Brian Conklin (born September 5, 1989) is an American professional
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
player for
FC Porto
Futebol Clube do Porto, MHIH, OM (), commonly known as FC Porto or simply Porto, is a Portuguese professional sports club based in Porto. It is best known for the professional football team playing in the Primeira Liga, the top flight of Portu ...
of the
Liga Portuguesa de Basquetebol
The Liga Portuguesa de Basquetebol ( en, Portuguese Basketball League), also known as Liga Betclic for sponsorship reasons, is the top men's professional club basketball league in Portugal.
History
From the 2008–09 season onward, the competit ...
. He played
college basketball
In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...
for
Saint Louis University
Saint Louis University (SLU) is a private Jesuit research university with campuses in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, and Madrid, Spain. Founded in 1818 by Louis William Valentine DuBourg, it is the oldest university west of the Mississip ...
and has since played in New Zealand, Australia, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, France, and Turkey.
High school career
Conklin attended
North Eugene High School
North Eugene High School is a public high school in the River Road/Santa Clara neighborhoods of Eugene, Oregon, United States.
History
North Eugene High School was open to students on October 21, 1957. The opening was delayed nearly two months, ...
in
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is located at the southern end of the Willamette Valley, near the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.
As of the 2020 United States Census, Eu ...
. As a junior in 2006–07, he averaged 19.6 points and 11.3 rebounds per game, leading his team to a perfect 28–0 record, the 5A Oregon State championship and was subsequently named the 2007 Player of the Year. As a senior in 2007–08, he averaged 20.4 points, 11.2 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 2.7 blocks and 1.3 steals per game, leading his team to a 25–4 record and the No. 1 ranking in the state.
College career
As a freshman at
Saint Louis in
2008–09, Conklin ranked seventh on the SLU freshman list for field goal shooting with 52.2%. In 32 games (29 starts), he averaged 6.1 points and 3.9 rebounds in 22.5 minutes per game.
As a sophomore in 2009–10, Conklin recorded 56 offensive rebounds, the second-most on the team. He was also named to the Atlantic 10 Conference All-Academic team. In 36 games (16 starts), he averaged 6.2 points and 3.5 rebounds in 20.8 minutes per game.
As a junior in 2010–11, Conklin was named to the Atlantic 10 Conference All-Academic team for the second straight season. He was also named to the Cancun Governor's Cup All-Tournament team after averaging a team-best 14.0 points during the three-day tournament. In 31 games (24 starts), he averaged 8.7 points and 4.3 rebounds in 21.4 minutes per game.
As a senior in 2011–12, Conklin was named to the Atlantic 10 Conference All-Academic team for the third straight season. He also earned first-team All-Atlantic 10 honors. In 34 games (33 starts), he averaged 13.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 29.4 minutes per game.
Professional career
Southland Sharks and Townsville Crocodiles (2013–2015)
After finishing college, Conklin was not picked up in the
NBA draft and was left pondering his future for nine months before being offered a contract. In March 2013, Conklin moved to New Zealand to begin his professional career with the
Southland Sharks
The Southland Sharks are a New Zealand basketball team based in Invercargill. The Sharks compete in the National Basketball League (NBL) and play their home games at Stadium Southland. For sponsorship reasons, they are known as the SBS Bank So ...
. He made an immediate impact in the Southland setup and on the New Zealand league,
recording 21 points and nine rebounds to help the Sharks defeat the
Nelson Giants
The Nelson Giants are a New Zealand basketball team based in Nelson. The Giants compete in the National Basketball League (NBL) and play their home games at the Trafalgar Centre. For sponsorship reasons, they are known as the Mike Pero Nelson ...
92–81 in the grand final in July. For the
season
A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and pol ...
, he was named
Most Outstanding Forward and earned
All-Star Five honors. In 18 games, he averaged 22.2 points, 9.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game.
On June 30, 2013, Conklin signed with the
Townsville Crocodiles
The Townsville Crocodiles were an Australian professional men's basketball team based in the North Queensland city of Townsville. They competed in the National Basketball League (NBL) and played their home games at the Townsville Entertainmen ...
in Australia for the
2013–14 NBL season
The 2013–14 NBL season was the 36th season of competition since its establishment in 1979. A total of eight teams contested the league. The regular season was played between 10 October 2013 and 23 March 2014, and was followed by a post-season f ...
. On November 8, 2013, he scored 33 points in a 91–78 win over the
New Zealand Breakers
The New Zealand Breakers (also known as the Sky Sport Breakers for sponsorship reasons) are a New Zealand professional basketball team based in Auckland. The Breakers compete in the National Basketball League (NBL) and play their home games at ...
