Keith Gatlin facts for kids
Gatlin coaching High Point in 2020
|
|
| High Point Panthers | |
|---|---|
| Assistant coach | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | December 23, 1964 Newark, New Jersey |
| 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 | |
|
|
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 team. Keith was known as one of the best high school basketball players in 1983. He went on 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 Germany's Basketball Bundesliga in 1997–98. He was also named an All-Star player in Greece, Germany, and France. Later, he coached at Wesleyan Christian Academy for nine years. In 2018, he became an assistant coach at High Point University.
Contents
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.
He joined the school's main basketball team in 1980. Under coach Shelley Marsh, Keith became the team's best player. In his junior year, he scored an average of 22 points in each game.
Senior Year Achievements
Keith's senior year was his most successful. He averaged 25.2 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game. His team had a great season, winning 22 games and losing only 4.
Keith was seen as one of the top guards in the 1983 class. He was named North Carolina's player of the year. He was also chosen for the Parade All-America Second Team. He even played in the McDonald's All-American Game in 1983. In that game, he scored 8 points. He also played in the 1983 Capital Classic game, where he scored 18 points.
During his time at Conley High School, Keith scored a total of 1,612 points. He was very accurate, making 56% of his shots. He also made 92% of his free throws. He averaged at least 6 assists per game every season.
College Basketball Journey
Many colleges wanted Keith to play for them. He received offers from 210 colleges! In October 1982, he decided to go to the University of Maryland. He chose to study radio and television.
He wore jersey number 3 for the Maryland Terrapins. In his first year, he 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. Maryland won the 1984 ACC men's basketball tournament that year. Keith was 6th in the ACC for assists, leading all first-year players.
Becoming a Starter
In his second year, coach Lefty Driesell made Keith a starter. Keith 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 record for Maryland. He broke the old record held by John Lucas II.
On January 30, 1985, Keith set another record. He had 13 assists in a game against Virginia. This was 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, which is amazing! He started 35 of his 37 games that season.
Challenges and Return
Keith had an even bigger role in his third year. Coach Driesell saw him as a key player for the team. He averaged career-highs in points (10.2), rebounds (2.7), and assists (6.4). One of his best games was against North Carolina. In overtime, he made two free throws to secure the lead. Then, with seconds left, he made a clever play. He bounced the ball off an opponent's back, got it back, and scored a layup. This sealed the win for Maryland.
After the 1985–86 season, the Maryland basketball program faced difficulties. Some players, including Keith, were suspended for academic reasons. Because of this, Keith missed the entire 1986–87 season. This was supposed to be his senior year.
He returned to the team the next year, 1987–88. He had a smaller role but focused more on scoring. He averaged 12.2 points per game. He was very good at shooting from the 3-point line, making almost 50% of his shots.
Over his four years at Maryland, Keith scored 1,087 points and had 649 assists. His 649 assists were a record for Maryland at the time. As of 2018, it still ranks as the 3rd most assists in Maryland history.
Professional Basketball Career
After college, Keith was eligible for the 1988 NBA draft. However, no NBA team chose him. He was drafted by the Rockford Lightning in the CBA.
He played for several teams in the CBA, including the Tulsa Fast Breakers and the Quad City Thunder. He also played for the Worcester Counts in the World Basketball League. He finished the 1989–90 season with the Pensacola Tornados.
In 1990, he joined the New Haven Skyhawks. He was the best at free throw shooting in the United States Basketball League in 1991. Then, he played for the Greensboro City Gaters.
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 returned to Germany. He signed with MTV Gießen. In the 1997–98 season, he was the top scorer in the German Bundesliga, averaging 23.3 points per game. He was named an All-Star and won the 3-point shooting contest. He scored a total of 2,761 points during his years in Germany.
After his successful time in Germany, he moved to France. He joined the LNB Pro A team Élan Chalon. In 1998–99, he averaged 18.8 points per game, which was 3rd best in the league. He also averaged 5.1 assists. In 1999–2000, he was one of the best at assists, averaging 5.0 per game. He was selected for the All-Star team in France. Keith ended his playing career after one year with Al Riyadi in Beirut, Lebanon.
Coaching Career
After retiring from playing basketball, Keith Gatlin started coaching. He first worked as an assistant coach at Greensboro Day School. In 2008, he became the head coach of Veritas Academy.
In July 2009, he moved to Wesleyan Christian Academy. During his time there, he led the team to win two NCISAA championships in a row, in 2013 and 2014. In July 2018, coach Tubby Smith chose Keith to be an assistant coach at High Point University.
