Cody Allen Zeller (born October 5, 1992) 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 who is currently a

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

. 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 the

Indiana Hoosiers The Indiana Hoosiers are the intercollegiate sports teams and players of Indiana University Bloomington, named after the colloquial term for people from the state of Indiana. The Hoosiers participate in NCAA Division I, Division I of the Nationa ...

. Zeller was selected with the fourth pick in the 2013 NBA draft by the then-

Charlotte Bobcats Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populous ...

. He is the brother of

NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...

players

Tyler Tyler may refer to: People and fictional characters * Tyler (name), an English name; with lists of people with the surname or given name * Tyler, the Creator (born 1991), American rap artist and producer * John Tyler, 10th president of the United ...

and

Luke People *Luke (given name), a masculine given name (including a list of people and characters with the name) *Luke (surname) (including a list of people and characters with the name) *Luke the Evangelist, author of the Gospel of Luke. Also known as ...

, and the nephew of former NBA player

Al Eberhard Allen Dean Eberhard (born May 10, 1952) is an American retired professional basketball player. Amateur career Out of rural Springville, Iowa and Springville High School, Eberhard was third team All-State in his senior year, graduating in 1970. ...

High school career

In his freshman year of high school, Zeller averaged 2.5 points and 1.4 rebounds per game as his team, the Washington Hatchets, won a Class 3A IHSAA state championship. During his sophomore season, he averaged 15.0 points and 6.8 rebounds. In his junior season, Zeller led Washington to a Class 3A state championship, averaging 20.5 points and 11.4 rebounds per game. Following that season he was named an Indiana Junior All-Star. In his senior year of high school, Zeller averaged 24.6 points per game, 13.1 rebounds per game and 3.3 assists per game while leading the Hatchets to the Class 3A IHSAA state championship, the third title of his career. Zeller led the Indiana Senior All-Stars to a two-game sweep of the Kentucky All-Stars. He played AAU basketball for the Indiana Elite program and led the USA 2011 squad to the Adidas Nations Championship in Chicago during the summer of 2010. Following the end of his senior season, Zeller was named

Indiana Mr. Basketball The Indiana Mr. Basketball honor recognizes the top high school basketball player in the state of Indiana. The award is presented annually by ''The Indianapolis Star''. The first Indiana Mr. Basketball was George Crowe of Franklin High School in ...

, the state's highest honor for high school players and an award both of his elder brothers also won. Zeller became the 26th Mr. Basketball from the state of Indiana to play for the Hoosiers. He was a 2011

McDonald's All American The McDonald's All-American Game is the all-star basketball game played each year for American and Canadian boys' and girls' high school basketball graduates. Consisting of the top players, each team plays a single exhibition game after the concl ...

player and scored 10 points, pulled down three rebounds and had three assists in the nationally acclaimed all-star game. Other honors Zeller won in his high school career include first-team All-State honors from the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association, the

Gatorade Player of the Year The Gatorade Player of the Year awards are given annually to up and coming high school student-athletes in the United States. They are given for boys' baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine playe ...

accolades in Indiana, and a second-team ''Parade'' All-American. According to

ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...

Zeller was the 13th best overall recruit in 2011. Scout.com had him rated 12th nationally and third at his position, while

Rivals.com Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting in the United States. The network was started in 1998 and employs more than 300 personnel. History Rivals.com was founded in 1998 by Jim Heckma ...

had him slotted 15th in the country and fourth at his position.

College career

On November 12, 2010, Zeller committed to play for

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. Campuses Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI. *Indiana Universit ...

, turning down offers from

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

and

Butler A butler is a person who works in a house serving and is a domestic worker in a large household. In great houses, the household is sometimes divided into departments with the butler in charge of the dining room, wine cellar, and pantry. Some a ...

. Upon his commitment he was labeled "the savior of Indiana basketball." At the time Coach

Tom Crean Tom or Thomas Crean may refer to: *Thomas Crean (1873–1923), Irish rugby union player, British Army soldier and doctor *Tom Crean (explorer) (1877–1938), Irish seaman and Antarctic explorer *Tom Crean (basketball) Thomas Aaron Crean (born Ma ...

noted, "He's the most mentally focused kid I've ever recruited ... I see a young man that has mental toughness that is not normal." Zeller was nicknamed "The Big Handsome" during his time at IU.

Freshman season

In Zeller's first year as a Hoosier during the 2011–12 season he led the team with 15.6 points and 6.6 rebounds per game while shooting 62.3 percent (200-of-321) from the field and 75.5 percent (163-of-216) from the free-throw line. He ranked fourth in the country in field goal percentage, led the

Big Ten Conference The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...

and posted the second-highest percentage in school history. His offensive rating of 126.8 ranked him 14th nationwide. Zeller was the Big Ten's Freshman of the Year, as voted on by the coaches, after earning Big Ten Freshman of the Week seven times. He was also Second Team All-Big Ten and a First Team Freshman All-American. He was a finalist for the Wayman Tisdale Award (USBWA National Freshman of the Year) and was a candidate for the John Wooden Award and Oscar Robertson Trophy. With the addition of Zeller to the team, the Hoosiers' record in 2011–12 improved by fifteen games over the prior season, making it the largest single turnaround in the NCAA that year. The Hoosiers earned a number four seed in the 2012 NCAA Tournament and defeated

New Mexico State New Mexico State University (NMSU or NM State) is a public land-grant research university based primarily in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest public institution of higher education in New Mexico and one of the state's tw ...

in the second round. After defeating VCU in the third round, the Hoosiers lost in the Sweet Sixteen to

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

, the eventual national champions.

