Christian Steinmetz

Steinmetz was credited with being an innovator in technique. In an era when the underhand, two-handed shot was the norm, Steinmetz often used a "one-hander." Steinmetz later recalled that the one-hander was "always good for three or four baskets before they caught on to it."[5] He also had the ability to rebound or catch a pass and shoot while in the air, "a feat that was unheard of in those days."[5] In 1958, Steinmetz told a reporter that the modern game was as different from the game he played as "hearts is from poker." He concluded that the biggest change in the game was eliminating the "center jump," in which there was a jump ball at center court after every score. He noted: "It makes basketball a percentage game. Whichever team is hitting for the best percentage of their shots wins. It used to be that the good team would get the ball again in the center jump and one team would pull farther ahead of the other."[6]

Steinmetz played on the 1905 Wisconsin basketball team with College Football Hall of Fame coach Bob Zuppke and recalled that the game was rougher in its early days: "Zuppke and I played nine games in 10 nights, and were in every minute. Basketball in those days was football for lighter fellows. The officials allowed rougher play. Why, we wore moleskin pants or they would have tore them right off you the way they hung on."[6]

1903 Wisconsin basketball team (Steinmetz in middle holding ball)

Basketball was in its infancy at the University of Wisconsin when Steinmetz arrived. The team was jokingly called the "squat tag team," had no coach and received no financial support from the university.[2] Players supplied their own equipment, and Steinmetz later recalled the worn condition of the balls they had to use: "We seldom saw a new ball. The ones we used had lumps and corners on them."[5]

In 1904, Emmett Angell became the coach of the basketball team. The Badgers lost to Nebraska 24–22 for the western championship.[2] Steinmetz recalled that Wisconsin lost the game when "a fan sitting right on the edge of the court grabbed our guard's arm and kept him from throwing the ball in as time ran out."[5] Steinmetz noted that they were running a set play in which Steinmetz would break down court, and Zuppke would throw a long, lead pass to him. After the fan's illegal participation, a "free-for-all battle" broke out, and Nebraska was declared the winner.[7]

As a senior in 1905, Steinmetz was the captain of a 1905 Wisconsin team won that all of its games against western teams and claimed the western championship with a 29–24 win over Amos Alonzo Stagg's University of Chicago basketball team. The team lost the national championship in a three-hour game against Columbia in New York.[8] A controversy surrounded the loss to Columbia, as Columbia insisted over Wisconsin's objection in using its own umpire and referee. The Wisconsin players complained that fouls by the Columbia players were overlooked, and Steinmetz had his jaw broken in the game. Further complicating matters, Columbia and Wisconsin played under different rules, and the game took three hours to finish because of arguments over the rules. Steinmetz later recalled that he carried a rule book in his pocket during the game. Also, Columbia's baskets had no backboards and instead consisted of hoops mounted on poles, which the Columbia players shook when Wisconsin shot the ball. Despite the broken jaw, Steinmetz scored 11 of Wisconsin's 14 points in a 25–14 loss.[4]

The Columbia game was part of a nine-game eastern trip. Steinmetz had received advance publicity and was being closely guarded. At Rochester University, Bob Zuppke suggested that he take Steinmetz' place at forward to confuse the opposition. After the center jump, Steinmetz joined Zuppke at the forward spot. "We got several baskets before the other team woke up and made the necessary adjustment."[7]

During the 18-game 1905 season, Steinmetz averaged 25.7 points per game on a team that averaged 37.8 points per game. He set scoring records, some of which remain Wisconsin records: most points in a game (50 points against Sparta), most points in a season (462 points in 18 games), most free throws in a game (26 against Two Rivers), most free throws in a season (238), and most free throw attempts in a season (317). Steinmetz's single-game, free-throw record, set at a time when one player took all of the team's free throws, has never been broken.[9]

He scored 20 field goals in a game against Beloit College, falling one basket short of the national record. He later recalled, "The game was stopped five minutes early so Beloit could catch a train. Otherwise I might have had another record."[5] He left Wisconsin with a career total of 962 points, a school record that stood for 40 years.

In Wisconsin's 1905 Badger yearbook, Steinmetz wrote about the team's championship season:

The team began its season by overwhelmingly defeating various teams throughout the State, and its first championship game was played against Beloit College. In our own gymnasium we defeated her by the large score of 80 to 10, and it was this game that furnished a criterion as to how strong a team Wisconsin really had. During our invasion of the East we played a longer and harder schedule than any university team had ever attempted. Playing the strongest and best teams of the East and under a very different interpretation of the basketball rules, we were able to make an excellent showing. Columbia University, the Eastern intercollegiate champions, defeated us by a score of 21 to 15 in a hard fought game and not until the last minutes of play did she wrest the game from our grasp.[10]

Although no such award existed at the time, the Helms Foundation later selected a College Basketball Player of the Year for each year dating back to 1905. Steinmetz was named the Player of the Year for 1905.[11] He was the first person selected to receive the Player of the Year award, and 1905 was the first year for which a recipient was selected.[12]