Max Klesmit
{{Short description|American basketball player}}
{{Infobox basketball biography
| name = Max Klesmit
| image = Forever Badgers Brunch (54154415967) (Max Klesmit).jpg
| image_size =
| caption = Klesmit in 2024
| team = Wisconsin Badgers
| number = 11
| position = Shooting guard
| league = Big Ten Conference
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 4
| weight_lb = 200
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2002|6|9}}
| birth_place = Neenah, Wisconsin, U.S.
| high_school = Neenah (Neenah, Wisconsin)
| college =
| highlights =
}}
Max Klesmit (born June 9, 2002) is an American college basketball player for the Wisconsin Badgers of the Big Ten Conference.
Early life and high school career
Klesmit was born and raised in Neenah, Wisconsin and played at Neenah High School. Klesmit was nominated for USA Today Network Player of the Year as a junior after leading the Fox Valley Association conference in points per game (25.5) and assists (4.8). During his senior season, he helped lead the Rockets to a 23–2 record and reached the sectional final. He led the team scoring 25.5 points per game and 7.8 rebounds per game his senior season. Klesmit was named to the Wisconsin All-State teams following his sophomore, junior and senior seasons.{{cite web|url=https://www.wissports.net/stats/team_instance/3722787?subseason=522558&tab=team_instance_player_stats&tool=3179760|title=Max Klesmit HS Stats|website=wissports.net|date=April 1, 2019|access-date=January 21, 2024}}
{{College Athlete Recruit Start|40=no|collapse=no|year=2020}}
{{College Athlete Recruit Entry
| recruit = Max Klesmit
| position = SG
| hometown = Neenah, WI
| highschool = Neenah High School (WI)
| feet = 6
| inches = 3
| weight = 170
| 40 =
| commitdate = August 4, 2019
| scout stars =
| rivals stars =
| 247 stars =
| espn stars =
| espn grade =
}}
{{College Athlete Recruit End
| 40 =
| year = 2020
| rivals ref title = 2020 Wofford Commits
| scout ref title =
| espn ref title = 2020 Wofford Commits
| rivals school =
| scout s =
| espn schoolid =
| 247 overall =
| rivals overall =
| espn overall =
| accessdate = January 21, 2024
| bball = yes
}}
College career
=Wofford=
After not being highly recruited and mostly receiving Division II offers, Klesmit did receive a few Division I offers from UW–Green Bay, UW–Milwaukee, North Dakota and Wofford.{{cite web|url=https://www.verbalcommits.com/players/max-klesmit|title=Max Klesmit Recruiting Profile|website=verbalcommits.com|date=August 13, 2019|access-date=January 21, 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://n.rivals.com/content/athletes/max-klesmit-259900?view=pv|title=Max Klesmit Rivals Profile|website=rivals.com|date=August 4, 2019|access-date=January 21, 2024}}
==Freshman season==
Klesmit appeared in 19 games with two starts as a true freshman at Wofford College. He was named to the SoCon All–Freshman Team (media) after averaging 8.2 points and 2.7 rebounds in 22.7 minutes per game.{{cite web|url=https://soconsports.com/news/2021/3/3/all-southern-conference-mens-basketball-teams-announced.aspx|title=All-Southern Conference men’s basketball teams announced|website=soconsports.com|date=March 3, 2021|access-date=January 21, 2024}} Max scored a season high 15 points in a loss to Chattanooga on February 10, 2021.{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/boxscores/2021-02-10-19-wofford.html|title=Chattanooga vs. Wofford Box Score (Men), February 10, 2021|website=sports-reference.com|date=February 10, 2021|access-date=January 21, 2024}}
==Sophomore season==
Klesmit started in all 31 games during his sophomore season at Wofford. He was named to the third team SoCon All–Conference after averaging 14.9 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.6 steals in 31.8 minutes per game.{{cite web|url=https://soconsports.com/news/2022/3/2/all-socon-mens-basketball-teams-announced.aspx|title=All-SoCon men’s basketball teams announced|website=soconsports.com|date=March 2, 2022|access-date=January 21, 2024}} Max scored a season high 27 points twice in a loss at South Carolina on February 23, 2021, and a victory against The Citadel on January 19, 2022.{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/boxscores/2021-11-23-19-south-carolina.html|title=Wofford vs. South Carolina Box Score (Men), November 23, 2021|website=sports-reference.com|date=November 23, 2021|access-date=January 21, 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/boxscores/2022-01-19-19-wofford.html|title=The Citadel vs. Wofford Box Score (Men), January 19, 2022|website=sports-reference.com|date=January 19, 2022|access-date=January 21, 2024}} Following the season, Klesmit entered the NCAA transfer portal.{{cite web|url=https://www.wspa.com/sports/college-sports/woffords-klesmit-godwin-enter-transfer-portal-2/|title=A third Wofford player to transfer|website=wspa.com|date=March 23, 2022|access-date=January 21, 2024}}
=Wisconsin=
==Junior season==
