By Antigoni Zachari/ info@eurohoops.net
Last week, Ulm pushed its chances to reach the 7DAYS Eurocup Top 16 with a strong victory over Dolomiti Energia Brescia, and Dylan Osetkowski landed his first-ever MVP of the Week honor. Chances are that it will not be his last.
The 24-year-old big man stepped up strongly, collecting 32 points as he also tied the club’s best-ever performance index rating with 42.
Pretty impressive stuff for a EuroCup newcomer whose journey up until today has been quite rocky. Now, it seems as though he’s found a home with the guidance of Ulm coach Jaka Lakovic, a former player and holder of a 55 PIR in the EuroLeague.
Osetkowski went unselected in the 2019 NBA draft and was called to make an important decision: go pro overseas or continue to fight for a spot in the NBA through the G-League.
As a matter of fact, the American/German national was tested and tried in several teams, including the Phoenix Suns and Sacramento Kings, and even joined the Cleveland Cavaliers during the 2019 NBA summer league, before utterly taking a leap of faith for Ulm and his first pro experience later that year.
A bit further back in time, he was offered a spot at Tulane University in New Orleans. Soon enough, he made a name for himself over the course of two years and was called to choose between Arizona and Texas to continue his college career. Osetkowski opted for the latter, showcasing a lot of improvement in his game and physicality.
Scouting reports from overseas highlight the fact that he dropped a significant amount of weight, gaining more strength in his game and nearly doubling his efficiency on the offensive end.
The first sign of things to come occurred with Texas winning the 2019 NIT title and Osetkowsking being named the MVP award of the tournament.
Still, even when ratiopharm Ulm signed him to his first pro contract, Osetkowski was loaned to BG Göttingen, with whom he averaged 12.6 points and 6.2 rebounds per game in the German League.
On May 22, 2020, Osetkowski returned to Ulm and began his two-year contract with the club.
Fast forward five months later. After last week’s show, Osetkowski is leading the EuroCup in PIR over much more familiar names like Ante Tomic, Erick Green, and Milos Teodosic.
He is averaging 19.1 points and 5.9 rebounds, with his best scoring average yet even compared to his days in high school. He has been making 58.8% of his three-point shots, making 10 of 18 so far this season.
So, it goes without saying that you should get familiar with spelling “Osetkowski” before he, too, becomes a household name in European basketball.