Keena Young
Encyclopedia
Keena Young is an American
basketball
player who starred at Brigham Young University
from 2004 to 2007. He is currently an expatriate
professional basketball player.
. He was named All-Region three times and All-State twice. As a senior, he averaged 18 points and 10 rebounds per game; his team won the Texas State championship and earned a Top 10 national ranking.
Young was a high school teammate and friend of Kendrick Perkins
. Perkins was a McDonald’s All-American in 2003; he was heavily recruited by many colleges from across the United States
. University of Memphis
coach John Calipari
offered scholarship
s to both Perkins and Young. Both players initially committed to play at Memphis, but Perkins changed his mind and entered the 2003 NBA Draft
. When he learned that Perkins would not be playing for his team, Calipari rescinded his scholarship offer to Young.
in Levelland, Texas. During his freshman season (2003-04), Young average 9.9 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. He helped the Texans post a 24-9 record, good for second place in the Western Junior College Athletic Conference.
During his freshman season, Young accepted a scholarship offer from Texas Tech
coach Bob Knight. However, one of Knight’s assistants visited South Plains while Young was in the midst of a slump. A short time after that, Texas Tech called South Plains coach Steve Green, informing him that Young was welcome to walk-on at Texas Tech, but he no longer had a scholarship offer there.
, coach at Brigham Young University. He accepted the offer and joined the Cougars as a sophomore for the 2004-05 season.
Young was happy to play at a Division I school, but his first year at BYU was frustrating at times. He started the season as a backup, alternating between small forward
and power forward
throughout the season. Young struggled to adjust to his role on the team. Towards the end of the season, Young replaced injured Garner Meads as starting power forward. At 6-foot-6 and 215 pounds, Young was undersized at power forward, but he excelled at the position nonetheless. He scored in double figures nine times during the season, finished with an average of 7.2 points per game. He also averaged a team-high 5.6 rebounds per game. Unfortunately, Young broke his shooting hand and missed the last five games of the season. The Cougars finished 2004-05 with a disappointing 9-21 record.
Young began his junior year (2005-06) as BYU’s starting power forward. He started the season slowly, but picked up his game as the season wore on. He scored in double figures in 15 of BYU’s last 23 games, including his first 20-point game as a Cougar (against San Diego State). BYU improved dramatically as a team, finishing with a 20-9 record and a birth in the National Invitation Tournament
. Young was a major reason for the team’s improvement. He finished the season with averages of 10.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, and his field goal percentage (52.3 percent) ranked fifth in the Mountain West Conference
(MWC). For his efforts, he was named Third Team All-MWC and First Team All-Utah by a local newspaper (the Deseret Morning News
).
However, Young was overshadowed during his junior year by new teammate Trent Plaisted, a 6-foot-11 center who averaged 13.6 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. Plaisted was named MWC Freshman of the Year. In anticipation of the 2006-07 season, Plaisted was anointed BYU’s go-to guy, while Young was considered just a solid role player.
As the season began, opposing teams focused their defensive efforts on Plaisted. Facing constant double-teams, Plaisted struggled early in the season. However, Young had worked hard during the summer in preparation for his senior season. He developed some strong offensive moves in the low post, and he improved his mid-range jump shot. While Plaisted struggled, Young emerged as BYU’s top offensive weapon. He scored in double figures in the first seven games of the season, including 27 points and 11 rebounds in a 73-69 victory over Weber State. The 27 points represented a career high for Young.
As the season progressed, Young continued his dominating play. He led the Cougars to a championship in the BYU Holiday Classic in December 2006. He totaled 21 points and a career-high 16 rebounds against Oral Roberts
in the semi-final game, then added 26 points and 9 rebounds in BYU’s 77-68 win over Seton Hall in the title game. When BYU began conference play, Young elevated his game even higher. He set a new career high with 29 points in 31 minutes against Wyoming
. He also added 10 rebounds in BYU’s 89-81 victory.
Young was spectacular in February. He matched his career high with 29 points in another victory over Wyoming. He scored 25, 23, and 24 points in the next three games, all BYU victories. Young carried the Cougars to their first regular season MWC championship since 2000-01. Opponents took notice of Young’s outstanding play. Ray Giacoletti
, the coach of rival Utah
, commented, “You can’t guard Keena Young. Nobody can. Nobody has had an answer for Keena Young, anywhere”.
