Nik Stauskas is a Canadian professional player born in Mississauga, Ontario. Stauskas began playing basketball at a young age, preparing him to compete at the highest level in his early high school years. After starting at Loyola Secondary Catholic School, Stauskas spent the 2009-10 academic year at South Kent School before transferring to St. Mark’s School, as he took St. Mark’s to a NEPSAC AA Championship run against the Tilton School in 2012.. As a member of the Class of 2012, Nik Stauskas was one of the top 25 three point shooters in the class rankings. As a result, several power five schools began to show interest in Stauskas. He ended up choosing to go to the University of Michigan under head coach John Belein.
During his time as a Wolverine, Stauskas immediately became an impact player as he averaged 11 points per game as a freshman. He was also named BIG TEN Freshman of the Week three times, helping his team earn a no. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament and finishing as the National Runner-Up to Louisville. Stauskas’s sophomore year caught the attention of NBA Scouts, as he notched 17.5 points per game, good for third in the conference. Because of his breakout season, Nik Stauskas received several conference and national awards such as Big Ten Player of the Year, All-Big Ten First Team, Associated Press All-America Second Team, and the John R. Wooden All-America Team. The hard work and dedication that winter resulted in Stauskas being named as the 8th overall pick of the 2014 NBA Draft to the Sacramento Kings, becoming the highest draft pick from Michigan since Jamal Crawford in 2000.
While Nik Stauskas played for the Kings through 2015, he also made stops with the Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets, Portland Trail Blazers, and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Stauskas was known for his ability to shoot quickly off the catch, showcasing the ability to pull up from anywhere on the floor. With the Nets, he held the record for most three pointers coming off the bench in a single game (7). In November of 2016, Stauskas scored 21 points on 8-9 shooting in a win over the Phoenix Suns. His career high in an NBA game was 24 points against the Detroit Pistons in 2016, and he also had back to back 20 point games during that campaign. Furthermore, Stauskas represented Canada in the 2015 FIBA Americas championship, scoring 111 points in 9 games and helping Canada win the bronze medal.