. It was the second-highest score by a Crocs player since 40-minute games were introduced into the NBL in 2010. Conklin appeared in the first 24 games of the season before missing the final four games with a hamstring injury he sustained on March 1, 2014, against the
Melbourne Tigers
Melbourne United is an Australian professional basketball team based in Melbourne, Victoria. United compete in the National Basketball League (NBL) and play their home games at John Cain Arena.
The team made their debut in the NBL in 1984 as ...
.
He was a revelation for the club during the season, using his strength and speed to overcome any height disadvantage and established himself among the top seven scorers in the league.
He topped the Crocodiles in scoring, averaging 16.3 points at 49.3 per cent while pulling down an average of 4.8 rebounds per game.
He was subsequently voted into the
All-NBL Second Team.
In December 2013, Conklin re-signed with the Southland Sharks for the
2014 New Zealand NBL season
The 2014 NBL season was the 33rd season of the National Basketball League. The Canterbury Rams returned to the league in 2014 after a five-year hiatus.
The 2014 pre-season tournament was held at the Te Rauparaha Arena in Porirua on Saturday 22 ...
.
In 2014, he was one of the NBL's better players despite carrying hamstring and ankle injuries.
In 14 games, he averaged 20.1 points and 9.7 rebounds per game. In December 2014, he confirmed he would not be returning to the Sharks for the 2015 season.
On July 1, 2014, Conklin re-signed with the Townsville Crocodiles for the
2014–15 NBL season
The 2014–15 NBL season was the 37th season of competition since its establishment in 1979. A total of eight teams contested the league. The regular season was played between 10 October 2014 and 22 February 2015, followed by a post-season featu ...
.
On January 3, 2015, he recorded 33 points and 11 rebounds in a 79–75 loss to the
Cairns Taipans
The Cairns Taipans are an Australian professional basketball team based in Cairns, Queensland. The Taipans compete in the National Basketball League (Australia), National Basketball League (NBL) and play their home games at the Cairns Conventio ...
. He subsequently earned Player of the Week honors for Round 13. On February 28, 2015, he was named the
NBL's Most Valuable Player for the 2014–15 season. He finished fourth in the league in scoring, averaging 18.9 points per game with 6.4 rebounds on 50.7 per cent shooting from the field. He also finished the regular season leading the league in total two pointers made (188) and total free throws made (151) to go alongside six total double-doubles. Conklin also received an
All-NBL First Team nod to cap off the season.
On July 15, 2015, Conklin re-signed with the Crocodiles for the
2015–16 NBL season
The 2015–16 NBL season was the 38th season of competition since its establishment in 1979. A total of eight teams contested the league. The regular season was played between 7 October 2015 and 14 February 2016, followed by a post-season featuri ...
. Heading into his third season, Conklin was appointed team captain.
On November 4, 2015, Conklin was involved in an ugly on-court incident involving
Perth Wildcats
The Perth Wildcats are an Australian professional basketball team based in Perth, Western Australia. The Wildcats compete in the National Basketball League (NBL) and play their home games at RAC Arena, known colloquially as "The Jungle".
Afte ...
guard
Damian Martin
Damian Patrick Martin (born 5 September 1984) is an Australian former professional basketball player, best known for his 11 seasons with the Perth Wildcats of the National Basketball League (Australia), National Basketball League (NBL). After f ...
, where during the fourth quarter of the Crocodiles' 89–77 win over the Wildcats, Conklin's errant elbow collided with and broke Martin's jaw. Despite a call from Australian basketball legend
Andrew Gaze
Andrew Barry Casson Gaze (born 24 July 1965) is an Australian former professional basketball player and coach. He played 22 seasons in the National Basketball League (NBL) with the Melbourne Tigers from 1984 to 2005, winning the league's MVP a ...
for Conklin to be suspended for at least six weeks, the NBL cleared Conklin of any wrongdoing. Less than two weeks after the Martin encounter, Conklin was in the spotlight again for another elbow incident, this time for striking
Adelaide 36ers
The Adelaide 36ers, also known as the Sixers, are an Australian professional men's basketball team in the National Basketball League (NBL). The 36ers are the only team in the league representing the state of South Australia and are based in th ...
forward
Mitch Creek
Mitchell Creek (born 27 April 1992) is an Australian professional basketball player for the South East Melbourne Phoenix of the National Basketball League (NBL). He began his NBL career with the Adelaide 36ers in 2010 and spent eight seasons w ...
in a similar manner. He subsequently received a three-match suspension with two of those games suspended for the rest of the season. In that game against the 36ers, Conklin recorded 21 points and 12 rebounds in an 89–65 loss. By the end of November, the Crocodiles had accumulated a 4–10 record. As a result, due to what the club claimed as a number of "sub-par performances", the Crocodiles terminated Conklin's contract on November 30. In response, Conklin claimed he would consider legal advice before continuing his career either in the NBL or overseas, believing he was unfairly treated by the club.
