Mikael Jantunen
No. 18 – Oostende | |
---|---|
Position | Power forward |
League | BNXT League Basketball Champions League |
Personal information | |
Born | Helsinki, Finland | 20 April 2000
Nationality | Finnish |
Listed height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) |
Listed weight | 220 lb (100 kg) |
Career information | |
High school | Helsinki Basketball Academy (Helsinki, Finland) |
College | Utah (2019–2021) |
NBA draft | 2021 / Undrafted |
Playing career | 2021–present |
Career history | |
2021–present | Oostende |
Mikael Jantunen (born 20 April 2000) is a Finnish professional basketball player for Filou Oostende of the BNXT League and the Basketball Champions League (BCL). He played college basketball for the Utah Utes.
Early life and career[]
Jantunen grew up in Helsinki and initially played football before switching to basketball at the age of 11. He competed for HBA-Märsky from 2016 to 2019, while attending the Helsinki Basketball Academy.[1] In October 2018, Jantunen committed to Utah over offers from Loyola Marymount, Oregon State, Georgia Tech, and Stanford.[2]
College career[]
Jantunen started three games as a freshman and averaged 6.7 points and 4.9 rebounds per game.[3] He suffered a fractured nose in December 2020, forcing him to wear a protective mask.[4] On 9 January 2021, Jantunen scored a career-high 20 points in a 79–73 loss to Oregon.[5] As a sophomore, Jantunen averaged 8.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game. Following the season, he opted to turn professional.[6]
Professional career[]
On 23 July 2021, Jantunen signed with Filou Oostende of the BNXT League and the Basketball Champions League.[7]
National team career[]
Jantunen represented Finland in the 2018 FIBA U18 European Championship. He averaged 17 points, 10 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game, shooting 72.3 percent from the field.[2] Jantunen played several games for the Finnish senior national team in the FIBA EuroBasket 2022 Qualifier round. He was forced to miss time with Utah in February 2021 to play in the matches.[8]
Career statistics[]
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 | Bold | Career high |
College[]
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2019–20 | Utah | 31 | 3 | 23.2 | .661 | .313 | .733 | 4.9 | 1.1 | .4 | .3 | 6.7 |
2020–21 | Utah | 20 | 20 | 28.1 | .600 | .370 | .857 | 4.5 | 1.5 | .7 | .1 | 8.9 |
Career | 51 | 23 | 25.1 | .631 | .349 | .779 | 4.7 | 1.2 | .5 | .2 | 7.6 |
References[]
- ^ Teiskonlahti, Riku (28 August 2018). "Kameleonttimainen koripallolupaus Mikael Jantunen miettii, mihin yliopistoon NBA-unelmansa perässä menisi – juniorina hänen ensimmäinen lajinsa oli kuitenkin jalkapallo". hs.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved 8 August 2021.
- ^ a b Daniels, Evan (8 October 2018). "Finnish forward Mikael Jantunen commits to Utah". 247 Sports. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
- ^ Allen, Trevor (19 April 2021). "Mikael Jantunen Leaving Utah To Play Professional Basketball At Home". KSL Sports. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
- ^ Drew, Jay (19 January 2021). "Protective mask hasn't hampered forward Mikael Jantunen, but he's almost ready to shelve it". Deseret News. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
- ^ "Duarte scores 25 as No. 17 Oregon beats Utah 79–73". ESPN. Associated Press. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
- ^ McDonald, Ryan (19 April 2021). "Utah's Mikael Jantunen turning pro, will not return to Utes". Deseret News. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
- ^ "Filou Oostende adds rookie Mikael Jantunen". Sportando. 23 July 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
- ^ Drew, Jay (13 February 2021). "Utah basketball: Junior forward Mikael Jantunen temporarily leaves Utes to join Finnish National Team in EuroBasket qualifier". Deseret News. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
External links[]
- 2000 births
- Living people
- BC Oostende players
- Finnish expatriate basketball people in the United States
- Finnish expatriate sportspeople in Belgium
- Finnish men's basketball players
- Power forwards (basketball)
- Sportspeople from Helsinki
- Utah Utes men's basketball players