However, Young faced constant double-teams and struggled in the first two games of the 2007 MWC Tournament. Fortunately for BYU, Plaisted raised his game and led the Cougars to victory each time. Young returned to form in the title game against UNLV. He set a new career-high with 34 points, including BYU’s last 16 points of the game. He also added 9 rebounds, but UNLV ultimately won the game, 78-70.
Despite the loss, the Cougars received an at-large bid to enter the NCAA Tournament
. They faced Xavier
in the first round. Young played a solid game, finishing with 24 points and 10 rebounds, but BYU suffered a heart-breaking 79-77 loss. It was the last game of the season for the Cougars, and the last game of Young’s college career.
Young finished the season with outstanding statistics: 17.4 points and 6.6 rebounds per game, along with great shooting percentages (54.3 percent on field goals, 80.3 percent on free throws). He received many honors and awards for his spectacular senior season. He was named MWC Player of the Year, First Team All-MWC, Deseret Morning News Player of the Year, Deseret Morning News First Team All-Utah, USBWA All-District VIII, and NABC All-District 13 First Team. He was also named Honorable Mention All-American by the Associated Press
.
In three seasons at BYU, Young scored 1,068 points in 88 games. His 590 points during 2006-07 ranks as the 15th-highest scoring season in the history of BYU basketball.
, before joining Mobis Phoebus of the Korean Basketball League
(in South Korea
). He had a try-out with Besancon Basket Comte Doubs of the Pro A League in France
in 2008, but moved to Sigal Prishtine of the Super League in Kosovo
. He led the team to the Kosovo Cup Championship in 2009 and played in the league's All-Star Game. He later spent time with Air21 Express in the Philippines
before moving to Israel
in August 2010 to join Elitzur Ramla.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
basketball
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 starred at Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
from 2004 to 2007. He is currently an expatriate
Expatriate
An expatriate is a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country and culture other than that of the person's upbringing...
professional basketball player.
High School
Young was a four-year letterman in basketball at Clifton J. Ozen High School in Beaumont, TexasBeaumont, Texas
Beaumont is a city in and county seat of Jefferson County, Texas, United States, within the Beaumont–Port Arthur Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's population was 118,296 at the 2010 census. With Port Arthur and Orange, it forms the Golden Triangle, a major industrial area on the...
. He was named All-Region three times and All-State twice. As a senior, he averaged 18 points and 10 rebounds per game; his team won the Texas State championship and earned a Top 10 national ranking.
Young was a high school teammate and friend of Kendrick Perkins
Kendrick Perkins
Kendrick Perkins is an American professional basketball player who plays as a center for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the NBA....
. Perkins was a McDonald’s All-American in 2003; he was heavily recruited by many colleges from across the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. University of Memphis
University of Memphis
The University of Memphis is an American public research university located in the Normal Station neighborhood of Memphis, Tennessee and is the flagship public research university of the Tennessee Board of Regents system....
coach John Calipari
John Calipari
John Calipari is an American basketball coach. Since April 2009, he has been the men's head coach at the University of Kentucky....
offered scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
s to both Perkins and Young. Both players initially committed to play at Memphis, but Perkins changed his mind and entered the 2003 NBA Draft
2003 NBA Draft
The 2003 NBA Draft was held on June 26, 2003 at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting basketball players and other first-time eligible players, such as players from high schools and...
. When he learned that Perkins would not be playing for his team, Calipari rescinded his scholarship offer to Young.
Junior college
Left without a Division I scholarship late in the summer, Young ended up playing at South Plains CollegeSouth Plains College
South Plains College is a community college located in Levelland, Texas. It operates satellite branches in Plainview and at the Reese Technology Center, formerly Reese Air Force Base, in Lubbock. SPC also has many classes in the Byron Martin Advanced Technology Center in Lubbock, as part of a...
in Levelland, Texas. During his freshman season (2003-04), Young average 9.9 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. He helped the Texans post a 24-9 record, good for second place in the Western Junior College Athletic Conference.
During his freshman season, Young accepted a scholarship offer from Texas Tech
Texas Tech Red Raiders
The Texas Tech Red Raiders are the athletic teams that represent Texas Tech University . The women's basketball team uses the name Lady Raiders; however, the school's other women's teams use the "Red Raiders" name. The university's athletic program fields teams in 15 varsity sports and 30 club sports...
coach Bob Knight. However, one of Knight’s assistants visited South Plains while Young was in the midst of a slump. A short time after that, Texas Tech called South Plains coach Steve Green, informing him that Young was welcome to walk-on at Texas Tech, but he no longer had a scholarship offer there.
