Michael Weathers (born August 5, 1997) is an American professional basketball player for MLP Academics Heidelberg of the Basketball Bundesliga. He played college basketball for the Miami RedHawks, Oklahoma State Cowboys, Texas Southern Tigers and SMU Mustangs. Weathers was selected as the Austrian Basketball Superliga Most Valuable Player while playing for the Klosterneuburg Dukes in 2024.
 Weathers with the Texas Southern Tigers in 2020 | |
| No. 20 – MLP Academics Heidelberg | |
|---|---|
| Position | Guard |
| League | Basketball Bundesliga |
| Personal information | |
| Born | August 5, 1997 Roeland Park, Kansas, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Listed weight | 175 lb (79 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Shawnee Mission North (Overland Park, Kansas) |
| College |
|
| NBA draft | 2022: undrafted |
| Playing career | 2023–present |
| Career history | |
| 2023 | Sutjeska |
| 2023–2024 | Klosterneuburg Dukes |
| 2024–present | MLP Academics Heidelberg |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Early life and high school career
editWeathers was born to Michael Weathers and Joann Loring.[1] He has a fraternal twin brother, Marcus, who was born three minutes after him.[1] Weathers' father played college basketball for the Drake Bulldogs.[1] When Weathers was aged five, his father died of heart problems at the age of 40.[1] Weathers' mother remarried Henry Loring, a former college football player for the Grambling State Tigers.[1]
The Weathers brothers created a formidable duo while playing basketball at Shawnee Mission North High School in Overland Park, Kansas.[1] They led their team to the Kansas state title as seniors after they made the final four the previous year.[1] Weathers left Shawnee Mission North as the school's all-time leading scorer with 1,626 points; his brother finished second with 1,150.[1]
Recruiting
editWeathers was lightly recruited during his first years at high school.[1] Prior to his senior year, he was contacted by Miami RedHawks coach John Cooper, who was a childhood fan of Weathers' father when he played at Southeast High School, but he turned down the offer as he stated he was looking in a different direction.[1] Weathers began to receive individual interest during his senior year from college teams including the Creighton Bluejays, Nebraska Cornhuskers and SMU Mustangs but his mother encouraged him to stay with his brother and attend a college together.[1] Although some colleges showed interest in signing both, concerns about their academics emerged and there was a delay of clearance by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).[1] Cooper and the RedHawks reemerged as an option with the offer of signing both brothers at the urging of an Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) coach who suggested that Cooper "look out for them."[1] The brothers, who had improved their grades, committed to the RedHawks without making a visit to the campus.[1] Weathers was considered a three-star prospect by Rivals.[2]
College career
editMiami (Ohio) (2016–2017)
editWeathers made his college basketball debut on November 12, 2016, with a 21-point performance against the Muskingum Fighting Muskies.[3] He scored a career-high 31 points in a November 21, 2016, game against the Northern Kentucky Norse.[4] Weathers averaged a team-high in points (16.7), assists (4.8), blocks (1.4) and steals (1.9); his rebounds (4.2) were third-best.[5] He was named the Mid-American Conference Freshman of the Year for the 2016–17 season.[5]
On March 28, 2017, Weathers announced that he and his brother would transfer from the RedHawks as they desired to play closer to home with a different opportunity. Weathers expressed an eagerness to play alongside his brother at another school but they would be open to separation if presented with individual options.[6]
Oklahoma State (2017–2019)
editOn April 16, 2017, Weathers announced that he had committed to play for the Oklahoma State Cowboys.[7] He followed former RedHawks coach Cooper, who had been hired by the Cowboys as an assistant coach.[8] Marcus instead transferred to the Duquesne Dukes.[9] Weathers sat out the 2017–18 season due to NCAA transfer rules.[10]
