Greg Koubek
Encyclopedia
Greg Koubek is a retired American basketball player best known for his collegiate career at Duke University
between 1988 and 1991. He also played professionally overseas after college for several years.
area, Koubek attended Shenendehowa High School
from 1985 to 1988. He led the basketball team to a state championship as a senior
in 1987 and later became the first athlete in school history to have his jersey number retired. Following the 1987 season he was named a McDonald's All-American, and he was the co-honoree of the Mr. New York Basketball award, given to the state's best high school boys' basketball player. Koubek finished his high school career having scored 1,972 points and grabbed 682 rebounds, both being the most in school history.
was an overall inauspicious one in terms of personal statistics. Through his first two seasons, he only started in one total game, but he did play in all 71 contests. Between his freshman
and sophomore
seasons he scored 312 points. Duke won the ACC Tournament
in 1988, his freshman year, and also made it all the way to the NCAA Tournament Final Four – the first of four straight Final Four appearances. As a junior
in 1990, Duke made it to the 1990 National Championship
but lost to UNLV
, 103–73, which is still the worst margin of defeat in NCAA Championship Game history. Koubek played in all 38 games and started 12 of them.
As a senior in 1990–91, Koubek made NCAA men's basketball history. He started in 13 games and played in all 38 of them, including Duke's fourth consecutive Final Four. Consequently, he became the first player to ever play in four NCAA Final Fours. He also became one of very few players to appear in 145 or more career games (Koubek's 146 career games is second only to Christian Laettner
's 147 in Duke history.) That season, Duke won the ACC regular season title and went on to win the first of back-to-back NCAA championships. Koubek was a team captain
as a senior as well.
(NBA) in 1991. No teams signed him as a free agent
, either, and so he spent a short stint playing in the United States Basketball League
(USBL) right after college. Afterward, he played professionally for the next six years in South Africa
, Turkey
, Hungary
, and Japan
. Koubek retired in 1997 and returned home to the Capital District of New York. Koubek became Executive Director of the Albany YMCA but eventually moved out to California
. Today, he serves as Executive Director of Gardena-Carson Family YMCA and also runs an annual basketball camp with his brother, Tim, called the Greg Koubek Basketball Camp.
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
between 1988 and 1991. He also played professionally overseas after college for several years.
Early life
A native of the greater AlbanyAlbany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
area, Koubek attended Shenendehowa High School
Shenendehowa High School
Shenendehowa High School is a public high school located in Clifton Park, New York, part of New York's Capital Region. It is part of the Shenendehowa Central School District and serves the district's 9th through 12th graders. Students are divided between two buildings by their grade level. Both...
from 1985 to 1988. He led the basketball team to a state championship as a senior
Senior (education)
Senior is a term used in the United States to describe a student in the 4th year of study .-High school:...
in 1987 and later became the first athlete in school history to have his jersey number retired. Following the 1987 season he was named a McDonald's All-American, and he was the co-honoree of the Mr. New York Basketball award, given to the state's best high school boys' basketball player. Koubek finished his high school career having scored 1,972 points and grabbed 682 rebounds, both being the most in school history.
College
Koubek's career playing for the Duke Blue DevilsDuke Blue Devils men's basketball
The Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team is the college basketball program representing Duke University in the Atlantic Coast Conference of NCAA Division I...
was an overall inauspicious one in terms of personal statistics. Through his first two seasons, he only started in one total game, but he did play in all 71 contests. Between his freshman
Freshman
A freshman or fresher is a first-year student in secondary school, high school, or college. The term first year can also be used as a noun, to describe the students themselves A freshman (US) or fresher (UK, India) (or sometimes fish, freshie, fresher; slang plural frosh or freshmeat) is a...
and sophomore
Sophomore
Sophomore is a term used in the United States to describe a student in the second year of study at high school or university.The word is also used as a synonym for "second", for the second album or EP released by a musician or group, the second movie of a director, or the second season of a...
seasons he scored 312 points. Duke won the ACC Tournament
ACC Men's Basketball Tournament
The ACC Men's Basketball Tournament is the conference championship tournament in basketball for the Atlantic Coast Conference . The tournament has been held every year since 1954, one year after the conference's creation. It is a single-elimination tournament and seeding is based on regular season...
in 1988, his freshman year, and also made it all the way to the NCAA Tournament Final Four – the first of four straight Final Four appearances. As a junior
Junior (education)
"Junior" is a term used in the United States to describe a student in their 3rd year of study . A Junior is considered an upperclassman...
in 1990, Duke made it to the 1990 National Championship
1990 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1990 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 15, 1990, and ended with the championship game on April 2 in Denver, Colorado...
but lost to UNLV
1989–90 UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball team
The 1989–90 UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball team represented the University of Nevada Las Vegas in NCAA Division I men's competition in the 1989–90 season, and won the NCAA title under head coach Jerry Tarkanian...
, 103–73, which is still the worst margin of defeat in NCAA Championship Game history. Koubek played in all 38 games and started 12 of them.
As a senior in 1990–91, Koubek made NCAA men's basketball history. He started in 13 games and played in all 38 of them, including Duke's fourth consecutive Final Four. Consequently, he became the first player to ever play in four NCAA Final Fours. He also became one of very few players to appear in 145 or more career games (Koubek's 146 career games is second only to Christian Laettner
Christian Laettner
Christian Donald Laettner is a retired American professional basketball player and entrepreneur. He had a distinguished college and national career, and played in the National Basketball Association for thirteen seasons, from 1992–2005. He is presently a minority holder for the Major League...
's 147 in Duke history.) That season, Duke won the ACC regular season title and went on to win the first of back-to-back NCAA championships. Koubek was a team captain
Captain (sports)
In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field...
as a senior as well.
Professional and later life
Koubek did not get drafted to the National Basketball AssociationNational Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
(NBA) in 1991. No teams signed him as a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
, either, and so he spent a short stint playing in the United States Basketball League
United States Basketball League
The United States Basketball League , often abbreviated to the USBL, was a professional men's spring basketball league. The league was formed in 1985. The final champions are the Kansas Cagerz, who won the title game on July 1, 2007.-History:...
(USBL) right after college. Afterward, he played professionally for the next six years in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Koubek retired in 1997 and returned home to the Capital District of New York. Koubek became Executive Director of the Albany YMCA but eventually moved out to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Today, he serves as Executive Director of Gardena-Carson Family YMCA and also runs an annual basketball camp with his brother, Tim, called the Greg Koubek Basketball Camp.
See also
- List of NCAA Division I men's basketball players with 145 games played
- List of Duke Blue Devils men's basketball seasons