In 13 games for the Crocodiles in 2015–16, he averaged 13.5 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game.
Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic (2015–2016)
Following the 2014–15 NBL season, Conklin joined
Cangrejeros de Santurce of the
Baloncesto Superior Nacional
The Baloncesto Superior Nacional, abbreviated as BSN, is the first-tier-level professional men's basketball list of basketball leagues, league in Puerto Rico. It was founded in 1929 and is organized by the Puerto Rican Basketball Federation.
T ...
(BSN). In 34 games for Santurce, he averaged 11.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game.
In February 2016, Conklin joined
Piratas de Quebradillas
The Piratas de Quebradillas is a Puerto Rican basketball team, part of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional league. Founded in the mid 1920s, it is one of the original teams of the league. The club enjoyed its most successful era during the 1970s, ...
. On March 15, 2016, Conklin was involved in a third in-game elbow incident, this time while playing for Quebradillas. During his team's game against
Capitanes de Arecibo
The Capitanes de Arecibo are a Puerto Rican professional basketball team based in Arecibo that competes in the Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN) league. In 2010, the team also had the distinction to play in the Premier Basketball League (PBL) u ...
, Conklin threw an elbow backwards and landed on the head of
Renaldo Balkman
Renaldo Miguel Balkman (born July 14, 1984) is a Puerto Rican professional basketball player, who most recently played for the Mets de Guaynabo of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN). He also represents the Puerto Rican national team.
He p ...
, causing Balkman to fall to the ground and lose consciousness. Conklin was subsequently suspended by the BSN for one game and fined $1,500. In 35 games for Quebradillas, he averaged 15.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game.
On June 30, 2016, Conklin signed with
Leones de Santo Domingo
Leones de Santo Domingo is a professional basketball team based in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The team currently plays in Dominican top division Liga Nacional de Baloncesto.
Championships
Liga Nacional de Baloncesto
The Liga Nacional de B ...
of the
Liga Nacional de Baloncesto
The Liga Nacional de Baloncesto (LNB) is the top men's professional basketball league in the Dominican Republic. Established in 2005, six teams compete annually between September and October.
History
The league was founded on September 6, 2004 a ...
(LNB). In September 2016, he helped Leones win the LNB title. In 31 games, he averaged 14.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.
France (2016–2018)
On September 26, 2016, Conklin signed with French club
Nanterre 92
Nanterre 92 is a professional basketball club from the city of Nanterre (a western suburb of Paris), France. The club plays in the top-tier level basketball league in France, the Pro A, since 2011. Founded in 2011 as JSF Nanterre, the club plays ...
for the
2016–17 Pro A season
The 2016–17 Pro A season was the 95th season of the Pro A, the top basketball league in France organised by the Ligue Nationale de Basket (LNB). The season started on 24 September 2016 and ended on 24 June 2017.
A total of 330 games were played ...
. In April 2017, he helped Nanterre win the
French Cup
The Coupe de France, formerly known as the Coupe Charles Simon, is the premier knockout cup competition in French football organized by the French Football Federation (FFF). It was first held in 1917 and is open to all amateur and professiona ...
and the
FIBA Europe Cup
The FIBA Europe Cup (FEC) is an annual professional club basketball competition organised by FIBA for eligible European clubs. It is FIBA's European-wide second level. Clubs mainly qualify for the competition based on their performance in nation ...
. In 19 FIBA Europe Cup games, Conklin averaged 7.2 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. He also averaged 8.9 points and 3.1 rebounds in 34 league games.
On June 7, 2017, Conklin signed with
Limoges CSP
Limoges Cercle Saint-Pierre, commonly referred to as Limoges CSP or CSP, is a French professional basketball club based in the city of Limoges.
History
The club was founded in 1929, but its peak was during the 1980s and 1990s, when they became t ...
for the
2017–18 Pro A season
The 2017–18 Pro A season is the 96th season of the Pro A, the top basketball league in France organised by the Ligue nationale de basket (LNB).
On 2 March 2018, Jeep became the new main sponsor of the league and the league was re-named the Je ...
. In 39 league games, he averaged 8.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. He also averaged 8.0 points and 4.5 rebounds in 15
Eurocup games.
Illawarra Hawks (2018–2019)
On July 13, 2018, Conklin signed with the
Illawarra Hawks
The Illawarra Hawks (formerly the Wollongong Hawks and The Hawks) is an Australian professional basketball team based in Wollongong, New South Wales. The Illawarra Hawks compete in the National Basketball League (NBL) and play their home games ...
for the
2018–19 NBL season
The 2018–19 NBL season was the 41st season of the National Basketball League since its establishment in 1979. A total of eight teams have contested the league. The regular season had been played between October 2018 and February 2019, followed ...
