Max Bielfeldt
Prior to playing in the Big Ten, Bielfeldt played for Peoria Notre Dame High School, where he earned first team All-State recognition from numerous selectors as a class of 2011 senior as well as numerous distinctions in his earlier years. When he was in high school, he was regarded as possibly the greatest low post player to hail from Peoria, Illinois. During his recruitment, he was initially pursued as a scholarship recruit by mid-major basketball programs, and was offered a preferred walk-on slot at Illinois. When Michigan pursued Bielfeldt, Illinois' eventual scholarship offer did not convince him to join the program.
Bielfeldt is the grandson of Gary and Carlotta Bielfeldt (who endowed the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's Bielfeldt Athletic Administration Building). Nicknamed Big Puppy in high school and Moose at Michigan, he has three sisters, including older sister Elle who is married to National Basketball Association (NBA) veteran Meyers Leonard.
Background and early life
Born in Peoria, Illinois on June 7, 1993, Bielfeldt is the son of David and Julie Bielfeldt. Bielfeldt's parents and both sets of grandparents are Illinois alumni. Grandfather Gary Bielfeldt played football for Illinois in the 1950s, as well as other sports. He later became a commodities trader. Grandmother Carlotta Bielfeldt was homecoming queen at Illinois. Constructed between the October 21, 1994, groundbreaking and the October 4, 1996, dedication, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's Bielfeldt Athletic Administration Building is a $7.2 million ($13.99 million in 2023), 43,000-square-foot (3995 m) building that was endowed by Gary and Carlotta. His older sister, Elle, and brother-in-law, Meyers Leonard, are alumni, with Leonard having played basketball at Illinois before his NBA career. His sister Matti played volleyball at Illinois. His youngest sibling, Lydia, is six years his junior.
Bielfeldt began playing basketball when he was four at the downtown Peoria YMCA and at home with his Little Tikes hoop. In fifth grade, he joined the Peoria Academy school team and the following year he joined an AYBT travel team. He attended developmental camps at Bradley University and the University of Illinois.
After attending the 2005 NCAA Division I men's basketball championship game in Saint Louis, where Illinois lost to North Carolina, his dream was to help Illinois win its first national championship.
High school
Freshman and sophomore years
He entered Peoria Notre Dame High School at 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) and grew 4 inches (10.2 cm) during his freshman year. Bielfeldt played AAU basketball with the Indiana SPY Players that included future Michigan teammates Mitch McGary and Glenn Robinson III, son of Glenn Robinson. His AAU team was based in Gary, Indiana. Bielfeldt, nicknamed Big Puppy, grew up in a lifestyle where he had his own Mercedes-Benz convertible to drive when he was not driving one of the family's Cadillac Escalades.
During his 2008–09 sophomore season, he earned press along with his older sister for being one of the area's interesting sibling basketball performers. That season, he earned 2009 (All-Area) Large-school boys basketball All-Star team recognition from the Peoria Journal Star after posting 15.0 points per game, 8.7 rebounds per game, a 66.4% field-goal percentage, and a total of 94 blocks.
Junior year
During his 2009–10 junior season, he had become the region's "most dominant post player", averaging 20.2 points and 12.0 rebounds with a total of 96 blocks. His marquee game had been a 39-point/14-rebound effort against Lew Wallace High School of Gary, Indiana. Wayne Brumm, who had coached Luke Harangody, saw similarities in their games when viewing this game. Following the season, he was a 2010 Peoria Journal Star (All-Area) large-school All-Star along with Lawrence Alexander, among others. That season, the Associated Press All-State Class 3A first team consisted solely of players 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) and under, while Bielfeldt earned second team recognition. He was also a second team All-State selection by the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association. While his future brother in law Leonard was a 2010 (All-Class) All-State boys basketball first team selection by the Chicago Tribune along with Rayvonte Rice, Jereme Richmond and juniors Ryan Boatright and Wayne Blackshear, junior Bielfeldt earned a special mention. Along with Richmond and Blackshear, Bielfeldt was one of only 3 players in the state to average 20 points and 10 rebounds that season. In the March 30, 2010, announcement that the Peoria Times-Observer would cease operations on April 28, both Elle and Max Bielfeldt were thanked for having lives that made for great content.
Senior year
By the time of his first live coaching evaluation on July 10, 2010, Bielfeldt only had offers from Wright State, Ball State, and Western Michigan. AAU teammate Robinson committed to Michigan's class of 2012 on September 14, 2010. That year, Notre Dame High School was expected to be an also-ran to Peoria High School and Manual High School in the area. Instead, they were the state's top-ranked class 3A team from December to March.