Sophomore season

Although projected to be a top ten pick in the

2012 NBA draft The 2012 NBA draft was held on June 28, 2012, at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The draft started at 7:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time (2300 UTC), and was broadcast in the United States on ESPN. In this draft, National Basketball Asso ...

, Zeller decided to return for his sophomore season at Indiana, along with teammate Christian Watford. In a statement issued by the Indiana Athletic Department, he said, "I grew up hoping that one day I would get the opportunity to play in the NBA, but at this point, I'm not ready for my college experience to be over...My college experience at IU this year has exceeded my expectations, on and off the court. I look forward to playing at Assembly Hall next year in front of the greatest fans in the country." Due in part to Zeller's leadership, the Indiana Hoosiers finished the 2012–13 season as the outright Big Ten champions. He finished the regular season as the conference's third-highest scorer (16.8 points) and second highest rebounder (8.2), along with second in the league in shooting at 57% while only trailing teammate Victor Oladipo in the Big Ten. Zeller accumulated numerous post-season awards. He was named a 2013 All-American by the

USBWA The United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) was founded in 1956 by National Collegiate Athletic Association director Walter Byers to serve the interests of journalists who cover college basketball. Scholarships The USBWA annually awar ...

(2nd Team) and ''

Sporting News The ''Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a pr ...

'' (3rd Team). He was also named First Team All-Big Ten by both the coaches and media, as well as a First Team Academic All-American. At the end of his sophomore season, Zeller decided to enter the 2013 NBA draft, along with teammate

Victor Oladipo Kehinde Babatunde Victor Oladipo (born May 4, 1992) is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Indiana Hoosiers, where in the 2012-2013 sea ...

Professional career

Charlotte Bobcats / Hornets (2013–2021)

2013 –16: All-Rookie honors and later years

Zeller was selected with the fourth overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft by the

. On July 10, 2013, he signed his rookie scale contract with the Bobcats. On March 31, 2014, he scored a season-high 15 points against the

Washington Wizards The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference Southeast D ...

.Cody Zeller 2013-14 Game Log
/ref> On April 5, 2014, he recorded his first career double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds against the

Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers (often referred to as the Cavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...

. He appeared in all 82 regular season games and all four of Charlotte's playoff games. At the season's end, he was named to the

NBA All-Rookie Second Team The NBA All-Rookie Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1962–63 NBA season to the top rookies during the regular season. Voting is conducted by the NBA head coaches who are not allowed to vote for playe ...

. On November 28, 2014, Zeller recorded 15 points and 14 rebounds against the

Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. Founded in 194 ...

.Cody Zeller 2014-15 Game Log
/ref> On January 31, 2015, he scored a season-high 21 points in a 104–86 win over the

Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the D ...

. On February 19, 2016, Zeller scored a career-high 23 points in a 98–95 win over the

Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded in 1968 ...

. He had five double-doubles during the season.Cody Zeller 2015-16 Game Log
/ref>

2016 –21: Double-digit streaks and career-highs

Despite missing the entire preseason because of a right knee injury, Zeller played in the Hornets' season opener on October 26, 2016, going 5 of 6 from the field for 15 points in 14 minutes in a 107–96 win over the Bucks. Five days later, he signed a four-year, $56 million contract extension with the Hornets. On November 18, 2016, he tied his career high with 23 points in a 100–96 win over the

Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference Southeast Division (NBA), Sou ...

. He averaged career highs in 2016–17 with 10.3 points and 6.5 rebounds. Zeller played in the Hornets' season opener then missed the next four games. On December 6, 2017, in a 101–87 loss to the Warriors, Zeller suffered a torn medial meniscus in his left knee with 49 seconds left in the third quarter. He missed 27 games as a result, returning to action on February 2 against the

Indiana Pacers The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first esta ...

. He missed games on February 28 and March 2 with a sore left knee. He later missed the final 16 games of the season with knee soreness. Due to injury, he appeared in a career-low 33 games in 2017–18. On November 28, 2018, Zeller scored a then season-high 19 points in a 108–94 win over the Hawks. On December 14, in a 126–124 overtime loss to the

New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associat ...

, Zeller had season highs in points (21) and rebounds (13) to record the first 20-point, 10-rebound game of his career and tally his first double-double of the season. It also marked his third-straight double-digit scoring performance. On December 31, Zeller suffered a broken right hand against the

Orlando Magic The Orlando Magic are an American professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. The Magic compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The franchise was establ ...

. He was subsequently ruled out for four to six weeks after undergoing surgery. He returned to action on February 5 against the

Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division in the league's Western Conference. The Clipper ...

after missing 16 games. On February 25, he made 13 of 14 shots from the field and finished with a career-high 28 points in a 121–110 loss to the Warriors.

