashon Suggs is an American professional basketball player for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Gonzaga Bulldogs. He was selected by the Magic with the fifth overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft.
Andrew Matthew Timme is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Wisconsin Herd of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Gonzaga Bulldogs. He was a three-time consensus All-American selection, including first-team honors as a senior in 2023. He was twice voted the WCC Player of the Year and ended his career as Gonzaga's all-time leading scorer.
The 2020–21 Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball team represented Gonzaga University, located in Spokane, Washington, in the 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team was led by head coach Mark Few, in his 22nd season as head coach. This was the Bulldogs' 17th season at the on-campus McCarthey Athletic Center and 41st season as a member of the West Coast Conference.