Inside power and rim protection – that’s the package Bayern’s next signing brings to the floor: The Munich club has secured American center Austin Wiley on a three-year deal. The 27-year-old physical specimen, standing 2.08 meters, has already completed his medicals in Munich and arrives with a very special credential: in each of the past few seasons, he has led his respective competition in rebounding – most recently in the EuroCup for Hapoel Jerusalem, where he grabbed 9.5 boards per game.
The former U17 world champion from Alabama spent the past two seasons with Israel’s 2025 cup winner, having previously played for Tofas Bursa in Turkey and Lithuanian powerhouse Neptunas Klaipeda. In Lithuania (2022/23: 8.9 rpg), later in the Turkish BSL – where he averaged a double-double and was named league MVP (2023/24: 10.1 rpg; 15.2 ppg) – as well as in the Fiba Champions League (8.9 rpg), no player hauled in more rebounds than Wiley.
I’m really excited to play for such a historic club.
Austin Wiley
MVP in Turkey, elite rebounder almost everywhere
Most recently in the EuroCup, he posted 10.4 points per game for Jerusalem in just under 20 minutes of action, shooting an impressive 74 percent on two-pointers. In Israel’s Winner League, he averaged 10.2 points (13.3 ppg the year before). Wiley is also an outstanding shot-blocker: in the EuroCup he averaged 1.5 blocks per game – the second-best mark in Europe’s second-tier competition.
“I’m really excited to play for such a historic club,” Wiley says. “I want to be the defensive anchor for this team every single game and control the paint. Of course I respect the EuroLeague as the next level, the next big challenge. But every year I’ve proven myself at a higher level, first in the Champions League, then in the EuroCup. I’m confident I can now help this team with my defense and my scoring as well – I want to bring the full package.”
That’s exactly what Anton Gavel, Bayern’s new head coach, likes to hear: “With Austin we’ve brought in a player who can give us tremendous defensive presence above all. He rebounds very well, alters shots and can block them – that kind of versatility on defense was extremely important to us and will help our team. He has already proven himself at a high EuroCup level and he can also give us an offensive impact.”
Anton Gavel: “A tremendous defensive presence”
Wiley played three seasons of college basketball in the NCAA for the Auburn Tigers, posting a near double-double of 10.2 points and 9.3 rebounds (plus 1.6 blocks) in his final year. His first professional appearances during and after the pandemic actually came in what is now his new home country: one BBL game for Ludwigsburg at the start of 2021 (against Leibenath’s then-team Ulm) and, through April 2022, a total of 32 ProA games for second-division side Trier (13.1 ppg).
The following year, Wiley shone in Lithuania as the league’s leading rebounder for the first time (plus 2.1 blocks per game), then repeated that feat one level up in Turkey, including the BCL (12.4 ppg; 2.1 bpg). In Hapoel’s upset cup win over Maccabi Tel Aviv in November 2025, Wiley grabbed eight rebounds; in February of this year he pulled down an incredible 17 boards in a BCL victory over Cluj.
“We’re very happy that we were able to complete this signing and that Austin has committed to us long term,” says Bayern sporting director Thorsten Leibenath. “He’s a player who has already come a long way and still has his peak ahead of him. He is a strong rebounder who finishes at a high percentage around the rim. His motor is exceptional when it comes to chasing down missed shots.I’m convinced he’ll also mesh very well with our guards on offense.”
In the United States, Wiley came through all the national youth teams. After winning the world title with the U17s in Spain in 2016, he made headlines again a year later with the USA U19s, recording a double-double (10.3 ppg; 10.9 rpg) on their way to bronze. His mother, Vickie Orr, was herself a US international, winning the Women’s World Championship in 1990 and Olympic bronze in 1992.
Austin Wiley is married and the father of two sons. He met his wife back in his Trier days – she’s originally from Düsseldorf. Now the family is getting ready for a return home.
AUSTIN WILEY (January 8, 1999, Birmingham, Alabama/USA)
Center – 2.08 m – 116 kg
- 2016 – 2020: Auburn University (NCAA)
- 1/2021 – 4/2022: MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg, Gladiators Trier (BBL, ProA)
- 2022 – 2023: Neptunas Klaipeda (LTU)
- 2023 – 2024: Tofas Bursa (TUR, BCL)
- 2024 – 2026: Hapoel Jerusalem (ISR, EuroCup)
Honors/Awards:
- Israeli Cup winner 2025
- Israeli Supercup 2025
- EuroCup rebounding champion 2025/2026
- Turkish BSL MVP 2023/2024
- Fiba BCL rebounding champion 2023/2024
- All-Fiba BCL First Team 2024/2024
- Turkish BSL rebounding champion 2023/2024
- Lithuanian LKL rebounding champion 2022/2023
- U17 World Champion 2016
- U19 World Championship bronze 2017