Max Bielfeldt

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.

Maxwell Claggett Bielfeldt (born June 7, 1993) is an American former college basketball player for the Michigan Wolverines and Indiana Hoosiers of the Big Ten Conference.

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.

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 $7.2 million ($ million in ), 43000 sqft 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.

He entered Peoria Notre Dame High School at 6ft 2in and grew 4 in 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.

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 6ft 5in 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.

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.

After redshirting his freshman season for the 2011–12 Michigan Wolverines who were Big Ten regular season co-champions, he played for the national runner-up 2012–13 Michigan Wolverines and Big Ten regular season champion 2013–14 Michigan team.

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.

In his final year of eligibility at Indiana, he earned the 2016 Big Ten Conference Sixth Man of the Year for the Big Ten regular season champion 2015–16 Indiana Hoosiers.

He was the first men's basketball player to earn Big Ten Championships at two different universities.