Except for a few hardcore basketball fans online, few Filipinos have heard the name Christian Standhardinger.
But if he keeps up his performance in the US NCAA, he may not be unknown for long in this basketball-crazy nation.
The 24-year-old Filipino-German forward has emerged as a star for University of Hawaii, the same school that produced Meralco Bolts wingman Jared Dillinger.
Listed at 6-foot-8, Standhardinger averaged 15.6 points and 7.7 rebounds for the Rainbow Warriors last season en route to being named Most Outstanding Player on the team.
He has continued his fine showing this season, averaging 18.4 points and 7.2 rebounds in 13 games so far. He hit the game-winning shot in Hawaii’s 76-74 victory over the St. Mary’s Gaels last December 23. Two games later, he scored 29 and grabbed eight rebounds in a victory over Norfolk State last December 31.
Standhardinger has been in the radar of Filipino scouts since 2009, when he was identified as a possible recruit for the SMART-Gilas Pilipinas national program under coach Rajko Toroman.
Born in Munich to a German father and a Filipino mother (Liz Hermoso), Standhardinger began his foray into athletics by playing football as a kid. Later, he learned basketball during vacation in Los Angeles with his grandfather Pablo, who played the game in the Philippines.
He began his collegiate career at University of Nebraska, before early in his sophomore season.
After transferring to Hawaii, he told Warrior Insider website : “There are a lot of Filipino people here, I am happy about that.”
The 24-year-old Filipino-German forward has emerged as a star for University of Hawaii, the same school that produced Meralco Bolts wingman Jared Dillinger.
Listed at 6-foot-8, Standhardinger averaged 15.6 points and 7.7 rebounds for the Rainbow Warriors last season en route to being named Most Outstanding Player on the team.
He has continued his fine showing this season, averaging 18.4 points and 7.2 rebounds in 13 games so far. He hit the game-winning shot in Hawaii’s 76-74 victory over the St. Mary’s Gaels last December 23. Two games later, he scored 29 and grabbed eight rebounds in a victory over Norfolk State last December 31.
Standhardinger has been in the radar of Filipino scouts since 2009, when he was identified as a possible recruit for the SMART-Gilas Pilipinas national program under coach Rajko Toroman.
He began his collegiate career at University of Nebraska, before early in his sophomore season.
After transferring to Hawaii, he told Warrior Insider website : “There are a lot of Filipino people here, I am happy about that.”
It remains to be seen, however, whether he will end up playing in the Philippines. As a youth player, he has already spent time with Germany’s junior national team.
Complications with his passport could also bar him from suiting up for Gilas in FIBA Asia tournaments, which require natural-born players to acquire a passport by the time they turn 16 years old. However, there’s no such requirement for non-FIBA Asia tournaments such as the Asian Games.
To join the PBA, he would also have to complete residency requirements, which means either suiting up for the national team or playing in the D-League for at least two conferences.
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