UW Freshman Hannes Steinbach Has Second Solid World Cup Outing

Originally posted on Washington Huskies on SI
By Dan Raley | Last updated Jun 29, 2025 2:44 PM ET

On a global stage, Hannes Steinbach, the University of Washington's promising freshman forward, continued to bring attention to himself on Sunday with a well-rounded 12 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists for Germany in a decisive 90-66 victory over China in the U19 FIBA World Cup.

In Lausanne, Switzerland, the 6-foot-10 Steinbach produced his second consecutive solid outing, giving him a collective 31 points and 26 rebounds in the tournament.

Once the weekend schedule is complete, everyone will take a day off before play resumes on Tuesday, with Steinbach's German team next facing Canada.

Hannes Steinbach helps Germany en route a comfortable W over China #FIBAU19 pic.twitter.com/4s6EOT2bmL
— NextGen Hoops (@NextGenHoops) June 29, 2025

Just 18, Steinbach has continued to evolve quickly as a player, first averaging 9.1 points and 6.9 rebounds per game this past season in the German BBL, the country's pro league.

"I learned to always stay consistent, even if you have bad times in the season or now in this tournament," he told FIBA magazine. "If you have one bad game, it doesn't affect your next game. Just stay consistent [and] look forward to the next games."

Once done in Switzerland, Steinbach will join a UW program that has thrived in the past with German players, specifically 6-foot-9 Detlef Schrempf and 7-footer Christian Welp, who led the Huskies to multiple NCAA Tournament berths.

It doesn't hurt that the Steinbach family holds a close relationship with the greatest German basketball player of all time, Dirk Nowitzki, who has an NBA title among many other American pro basketball accomplishments.

Hannes Steinbach goes to work first thing in the morning #FIBAU19 pic.twitter.com/exzTdzUPmR
— NextGen Hoops (@NextGenHoops) June 29, 2025

Steinbach's father, Burkhard, played five seasons alongside Nowitzki in Wurzburg, Germany, appearing in 139 BBL games.

Nowitzki is in Switzerland watching the FIBA games and his presence hasn't gone unnoticed.

"It's really cool that he is here supporting FIBA and showing his face," Hannes Steinbach said. "He's really exciting. He's the best German player to ever play the game, so it's really cool to see him here."

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This article first appeared on Washington Huskies on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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