Christian "Chris" Steinmetz

Considered the “Father of Wisconsin basketball,” Steinmetz was the college game’s dominant scorer prior to World War I. Although he played in only 40 games during his three seasons at the University of Wisconsin, Steinmetz was considered a premier scorer finishing his career with 950 career points. The year 1904-05 was a high point, with Steinmetz scoring a remarkable 462 of Wisconsin’s 681 points, nearly 70 percent of the team’s total offense. That same season, Steinmetz scored 23 more points than all opposing teams tallied against the Badgers and had a 50-point outburst against Sparta. In addition, Steinmetz set Wisconsin records for most field goals in a single game (20), most free throws in a single game (20), most free throws in a single season (238), and the best scoring average for a single season (25.7). Despite standing only 5-foot-9 and weighing 137 pounds, Steinmetz was a scoring phenomenon.