Przemek Karnowski facts for kids
.jpg)
Karnowski during EuroBasket 2017
|
||||||||||||||
| Center | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | November 8, 1993 Bydgoszcz, Poland |
|||||||||||||
| Nationality | Polish | |||||||||||||
| Listed height | 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) | |||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 285 lb (129 kg) | |||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||
| College | Gonzaga (2012–2017) | |||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 2017 / Undrafted | |||||||||||||
| Pro career | 2009–2022 | |||||||||||||
| Coaching career | 2023–present | |||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||
| As player: | ||||||||||||||
| 2009–2010 | Toruń | |||||||||||||
| 2010–2011 | Wladyslawowo | |||||||||||||
| 2011–2012 | Siarka Tarnobrzeg | |||||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | Andorra | |||||||||||||
| 2018 | →Fuenlabrada | |||||||||||||
| 2020 | Toruń | |||||||||||||
| 2021 | Zielona Góra | |||||||||||||
| 2021-2022 | Toruń | |||||||||||||
| As coach: | ||||||||||||||
| 2023-current | Arizona Wildcats (Graduate Assistant) | |||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
|
Medals
|
||||||||||||||
Przemysław Marcin "Przemek" Karnowski (born 8 November 1993) is a former professional basketball player from Poland. He is now a graduate assistant coach for the Arizona men’s basketball team.
Przemek played college basketball at Gonzaga University in the United States. He finished his college career in 2017. After that, he played professionally in Spain and Poland. He also played for the Polish national team. Many experts thought he might be picked early in the 2016 NBA draft. But he decided to stay at Gonzaga for one more season.
Contents
College Basketball Journey
Przemek chose to play for Gonzaga on May 29, 2012. He had also considered California. In his first year, he played behind a star player named Kelly Olynyk.
During the 2013–14 season, Przemek became the starting center for the Bulldogs. He scored about 10.4 points and grabbed 7.0 rebounds per game. He also blocked 1.7 shots per game. As a junior, he averaged 11 points and 5.8 rebounds per game.
Dealing with Injuries
In his senior year, Przemek had back problems. He needed surgery after playing only five games. In those games, he was averaging 8.8 points and 5.4 rebounds.
Before his surgery, his back pain was so bad that it took him a long time to get out of bed. He even needed crutches to walk. After the surgery, he got an infection and lost about 60 pounds.
Doctors told him he wouldn't be able to do tough activities for ten months. But he recovered faster than expected and was running after seven months! For the rest of his time at Gonzaga, the team's staff created a special plan to protect his back. He only played in games and practiced with the team.
Returning Stronger
On May 24, 2016, Gonzaga announced that Przemek could play for one more season. This was because of a "medical redshirt," which means he got an extra year due to his injury.
In his last season (2016–17), he helped Gonzaga have their best start ever, winning 29 games in a row. He also had his best stats, averaging 12.4 points and 5.8 rebounds.
On February 2, 2017, Przemek became the player with the most wins in Gonzaga's history. He passed Kevin Pangos and Kyle Dranginis. Later that season, he also became the player with the most games played in Division I basketball.
After the 2017 West Coast Conference men's basketball tournament, Przemek set a new NCAA record with 132 career wins. He passed Shane Battier's record of 131 wins. In his senior year, he was nominated for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award.
Academic Success and Fan Favorite
Przemek earned a degree in Sport Management and a master's degree in MBA. He had one of the highest grades in the WCC. Because of his great grades, he was named to the 2016-17 WCC Men's Basketball All-Academic Team.
He helped his team win a big game in the NCAA tournament semifinal. He scored 13 points and made two important baskets. This win sent the Gonzaga Bulldogs to their first-ever NCAA March Madness Final.
Fans loved Przemek not just for his skills, but also for his friendly personality and his famous beard. Some fans even wore fake beards to games! Since his name was hard for US fans to say, they gave him nicknames like "Shem," "Big Shem," or "Mount Karnowski" (because he was so big).
People in his home country of Poland also recognized his great performances. Tens of thousands of Polish fans stayed up late to watch his March Madness games because of the time difference.
College Statistics
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012–13 | Gonzaga | 34 | 1 | 10.8 | .567 | – | .444 | 2.7 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 5.4 |
| 2013–14 | Gonzaga | 36 | 36 | 25.3 | .593 | .000 | .500 | 7.0 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 1.7 | 10.4 |
| 2014–15 | Gonzaga | 38 | 37 | 24.5 | .622 | 1.000 | .509 | 5.8 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 11.0 |
| 2015–16 | Gonzaga | 5 | 5 | 24.8 | .594 | – | .462 | 5.4 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 8.8 |
| 2016–17 | Gonzaga | 39 | 39 | 22.9 | .601 | .000 | .582 | 5.8 | 2.1 | 0.4 | 1.0 | 12.2 |
| Career | 152 | 118 | 21.2 | .600 | .333 | .513 | 5.4 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 1.0 | 9.8 | |
Professional Basketball Career
In the 2011–12 season, Przemek played for Siarka Jezioro Tarnobrzeg in the Polish PLK. He averaged 10.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game. After this season, he won the PLK Rookie of the Year Award.
Even though he wasn't picked in the 2017 NBA draft, he joined the Charlotte Hornets for the 2017 NBA Summer League.
On July 28, 2017, Przemek signed with a Spanish team called MoraBanc Andorra. He left the team on July 8, 2018. On August 16, 2018, he signed with Twarde Pierniki Toruń in the Polish Basketball League.
On August 17, 2020, Przemek signed with Stelmet Zielona Góra. This team plays in the Polish Basketball League and the VTB United League.
Professional Career Statistics
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009–10 | Pierniki Torun | 14 | 0 | 21.4 | .560 | .000 | .612 | 9.1 | 1.2 | .9 | 2.5 | 12.2 |
| 2010–11 | SMS Wladyslawowo | 23 | 0 | 31.0 | .517 | .250 | .547 | 9.6 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 2.1 | 14.0 |
| 2011–12 | ASK KS Siarka Tarnobrzeg | 35 | 18 | 25.6 | .520 | .067 | .560 | 4.4 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 1.2 | 10.1 |
Playing for Poland
Przemek led the Polish junior national team to the championship game of the 2010 FIBA Under-17 World Championship in Hamburg. He was named to the FIBA Under-17 Basketball World Cup All-Tournament Team. He was also named the Best Center of the tournament. In that tournament, he averaged 14.5 points, 11 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 2.0 blocks per game. His teammate from Gonzaga, Kevin Pangos, was also on the All-Tournament Team.
Przemek also played for the senior Polish national basketball team at EuroBasket 2013 in Slovenia. He averaged 3.3 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 0.3 assists per game there.
Coaching Career
In January 2023, Przemek Karnowski joined the Arizona men’s basketball team as a graduate assistant coach.
He is currently working on his master's degree in Marketing at the University of Arizona.
See also
In Spanish: Przemysław Karnowski para niños
