Mike Vreeswyk facts for kids

Mike Vreeswyk (born March 1, 1967) is a former professional basketball player from the United States. He played college basketball for the Temple Owls. There, he was a starter for three years under coach John Chaney. Coach Chaney is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

On February 8, 2021, Vreeswyk gave a moving speech about Coach Chaney. This speech was at the Liacouras Center on Temple's campus. Since 2010, Vreeswyk has been involved in coaching youth basketball. He is currently an assistant coach at George School in Newtown, Pennsylvania.

Mike Vreeswyk's Basketball Journey

High School Basketball Years

Mike Vreeswyk went to Morrisville High School in Pennsylvania. He played there from 1981 to 1985. He became the school's all-time leading scorer with 2,019 points. This was before the 3-point line was common in high school basketball.

As a junior, he scored about 23 points per game. He was named Third Team All-State. In his senior year, he led Pennsylvania in scoring. He averaged 33.5 points per game and was named First Team All-State. For college, Vreeswyk chose Temple University. He wanted to play for future Hall of Fame coach John Chaney. Other colleges like Seton Hall and Boston College also wanted him.

In 1991, Morrisville High School retired Vreeswyk's number 32 jersey. It hangs on the gymnasium wall to honor him. Vreeswyk also attended the first Nike ABCD (ABCD Camp) in 1984. This was a special camp for young basketball players.

College Basketball Career

Vreeswyk played for Temple University from 1985 to 1989. He was a starter for three seasons. He finished his college career as the fifth-highest scorer in Temple history. He scored 1,650 points. He is currently tied for 12th all-time with Aaron McKie.

He also held many 3-point shooting records when he left school. He made 271 three-pointers, a record until 2003. He is currently 3rd all-time in 3-pointers made for Temple. He once made 8 three-pointers in a single game. This record stood until others made 9. Vreeswyk is also 5th all-time in 3-point field goal percentage at .392. He is 7th all-time in free throw percentage at .815.

Vreeswyk is still tied for 1st all-time in NCAA Tournament free throw percentage. He made 100% of his free throws (18-for-18) in the 1987–1988 NCAA Tournament. He was a key player on the 1987–88 Temple team. This team was ranked #1 in the country for nine weeks. They entered the NCAA tournament as the top overall seed. They lost to Duke in the East Regional Finals.

Professional Basketball Career

After college, Vreeswyk tried out for NBA teams. These included the Seattle SuperSonics, Washington Bullets, and Philadelphia 76ers. He then began a 9-year professional career playing overseas. He played basketball in many countries. These included Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, France, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Japan.

He also played for two summers in a professional league in Venezuela. He played in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) for the Yakima Sun Kings.

Awards and Recognition

Mike Vreeswyk has received many honors for his basketball career.

• In 1991, Morrisville High School retired his #32 jersey.
• He was inducted into the Philadelphia Big 5 College Basketball Hall of Fame in 1995.
• In 2001, he joined the Temple University Sports Hall of Fame.
• He was enshrined in the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame Bucks County Chapter in 2010.
• In 2020, he was honored in Temple Basketball's Ring of Honor.