Vrenz Bleijenbergh
Belgian basketball player From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Vrenz Bleijenbergh (born 14 October 2000) is a Belgian professional basketball player for Yukatel Merkezefendi of the Basketbol Süper Ligi (BSL).
| No. 12 – Yukatel Merkezefendi Basket | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Position | Small forward | ||||||||||||||||||||
| League | Basketbol Süper Ligi | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 14 October 2000 Brasschaat, Belgium | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | Belgian | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 2.08 m (6 ft 10 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 95 kg (209 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||||||
| NBA draft | 2021: undrafted | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing career | 2018–present | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2021 | Antwerp Giants | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021–2022 | Real Betis | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | Windy City Bulls | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2023 | Oostende | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023–present | Yukatel Merkezefendi | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Medals
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Bleijenbergh started playing basketball by the age of four with his local club Ticino Merksem.[1][2] He played the point guard position even though he was tall enough to be a power forward.[3]
Antwerp Giants (2018–2021)
In October 2018, Bleijenbergh signed a long-term professional contract with the Antwerp Giants. He turned down college offers from Arizona, Texas Tech and UCLA, among others.[4] Bleijenbergh left secondary school to focus on basketball.[5] He declared for the 2019 NBA draft before withdrawing.[6] In the 2020–21 season, Bleijenbergh became a regular starter with the Antwerp Giants.[7] He was named Pro Basketball League Rising Star at the end of the season.[8] On 1 June 2021, Bleijenbergh declared for the 2021 NBA draft[9] but went undrafted.[10]
Real Betis (2021–2022)
On 10 August 2021, Bleijenbergh signed with Real Betis of the Spanish Liga ACB.[11] On 7 February 2022, he terminated his contract with Real Betis.[12]
Windy City Bulls (2022)
On 26 February 2022, Bleijenbergh was acquired off waivers by the Windy City Bulls.[13]
Oostende (2022–2023)
On 1 August 2022, he signed with Filou Oostende of the BNXT League.[14] On 17 September, Bleijenbergh scored 12 points in his Oostende debut during the 2022 BNXT Supercup, which the team won over Heroes Den Bosch.[15] He was the 2023 Belgian League Finals MVP.[16]
Long Island Nets
On 12 November 2022, Bleijenbergh's NBA G League rights were traded to the Long Island Nets in exchange for Marcus Zegarowski.[17]
Yukatel Merkezefendi (2023–present)
On 26 July 2023 he signed with Yukatel Merkezefendi of the Basketbol Süper Ligi (BSL).[18]
Bleijenbergh has represented Belgium at several youth international tournaments. He averaged 13.5 points, eight rebounds, a tournament-high six assists and two blocks per game at the 2018 FIBA U18 European Championship Division B in Macedonia, leading his team to a bronze medal. He was named to the All-Tournament Team.[4] At the 2019 FIBA U20 European Championship Division B in Portugal, Bleijenbergh averaged 9.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 2.6 steals per game. He led Belgium to another bronze medal and earned All-Tournament Team honors.[19]
On 24 February 2019, Bleijenbergh made his Belgian senior national team debut, scoring three points against Iceland during EuroBasket 2022 Pre-Qualifiers.[4]
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