Harold Arceneaux
Encyclopedia
Harold Arceneaux is an American professional basketball
player who gained national attention during his collegiate career at Weber State University
(1998–2000). His nickname is "The Show". He currently plays for Lechugueros De Leon in Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico.
.
As a freshman (1996–97), he led CEU to a 28-5 record and the Scenic West Conference regular season championship. He averaged 17.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game, shooting 57.3 percent on field goals and 40.9 percent on three-pointers.
Arceneaux transferred to Midland Junior College (in Midland, Texas
) for the 1997-98 season. He averaged 17.6 points and 6.0 rebounds per game, leading his team to a 26-4 record. He shot a phenomenal 64.3 percent on field goals; for his efforts, he earned NJCAA Second Team All-American honors. He was named Player of the Year in Region Five and in the Western Junior College Athletic Conference.
) to play for Guy Beach (an assistant coach at Weber State who had been head coach for Arceneaux at CEU). As a junior (1998–99), Arceneaux teamed with Eddie Gill
to lead the Wildcats to one of the most successful seasons in school history. With Arceneaux leading the way, Weber State won the Big Sky Conference
championship and earned an invitation to the NCAA Tournament.
The Wildcats faced perennial powerhouse North Carolina
in the first round of the tournament. North Carolina was making its 25th consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament, and had won every first round game since 1980. The Wildcats were heavy underdogs against the Tar Heels, but Arceneaux and his teammates were not intimidated.
Weber State controlled the game, leading for most of the second half. North Carolina had no answer for Arceneaux, who scored from everywhere on the floor and finished with 36 points (20 in the second half). Weber State led by 10 points with 3:59 left in the game, but North Carolina fought back to make it close. Arceneaux made a pair of free throws with 13.3 seconds left, then he intercepted a North Carolina pass as time expired to preserve a 76-74 victory for the Wildcats. Weber State's win over mighty UNC remains one of the biggest upsets in NCAA Tournament history, and Arceneaux's spectacular performance made him a national star.
Weber State faced Florida
in the second round. Again playing as underdogs, the Wildcats gave the Gators all they could handle. Once again, Arceneaux carried the team. He scored 32 points, but did struggle somewhat in the second half. Weber State played well enough to send the game into overtime at 68-68, but Florida pulled away and won in OT, 82-74. The loss ended Weber State's tournament run, but it was enough to secure national respect for the little-known school.
Arceneaux finished the season with a school-record 713 points. He averaged 22.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game, and was named Big Sky Conference Player of the Year. He set a school record by scoring 30 points or more in six games during the season, including a 39-point performance against Eastern Washington
. He also set an unofficial school record with 49 dunks during the season.
With the national spotlight shining on him, Arceneaux considered skipping his senior season at Weber State in pursuit of a career in the NBA
. Arceneaux initially declared himself eligible for the draft, but he ultimately decided to return to Weber State for one more season. His decision was criticized by many NBA scouts.
With a new head coach and several new players, Weber State struggled during Arceneaux's senior year (1999–2000). The Wildcats finished with a respectable 18-10 record, but did not return to the NCAA Tournament. In the first eight games of the season, Arceneaux averaged just 14 points per contest as opponents' defenses concentrated on him. As the season went on, he adjusted his playing style, and his statistics soared. He scored 27.0 points per game in conference play;, finished with a season average of 23.0 points per game (good for fifth in the nation), and added 7.4 rebounds per game. He finished his collegiate career in spectacular fashion, averaging 39.5 points and 14.5 rebounds in the last two games of his career (against Montana State
and Eastern Washington).
, France
, Portugal
, the Philippines
, Venezuela
and Mexico
.
He played in the 2000 Rocky Mountain Revue with the Utah Jazz
, but did not receive a contract offer from the team. After that, he had short stints with the Richmond Rhythm of the IBL and the Columbus Riverdragons of the NBDL. He returned to the United States
for the 2004-05 season, signing with the Utah Snowbears
of the American Basketball Association. He led the Snowbears to a 27-1 record before the franchise ceased operations. Arceneaux scored 42 points in Utah's 130-115 playoff victory over the Long Beach Jam, which ultimately proved to be the franchise's final game. He was named to the USBasket.com All-ABA team that season.
Arceneaux went back to Venezuela to play for Marinos de Anzoategui. He averaged 15.5 points per game and shot 60.0 percent from the floor, leading his team to the 2005 Venezuelan LBP
regular season championship and playoff championship. He was also named MVP of the league All-Star Game. He also played for the Marinos for part of 2006.
