JJ Kaplan

JJ Kaplan (born May 28, 1997; ג'יי ג'יי קפלן) is an American-Israeli[1] basketball player who plays guard for Ironi Kiryat Ata in the Israeli Basketball Premier League. He played college basketball for the Chargers at the University of Alabama in Huntsville

JJ Kaplan
ג'יי ג'יי קפלן
No. 25 – Ironi Kiryat Ata
PositionGuard
LeagueIsraeli Basketball Premier League
Personal information
BornHuntsville, Alabama, United States
NationalityAmerican-Israeli
Listed height6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Listed weight210 lb (95 kg)
Career information
High schoolVirgil I. Grissom High School
(Huntsville, Alabama)
CollegeUniversity of Alabama in Huntsville
Playing career2021–present
Career history
2021–presentIroni Kiryat Ata
Career highlights and awards

Early life and high school

Kaplan was born and grew up in Huntsville, Alabama, is Jewish, and had a bar mitzvah and keeps kosher.[2][1][3][4] He is 6-5 (196 cm) tall, and weighs 210 pounds (95 kg).[5]

He attended Virgil I. Grissom High School ('17) in Huntsville, Alabama.[5] Playing basketball for the Tigers in his junior season, Kaplan was named to the all-area team and the all-area tournament team.[6][3] In his senior season, he averaged 16 points, 12 rebounds, and three assists per game, was named to the all-area and all-state teams, and was named to the all-area tournament team.[3] As a teenager, he also played in Maccabi Games in Germany with Team USA.[2][7]

College

Kaplan attended and played basketball for the Chargers at the University of Alabama in Huntsville ('21), as he double-majored in Economics and Finance.[8][9] In 2017-18, he averaged 3.2 points and 2.6 rebounds per game.[3]

In 2018-19, Kaplan averaged 13.7 points and 8.6 rebounds (2nd in the Gulf South Conference (GSC)) per game, and was 2nd in the conference in field goal percentage (52.8%), and was 21st in the nation with 281 rebounds.[3][4] He was named Jewish Sports Review All-American, Second Team All-Gulf South Conference, Gulf South All-Tournament Team, College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-District, GSC All-Academic Team, and GSC Academic Honor Roll.[3][8][6]

In 2019-20, he averaged 11.6 points and 9.1 rebounds (2nd in the GSC) per game, and led the GSC and was 21st in the nation in total rebounds (282).[3] Kaplan was named Jewish Sports Review All-American, Second Team All-Gulf South Conference, GSC Tournament Most Outstanding Player, GSC All-Tournament Team, CoSIDA Academic All-District, and GSC Academic Honor Roll.[3][6]

In 2020-21, despite a shin injury, Kaplan averaged 11.8 points and 7.4 rebounds per game.[3][4] He was named First Team All-Gulf South Conference in 2021.[8] Career-wise, he had the fourth-most rebounds and ninth-most rebounds-per-game in school history.[10]

Professional career

On June 27, 2021, after living his entire life in Huntsville, Kaplan signed with Ironi Kiryat Ata.[7][5][11] He said: "It has been a dream of mine to play basketball in Israel since I was in high school, and now I am happy to announce that the dream has come true."[10] That season, he and the team won a National League championship.[11]

On November 19, 2022, Kaplan again signed with Ironi Kiryat Ata, in the Israeli Basketball Premier League.[8]

References
  1. "JJ Kaplan basketball profile," Eurobasket.
  2. משה ברדה (June 6, 2021). "ג'יי ג'יי קפלן: זו תהיה זכות לשחק בנבחרת ישראל". ONE - מספר אחת בספורט.
  3. "JJ Kaplan - 2020-21 Men's Basketball Roster". UAH Athletics.
  4. Weinberg, Becca (March 23, 2021). "Hometown Player JJ Kaplan Finds Basketball Success and Judaism in Huntsville". Sports Rabbi.
  5. "Kaplan starts his pro career at E. Kiryat Ata". Eurobasket News. June 27, 2021.
  6. Olivia Whitmire (June 28, 2021). "Former UAH basketball standout JJ Kaplan signs to play overseas in Israel". WHNT News 19.
  7. Cohan, Max (July 15, 2021). "International ballers: UAH's JJ Kaplan and Sam Orf sign pro deals overseas". WAAY 31 News.
  8. "J.J. Kaplan Player Profile, Alabama-Huntsville; GF #25". RealGM.
  9. "Student Spotlight -- JJ Kaplan," UAH, November 13, 2019.
  10. Cohan, Max (June 27, 2021). "JJ Kaplan signs with Israeli basketball team". WAAY 31 News.
  11. Olivia Whitmire (June 3, 2022). "Former UAH standout JJ Kaplan returns from Israel as a champion". WHNT News 19.
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