Bielfeldt began the season at the 2010 State Farm Tournament of Champions with a career-high 19 rebounds against Champaign Central High School on November 23 and following that with a career-high 40 points against McCluer High School of Florissant, Missouri on November 25. The career-high 40-point game fell one short of Gary Bielfeldt's 1954 senior year 41-point performance for Octavia High School. By the time Bielfeldt led the team to a 21–0 start, with eight wins over state-ranked teams, in early February, he had added scholarship offers from Valparaiso and Illinois-Chicago and non-scholarship interest from Dartmouth, Brown and Pennsylvania of the Ivy League, which does not offer athletic scholarships. Valpo and UIC were the leading contenders although following his official January on-campus visit to Ann Arbor, Michigan, an offer from Michigan and a Peoria Notre Dame visit by Michigan head coach John Beilein were pending. Michigan was looking him over because of their situation at the "4". At that time, Michigan was playing a Big Ten schedule with 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) Zack Novak as its power forward. All of Michigan's regulars taller than 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) were freshmen. Eventually, Beilein would take in a Peoria Notre Dame game on the same day as Illinois' coach Bruce Weber.
Bielfeldt finished his senior season with averages of 22.5 points, 11.4 rebounds and 4.6 blocks for 28–1 Peoria Notre Dame and became the school's all-time leader in points with 1,580 and rebounds with 886. The point total surpassed Brian Randle's 1,383. Bielfeldt's total was a three-year total, while Randle's was from a four-year varsity career. However, Randle's senior season stats (22.9 points, 12.8 rebounds and 5.2 blocks) compared well with Biefeldt's. Bielfedt's 20 double-doubles as a senior fell short of his own 21 as a junior.
Although the state of Illinois has produced many successful NBA players, including Peoria's Shaun Livingston, and Peoria has produced a lot of NCAA Division I talent, Bielfeldt, while still in high school, was considered possibly the best true back-to-the-basket, low-post player to hail from Peoria. In late February, the Illinois Mr. Basketball vote was considered to be a wide open six-horse race. Then on March 8, top-ranked Peoria Notre Dame was knocked out of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) playoffs in the Class 3A Peoria Sectional semifinal at Renaissance Coliseum by Peoria High School. When the results were announced on March 30, Boatright and Chasson Randle tied for the award and Bielfeldt was not among the top 5.
The 2011 Class 3A Associated Press All-State first team consisted of Bielfeldt, Chasson Randle, Blackshear, Anthony Davis and Mychael Henry. His other Class 3A first-team All-State recognitions included Illinois Basketball Coaches Association, Chicago Sun-Times, The News-Gazette and Peoria Journal Star. He was named to the (All-Class) Chicago Tribune All-State second team along with Frank Kaminsky, Johnny Hill, David Sobolewski and sophomore Jabari Parker. In MaxPreps' final class of 2011 top 100 Bielfeldt was number 100. Bielfeldt earned the 2011 Peoria Journal Star Big-School Boys Basketball Player of the Year.
Illinois upgraded its preferred walk-on offer to Bielfeldt to a scholarship offer on February 14, 2011. Michigan offered Bielfeldt before his official Illinois February 26 visit, but Bielfeldt did not announce the offer until March 2 because Beilein had to inform other athletes that they were no longer in Michigan's plans. By the time Bielfeldt scheduled his Illinois visit to be before his high school playoffs, Florida, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Nebraska, Tulane and Butler had all become interested in him. The visit was February 26 and 27. Leonard hosted Bielfeldt during his official recruiting trip to Illinois and met Elle Leonard (née Bielfeldt) for the first time. Bielfeldt scheduled his trip to Ann Arbor, Michigan for his official visit on March 14, 2011.
Despite his family's ties to the Illinois Fighting Illini, Bielfeldt had a ceremonial verbal commitment event at his high school library on March 25 to announce his selection of Michigan. On April 13, Michigan announced that Bielfeldt had signed his National Letter of Intent. Beilfeld joined a 2011 incoming Michigan class that included 2011 Ohio Mr. Basketball point guard Trey Burke, as well as Carlton Brundidge and Sai Tummala. His decision made him the first Peorian to choose a Big Ten Conference school other than Illinois for basketball in over a decade.
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max Bielfeldt PF |
Peoria, Illinois | Notre Dame High School (Illinois) | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | 240 lb (110 kg) | Mar 25, 2011 | |
Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 87
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