Maik Kotsar
{{short description|Estonian basketball player}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox basketball biography
| name = Maik Kotsar
| image = 2023-01-05 ALBA Berlin gegen Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (EuroLeague 2022-23) by Sandro Halank–075.jpg
| width =
| caption = Kotsar with Baskonia in 2023
| team = Yokohama B-Corsairs
| number = 21
| position = Center
| league = B.League
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1996|12|22|df=y}}
| birth_place = Tallinn, Estonia
| height_m = 2.11
| weight_kg = 122.5
| high_school = * Audentes Sports Gymnasium
(Tallinn, Estonia)
- Sunrise Christian Academy
(Bel Aire, Kansas)
| college = South Carolina (2016–2020)
| draft_year = 2020
| career_start = 2015
| career_end =
| years1 = 2011–2015
| team1 = Audentes
| years2 = 2020–2022
| team2 = Hamburg Towers
| years3 = 2022–2024
| team3 = Baskonia
| years4 = 2024–present
| team4 = Yokohama B-Corsairs
| highlights =
- All-Bundesliga First Team (2022)
- All-Bundesliga Second Team (2021)
- Second-team All-SEC (2020)
}}
Maik-Kalev Kotsar (born 22 December 1996) is an Estonian professional basketball player for the Yokohama B-Corsairs of the Japanese B.League. He played two seasons for Saski Baskonia of the Spanish Liga ACB and the EuroLeague. He played college basketball for South Carolina Gamecocks. Kotsar also has played for the Estonia men's national basketball team as well as the Estonia men's national 3x3 team. Listed at {{convert|6|ft|11|in|m|2}} and {{convert|270|lbs|kg|0}}, he plays the center position.
College career
On 7 March 2016, Kotsar committed to play for the South Carolina Gamecocks.{{cite web|title=Estonian forward Maik-Kalev Kotsar commits to South Carolina basketball|url=https://www.thestate.com/sports/college/university-of-south-carolina/usc-recruiting/article64516367.html|date=7 March 2016|work=The State}} In his freshman year, Kotsar saw action in all 37 games with 33 starts, averaging 5.8 points and 4.8 rebounds per game as South Carolina advanced to its first-ever Final Four, losing 73–77 to Gonzaga. Kotsar earned second-team All-SEC honors after averaging 11.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.1 blocks per game during his senior season.{{cite web|url=https://gamecocksonline.com/news/2020/3/10/mens-basketball-kotsar-and-couisnard-earn-coaches-postseason-accolades.aspx|title=Kotsar And Couisnard Earn Coaches Postseason Accolades|publisher=gamecocksonline.com|date=10 March 2020}}
Maik Kotsar attended the University of South Carolina's Darla Moore School of Business. He majored in Finance and minored in Management. By the time of his graduation he had been named to the President's List, was on the Athletics Director's Honor Roll and had been named to the SEC Honor Roll all four years, and was named to the NABC (National Association of Basketball Coaches) Honors Court.{{Cite web|url=https://247sports.com/college/south-carolina/Article/NABC-Honors-Court-Maik-Kotsar-Jair-Bolden-South-Carolina-Gamecocks-basketball-149189657/|title=Two former Gamecocks named to NABC Honors Court}} Possibly his most notable academic achievement came his senior year when he was named University of South Carolina's Male Scholar Athlete of the Year. This award is given each year to one graduating senior with exceptional and outstanding academic achievement.{{Cite web|url=https://247sports.com/college/south-carolina/Article/South-Carolina-Gamecocks-mens-basketball-senior-forward-Maik-Kotsar--146826184/|title=Kotsar named Gamecocks Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year}}
Professional career
