Nik Caner-Medley
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| Position: | forward |
|---|---|
| Height: | 6'8" |
| Weight: | 220 lb |
| Team: | Artland Dragons |
| Nationality: | American |
| Born: | October 20, 1983 Portland, ME |
| College: | Maryland |
| Pro career: | 2007 – present |
Nik Caner-Medley (born October 20th, 1983 in Portland, Maine) is a professional basketball player for the Artland Dragons of Germany. He attended the University of Maryland and Deering High School, where he was named Gatorade Player of the Year, and Mr. Basketball as a senior. He averaged an astounding 35.6 PPG average as a senior and 26.8 PPG as a junior, both good for first in the state.
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[edit] High school career
Nik graduated from Deering High School of Portland, ME in 2002. Among his achievements were NHSCA Boys Basketball Athlete of the Year, Maine's Mr. Basketball and the Gatorade Player of the Year. A remarkable scorer as a senior, he tallied a school-record 51 points against South Portland, scored 47 points in consecutive games, had one game with 46 and another with 44 during his final high school campaign. He led the Rams to back-to-back Western Maine titles and led the state in scoring in back-to-back seasons with a 36.5-point average in 2002 and a 26.8-point clip in 2001. He still holds the title of Deering's career scoring leader with 1,641 points and also led the Southern Maine Athletic Association (SMAA) as a senior with 15.7 rebounds, along with 4.2 steals per game and 4.6 assists.
[edit] Collegiate career
Nik became the first true freshman to start regularly at Maryland since Steve Blake in 1999-00, totaling 18 starts in 31 games. As a small forward, he averaged 5.9 ppg and 3.5 rpg in his first collegiate season and averaged 6.0 ppg and 2.0 rpg in the Terps' three NCAA Tournament games despite missing most of the Michigan State match on March 28, 2003 after injuring his ankle. Among his post-season contributions was the 12 points and two rebounds in the NCAA Tournament opening win over UNC Wilmington.
As a sophomore, he was a Terp starter in all 32 contests, finishing third on team in scoring with 12.2 points per game and was the Terps' high-scorer in eight games. His standout performance sparked the Terps in a win at No. 1 Florida on December 10, 2003 where he registered 22 points with six points in overtime and set or tied then-career bests in field goals attempted (16), 3-point field goals (3), 3-point field goals attempted (7), rebounds (13, previous career-high was eight) and minutes played (43). He later earned the Maryland Basketball "Clutch Performance of the Year" Award for his effort against Florida.
During his junior year, Nik led the Terrapins in scoring (16.0 ppg), minutes (1,008), starts (31) and 3-point field goals made (43). He posted a double-figure scoring total in 27 of 32 games, recorded 10 games of 20 points or more and was Maryland's top scorer in 13 games. On January 15, 2005, he contributed a career-high 35 points to Maryland's win over Temple, in which he made 14-for-21 FG to eclipse his previous career-high by 12 points. He averaged a team-high 16.9 ppg in ACC contests, finished third on the team in rebounding (6.2 rpg) and second in steals (43), and notched four double-doubles on the season. He earned ESPN.com National Player of the Week honors for his performance against the Blue Devils on January 31, earned BB&T Classic all-tournament honors, averaging 28.0 points and 9.0 rebounds across the weekend tournament. After the season, Nik was named to the All ACC 3rd team.
Before his senior year Nik scored in double-figures in each of the Terps games during their tour of Italy. He was named MVP of the team and 3rd team All ACC following his final collegiate campaign.
[edit] Professional career
Signed with the Artland Dragons of the BBL in Germany in February 2007 after not being picked in the 2006 NBA Draft.
[edit] Personal
- Son of Joseph Medley and Janet Caner
- Has younger brother (Patrik)
- Majored in American Studies at Maryland
