Julius van de Laar Class: Sophomore Hometown: Heidelberg, Germany High School: Urspring H.S. Height / Weight: 6-7 / 225 Position: F

GENERAL: Physical, combination forward who appears poised to make his first real impact since arriving on campus three years ago...has been limited due to injury for much of his Paladin tenure thus far...arrived on campus with a foot fracture and then sustained a torn anterior cruciate ligament during pre-game warmups at the 2004 Southern Conference Tournament...injury required surgery and forced him to sit out the 2004-05 campaign...has fashioned strong work in the weight room and a promising preseason to improve his candidacy for playing time this year...will provide additional depth in the front court along with Moussa Diagne, Stanley Jones, and Alex Opacic...sports good shooting range and handles the ball with authority...passing ability may rank as his top basketball skill...is the first German to play basketball at Furman.

AS A REDSHIRT SOPHOMORE (2004-05): Sat out the entire season due to ongoing rehabilitation effort associated with a torn anterior cruciate (knee) ligament sustained at 2003-04 Southern Conference Tournament...was awarded a redshirt and extra year of eligibility.

AS A FRESHMAN (2003-04): Saw limited action in four games...claimed three rebounds versus Greensboro College (77-49 win) in his first game as a Paladin...scored four points and tallied an assist against Lipscomb (92-56 win) in Jack In The Box-Furman Holiday Classic championship game...sustained a torn anterior cruciate ligament (knee) during warm-ups at Southern Conference Tournament.

HIGH SCHOOL: 2002 graduate of Urspring High School in Heidelberg, Germany...averaged 25.0 points per game as a senior playing under Ralph Junge...was a two-time German High School All-Star Game selection...scored a career high 46 points in the South German Championship Game as a senior following a regular season that included a career high 55-point performance versus Scrwasisch Hall...helped his squad to a third place finish in the South German Championships his junior year...also competed in the United States through the AAU, participating in the 2002 Arby's Classic in Bristol, Tennessee, where he earned all-tournament honors after helping his squad to a sixth place team finish...also competed in track and field in high school, specializing in the 400 meters.

PERSONAL: Full name is Julius van de Laar...son of Waltraud and Juergen van de Laar...born August 27, 1982, in Heidelberg, Germany...majoring in communications and political science...plays the violin.