On 16 August 2020, Kotsar signed with the Hamburg Towers of the Basketball Bundesliga.{{cite news |title=Maik Kotsar joins Hamburg Towers |url=https://sportando.basketball/en/maik-kotsar-joins-hamburg-towers/ |website=Sportando |accessdate=16 August 2020 |date=16 August 2020}} In both seasons with the Hamburg side, he averaged 14.2 points per game in Bundesliga play.{{Cite web |title=Maik Kotsar |url=https://www.easycredit-bbl.de/spieler/1a743d60-81b5-49c6-baf0-c481b596be7c |access-date=25 July 2022 |website=www.easycredit-bbl.de}}
On 25 July 2022, he put pen to paper on a deal with Saski Baskonia of the Spanish Liga ACB.{{Cite web |title=Maik Kotsar, al Cazoo Baskonia |url=https://www.acb.com/articulo/ver/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.acb.com%2F%2Farticulo%2Fver%2F356777-maik-kotsar-nueva-pieza-para-el-juego-interior-de-cazoo-baskonia.html |access-date=25 July 2022 |website=www.acb.com |language=es}} Kotsar recorded 21 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 block in his EuroLeague debut in Baskonia's 81–71 victory over Valencia.{{Cite web|url=https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/kotsar-came-to-the-fore-for-baskonia-in-enochs-absence/?pageTitle=Homepage&historyUrl=/euroleague/|title=Kotsar came to the fore for Baskonia in Enoch's absence|date=7 October 2022|publisher=EuroLeague}} With the PIR of 31, he became the MVP of the first round.{{cite news|title=Round 1 MVP: Maik Kotsar, Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz|url=https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/round-1-mvp-maik-kotsar-cazoo-baskonia-vitoria-gasteiz/|publisher=EuroLeague|date=8 October 2022|access-date=8 October 2022}} His second MVP of the round came from a 93–87 victory over ALBA Berlin on 28 March 2023 recording 23 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks and a PIR of 40.{{cite news |title=Round 31 co-MVP's: Maik Kotsar and Georgios Papagiannis |url=https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/round-31-co-mvps-maik-kotsar-and-georgios-papagiannis |access-date=30 March 2023 |work=Euroleague Basketball |date=30 March 2023}}
In July 2024, Kotsar moved to Japan after signing with Yokohama B-Corsairs in the B.League 1. He will reunite with his former national team coach Jukka Toijala.[https://basketnews.com/news-208957-maik-kotsar-leaving-europe-for-japan.html Maik Kotsar leaves Europe for Japan], basketnews.com, 9 July 2024{{cite web |title=マイク・コッツァー選手 2024-25シーズン 選手契約締結(新規)のお知らせ |url=https://b-corsairs.com/news/team_20240711_0/ |website=横浜ビー・コルセアーズ |access-date=14 March 2025 |date=11 July 2024}}
National team career
Kotsar made his debut for the Estonian national team on 29 June 2018, in a 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup qualifier against Great Britain, scoring 8 points in a 65–74 away defeat.{{cite web|title=Viimasel veerandil mängu käest andnud Eesti korvpallikoondis kaotas Suurbritanniale|url=http://sport.delfi.ee/news/korvpall/mm2019/viimasel-veerandil-mangu-kaest-andnud-eesti-korvpallikoondis-kaotas-suurbritanniale?id=82881277|language=Estonian|date=29 June 2018|publisher=Delfi Sport}}
3x3
Kotsar's 3x3 career started in the U18 division in 2013 with the Sprite Streetball 2013 Tallinn tournament where he advanced to the U18 Estonia Finals and eventually the 2013 FIBA 3x3 World Championships on September 26, 2013.{{Cite web|url=https://play.fiba3x3.com/players/4a9465f6-334a-490f-ba0e-0e6a9965b7b2/activity|title=Maik-kalev Kotsar}}
Kotsar continued to compete 3x3 through 2014 and 2015.
His FIBA 3x3 career returned from hiatus in 2018 Ghetto Basket Pro Camp in Riga on May 10 of that year. His team would advance all the way to the FIBA 3x3 World Cup tournament. Kotsar's Estonia Men's 3x3 team would be defeated by the Poland national 3x3 team who would themselves go on to win 3rd place in the entire tournament after being eliminated in the semifinals.
