2025 marks the return of the Seahawks in the Pros series with one of the best rebounders that the NAIA has ever seen.
Vincent Miszkiewicz grew up in South Elgin, Illinois, not far from his boyhood favorite Chicago Bulls. Miszkiewicz attended South Elgin High School and helped his team to a regional championship his senior year while averaging 19.5 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks during his senior year. He would commit to play at D-I, Incarnate Word, and would tally the first of his 58 career double-doubles against Southern Illinois University Edwardsville on November 16, 2019. Miszkiewicz would move on to Division II, Purdue Northwest, where the shortened season would be the only thing slowing him down as he averaged 12.3 points and 11.5 rebounds per game. He would end the 15-game season as one of the top rebounders in the country and be named to the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference First Team and GLIAC All-Defensive Team. Miszkiewicz's final stop before Keiser would be at Univ. Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where he had limited playing time in his 25 appearances.
Miszkiewicz would debut for the Seahawks on October 30, 2023, with 12 points and 18 rebounds in a win over Fort Lauderdale. It would be the first of 27 double-doubles that season for Miszkiewicz, whose impact was immediately felt. On December 9, he would break the school record for defensive rebounds in a game with 19 against Johnson (FL). He would go on to be named the Sun Conference Player of the Year that season, the seventh in Keiser program history. With the help of Miszkiewicz, the Seahawks would earn an NAIA National Tournament berth for the first time since 2021. By season's end, Miszkiewicz set new Keiser records for offensive(159) and total rebounds(455) for a season. He was named an NAIA First-Team All-American as he led the league in offensive rebounds, rebounds per game (15.9), and was second in total rebounds and third in defensive rebounds (285).
After a successful first year with the program, Miszkiewicz decided to stick around for his final season of college ball in hopes of lifting the Seahawks to another level. Seven games into the season, Miszkiewicz surpassed 1,000 points in his career in a 106-53 win over Brewton-Parker. Just before the new year, he would hit another milestone, pulling down his 1,000th rebound in his career totals. Keiser would win 14 of their first 16 games and prove to be a force heading into conference play. By the end of the regular season, the Seahawks were 24-4 and claimed their first Sun Conference Regular Season Championship since 2015 with a 14-2 mark in SUN action. Miszkiewicz garnered first-team all-conference honors and was named Sun Conference Defensive Player of the Week on 10 occasions. The team then advanced to the NAIA National Championship, playing Faulkner and No. 9 William Woods in West Palm Beach. KU would breeze past Faulkner before knocking the second-seeded Owls to advance to the NAIA Final Site for the first time since the 2015-16 season. Miszkiewicz finished his career with the following records: career rebounds per game (14.6), rebounds in a season (444), offensive rebounds in a season (159), rebounds per game in a season (16.9), and defensive rebounds in a game (19).
Now graduated, Miszkiewicz hopes to take the values he's learned at Keiser with him overseas. "Keiser helped me grow a lot both on and off the court," said Miszkiewicz. "On the basketball side, I
learned how to adapt to different systems and playstyles, communicate clearly with my teammates, and stay mentally focused even during challenging stretches. Off the court, I developed strong time management skills, learned the importance of discipline, and really started to understand what it means to carry myself like a professional." Signing with Kipina Aanekoski in July, Miszkiewicz will get a quick opportunity to carry himself like a professional. The process came together pretty quickly, according to Miszkiewicz, and brought a lot of excitement with the move. "There was some early interest, but once conversations really got going, things moved fast. I had meaningful discussions with my agent about the type of opportunity I was looking for, and after a productive Zoom call with the head coach, everything just aligned."
It will be the first time living overseas for Miszkiewicz, but he is hoping to use it as a new opportunity for growth and wants to embrace the chance to experience new cultures and step outside of his comfort zone. One step outside of his comfort zone will be the language, which he is open to learning while he is there. "I know there will be a bit of a learning curve, but I've heard that many people in Finland speak English, and I'm definitely open to learning some Finnish along the way. It's all part of the experience, and I'm ready to embrace it. The team really feels like a great fit. They're competitive, well-coached, and have strong support from the community, which is something I really value. They've had success in their league and are focused on continuing to build, so I'm excited to be part of that journey and contribute however I can."
When given the opportunity to reflect on his time at Keiser, Miszkiewicz had this to say, "I'd like to give a huge thank you to Coach Chief, Coach Spinner, Coach Jackson, Coach Payton, Coach Seth, Coach Bryan, and Coach Arlo—each of them played a big role in my development on and off the court. I'm incredibly grateful for their guidance, belief in me, and the way they consistently challenged me to be better. I also want to thank my teammates, the training staff, and everyone behind the scenes who supported me throughout my time at Keiser. It truly felt like a family, and I would not be in the position I'm in today without their support, mentorship, and encouragement. I'll always be proud to be part of the Keiser family." Although Miszkiewicz is officially moving on from Keiser, his records remain, and whenever he hits the floor, odds are, a double-double is in the making.
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