Weathers was suspended indefinitely by the team on September 20, 2018, after he was charged with grand larceny. He had been arrested on September 9, 2018, when he stole a woman's wallet and purchased drinks at a bar using her debit card.[10] On November 6, 2018, Weathers pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor charge of knowingly concealing stolen property while the felony charge of grand larceny was dismissed.[11] He returned to the team on November 9, 2018.[12]
On January 16, 2019, Weathers and teammates Maurice Calloo and Kentrevious Jones were dismissed by the Cowboys for a violation of team rules.[13] He averaged 9.2 points and 2.1 assists in 16 games played for the Cowboys.[14]
Texas Southern (2019–2021)
editOn August 20, 2019, Weathers announced that he would transfer to play for the Texas Southern Tigers.[8]
Weathers made his debut for the Tigers on November 25, 2020, against the Washington State Cougars and scored 10 points.[15] On March 6, 2021, Weathers scored a season-high 28 points in a victory over the Southern Jaguars.[16] He was named the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Newcomer of the Year and was named to the first-team All-SWAC at the conclusion of the regular season.[17] Weathers set a new season-high with 30 points to defeat Jackson State in the semifinal of the 2021 SWAC tournament. He hit a game-tying three-pointer at the end of regulation as well as a three-pointer to give the Tigers a one-point lead in the final seconds of overtime.[18] On March 13, 2021, Weathers scored 13 points as the Tigers defeated the Prairie View A&M Panthers to become SWAC Tournament champions and was named Tournament MVP.[19] The Tigers qualified for the 2021 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament where they were eliminated in the first round by the Michigan Wolverines; Weathers scored 24 points in his final game for the Tigers.[20]
SMU (2021–2022)
editWeathers transferred to play for the SMU Mustangs for his final season of college eligibility. The move reunited him with his brother Marcus, who transferred from Duquesne, and his former coach John Cooper, who serves as an assistant for the Mustangs.[21]
On February 16, 2022, Weathers scored a season-high 22 points in a loss to the Temple Owls.[22]
Professional career
editWeathers was selected by the Oklahoma City Blue as the eighth overall pick in the 2022 NBA G League draft.[23]
KK Sutjeska Niksic (2023)
editOn February 2, 2023, Weathers signed with Sutjeska of the Prva A Liga.[24] He averaged 15.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 10 games played.[25] Sutjeska qualified for the semifinals but the club was unable to keep Weathers and he departed in May 2023.[26]
IMMOunited Dukes Klosterneuburg (2023-2024)
editOn July 12, 2023, Weathers signed with the Klosterneuburg Dukes of the Austrian Basketball Superliga.[27] He averaged 22.5 points, 7.1 rebounds and 4.3 assists while he led the league in efficiency.[28] Weathers was subsequently selected as the Most Valuable Player for the 2023–24 season.[28]
MLP Academics Heidelberg (2024-Present)
editOn July 4, 2024, Weathers signed with MLP Academics Heidelberg of the Basketball Bundesliga.[25]
On October 30, 2024, Weathers received a Hoops Agents Player of the Week award for Round 6. He had 17 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists for his team to win.[29]
Career statistics
edit| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
College
edit| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016–17 | Miami (OH) | 32 | 28 | 28.3 | .431 | .221 | .777 | 4.2 | 4.8 | 1.9 | 1.4 | 16.7 |
| 2018–19 | Oklahoma State | 16 | 0 | 20.5 | .442 | .222 | .627 | 2.8 | 2.1 | 1.1 | .4 | 9.2 |
| 2020–21 | Texas Southern | 24 | 24 | 31.2 | .478 | .306 | .795 | 5.2 | 3.5 | 2.1 | 1.0 | 16.5 |
| 2021–22 | SMU | 31 | 19 | 26.8 | .470 | .400 | .798 | 5.9 | 2.2 | 1.6 | 1.5 | 11.0 |
| Career | 103 | 71 | 27.3 | .454 | .284 | .769 | 4.7 | 3.3 | 1.7 | 1.2 | 13.8 | |
Personal life
editOn April 12, 2022, Weathers' mother, Joann Loring, died aged 55 after a battle with a rare form of leukemia.[30]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Archdeacon, Tom (January 4, 2017). "Tom Archdeacon: Freshman twins making immediate impact for RedHawks". Dayton Daily News. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
- ^ "Michael Weathers, 2016 Point Guard". Rivals.com. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
- ^ "Newcomers lead Miami (Ohio) over Muskingum 84-57". Associated Press. November 12, 2016. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
