Former Falcon Jacob Burtschi Signs Pro Contract
8/17/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Aug. 17, 2010
Former Air Force basketball player Jacob Burtschi has signed a contract to play for the Phoenix Hagen team of the Basketball Bundesliga, the top basketball league in Germany.
Burtschi, a 2007 graduate of the Academy, signed a one-year contract with the team after separating from the United States Air Force in June. He had been stationed at Schriever Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, serving most recently as a Missile Warning Squadron Crew Commander.
"I am excited for this opportunity to play professional basketball in Europe," said Burtschi. "It is a bittersweet feeling, however, as the Air Force was great to me. I was able to proudly serve my country and met a lot of people I will forever stay in contact with, but I was presented with an opportunity to chase my ultimate dream."
A two-time second-team all-Mountain West Conference performer, Burtschi is Air Force's career leader in games played (125) and steals (196). He helped the Falcons to two NCAA Tournament appearances and a berth in the postseason NIT semifinals during his four seasons at Air Force. Burtschi, who is 10th on the school's career scoring list with 1,205 points and seventh with 600 career rebounds, is one of only three players in Air Force history to be in the top 10 in both categories (Cliff Parsons and Tim Harris).
Burtschi will report to his new team on August 23rd and the regular season runs from the beginning of October through the end of April, followed by the playoffs consisting of the top eight squads from the 18-team league.
