Kai Toews

Japanese basketball player

Kai Toews

Toews with Alvark Tokyo in 2024

No. 3 – Alvark Tokyo
Position| Point guard
League| B.League
Personal information
Born|  (1998-09-17) 17 September 1998 (age 26)
Kobe, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan
Listed height| 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Listed weight| 180 lb (82 kg)
Career information
High school|

* Keihoku (Bunkyō, Tokyo)
* Northfield Mount Hermon
(Northfield, Massachusetts)

College| UNC Wilmington (2018–2019)
NBA draft| 2020: undrafted
Playing career| 2020–present
Career history
2020–2022| Utsunomiya Brex
2022–2023| Shiga Lakes
2023–present| Alvark Tokyo
Career highlights and awards

* CAA All-Rookie Team (2019)

Medals

Men's basketball
Representing  Japan
William Jones Cup
| 2019 Taiwan |

Kai Toews (テーブス海, born September 17, 1998) is a Japanese professional basketball player for Alvark Tokyo of the B. League.

## Early life

[edit]

Toews grew up playing soccer before starting to play basketball in fourth grade. His father, former professional player BT Toews, taught him the fundamentals of the game.[1] Growing up, Toews cited Allen Iverson as his favorite basketball player.[2] Toews attended Keihoku High School for his freshman and sophomore years and was recruited by Japanese universities but had higher ambitions.[3] Toews moved to the United States and attended the Northfield Mount Hermon School in Massachusetts for two years.[2] In his senior season, Toews helped the team to a 31–4 record and the New England Prep Class AAA Championship, earned honorable mention All-NEPSAC honors.[4] UNC Wilmington coach C.B. McGrath offered Toews a scholarship, after seeing him play when McGrath was an assistant at North Carolina.[1]

## College career

[edit]

On November 25, 2018, Toews had a career-high 14 assists against Eastern Illinois.[3] As a freshman, Toews started 32 of 33 games and averaged 8.8 points, 7.7 assists and 2.6 rebounds per game. He finished second in NCAA Division I in assists per game, behind only Murray State's Ja Morant. He set the Colonial Athletic Association single-season assists record with 253 and was named to the CAA All-Rookie Team.[2] Toews was a finalist for the 2019 Kyle Macy Award presented by CollegeInsider.com to the nation's top freshman basketball player.[1] In his sophomore season, Toews started 12 of 13 games for UNC Wilmington and averaged 5.5 points, 4.3 assists, and 2.2 rebounds per game.[5] After the team's game against Vanderbilt on December 21, 2019, Toews announced he was leaving the team to pursue professional opportunities. “Obviously, it was a total surprise to us,” coach McGrath said.[2] Toews finished his career with 362 points, 112 rebounds and 309 assists.[5]

## Professional career

[edit]

### Utsunomiya Brex (2020–2022)

[edit]

On January 10, 2020, Toews signed a professional contract with the Utsunomiya Brex in Japan.[6]

### Shiga Lakes (2022–2023)

[edit]

On June 13, 2022, Toews signed with the Shiga Lakes for the 2022–23 B.League season.[7]

### Alvark Tokyo (2023–present)

[edit]

On June 30, 2023, Toews signed with Alvark Tokyo.[8]

## National team career

[edit]

Toews has played for Japan's Under-15 and Under-19 national teams.[2] Toews competed for Japan in the 2019 William Jones Cup in Taiwan.[9]

## Personal life

[edit]

His cousin Jonathan Toews played for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League from 2007 to 2023.[4]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c Jenkins, Venita (October 19, 2019). "Kai Toews '22". UNC Wilmington. Retrieved March 27, 2020.
2. ^ a b c d e Odeven, Ed (December 24, 2019). "UNCW's Kai Toews leaves school to pursue pro career in Japan". Japan Times. Retrieved March 27, 2020.
3. ^ a b Odeven, Ed (January 24, 2019). "UNC Wilmington's Kai Toews bursts onto scene as dynamic passer in freshman season". Japan Times. Retrieved March 27, 2020.
4. ^ a b "Winter Athletes Finish Triumphant Season". Northfield Mount Hermon School. March 14, 2018. Retrieved March 27, 2020.
5. ^ a b "PG Toews leaving UNCW to pursue professional basketball career". WECT. December 23, 2019. Retrieved March 27, 2020.
6. ^ Smist, John (January 10, 2020). "Kai Toews signs professional contract". WECT. Retrieved March 27, 2020.
7. ^ "テーブス海選手 2022-23シーズン選手契約のご報告". 滋賀レイクス (in Japanese). 13 June 2022. Retrieved 2023-04-02.
8. ^ "テーブス海選手 2023-24シーズン 新加入のご報告" (in Japanese). Alvark Tokyo. June 30, 2023. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
9. ^ Nagatsuka, Kaz (June 15, 2019). "Japan coaches thinking long term for young hoop prospects". Japan Times. Retrieved March 27, 2020.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kai Toews.

* UNC Wilmington Seahawks bio