After announcing he was entering the transfer portal, Klesmit posted that his top 4 teams were Vanderbilt, Clemson, South Carolina and Colorado State. Despite not being in Klesmit's top 4, the Badgers were able to reengage the in-state product, and in the end, the hometown team won out.{{cite web|url=https://www.si.com/college/wisconsin/basketball/max-klesmit-commitment|title=Wisconsin basketball lands Wofford transfer Max Klesmit|website=si.com|date=April 30, 2023|access-date=January 21, 2024}} Klesmit was able to fill a role after Wisconsin lost guards Brad Davison (graduated) and Johnny Davis was drafted in the first round of the 2022 NBA draft.{{cite web|url=https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/college/uw/2022/05/03/new-wisconsin-guard-max-klesmit-explains-transferring-wofford/9630238002/|title=Max Klesmit, an all-state guard at Neenah High School, explains why he is transferring to Wisconsin after two years at Wofford|website=jsonline.com|date=May 3, 2022|access-date=January 21, 2024}} Klesmit was inserted into the starting lineup for day 1. During a game against Penn State, Klesmit took an inadvertent elbow to his face from Kanya Clary causing Max to get 16 stitches in his lip and cheek. He would be forced to miss the next two games.{{cite web|url=https://uwbadgers.com/news/2023/1/27/mens-basketball-lucas-what-a-klesmit-return-would-mean-for-the-badgers.aspx|title=Lucas: What a Klesmit return would mean for the Badgers|date=January 27, 2023|access-date=January 21, 2024}} Klesmit finished the season as the Badgers fifth leading scorer with 8.4 points per game and scored a season high of 19 points twice against Michigan and Purdue in back to back games.{{cite web|url=https://bigten.org/mbb/stats/?id=7ltyipP022aUJKmSgYVs3wXi7up73ghniwD5ElWyd07J7BNseBaMQePf0fY%2F3yUPWt8UYgSIN20b5dEJJncQrsN2Pbz8sCZElp90UNzRzk7z8z8JBReGLbYZ6XLw0tMW9SM9qcjczG1bfeA8cWVtwLPTWpXyZIKi9d2RM%2FhukQw%3D&path=mbball|title=Wisconsin vs. Michigan Box Score|date=February 26, 2023|access-date=January 21, 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore/_/gameId/401484985|title=Purdue vs Wisconsin Box Score|date=March 3, 2023|access-date=January 21, 2024}}
==Senior season==
Klesmit is known as the Badgers defensive leader. He is usually tasked with guarding opposing teams top scorers.{{cite web|url=https://wisconsin.rivals.com/news/wisconsin-knows-it-has-a-defensive-leader-in-max-klesmit|title=Wisconsin Knows it has a Defensive Leader in Max Klesmit|date=February 4, 2023|access-date=January 21, 2024}} During parts of his second season with the Badgers, Max has been the go to player when the Badgers need to score. A perfect example of this is when Klesmit scored 20 consecutive points and put up a career high 26 points against Indiana in a 91–79 victory.{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap/_/gameId/401600340|title=Max Klesmit's second-half flurry helps No. 11 Wisconsin beat Indiana 91-79|date=January 19, 2024|access-date=January 21, 2024}}
==Graduate season==
Klesmit returned for his 5th season using the COVID eligibility. He struggled with his shot and injuries throughout the season but continued to be a major contributor on the defensive end.{{cite web|url=https://www.on3.com/college/wisconsin-badgers/news/max-klesmit-injury-update-greg-gard-reveals-diagnosis-on-wisconsin-guard/|title=Max Klesmit injury update: Greg Gard reveals diagnosis on Wisconsin guard|website=on3.com|date=February 26, 2025|access-date=March 23, 2025}}
Career statistics
{{NBA player statistics legend}}
=College=
{{NBA player statistics start}}
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 2020–21
| style="text-align:left;"| Wofford
| 19 || 2 || 22.6 || .466 || .373 || .846 || 2.7 || 1.2 || 1.3 || 0.0 || 8.2
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 2021–22
| style="text-align:left;"| Wofford
| 31 || 31 || 30.9 || .446 || .340 || .837 || 2.8 || 1.9 || 1.6 || 0.1 || 14.9
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 2022–23
| style="text-align:left;"| Wisconsin
| 33 || 33 || 32.1 || .423 || .383 || .696 || 2.7 || 1.4 || 1.2 || 0.2 || 8.4
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 2023–24
| style="text-align:left;"| Wisconsin
| 36 || 36 || 28.7 || .437 || .398 || .824 || 2.1 || 1.9 || 0.9 || 0.1 || 9.9
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 2024–25
| style="text-align:left;"| Wisconsin
| 33 || 33 || 27.6 || .345 || .290 || .846 || 2.4 || 2.7 || 0.8 || 0.1 || 9.2
|- class="sortbottom"
| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career
| 152 || 135 || 29.1 || .420 || .351 || .808 || 2.5 || 1.9 || 1.1 || 0.1 || 10.2
{{S-end}}
Personal life
Klesmit's parents are Rich and Kelly Klesmit. He has a younger brother, Cal, who plays college basketball at NCAA Division II Northern Michigan.{{cite web|url=https://nmuwildcats.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/cal-klesmit/6338|title=Cal Klesmit Northern Michigan Profile|website=nmuwildcats.com|date=January 21, 2024|access-date=January 21, 2024}} His younger sister, Rowan, plays high school basketball for Neenah Rockets.{{cite web|url=https://badgerextra.com/sports/basketball/men/for-wisconsin-guard-max-klesmits-parents-the-excitement-is-in-being-there/article_8c475588-ba9f-11ed-8833-bfda90008d0c.html|title=For Wisconsin guard Max Klesmit's parents, the excitement is in being there|website=badgerextra.com|date=March 4, 2023|access-date=January 21, 2024}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://uwbadgers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=12079 Wisconsin Badgers bio]
- [https://woffordterriers.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/max-klesmit/7193 Wofford Terriers bio]
- [https://twitter.com/maxkle2?lang=en Twitter page]
- [https://www.instagram.com/maxklesmit/?hl=en Instagram page]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Klesmit, Max}}
Category:American men's basketball players
Category:Basketball players from Wisconsin
Category:Sportspeople from Neenah, Wisconsin
Category:Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball players