Calbert Cheaney facts for kids
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| Indiana Hoosiers | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Director of player development | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | July 17, 1971 Evansville, Indiana, U.S. |
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| High school | William Henry Harrison (Evansville, Indiana) |
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| Listed height | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 209 lb (95 kg) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||||||||
| College | Indiana (1989–1993) | |||||||||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 1993 / Round: 1 / Pick: 6th overall | |||||||||||||||||||
| Selected by the Washington Bullets | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 1993–2006 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Coaching career | 2013–present | |||||||||||||||||||
| League | Big Ten Conference | |||||||||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||||||||
| As player: | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1993–1999 | Washington Bullets / Wizards | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2000 | Boston Celtics | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2002 | Denver Nuggets | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2002–2003 | Utah Jazz | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2006 | Golden State Warriors | |||||||||||||||||||
| As coach: | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2016 | Saint Louis (assistant) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2020 | Erie BayHawks / College Park Skyhawks (assistant) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2020-2023 | Indiana Pacers (Player development assistant) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2023-present | Indiana (Director of player development) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Career NBA statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Points | 7,826 (9.5 ppg) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Rebounds | 2,610 (3.2 rpg) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Assists | 1,398 (1.7 apg) | |||||||||||||||||||
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Calbert Nathaniel Cheaney (born July 17, 1971) is an American basketball coach and former player. He currently works as the Director of Player Development for the Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball team.
Calbert Cheaney was a star player for the Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball from 1989 to 1993. He played under the famous coach Bob Knight. Cheaney became a three-time All-American. He is still the Big Ten's all-time leading scorer with 2,613 points. He helped Indiana achieve a 105–27 record and reach the NCAA Tournament every year he played. This included a trip to the Final Four in 1992.
After his college career, Cheaney received many top awards. He was named National Player of the Year, winning both the Wooden and Naismith awards. He was also a unanimous All-American and the Big Ten Player of the Year. Cheaney then played for 13 years in the NBA for five different teams.
Contents
Calbert Cheaney's Early Life
Calbert Cheaney was born in Evansville, Indiana. He played high school basketball at William Henry Harrison High School. In 1989, he was chosen for the Indiana All-Star team. Even though he was a great high school player, an injury during his senior year meant he wasn't as well-known nationally. He joined Indiana University's top-ranked recruiting class in 1989 as a bit of an unknown talent.
College Basketball Career
Cheaney played as a small forward for the Indiana University Hoosiers. He was the first left-handed player for coach Bob Knight. Cheaney was known as a calm and steady leader throughout his four years at Indiana.
During his last three years, the Hoosiers were almost always ranked in the top 10. They spent 38 weeks in the top 5. The team won 87 games and lost only 16 during those years. They also had a great record of 46–8 in the Big Ten Conference. Overall, the Hoosiers won 105 games during Cheaney's time, which was a record for any Hoosier player back then. They also won two Big Ten championships in 1991 and 1993.
Freshman Year Highlights
Cheaney started his college career strong. He scored 20 points in his very first game as a freshman. This was a rare achievement for an Indiana freshman. However, the 1989–90 team faced tough competition in the Big Ten. They struggled in conference play and lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Cheaney still averaged 17 points per game as a freshman.
Cheaney later said, "Our freshman year was very, very subpar." He knew that after that season, the team would work hard and become much better. He believed they would be a strong team for the next three years.
Sophomore Year Success
In his sophomore year, Cheaney averaged 21.6 points per game. The Hoosiers finished the 1990–91 season with an impressive 29–5 record. They also won the Big Ten Conference with a 15–3 record. As champions, they went to the 1991 NCAA Tournament as a 2-seed. They made it to the Sweet Sixteen round.
Junior Year Challenges
During his junior year in the 1991–92 season, Cheaney felt tired from playing a lot of international basketball over the summer. Also, with new talented players like Alan Henderson joining the team, Cheaney didn't need to score as much. His scoring average dropped to 17.6 points per game. The Hoosiers finished with a 27–7 record and came in 2nd in the Big Ten. They reached the Final Four in the 1992 NCAA Tournament, but lost to Duke.
Senior Year Triumphs
As a senior in the 1992–93 season, Cheaney had an amazing year. He averaged 22.4 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. The Hoosiers had an outstanding 31–4 overall record and won the Big Ten Conference with a 17–1 record. They entered the 1993 NCAA Tournament as a 1-seed. They made it to the Elite Eight but were defeated by Kansas.
Throughout his college career at Indiana, Cheaney scored 30 or more points thirteen times. He averaged 19.8 points per game overall. With 2,613 career points, he holds the record as the all-time leading scorer for both Indiana University and the Big Ten Conference.
Professional Basketball Career
NBA Journey
Calbert Cheaney was picked 6th overall by the Washington Bullets in the 1993 NBA draft. His best season in the NBA was in 1994–1995, when he averaged a career-high 16.6 points for Washington. He played six years for the Bullets, who later became the Wizards. He even helped them reach the playoffs in 1997.
After Washington, he played for the Boston Celtics, Denver Nuggets, and Utah Jazz. He finished his career with three years playing for the Golden State Warriors, retiring after the 2005–06 season. During his 13 years in the NBA, Cheaney played for five different teams. He averaged 9.5 points and 3.2 rebounds per game.
Cheaney also appeared in the 1994 movie Blue Chips, playing a basketball player for the Indiana University Hoosiers.
Life After Playing Basketball
After retiring as a player, Cheaney worked for the Golden State Warriors for two seasons. He was a special assistant in the front office in 2009–10. In 2010–11, he became an assistant coach.
In 2011, he returned to Indiana University. He served as the Director of Basketball Operations under coach Tom Crean. The next year, he also became the Director of Internal and External Player Development.
In 2013, Cheaney accepted an assistant coach position at Saint Louis University. He worked under head coach Jim Crews, who also went to Indiana University. In his first season there, the team had a great 27–7 record. They won the Atlantic 10 Conference regular-season title and made it to the NCAA Tournament. Cheaney left Saint Louis in 2016.
Since 2023, Calbert Cheaney has been the Director of Player Development at Indiana University.
Basketball Honors and Awards
- 1993: Won all 12 NCAA National Player of the Year awards.
- 1993: Unanimous First-Team All-America.
- All-America: 1991, 1992, 1993.
- 1993: Big Ten Conference MVP.
- All-Big Ten: 1991, 1992, 1993.
- Big Ten's All-Time Scoring Leader (2,613 points).
- Indiana University's All-Time Leading Scorer.
- Four-time IU team MVP.
- Selected to Indiana University's All-Century First Team.
- 1993: USBWA College Player of the Year.
See also
In Spanish: Calbert Cheaney para niños
