Samuli Nieminen

Class:
Junior
Ht./Wt.:
6-8 / 217
Position:
F
Hometown:
Helsinki, Finland
High School:
HBA Marsky

2018-19 (Junior) | Dealt with injury issues through a portion of the season but was a reliable member of the squad when healthy...Took part in 19 of the team's 30 games and appeared in the starting lineup 11 times...Averaged 2.3 points, 2.1 rebounds, 0.5 assists, 0.2 steals and 0.2 blocked shots in 17.5 minutes per game...Concluded the year with shooting splits of .313/.276/.750...Posted a season-high seven points in a non-conference home triumph over Texas Wesleyan where he also hoisted up a career-high three three-point field goal tries (11/6)...Connected for a career-high tying two three-pointers during a Southland Conference victory at Incarnate Word (1/19)...Logged a season and career-high 26 minutes and also matched his career high in rebounds (six) in a Southland Conference overtime home victory against Central Arkansas (1/30)...Tied his career-high by passing out a pair of assists on two occasions, the first of which came during a Southland Conference home loss to Lamar (2/9).

2017-18 (Sophomore) | Made a name for himself as one of the 'Jacks' go-to options off of the bench during his second season of collegiate action...Made two appearances in the starting lineup and was one of only five players on the roster to appear in all 35 games...Averaged 2.7 points, 1.5 rebounds, 0.2 assists, 0.3 steals and 0.1 blocked shots in 12.8 minutes per game...Drilled 51.7-percent (31-of-60) or his field goals, 40-percent (2-of-5) of his three-pointers and 78.6-percent (22-of-28) of his tries from the free throw stripe...Made his season debut by getting the start and playing 13 minutes in SFA's season-opening win at non-conference adversary Longwood (11/11)...Blocked a pair of shots - a career-best - during a non-conference home triumph over St. Edward's (11/15)...Grabbed a season and career-best six rebounds during a non-conference home win over LeTourneau (11/16)...Tied a career-best by passing out two assists in a non-conference home triumph over Florida A&M (11/26)...Splashed a career-high two three-pointers in a Southland Conference road triumph at McNeese (2/8)...Connected on a career-best four free throws and tied a career high with four tries in a Southland Conference Tournament quarterfinal victory over Central Arkansas in which he tied a season-high with eight points (3/8)...Aided the 'Jacks in winning the Southland Conference Tournament as the third seed in order to punch the program's fourth NCAA Tournament ticket in the last five seasons.

2016-17 (Freshman) | Earned time both as a starter and off the bench in his first season of collegiate basketball...Took part in 15 of SFA's 33 games and averaged 14.5 minutes, 3.7 points and 1.9 rebounds per game...Shot 54.1-percent (20-for-37) from the field, 40-percent (2-for-5) from three-point range and 70-percent (14-for-20) from the free throw stripe...Debuted in the 'Jacks' season-opener at No. 2-ranked Kentucky where he put in four points, grabbed two rebounds and blocked his only shot of the season in 17 minutes (11/11)...Made the first start of his career in SFA's non-conference home game against Centenary and responded by scoring eight points and grabbing a career-best five rebounds in 22 minutes (12/3)...Put in a season-best 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting in SFA's non-conference home setback to UAB (12/7)...Received his fifth and final promotion to the starting lineup in SFA's loss in the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic fifth-place game against Pac-12 foe Utah (12/25)...Missed the 'Jacks' entire 18-game Southland Conference schedule due to injury...Returned for the 'Jacks' postseason run and averaged 4.7 points and 3.3 rebounds in 13.6 minutes per game in the Southland Conference Tournament and SFA's first-round CIT game at Idaho.

High School | Benefited from the tutelage of former Utah standout and one-time Atlanta Hawk Hanno Möttölä during his pre-collegiate career at Helsinki Basketball Academy (HBA)-Marsky...As a junior, averaged 15.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and 37-percent from three-point range...During his senior season, put forth averages of 6.9 points and 4.0 rebounds while shooting 48.2-percent from the field...Represented Finalnd well as a member of its under-20 team at the 2016 FIBA U-20 European Championships...In six games, averaged 3.3 points, 2.0 rebounds and 11.3 minutes per tilt...Logged a tournament-best 17 minutes against France and pulled down a tournament-high four rebounds in that tilt...Pumped in a tournament-best eight points on 3-of-5 shooting from the field against Slovenia.

Personal: Born Samuli Nieminen on April 24, 1996.