- ^ "Holland, McDonald lead Northern Kentucky, 79-70". Associated Press. November 21, 2016. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
- ^ a b "Michael Weathers named MAC Freshman of the Year". WKRC. March 8, 2017. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
- ^ McDowell, Sam (March 28, 2017). "Michael Weathers, who dreamed of playing at KU, says he and twin brother will transfer". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
- ^ McDowell, Sam (April 16, 2017). "Michael Weathers, former All-Metro player of the year, will transfer to Oklahoma State". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
- ^ a b Clark, Dave (August 20, 2019). "Michael Weathers, former MAC Freshman of the Year for Miami RedHawks, joins Texas Southern". Cincinnati Enquirer. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
- ^ Duderstadt, Chris (April 23, 2017). "SM North hoops alumnus Marcus Weathers will transfer to Duquesne". Shawnee Dispatch. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
- ^ a b Cooper, Mark (October 27, 2018). "OSU basketball player Michael Weathers suspended after grand larceny arrest". Tulsa World. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
- ^ Cooper, Mark (November 6, 2018). "OSU basketball: Michael Weathers pleads guilty to misdemeanor, receives 2-year deferred sentence". Tulsa World. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
- ^ "Oklahoma State's Weathers returning after suspension". Associated Press. November 9, 2018. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
- ^ Ruiz, Nathan (January 19, 2019). "OSU basketball: Michael Weathers, Maurice Calloo and Kentrevious Jones dismissed". The Oklahoman. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
- ^ "Oklahoma State kicks Weathers, Calloo, Jones off team". Associated Press. January 17, 2019. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
- ^ "Tigers Fall In A Nail-Biter At Washington State". Texas Southern University Athletics. November 26, 2020. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
- ^ "Weathers carries Texas Southern over Southern 80-74". CBS Sports. March 6, 2021. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
- ^ "Weathers Named Newcomer of the Year, 1st Team All-SWAC". Texas Southern University Athletics. March 9, 2021. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
- ^ "Texas two-step: Texas Southern knocks off previously unbeaten Jackson State to move to SWAC final". HBCU Sports. March 13, 2021. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
- ^ "Texas Southern Punches Ticket to Big Dance with 80-61 win over PVAMU". Southwestern Athletic Conference. March 13, 2021. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
- ^ "Texas Southern's NCAA run ends with 82-66 lost to Michigan". ABC13. March 22, 2021. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
- ^ Blum, Sam (April 14, 2021). "The Weathers twins split 4 years ago to succeed on their own. Now, they'll reunite at SMU for their final college season". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
- ^ "Michael Weathers' big scoring night not enough for SMU in road loss to Temple". The Dallas Morning News. February 16, 2022. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
- ^ "Oklahoma City Blue Selects Hellems, Weathers, Starkey, Flory and Kangu in the 2022 NBA G League Draft". Oklahoma City Blue. October 24, 2022. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
- ^ "Majkl Veders pojačanje Sutjeske". KK Sutjeska (in Bosnian). February 2, 2023. Retrieved February 11, 2023.
- ^ a b "TOPSCORER UND MVP: MICHAEL WEATHERS VERSTÄRKT DIE ACADEMICS AUF DEN GUARD-POSITIONEN". MLP Academics Heidelberg (in German). July 4, 2024. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
- ^ "Sutjeska oslabljena protiv Budućnosti". KK Sutjeska (in Bosnian). May 9, 2023. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
- ^ "Michael Weathers erster Neuzugang bei den Dukes". Basketball Klosterneuburg (in German). July 12, 2023. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
- ^ a b "MICHAEL WEATHERS IST MOST VALUABLE PLAYER OF THE YEAR". Basketball Austria (in German). May 22, 2024. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
- ^ "Michael Weathers claims German BBL weekly honour". www.eurobasket.com. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
- ^ Rankin, Duane (June 16, 2022). "'Plays with no fear': Draft sleeper Marcus Weathers fueled by passing of his mom". AZ Central. Retrieved July 17, 2024.