Portland Trail Blazers (2021–2022)

On August 4, 2021, Zeller signed with the

Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Con ...

. He was waived on February 8, 2022, as a result of the

CJ McCollum Christian James McCollum (born September 19, 1991) is an American professional basketball player for the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association (NBA). During his third year in the league in 2015–16, he was named the NBA Mos ...

trade.

Utah Jazz (2022)

On September 25, 2022, Zeller signed with the

Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference, Northwest Division (NBA), ...

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

, - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Charlotte Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont (United States), Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Meckl ...

, 82 , , 3 , , 17.3 , , .426 , , .000 , , .730 , , 4.3 , , 1.1 , , .5 , , .5 , , 6.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 62 , , 45 , , 24.0 , , .461 , , 1.000 , , .774 , , 5.8 , , 1.6 , , .5 , , .8 , , 7.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 73 , , 60 , , 24.3 , , .529 , , .100 , , .754 , , 6.2 , , 1.0 , , .8 , , .9 , , 8.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 62 , , 58 , , 27.8 , , .571 , , .000 , , .679 , , 6.5 , , 1.6 , , 1.0 , , 1.0 , , 10.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 33 , , 0 , , 19.0 , , .545 , , .667 , , .718 , , 5.4 , , .9 , , .4 , , .6 , , 7.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 49 , , 47 , , 25.4 , , .551 , , .273 , , .787 , , 6.8 , , 2.1 , , .8 , , .8 , , 10.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 58 , , 39 , , 23.1 , , .524 , , .240 , , .682 , , 7.1 , , 1.5 , , .7 , , .4 , , 11.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 48 , , 21 , , 20.9 , , .559 , , .143 , , .714 , , 6.8 , , 1.8 , , .6 , , .4 , , 9.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: * Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States * Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...

, 27 , , 0 , , 13.1 , , .567 , , .000 , , .776 , , 4.6 , , .8 , , .3 , , .2 , , 5.2 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 494 , , 273 , , 22.2 , , .520 , , .221 , , .731 , , 6.0 , , 1.4 , , .6 , , .6 , , 8.5

Playoffs

, - , style="text-align:left;",

2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 4 , , 0 , , 13.3 , , .333 , , .000 , , .500 , , 2.3 , , .5 , , .0 , , .8 , , 2.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 7 , , 2 , , 19.6 , , .553 , , .000 , , .810 , , 5.3 , , .3 , , .1 , , .4 , , 8.4 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 11 , , 2 , , 17.3 , , .511 , , .000 , , .760 , , 4.2 , , .4 , , .1 , , .5 , , 6.1

College

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2011–12 , style="text-align:left;",

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

, 36 , , 36 , , 28.5 , , .623 , , – , , .755 , , 6.6 , , 1.3 , , 1.4 , , 1.2 , , 15.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2012–13 , style="text-align:left;",

, 36 , , 36 , , 29.5 , , .564 , , .000 , , .757 , , 8.0 , , 1.3 , , 1.0 , , 1.3 , , 16.5 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 72 , , 72 , , 29.0 , , .592 , , .000 , , .756 , , 7.3 , , 1.3 , , 1.2 , , 1.2 , , 16.1

Player profile

In college, analysts described Zeller as having "the outstanding combination of mobility, scoring instincts and aggressiveness", while also being "an incredibly agile and fluid big man who runs the floor well and has the explosiveness to play above the rim regularly." Zeller is also known for a "high basketball IQ" and unselfish play. Other commentators have noted his "high motor" and that he is "the best screen-and-roll frontcourt player in college basketball...He sprints to the screen, reads slips, and has great hands. He is hard to keep off the glass and has the versatility to play in the high post as well as on the baseline."

Personal life

Zeller is from

Washington, Indiana Washington is a city in Daviess County, Indiana. The population was 11,509 at the time of the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Daviess County. It is also the principal city of the Washington, Indiana Micropolitan Statistical Are ...

and the nephew of former NBA player

. He is the youngest brother of former

and NBA center

Tyler Zeller Tyler Paul Zeller (born January 17, 1990) is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball at the University of North Carolina, where as a freshman he played on their 2009 national championship team and as a seni ...

and former Notre Dame and

Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Suns are the only team in t ...

forward-center Luke Zeller. Despite pressures brought on by unusually high expectations, commentators have noted his humility and work ethic, along with "dry wit and prankster's mirth." In May 2017, Zeller earned his bachelor's degree when he graduated from

Kelley School of Business The Kelley School of Business (KSB) is an undergraduate and graduate business school at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana and Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. , approximately 7,500 full-time undergraduate and graduate students are ...

References

External links

Indiana Hoosiers bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zeller, Cody 1992 births Living people All-American college men's basketball players American men's basketball players Basketball players from Indiana Centers (basketball) Charlotte Bobcats draft picks Charlotte Bobcats players Charlotte Hornets players Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball players McDonald's High School All-Americans Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) People from Washington, Indiana Portland Trail Blazers players Power forwards (basketball) Utah Jazz players