He returned to Utah for the 2006-07 season as a member of the Utah Eagles
of the Continental Basketball Association
. Arceneaux averaged 19.8 points per game, but the Eagles struggled to a 6-18 record before the franchise ceased operations.
As of September 2009, Arceneaux was with Lechugueros de León
in Mexico
.
In November 2010, he was transferred to the team Club Atlético Quilmes (Mar del Plata)
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player who gained national attention during his collegiate career at Weber State University
Weber State University
Weber State University is a public university located in the city of Ogden in Weber County, Utah, USA. It was founded in 1889 and is a coeducational, publicly supported university offering professional, liberal arts and technical certificates, as well as associate, bachelor's and master's degrees...
(1998–2000). His nickname is "The Show". He currently plays for Lechugueros De Leon in Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico.
Early career
Harold Arceneaux grew up in the B.W. Cooper housing development in New Orleans. At 6-foot-6, 215 pounds, he was an excellent athlete, but struggled academically in high school. Because he did not have suitable academic credentials to play basketball at a four-year university, he enrolled at the College of Eastern Utah, a junior college in Price, UtahPrice, Utah
Price is a city in Carbon County, Utah, United States. The city is home to the USU-College of Eastern Utah, as well as the large USU Eastern Prehistoric Museum affiliated with the college. Price is located within short distances from both Nine Mile Canyon and the Manti-La Sal National Forest...
.
As a freshman (1996–97), he led CEU to a 28-5 record and the Scenic West Conference regular season championship. He averaged 17.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game, shooting 57.3 percent on field goals and 40.9 percent on three-pointers.
Arceneaux transferred to Midland Junior College (in Midland, Texas
Midland, Texas
Midland is a city in and the county seat of Midland County, Texas, United States, on the Southern Plains of the state's western area. A small portion of the city extends into Martin County. As of 2010, the population of Midland was 111,147. It is the principal city of the Midland, Texas...
) for the 1997-98 season. He averaged 17.6 points and 6.0 rebounds per game, leading his team to a 26-4 record. He shot a phenomenal 64.3 percent on field goals; for his efforts, he earned NJCAA Second Team All-American honors. He was named Player of the Year in Region Five and in the Western Junior College Athletic Conference.
NCAA Division I career
Having completed two years of junior college basketball, Arceneaux transferred to Weber State (in Ogden, UtahOgden, Utah
Ogden is a city in Weber County, Utah, United States. Ogden serves as the county seat of Weber County. The population was 82,825 according to the 2010 Census. The city served as a major railway hub through much of its history, and still handles a great deal of freight rail traffic which makes it a...
) to play for Guy Beach (an assistant coach at Weber State who had been head coach for Arceneaux at CEU). As a junior (1998–99), Arceneaux teamed with Eddie Gill
Eddie Gill
Eddie Gill is an American professional basketball player. He is a 1.84 m point guard.Gill went undrafted after a college career at Salt Lake Community College and Weber State University...
to lead the Wildcats to one of the most successful seasons in school history. With Arceneaux leading the way, Weber State won the Big Sky Conference
Big Sky Conference
The Big Sky Conference is an intercollegiate college athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division I, with football competing in the Football Championship Subdivision. The BSC was founded in 1963. Member institutions are located in the western United States in the states of Arizona,...
championship and earned an invitation to the NCAA Tournament.
The Wildcats faced perennial powerhouse North Carolina
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
in the first round of the tournament. North Carolina was making its 25th consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament, and had won every first round game since 1980. The Wildcats were heavy underdogs against the Tar Heels, but Arceneaux and his teammates were not intimidated.
Weber State controlled the game, leading for most of the second half. North Carolina had no answer for Arceneaux, who scored from everywhere on the floor and finished with 36 points (20 in the second half). Weber State led by 10 points with 3:59 left in the game, but North Carolina fought back to make it close. Arceneaux made a pair of free throws with 13.3 seconds left, then he intercepted a North Carolina pass as time expired to preserve a 76-74 victory for the Wildcats. Weber State's win over mighty UNC remains one of the biggest upsets in NCAA Tournament history, and Arceneaux's spectacular performance made him a national star.
Weber State faced Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
in the second round. Again playing as underdogs, the Wildcats gave the Gators all they could handle. Once again, Arceneaux carried the team. He scored 32 points, but did struggle somewhat in the second half. Weber State played well enough to send the game into overtime at 68-68, but Florida pulled away and won in OT, 82-74. The loss ended Weber State's tournament run, but it was enough to secure national respect for the little-known school.
