(Editor’s note: Montana State University media release)
BOZEMAN – Montana State men’s basketball head coach Danny Sprinkle confirmed on Thursday, May 9, that Finn Fleute has signed a National Letter of Intent and will join the Bobcats as a freshman in the fall of 2019.
Fleute is a 6-foot-9 forward and native of Essen, Germany. He most recently played for Uni Baskets Paderborn in the Bundesliga Pro A, the second highest basketball league in Germany. While he appeared on the professional team primarily off the bench, Fleute was an impact performer for the Uni Baskets’ U19 squad playing against NBBL teams that feature athletes his age. He averaged a double-double for the NBBL squad, scoring 16.8 points per game and averaging 11.3 rebounds in 20 games. He also shot 54 percent from the field and averaged 2 assists per game.
This past year, Fleute recorded game highs of 28 points and 18 rebounds. In a contest against eventual league champion Hamburg’s NBBL team, Fleute recorded 23 points and 12 rebounds. He also had an 18-point and 11-rebound effort against the Alba Berlin Academy, one of the perennial powers in Germany.
“Finn serves a need especially in the Big Sky Conference because he’s a skilled big,” Sprinkle said. “He can play the 4 or 5 position. He can shoot the 3 and he can put the ball on the floor. He’s a legit 6-9 and he’s a very good athlete for his size. He does a tremendous job rebounding and he can pass it. Finn has a ton of versatility to where it doesn’t matter what spot you play him at, he can be mismatch.”
Fleute made the move up to the Uni Baskets Paderborn team after playing for Metropol Baskets Ruhr in the NBBL and ETB Wohnbau Baskets Essen in the Pro B league. During the year between the teams, Fleute averaged 11.8 points and 9.7 rebounds per game. While a member of the Metropol Baskets Ruhr squad, Fleute was selected and competed for Team North in the NBBL All Star Game.
Fleute has also played in international competition for Germany. He represented his country in 2016 at the FIBA U16 European Championships and in 2018 at the FIBA U18 European Championships.
“I think his best basketball is ahead of him,” Sprinkle said. “He adds to our freshmen class. I’m really excited to have him for four years. Those guys that you can build with and develop, that’s what I’m most excited about with Finn.”