, returning to the league for a second stint. He appeared in all 28 games for the Hawks in 2018–19, averaging 14.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game.
Return to Puerto Rico (2019)
On February 11, 2019, Conklin signed with
Piratas de Quebradillas
The Piratas de Quebradillas is a Puerto Rican basketball team, part of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional league. Founded in the mid 1920s, it is one of the original teams of the league. The club enjoyed its most successful era during the 1970s, ...
for the 2019
BSN season, returning to the club for a second stint. On April 12, 2019, he was released by Quebradillas and signed with
Indios de Mayagüez
The Indios de Mayagüez (Mayagüez Indians) are a baseball team in Puerto Rico's Liga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente (Roberto Clemente Professional Baseball League, in Spanish). Based in Mayagüez, the ''Indios'' have won 18 national ...
for the rest of the season.
In 14 games for Quebradillas, he averaged 15.6 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists.
In July 2019, he was named BSN MVP and to the BSN All-Star team.
Limoges CSP (2019–2020)
On July 9, 2019, Conklin signed a one-year deal with
Limoges CSP
Limoges Cercle Saint-Pierre, commonly referred to as Limoges CSP or CSP, is a French professional basketball club based in the city of Limoges.
History
The club was founded in 1929, but its peak was during the 1980s and 1990s, when they became t ...
of the
LNB Pro A
The LNB Pro A, currently known for sponsorship reasons as Betclic Élite, is the top-tier men's professional basketball league in France. The competition has existed since 1921. Since 1987, the Ligue Nationale de Basket has governed the league. ...
, returning to the team for a second stint. He averaged 10.9 points and 4.3 rebounds per game.
Nanterre 92 (2020–2021)
On June 6, 2020, Conklin signed a deal to return to
Nanterre 92
Nanterre 92 is a professional basketball club from the city of Nanterre (a western suburb of Paris), France. The club plays in the top-tier level basketball league in France, the Pro A, since 2011. Founded in 2011 as JSF Nanterre, the club plays ...
.
Fourth stint in Puerto Rico (2021)
In June 2021, Conklin joined
Indios de Mayagüez
The Indios de Mayagüez (Mayagüez Indians) are a baseball team in Puerto Rico's Liga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente (Roberto Clemente Professional Baseball League, in Spanish). Based in Mayagüez, the ''Indios'' have won 18 national ...
of the
Baloncesto Superior Nacional
The Baloncesto Superior Nacional, abbreviated as BSN, is the first-tier-level professional men's basketball list of basketball leagues, league in Puerto Rico. It was founded in 1929 and is organized by the Puerto Rican Basketball Federation.
T ...
, returning to the team for a second stint. He averaged 14.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game.
Semt77 Yalovaspor (2021)
On October 5, 2021, Conklin signed with
Semt77 Yalovaspor of the
Basketball Super League
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...
.
He played 11 games between October 10 and December 19.
FC Porto (2022–present)
On September 24, 2022, Conklin signed with
FC Porto
Futebol Clube do Porto, MHIH, OM (), commonly known as FC Porto or simply Porto, is a Portuguese professional sports club based in Porto. It is best known for the professional football team playing in the Primeira Liga, the top flight of Portu ...
of the
Liga Portuguesa de Basquetebol
The Liga Portuguesa de Basquetebol ( en, Portuguese Basketball League), also known as Liga Betclic for sponsorship reasons, is the top men's professional club basketball league in Portugal.
History
From the 2008–09 season onward, the competit ...
.
Personal life
In 2012, Conklin married his long-time partner, Kristina. The couple's first child was born in
North Queensland
North Queensland or the Northern Region is the northern part of the Australian state of Queensland that lies just south of Far North Queensland. Queensland is a massive state, larger than many countries, and its tropical northern part has been ...
in 2015.
References
External links
French League player profileEurocup player profileTownsville Crocodiles player profileSaint Louis player bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Conklin, Brian
1989 births
Living people
American expatriate basketball people in Australia
American expatriate basketball people in the Dominican Republic
American expatriate basketball people in France
American expatriate basketball people in New Zealand
American expatriate basketball people in Portugal
American expatriate basketball people in Turkey
American men's basketball players
Basketball players from Oregon
Cangrejeros de Santurce basketball players
FC Porto basketball players
Limoges CSP players
Nanterre 92 players
Piratas de Quebradillas players
Power forwards (basketball)
Saint Louis Billikens men's basketball players
Southland Sharks players
Sportspeople from Eugene, Oregon
Townsville Crocodiles players
Yalovaspor BK players