Justin Christopher Shouse (born 16 September 1981) is an American and Icelandic former basketball player and coach. He won the Icelandic Cup four times and was named the Cup Finals MVP in 2015. He was named the Úrvalsdeild Foreign Player of the year in 2010 and, after becoming a naturalized Icelandic citizen, he was named the Úrvalsdeild Domestic Player of the year in 2012 and 2013. He retired in 2017 as the Úrvalsdeild's all time leader in assists,[1][2] a record he held until January 2024 when it was broken by Hörður Axel Vilhjálmsson.[3]

Justin Shouse
Justin Shouse with Stjarnan in 2015.
Personal information
Born (1981-06-16) June 16, 1981 (age 43)
Kearsarge, Pennsylvania
NationalityAmerican / Icelandic
Listed height6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Career information
High schoolMcDowell
(Millcreek Township, Pennsylvania)
CollegeMercyhurst (2000–2004)
NBA draft2004: undrafted
Playing career2004–2017
PositionPoint guard
Coaching career2005–present
Career history
As player:
2004–2005Bergheim Bandits
2005–2006Drangur
2006–2008Snæfell
2008–2017Stjarnan
As coach:
2005–2006Drangur (men's)
2007–2008Snæfell (women's)
2017–2018Stjarnan (men's, assistant)
2019–2020Álftanes (men's, assistant)
Career highlights and awards
As player:

As coach:

Career Úrvalsdeild karla statistics
Points4,606 (20.0 ppg)
Assists1,486 (6.5 apg)
Games230
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing  Iceland
Games of the Small States of Europe
Bronze medal – third place 2013 Luxembourg National Team

High School career

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From 1997-2000, Shouse played in 109 games for the McDowell Trojans of Erie, Pa. As a junior (1998-99), Shouse led McDowell to a 26-5 record including a 52-48 overtime win over nationally-ranked New Castle on their way to the school's only state final appearance. McDowell would lose the 1999 4A State Final 64-40 to Williamsport. During the 1999-2000 season, McDowell, led by Shouse and J.J. Delsandro, amassed a record of 27-0 and was ranked #1 in Pennsylvania before being upset by Uniontown in the 2000 PIAA 4A Elite Eight. Uniontown would go on to the lose the 4A State Final to Chester.

Shouse finished his career as McDowell's leading scorer with 1340 career points (12.3 ppg). That record would be broken by Sean Smiley in 2005.

College career

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Shouse played college basketball for Mercyhurst University from 2000 to 2004. He played a total 108 games, all starts, averaging 13.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, 5 assists and 2.4 steals. He was selected to the All-GLIAC Defensive Team three times and was named to the First-Team All-GLIAC nod as a senior. In 2011 he was inducted into the schools Hall of Fame.[4]

Professional career

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Germany

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Shouse started his professional career with the Bergheim Bandits of the German Regional league in 2004[5] where he averaged 22.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 2.5 steals per game.[6][7]

Iceland

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In 2005 Shouse joined Drangur in the Icelandic Division I as a player-coach.[7][8] For the season he averaged 37.7 points per game [9] while the team finished 6-12, good for 8th place finish.[10]

After one season in Division I, Shouse joined Úrvalsdeild powerhouse Snæfell in 2006. He played there for two seasons, winning the Icelandic Basketball Cup and the Icelandic Company Cup in 2008 [11] while losing in the National Finals the same year.[12]

In 2008 he signed with Úrvalsdeild club Stjarnan. Since joining the club he has won the Icelandic Basketball Cup three times and the Supercup and Company Cup once each. He was twice selected domestic player of the year (2012, 2013) [13] and once the foreign player of the year (2010).[14] In 2015, he was named as the Icelandic Cup Finals MVP.[15]

On 19 April 2017, Shouse announced his retirement from playing professional basketball.[16]

On 27 January 2019, Stjarnan retired Shouse's number 12 jersey.[17][18]

On 12 June 2019, Shouse decided to return to basketball, signing with newly promoted 1. deild karla club Álftanes where he met up with his former Stjarnan coach Hrafn Kristjánsson.[19][20] He however decided to abandon his comeback for health reasons before the start of the season.[21]

National team career

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Shouse received an Icelandic citizenship in 2011.[7][22] He was selected for the Icelandic national basketball team that won bronze in the 2013 Games of the Small States of Europe.[23]

Coaching career

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Shouse was a player-coach for Drangur in 2005-2006[7] and led the team to a 6-12 record in 1. deild karla.[24] In 2008 he led Snæfell women's team to a with a perfect record in the 1. deild kvenna and promotion to Úrvalsdeild kvenna.[7] After his playing career with Stjarnan ended, Shouse served as an assistant coach to Hrafn Kristjánsson at Stjarnan during the 2017–18 Úrvalsdeild season.[25]

