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Maik Kotsar

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Maik Kotsar
Kotsar with Baskonia in 2023
No. 21 – Yokohama B-Corsairs
PositionCenter
LeagueB.League
Personal information
Born (1996-12-22) 22 December 1996 (age 27)
Tallinn, Estonia
Listed height2.11 m (6 ft 11 in)
Listed weight122.5 kg (270 lb)
Career information
High school
CollegeSouth Carolina (2016–2020)
NBA draft2020: undrafted
Playing career2015–present
Career history
2011–2015Audentes
2020–2022Hamburg Towers
2022–2024Baskonia
2024–presentYokohama B-Corsairs
Career highlights and awards

Maik-Kalev Kotsar (born 22 December 1996) is an Estonian professional basketball player for the Yokohama B-Corsairs of the Japanese B.League. He played two seasons for Saski Baskonia of the Spanish Liga ACB and the EuroLeague. He played college basketball for South Carolina Gamecocks. Kotsar also has played for the Estonia men's national basketball team as well as the Estonia men's national 3x3 team. Listed at 6 feet 11 inches (2.11 m) and 270 pounds (122 kg), he plays the center position.

College career

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On 7 March 2016, Kotsar committed to play for the South Carolina Gamecocks.[1] In his freshman year, Kotsar saw action in all 37 games with 33 starts, averaging 5.8 points and 4.8 rebounds per game as South Carolina advanced to its first-ever Final Four, losing 73–77 to Gonzaga. Kotsar earned second-team All-SEC honors after averaging 11.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.1 blocks per game during his senior season.[2]

Kotsar playing for South Carolina in March 2020

Maik Kotsar attended the University of South Carolina's Darla Moore School of Business. He majored in Finance and minored in Management. By the time of his graduation he had been named to the President's List, was on the Athletics Director's Honor Roll and had been named to the SEC Honor Roll all four years, and was named to the NABC (National Association of Basketball Coaches) Honors Court.[3] Possibly his most notable academic achievement came his senior year when he was named University of South Carolina's Male Scholar Athlete of the Year. This award is given each year to one graduating senior with exceptional and outstanding academic achievement.[4]

Professional career

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On August 16, 2020, Kotsar signed with the Hamburg Towers of the Basketball Bundesliga.[5] In both seasons with the Hamburg side, he averaged 14.2 points per game in Bundesliga play.[6]

On July 25, 2022, he put pen to paper on a deal with Saski Baskonia of the Spanish Liga ACB.[7] Kotsar recorded 21 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 block in his EuroLeague debut in Baskonia's 81–71 victory over Valencia.[8] With the PIR of 31, he became the MVP of the first round.[9] His second MVP of the round came from a 93–87 victory over ALBA Berlin on 28 March 2023 recording 23 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks and a PIR of 40.[10]

In July 2024, Kotsar moved to Japan after signing with Yokohama B-Corsairs in the B.League 1. He will reunite with his former national team coach Jukka Toijala.[11]

National team career

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Kotsar made his debut for the Estonian national team on 29 June 2018, in a 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup qualifier against Great Britain, scoring 8 points in a 65–74 away defeat.[12]

3x3

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Kotsar's 3x3 career started in the U18 division in 2013 with the Sprite Streetball 2013 Tallinn tournament where he advanced to the U18 Estonia Finals and eventually the 2013 FIBA 3x3 World Championships on September 26, 2013.[13] Kotsar continued to compete 3x3 through 2014 and 2015. His FIBA 3x3 career returned from hiatus in 2018 Ghetto Basket Pro Camp in Riga on May 10 of that year. His team would advance all the way to the FIBA 3x3 World Cup tournament. Kotsar's Estonia Men's 3x3 team would be defeated by the Poland national 3x3 team who would themselves go on to win 3rd place in the entire tournament after being eliminated in the semifinals. The Estonian 3x3 Men's Team's run came to an end at the preliminary stage pools at 3rd place of the 2018 FIBA 3x3 World Cup – Men's tournament and they took home 9th place.[14]

Career statistics

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Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field-goal percentage  3P%  3-point field-goal percentage  FT%  Free-throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  PIR  Performance Index Rating
 Bold  Career high

EuroLeague

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG PIR
2022–23 Baskonia 34 28 20.25 .658 — 0.575 4.3 1.4 0.7 0.4 9.3 13.3
2023–24 39 29 18.05 .518 — 0.687 3.3 1.2 0.7 0.3 5.6 7.8
Career 73 57 19.10 .588 — 0.631 3.8 1.3 0.7 0.3 7.3 10.4

EuroCup

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG PIR
2021–22 Hamburg Towers 16 6 26.8 .604 — .667 6.6 1.4 1.2 0.3 13.4 17.2
Career 16 6 26.8 .604 — .667 6.6 1.4 1.2 0.3 13.4 17.2

Domestic leagues

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Year Team League GP MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2020–21 Germany Hamburg Towers BBL 36 29.3 .577 .000 .727 6.6 1.7 1.1 .3 14.8
2021–22 Germany Hamburg Towers BBL 34 27.6 .613 .000 .671 7.6 1.9 .8 .2 14.2
2022–23 Spain Baskonia ACB 34 20.3 .614 .000 .718 5.0 1.5 .7 .3 9.3
2023–24 Spain Baskonia ACB 33 17.6 .585 .333 .612 3.2 1.3 .6 .2 6.5

College

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2016–17 South Carolina 37 33 23.9 .490 — .396 4.8 .7 .7 .4 5.8
2017–18 South Carolina 33 33 26.5 .426 .222 .566 4.8 1.4 .9 .5 8.0
2018–19 South Carolina 30 24 23.4 .438 .500 .443 4.7 .9 1.0 .9 6.7
2019–20 South Carolina 31 31 30.5 .497 .000 .690 6.3 2.3 1.5 1.1 11.2
Career 131 121 26.0 .464 .265 .541 5.1 1.3 1.0 .7 7.8

References

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  1. ^ "Estonian forward Maik-Kalev Kotsar commits to South Carolina basketball". The State. 7 March 2016.
  2. ^ "Kotsar And Couisnard Earn Coaches Postseason Accolades". gamecocksonline.com. 10 March 2020.
  3. ^ "Two former Gamecocks named to NABC Honors Court".
  4. ^ "Kotsar named Gamecocks Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year".
  5. ^ "Maik Kotsar joins Hamburg Towers". Sportando. 16 August 2020. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  6. ^ "Maik Kotsar". www.easycredit-bbl.de. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  7. ^ "Maik Kotsar, al Cazoo Baskonia". www.acb.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  8. ^ "Kotsar came to the fore for Baskonia in Enoch's absence". EuroLeague. 7 October 2022.
  9. ^ "Round 1 MVP: Maik Kotsar, Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz". EuroLeague. 8 October 2022. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  10. ^ "Round 31 co-MVP's: Maik Kotsar and Georgios Papagiannis". Euroleague Basketball. 30 March 2023. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  11. ^ Maik Kotsar leaves Europe for Japan, basketnews.com, 9 July 2024
  12. ^ "Viimasel veerandil mängu käest andnud Eesti korvpallikoondis kaotas Suurbritanniale" (in Estonian). Delfi Sport. 29 June 2018.
  13. ^ "Maik-kalev Kotsar".
  14. ^ "FIBA 3x3 World Cup 2018".
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