Christian Braun
OVERVIEW
A two-year starter who entered the NBA Draft following Kansas’ 2021-22 NCAA National Championship season … Was the 21st overall NBA Draft selection by the Denver Nuggets in the 2022 draft … Became Kansas’ 65th all-time 1,000-point scorer in KU’s Final Four semifinal win against Villanova (4/2) … An all-conference performer who played a key role down the stretch in the NCAA title run earning Big 12 All-Tournament Team and NCAA Tournament All-Midwest Region Team honors … A two-time Academic All-Big 12 First Team honoree was twice nominated for Academic All-American … Comes from an athletic family as his mother, father, aunt and uncle all played NCAA Division I basketball and his brother plays at Santa Clara … Won three-straight state titles in high school.
CAREER HONORS
NCAA Tournament All-Midwest Region Team [2022]
NABC All-District 8 Second Team [2022]
Big 12 All-Tournament Team [2022]
All-Big 12 Second Team [2022]
Academic All-Big 12 First Team [2022]
Academic All-District 7 First Team [2022]
2022 Lute Olson Player of the Year Mid-Season Watch List [1 of 30]
Big 12 Player of the Week [12.6.21]
2021 ESPN Events Invitational All-Tournament Team
2021 Academic All-Big 12 First Team
2021 All-Big 12 Honorable Mention
Big 12 Player of the Week [12.28.2020]
2020 Big 12 All-Freshman Team
2021-22 (JUNIOR)
NCAA Tournament All-Midwest Region Team … Big 12 All-Tournament Team … All-Big 12 Second Team … Academic All-Big 12 First Team … Averaged 11.2 ppg and 7.3 rpg in the NCAA Tournament … Overall, was seventh in the Big 12 with 14.1 ppg, second in field goal percentage (49.5%), fifth in rebounds (6.5) and 14th in assists (2.8) … Had 35 games with 10 or more points, and five games with 20 or more points … Led KU in rebounds in 13 games, assists in 11 contests and blocked shots in 10 games … Averaged 11.3 ppg and 8.3 rpg in the Big 12 Tournament … Became Kansas’ 65th all-time 1,000-point scorer in KU’s Final Four semifinal win against Villanova (4/2) … Had a career-high 14 rebounds with 11 points vs. West Virginia (3/10) in the Big 12 Championship … Posted five double-doubles including a 12 point and 12 rebound performance in the NCAA National Championship game against North Carolina (4/4) … Scored a career-high 31 points at St. John’s (12/3) … Big 12 Player of the Week (12/6) … Named to the ESPN Events Invitational All-Tournament Team.
2020-21 (SOPHOMORE)
All-Big 12 Honorable Mention … Was second on team with 52 3FGs made … Made 3-plus 3FGs in eight games and KU was 7-1 in those contests … Was 15th in the Big 12 in 3FGs made (1.7) … Led KU in scoring four times … Had two 20-points games and 14 contests with 10 or more points … Had 12 points, four rebounds and four assists vs. Eastern Washington (3/20) … Just missed a double-double (11 pts, 9 reb) vs. Baylor (2/27) … Had 18 points, five rebounds and six assists vs. Iowa State (2/11) … Posted first career double-double (15 pts, 10 rebs) vs. Oklahoma State (2/8) … Big 12 Player of the Week (12/28) … Tied his career high with six 3FGs made, while scoring 22 points vs. West Virginia (12/22) … Pulled down a career-high 13 rebounds vs. Kentucky (12/1) … Posted career highs in points (30) and steals (4) vs. Saint Joseph’s (11/27).
2019-20 (FRESHMAN)
Big 12 All-Freshman Team … Averaged 6.3 ppg and 3.4 rpg in Big 12 play (5.3 ppg, 2.9 rpg overall) … Pulled down four rebounds in each of the last three games of the season … Had five games with 10 or more points, seven outings with five or more rebounds and five contests with two or more steals … Led KU in steals three times … Had 16 points and nine rebounds at Oklahoma State (1/27) … Posted season-highs in 20 points and 3FGs made (6) vs. Kansas State (1/21).
HIGH SCHOOL
Earned 2018-19 Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of Kansas … A two-time all-state selection … Concluded his high school career with 1,074 points … Was a member of three straight Kansas 6A state championship teams while at Blue Valley Northwest his sophomore, junior and senior seasons … Averaged 27.8 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 21.8 steals in going 27-2 his senior year … Was the MVP of the 2019 state tournament … Averaged 14.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists his junior season … Played AAU basketball for MOKAN Elite.
PERSONAL
Full name is Christian Nicholas Braun … Born in Burlington, Kan. … Parents are Lisa and Donny Braun … Has two brothers, Parker and Landon … Brother Parker played basketball for two seasons at Missouri and is now at Santa Clara … Father was a former walk-on at Kansas and later transferred to Saint Louis … Mother, formerly Lisa Sandbothe, was a three-time All-Big Eight Conference selection while at Missouri from 1987-91 … His uncle, Mike Sandbothe, played at Missouri from 1986-89, as did his aunt, Lori Sandbothe from 1988-90 … Enjoys playing golf and video games … Communication studies major.