The Estonian 3x3 Men's Team's run came to an end at the preliminary stage pools at 3rd place of the 2018 FIBA 3x3 World Cup – Men's tournament and they took home 9th place.{{Cite web|url=http://www.fiba.basketball/3x3WC/2018|title = FIBA 3x3 World Cup 2018}}
Career statistics
{{Euroleague player statistics legend}}
=EuroLeague=
{{Euroleague player statistics start}}
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 2022–23
| style="text-align:left;" rowspan="2"| Baskonia
| 34 || 28 || 20.25 || .658 || {{sort|-|—}} || 0.575 || 4.3 || 1.4 || 0.7 || 0.4 || 9.3 || 13.3
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 2023–24
| 39 || 29 || 18.05 || .518 || {{sort|-|—}} || 0.687 || 3.3 || 1.2 || 0.7 || 0.3 || 5.6 || 7.8
|- class="sortbottom"
| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career
| 73 || 57 || 19.10 || .588 || {{sort|-|—}} || 0.631 || 3.8 || 1.3 || 0.7 || 0.3 || 7.3 || 10.4
{{S-end}}
=EuroCup=
{{Euroleague player statistics start}}
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 2021–22
| style="text-align:left;"| Hamburg Towers
| 16 || 6 || 26.8 || .604 || {{sort|-|—}} || .667 || 6.6 || 1.4 || 1.2 || 0.3 || 13.4 || 17.2
|- class="sortbottom"
| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career
| 16 || 6 || 26.8 || .604 || {{sort|-|—}} || .667 || 6.6 || 1.4 || 1.2 || 0.3 || 13.4 || 17.2
{{S-end}}
=Domestic leagues=
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:100%; text-align:right;"
! Year
! Team
! League
! {{Tooltip|GP|Games played}}
! {{Tooltip|MPG|Minutes per game}}
! {{Tooltip|FG%|Field goal percentage}}
! {{Tooltip|3P%|3-point field-goal percentage}}
! {{Tooltip|FT%|Free-throw percentage}}
! {{Tooltip|RPG|Rebounds per game}}
! {{Tooltip|APG|Assists per game}}
! {{Tooltip|SPG|Steals per game}}
! {{Tooltip|BPG|Blocks per game}}
! {{Tooltip|PPG|Points per game}}
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 2020–21 || style="text-align:left;"|{{flagicon|Germany|size=20px}} Hamburg Towers || style="text-align:center;"|BBL || 36 || 29.3 || .577 || .000 || .727 || 6.6 || 1.7 || 1.1 || .3 || 14.8
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 2021–22 || style="text-align:left;"|{{flagicon|Germany|size=20px}} Hamburg Towers || style="text-align:center;"|BBL || 34 || 27.6 || .613 || .000 || .671 || 7.6 || 1.9 || .8 || .2 || 14.2
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 2022–23 || style="text-align:left;"|{{flagicon|Spain|size=20px}} Baskonia || style="text-align:center;"|ACB || 34 || 20.3 || .614 || .000 || .718 || 5.0 || 1.5 || .7 || .3 || 9.3
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 2023–24 || style="text-align:left;"|{{flagicon|Spain|size=20px}} Baskonia || style="text-align:center;"|ACB || 33 || 17.6 || .585 || .333 || .612 || 3.2 || 1.3 || .6 || .2 || 6.5
{{S-end}}
=College=
{{NBA player statistics start}}
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 2016–17
| style="text-align:left;"| South Carolina
| 37 || 33 || 23.9 || .490 || {{sort|-|—}} || .396 || 4.8 || .7 || .7 || .4 || 5.8
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 2017–18
| style="text-align:left;"| South Carolina
| 33 || 33 || 26.5 || .426 || .222 || .566 || 4.8 || 1.4 || .9 || .5 || 8.0
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 2018–19
| style="text-align:left;"| South Carolina
| 30 || 24 || 23.4 || .438 || .500 || .443 || 4.7 || .9 || 1.0 || .9 || 6.7
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 2019–20
| style="text-align:left;"| South Carolina
| 31 || 31 || 30.5 || .497 || .000 || .690 || 6.3 || 2.3 || 1.5 || 1.1 || 11.2
|- class="sortbottom"
| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career
| 131 || 121 || 26.0 || .464 || .265 || .541 || 5.1 || 1.3 || 1.0 || .7 || 7.8
{{S-end}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{commons category}}
- {{Eurobasket.com player|242490|Maik-Kalev Kotsar}}
- [https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/maik-kotsar/004603/ Maik Kotsar] at euroleaguebasketball.net
- [https://gamecocksonline.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/maik-kotsar/6454 South Carolina Gamecocks bio]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kotsar, Maik}}
Category:Basketball players from Tallinn
Category:Estonian expatriate basketball people in Germany
Category:Estonian expatriate basketball people in Spain
Category:Estonian expatriate basketball people in the United States
Category:Estonian men's basketball players
Category:Hamburg Towers players
Category:Korvpalli Meistriliiga players
Category:Saski Baskonia players
Category:South Carolina Gamecocks men's basketball players
Category:Estonian expatriate sportspeople in Japan
Category:Expatriate basketball people in Japan