Awards and titles

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Player

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Awards

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Titles

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Achievements

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Coach

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Titles

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Post basketball

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Following the end of his basketball career, Shouse went in to the restaurant business, opening a chicken wing food truck called The Wing Wagon and later a restaurant in Reykjavík called Just Wingin' it.[27][28]

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  • Justin Shouse - Kjúklingur og körfubolti is a 2020 documentary Shouse's life and basketball career.[29][30]

References

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  1. ^ Sæmundsson, Ingvi Þór (February 5, 2016). "Stoðsendingakóngurinn Justin: Þetta er mikill heiður". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  2. ^ Jónsson, Óskar Ófeigur (February 5, 2016). "Næstu tvær stoðsendingar hjá Justin verða sögulegar". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  3. ^ Ágúst Orri Arnarson (6 January 2024). "Hörður Axel orðinn stoðsendingahæsti leikmaður sögunnar". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 7 January 2024.
  4. ^ "Justin Shouse - Class of 2004 - Hall of Fame - Mercyhurst University". hurstathletics.com. Mercyhurst Lakers. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
  5. ^ Kristján Jónsson (13 January 2013). "Stoltur ríkisborgari". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). p. 4. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  6. ^ "Justin Shouse Bio". Lakeralumnihoops.tripod.com. Retrieved 2017-03-05.
  7. ^ a b c d e Daðason, Kolbeinn Tumi (April 13, 2013). "Hef unnið fyrir ríkisborgararéttinum". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 22 August 2017.
  8. ^ "* ÓLAFUR Geir Magnússon hefur látið af störfum sem þjálfari". Mbl.is. 2005-08-24. Retrieved 2017-03-05.
  9. ^ "Tölfræði". Gamli.kki.is. 1990-01-01. Retrieved 2017-03-05.
  10. ^ "1. deild karla". Gamli.kki.is. Retrieved 2017-03-05.
  11. ^ "KKÍ.is". Gamli.kki.is. Retrieved 2017-03-05.
  12. ^ "Icex ka. Úrslitakeppni". Gamli.kki.is. Retrieved 2017-03-05.
  13. ^ "KKÍ.is". Gamli.kki.is. Retrieved 2017-03-05.
  14. ^ "KKÍ.is". Gamli.kki.is. Retrieved 2017-03-05.
  15. ^ Óskar Ófeigur Jónsson (14 April 2015). "Justin Shouse mun spila sitt áttunda tímabil í Garðabænum". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  16. ^ "Justin Shouse leggur skóna á hilluna". Vísir.is. Retrieved 2017-04-20.
  17. ^ Þormóður Logi Björnsson (27 January 2019). "Justin Shouse heiðraður". Karfan.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 27 January 2019.
  18. ^ Óskar Ófeigur Jónsson (28 January 2019). "Komu Justin Shouse algjörlega að óvörum í gær". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  19. ^ Davíð Eldur (12 June 2019). "Justin Shouse dregur fram skóna á nýjan leik". Karfan.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 12 June 2019.
  20. ^ Ingvi Þór Sæmundsson (12 June 2019). "Shouse tekur skóna af hillunni og spilar með Álftanesi í vetur". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 12 June 2019.
  21. ^ Davíð Eldur (11 February 2020). "Boltinn Lýgur Ekki: Justin Shouse opnar sig, Vængjaveisla í Garðabæ, Grindavík í úrslit og Clippers eru að hrauna yfir NBA tímabilið". Karfan.is (in Icelandic and English). Retrieved 11 February 2020.
  22. ^ "Justin Shouse og Darrell Flake orðnir Íslendingar". Vísir.is. Retrieved 2017-03-05.
  23. ^ "Justin valinn í landsliðið fyrir Smáþjóðaleikana". Vísir.is. Retrieved 2017-03-05.
  24. ^ "1. deild karla 2006". kki.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 18 June 2018.
  25. ^ "Níu mögulegir arftakar Finns hjá KR". karfan.is (in Icelandic). 8 June 2018. Retrieved 18 June 2018.
  26. ^ "Saga bikarúrslita KKÍ". kki.is (in Icelandic). Icelandic Basketball Federation. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
  27. ^ Anton Ingi Leifsson (18 May 2020). "Fékk afmælisgjöf frá fjórföldum bikarmeistara í körfubolta sem nú selur kjúklingavængi". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  28. ^ Höskuldur Marselíusarson (25 November 2020). "Seldu tíu þúsund kjúklingavængi". Viðskiptablaðið (in Icelandic). Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  29. ^ Óskar Ófeigur Jónsson (28 December 2020). "Justin Shouse skrifaði skáldsögu um Ísland þrettán ára gamall og hún rættist". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 28 December 2020.
  30. ^ Óskar Ófeigur Jónsson (28 December 2020). "Ævintýri Justin Shouse á Íslandi í heimildarmyndinni "Kjúklingur og körfubolti" í kvöld". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 28 December 2020.