West Linn AAU coach has impressive basketball background

By Matthew Sherman

The West Linn Tidings, Mar 15, 2007, Updated Oct 30, 2009

Vern Uyetake / West Linn Tidings

Greg Wiltjer coached this year’s 8th grade AAU team for West Linn which featured his son Kyle. Wiltjer is a former Olympic athlete for the Canadian National team and played for one season at Oregon State University.

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With his seven-foot-tall frame, Greg Wiltjer is an imposing figure in almost any setting. So just imagine what he must look like to an eighth grader.

Wiltjer has coached in West Linn’s AAU program since moving to West Linn, taking the reins of his son Kyle’s team. Recently, the team finished up its eighth grade season, capped off by a third-place finish in the Three Rivers League tournament.

Kyle Wiltjer easily led the team in points and rebounds. And if anyone is qualified to coach the 6’5 freshman-to-be on how to control the paint, it’s his father.

Wiltjer originally hails from Canada and played for a season at Oregon State University, competing with A.C. Green, Charlie Sitton and others under coach Ralph Miller. That year, in 1984, the Beavers advanced to the Sweet 16 before behind upended by Patrick Ewing and Georgetown.

He was then selected by the Chicago Bulls in the same draft that saw the team select Michael Jordan. But Wiltjer didn’t make his mark in the NBA.

Instead, he received a contract from an Italian team and played for 12 years in Europe. Wiltjer played for Italy and for Spain and with the Spanish team, won the European Championship.

“I think that was probably the highlight of my career. We were playing in front of huge crowds and it was like winning the NBA title over there,” Wiltjer said.

Also during that time, Wiltjer played for the Canadian National team, which he was part of for 11 years.

Although Canada doesn’t immediately spring to mind when one thinks of breeding grounds for basketball talent, but during his time on the team, Wiltjer played alongside Bill Wennington, Rick Fox and two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash.

“Steve is a phenomenal guy and I couldn’t be happier for him. He’s extremely humble and down to earth,” Wiltjer said.

In 1984, Wiltjer competed for Canada in the Olympics, held in Los Angeles. He was the leading rebounder for the entire Olympic Games on a team that finished fourth overall, falling to Yugoslavia in the bronze medal game.

“For us, that was considered a success. We beat a very good team from Italy that year,” Wiltjer said.

With all of the success that Wiltjer experienced on the court, it’s amazing to think that he had barely even touched a basketball until the age of 17.

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