UW basketball all-time leading scorer Christian Welp dies at 51

Christian Welp, the all-time career leading scorer in Washington Husky basketball history, has died, the university announced Sunday. He was 51.

Welp played at Washington from 1984-87, helping the Huskies make three trips to the NCAA Tournament and win back-to-back Pac-10 championships. His 2,073 career points still stands as the program record, and the 7-foot center from Germany also holds the record for career blocks (186), is fourth in rebounds (995) and third in field-goal percentage (.562).

An inductee of both the Husky Hall of Fame (2001) and Pac-10 Hall of Honor (2007), Welp won Pac-10 Freshman of the Year in 1984, Pac-10 Player of the Year in 1986, and was named to three All-Pac-10 first teams.

The 16th overall pick by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1987 NBA Draft, Welp played for the 76ers, Spurs and Warriors in a three-year NBA career. He then went on to win nine championships during a lengthy international career that included stints in Germany, Italy and Greece.

“This is an extremely sad loss,” Washington head coach Lorenzo Romar said in a press release. “Christian is one of the most outstanding student-athletes to have ever played at Washington. He was not only a great guy but he was a great role model and father and we will miss him dearly.”