Arceneaux finished the season with a school-record 713 points. He averaged 22.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game, and was named Big Sky Conference Player of the Year. He set a school record by scoring 30 points or more in six games during the season, including a 39-point performance against Eastern Washington
Eastern Washington University
Eastern Washington University is an American public, coeducational university located in Cheney, Washington.Founded in 1882, the university is academically divided into four colleges: Arts and Letters; Business and Public Administration; Science, Health and Engineering; and Social & Behavioral...
. He also set an unofficial school record with 49 dunks during the season.
With the national spotlight shining on him, Arceneaux considered skipping his senior season at Weber State in pursuit of a career in the NBA
National 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...
. Arceneaux initially declared himself eligible for the draft, but he ultimately decided to return to Weber State for one more season. His decision was criticized by many NBA scouts.
With a new head coach and several new players, Weber State struggled during Arceneaux's senior year (1999–2000). The Wildcats finished with a respectable 18-10 record, but did not return to the NCAA Tournament. In the first eight games of the season, Arceneaux averaged just 14 points per contest as opponents' defenses concentrated on him. As the season went on, he adjusted his playing style, and his statistics soared. He scored 27.0 points per game in conference play;, finished with a season average of 23.0 points per game (good for fifth in the nation), and added 7.4 rebounds per game. He finished his collegiate career in spectacular fashion, averaging 39.5 points and 14.5 rebounds in the last two games of his career (against Montana State
Montana State University - Bozeman
Montana State University – Bozeman is a public university located in Bozeman, Montana. It is the state's land-grant university and primary campus in the Montana State University System, which is part of the Montana University System...
and Eastern Washington).
Professional career
Despite his success at Weber State, Arceneaux was not drafted by an NBA team, and played for various organizations home and abroad since leaving college, including professional teams in AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
and Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
He played in the 2000 Rocky Mountain Revue with the Utah Jazz
Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently a part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
, but did not receive a contract offer from the team. After that, he had short stints with the Richmond Rhythm of the IBL and the Columbus Riverdragons of the NBDL. He returned to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
for the 2004-05 season, signing with the Utah Snowbears
Utah Snowbears
The Utah Snowbears were a basketball team in the revived American Basketball Association based in Taylorsville, Utah for the 2004-2005 season. The team played its home games in the Lifetime Activities Center on the Redwood Campus of Salt Lake Community College...
of the American Basketball Association. He led the Snowbears to a 27-1 record before the franchise ceased operations. Arceneaux scored 42 points in Utah's 130-115 playoff victory over the Long Beach Jam, which ultimately proved to be the franchise's final game. He was named to the USBasket.com All-ABA team that season.
Arceneaux went back to Venezuela to play for Marinos de Anzoategui. He averaged 15.5 points per game and shot 60.0 percent from the floor, leading his team to the 2005 Venezuelan LBP
Liga Profesional de Baloncesto (Venezuela)
The Liga Profesional de Baloncesto is the Venezuelan National Basketball League.-Teams:*Cocodrilos de Caracas*Guaiqueríes de Margarita*Trotamundos de Carabobo*Panteras de Miranda*Marinos de Anzoátegui*Gaiteros del Zulia*Guaros de Lara...
regular season championship and playoff championship. He was also named MVP of the league All-Star Game. He also played for the Marinos for part of 2006.
He returned to Utah for the 2006-07 season as a member of the Utah Eagles
Utah Eagles
The Utah Eagles were a basketball team in the Continental Basketball Association. They played their games in Taylorsville, Utah, and although they started play in the 2006-2007 season, they folded in mid-season....
of the Continental Basketball Association
Continental Basketball Association
The Continental Basketball Association was a professional men's basketball league in the United States, which has been on hiatus since the 2009 season.- History :...
. Arceneaux averaged 19.8 points per game, but the Eagles struggled to a 6-18 record before the franchise ceased operations.
As of September 2009, Arceneaux was with Lechugueros de León
Lechugueros de León
The Lechugueros de León is a Mexican professional basketball team based in León, Guanajuato, Mexico playing in the Southern Division of the Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional . Lechugueros played in the classic Circuito Mexicano de Basquetbol in the early 70's, and joined the LNBP in 2004....
in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
In November 2010, he was transferred to the team Club Atlético Quilmes (Mar del Plata)