Steinmetz, Christian
Basketball
b. June 28, 1882, Milwaukee, WI
d. June 11, 1963
A 5-foot-9, 137-pound guard, Steinmetz was an incredible scorer for the University of Wisconsin early in the century. At a time when teams often scored fewer than 20 points a game, he became the first college player to score more than 1,000 points in a career.
As captain of the team during the 1904-05 season, he outscored Wisconsin's opposition single-handed with 462 points, an average of 25.7 per game. He was aided by the rule that allowed one player to take all of his team's free throws. Steinmetz hit 238 of 317 free throw attempts that season.
But he could also score from the field. He had 50 points in one game and made 20 field goals in another, still records for the school. He set another record that still stands by sinking 26 of 30 free throws in a game.
Retroactively named the first college player of the year for 1905 by the Helms Athletic Foundation, Steinmetz graduated in just three years and went on to law school. While practicing law, he coached high school basketball for a time and also officiated games.