Keith Gatlin facts for kids
Gatlin coaching High Point in 2020
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| High Point Panthers | |
|---|---|
| Assistant coach | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | December 23, 1964 Newark, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| High school | D. H. Conley (Greenville, North Carolina) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 3.75 in (1.92 m) |
| Listed weight | 170 lb (77 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Maryland (1983–1988) |
| NBA Draft | 1988 / Undrafted |
| Pro career | 1988–2001 |
| Coaching career | 2008–present |
| League | Big South Conference |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1988–1989 | Tulsa Fast Breakers |
| 1989 | Worcester Counts |
| 1989 | Quad City Thunder |
| 1989–1990 | Pensacola Tornados |
| 1990–1991 | New Haven Skyhawks |
| 1991–1992 | Greensboro City Gaters |
| 1993–1996 | Brandt Hagen |
| 1996–1997 | Panionios |
| 1997–1998 | MTV Gießen |
| 1998–2000 | Élan Chalon |
| 2000–2001 | Al Riyadi Beirut |
| As coach: | |
| 2008–2009 | Veritas Academy |
| 2009–2018 | Wesleyan Christian Academy |
| 2018–present | High Point (assistant) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Keith Larnell Gatlin (born December 23, 1964) is an American basketball coach and former professional player. He is currently an assistant coach for the High Point Panthers. Keith was one of the top high school basketball players in 1983. He decided to play college basketball for the Maryland Terrapins.
After college, Keith played professional basketball for 13 years. He played mostly in Europe. He was a top scorer in the German Bundesliga in the 1997–98 season. He was also named an All-Star in Greece, Germany, and France. After coaching high school basketball for nine years, he became an assistant coach at High Point University.
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High School Basketball Star
Keith Gatlin was born in Newark, New Jersey. He later moved to North Carolina, living in Grimesland, North Carolina. He went to D. H. Conley High School in Greenville. Keith joined the school's main basketball team in 1980.
Under coach Shelley Marsh, he became the team's best player. In his junior year, he scored about 22 points in each game.
His senior year was very successful. He averaged 25.2 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game. His team finished the season with 22 wins and 4 losses. Keith was seen as one of the best guards in his class. He was named North Carolina player of the year. He also made the Parade All-America Second Team. He earned a spot in the McDonald's All-American Game in 1983. In that game, he scored 8 points. He also played in the 1983 Capital Classic in Atlanta, Georgia, where he scored 18 points.
During his time at Conley High, Keith scored 1,612 points. He made 56% of his shots and 92% of his free throws. He also averaged at least 6 assists per game every season.
College Career at Maryland
Many colleges wanted Keith Gatlin to play for them. He received offers from 210 colleges! In October 1982, he chose to go to Maryland. He decided to study radio and television. He wore jersey number 3.
Freshman Year (1983–84)
In his first year, Keith started 9 out of 32 games. He averaged 6.2 points and 4.6 assists per game. He scored a season-high 19 points against Georgia Tech. He also had 10 assists in the ACC championship final against Duke. Maryland won the 1984 ACC men's basketball tournament that year. Keith was 6th in the ACC for assists. He led all first-year players in the conference.
Sophomore Year (1984–85)
In his second year, coach Lefty Driesell made Keith a starter. He improved in all areas of his game. He averaged 8.3 points and 6.0 assists per game. His 221 assists that season set a new Maryland record. He broke the old record held by John Lucas II. On January 30, 1985, he had 13 assists against Virginia. This became a new single-game record for Maryland. On February 28, 1985, he scored a career-high 28 points against Clemson. He made 14 out of 15 shots in that game. He started 35 out of 37 games.
Junior Year (1985–86)
Keith had an even bigger role in his junior year. Coach Driesell saw him as a key player for Maryland. He averaged career-highs in points (10.2), rebounds (2.7), and assists (6.4). One of his best games was against North Carolina on February 20, 1986. In overtime, he made two free throws to give Maryland a 75–72 lead. With only 7 seconds left, he made a clever play. He threw the ball off the back of an opponent, got it back, and scored a layup. This made the final score 77–72.
Senior Year (1987–88)
After the 1985–86 season, the Maryland basketball program faced some challenges. Keith was suspended for academic reasons and missed the entire 1986–87 season. He returned to the team the next year. He had a smaller role but became more of a scorer. He averaged 12.2 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game. He was very good at shooting from the 3-point line, making almost 50% of his shots.
In his four years at Maryland, Keith averaged 8.9 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 5.3 assists. He scored a total of 1,087 points and had 649 assists. His 649 assists were a Maryland record at the time. As of 2018, it still ranks 3rd all-time for the team.
College Statistics
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983–84 | Maryland | 32 | 9 | 23.7 | .487 | – | .762 | 1.6 | 4.6 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 6.2 |
| 1984–85 | Maryland | 37 | 35 | 30.6 | .514 | – | .862 | 1.9 | 6.0 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 8.3 |
| 1985–86 | Maryland | 32 | 30 | 33.2 | .475 | – | .784 | 2.7 | 6.4 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 10.2 |
| 1987–88 | Maryland | 21 | 10 | 27.0 | .506 | .496 | .758 | 3.0 | 3.6 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 12.2 |
| Career | 122 | 84 | 28.9 | .494 | .496 | .795 | 2.2 | 5.3 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 8.9 |
Professional Basketball Career
Keith Gatlin was eligible for the 1988 NBA draft, but no NBA team picked him. He was drafted by the Rockford Lightning in the second round of the 1988 CBA draft. He played the 1988–89 CBA season with the Tulsa Fast Breakers and the Quad City Thunder. For Quad City, he averaged 7.0 points and 3.8 assists in 13 games.
He also played for the Worcester Counts in the World Basketball League. Then he returned to the CBA with the Quad City Thunder. He later finished the 1989–90 season with the Pensacola Tornados.
In 1990, he joined the New Haven Skyhawks in the United States Basketball League. He led the league in free throw percentage in 1991, making 89.9% of his shots. He then played for the Greensboro City Gaters in the Global Basketball Association for the 1991–92 season.
Playing in Europe
In 1993, Keith moved to Europe. He joined the German club Brandt Hagen and played there until 1996. After one season in Greece with Panionios, he went back to Germany. He signed with MTV Gießen. He was the top scorer in the German Bundesliga for the 1997–98 season, averaging 23.3 points per game. He was named an All-Star and won the 3-point shooting contest at the 1997 BBL All-Star Game. He scored a total of 2,761 points during his years in the Bundesliga.
After his successful year in Germany, he moved to France. He joined the LNB Pro A team Élan Chalon. In 30 games in 1998–99, he averaged 18.8 points, which was 3rd in the league. He also averaged 5.1 assists per game. In 1999–2000, he was one of the best assist makers in the league, averaging 5.0 assists per game. He also scored 15.9 points per game. These numbers earned him a spot on the All-Star team. He finished his playing career after one year with Al Riyadi in Beirut, Lebanon.
Coaching Career
After retiring from playing professional basketball, Keith Gatlin started coaching. He first worked as an assistant coach at Greensboro Day School in Greensboro, North Carolina. In 2008, he became the head coach of Veritas Academy in Kernersville, North Carolina.
In July 2009, he moved to Wesleyan Christian Academy. During his time at Wesleyan, he led the team to win two NCISAA championships in a row, in 2013 and 2014. In July 2018, Tubby Smith chose him to be an assistant coach at High Point University. Keith Gatlin continues to coach the High Point Panthers today.