Division I career
Because of financial concerns, Young decided not to walk-on at Texas Tech. He planned to return to South Plains for his sophomore season, but was surprised to receive a scholarship offer from Steve ClevelandSteve Cleveland
Steve Cleveland is a former American college basketball coach and the former men's head basketball coach at Fresno State, Brigham Young University, and Fresno City College. During his tenure at Fresno State, Cleveland directed the largest Academic Progress Rate improvement in the nation...
, coach at Brigham Young University. He accepted the offer and joined the Cougars as a sophomore for the 2004-05 season.
Young was happy to play at a Division I school, but his first year at BYU was frustrating at times. He started the season as a backup, alternating between small forward
Small forward
The small forward, or colloquially known as three, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically somewhat shorter, quicker, and leaner than power forwards and centers, but on occasion are just as tall...
and power forward
Power forward (basketball)
Power forward is a position in the sport of basketball. The position is referred to in playbook terms as the four position and is commonly abbreviated "PF". It has also been referred to as the "post" position. Power forwards play a role similar to that of center in what is called the "post" or "low...
throughout the season. Young struggled to adjust to his role on the team. Towards the end of the season, Young replaced injured Garner Meads as starting power forward. At 6-foot-6 and 215 pounds, Young was undersized at power forward, but he excelled at the position nonetheless. He scored in double figures nine times during the season, finished with an average of 7.2 points per game. He also averaged a team-high 5.6 rebounds per game. Unfortunately, Young broke his shooting hand and missed the last five games of the season. The Cougars finished 2004-05 with a disappointing 9-21 record.
Young began his junior year (2005-06) as BYU’s starting power forward. He started the season slowly, but picked up his game as the season wore on. He scored in double figures in 15 of BYU’s last 23 games, including his first 20-point game as a Cougar (against San Diego State). BYU improved dramatically as a team, finishing with a 20-9 record and a birth in the National Invitation Tournament
National Invitation Tournament
The National Invitation Tournament is a men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. There are two NIT events each season. The first, played in November and known as the Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off , was founded in 1985...
. Young was a major reason for the team’s improvement. He finished the season with averages of 10.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, and his field goal percentage (52.3 percent) ranked fifth in the Mountain West Conference
Mountain West Conference
The Mountain West Conference , popularly known as the Mountain West, is the youngest of the college athletic conferences affiliated with the NCAA’s Division I FBS . The MWC officially began operations in July 1999...
(MWC). For his efforts, he was named Third Team All-MWC and First Team All-Utah by a local newspaper (the Deseret Morning News
Deseret Morning News
The Deseret News is a newspaper published in Salt Lake City, Utah, and is Utah's oldest continuously published daily newspaper. It has the second largest daily circulation in the state behind The Salt Lake Tribune. The Deseret News is owned by Deseret News Publishing Company, a subsidiary of...
).
However, Young was overshadowed during his junior year by new teammate Trent Plaisted, a 6-foot-11 center who averaged 13.6 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. Plaisted was named MWC Freshman of the Year. In anticipation of the 2006-07 season, Plaisted was anointed BYU’s go-to guy, while Young was considered just a solid role player.
As the season began, opposing teams focused their defensive efforts on Plaisted. Facing constant double-teams, Plaisted struggled early in the season. However, Young had worked hard during the summer in preparation for his senior season. He developed some strong offensive moves in the low post, and he improved his mid-range jump shot. While Plaisted struggled, Young emerged as BYU’s top offensive weapon. He scored in double figures in the first seven games of the season, including 27 points and 11 rebounds in a 73-69 victory over Weber State. The 27 points represented a career high for Young.
As the season progressed, Young continued his dominating play. He led the Cougars to a championship in the BYU Holiday Classic in December 2006. He totaled 21 points and a career-high 16 rebounds against Oral Roberts
Oral Roberts University
Oral Roberts University , based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in the United States, is an interdenominational, Charismatic Christian, comprehensive university with an enrollment of about 3,790 students from 49 U.S. states along with a significant number of international students from 70 countries...
in the semi-final game, then added 26 points and 9 rebounds in BYU’s 77-68 win over Seton Hall in the title game. When BYU began conference play, Young elevated his game even higher. He set a new career high with 29 points in 31 minutes against Wyoming
University of Wyoming
The University of Wyoming is a land-grant university located in Laramie, Wyoming, situated on Wyoming's high Laramie Plains, at an elevation of 7,200 feet , between the Laramie and Snowy Range mountains. It is known as UW to people close to the university...
. He also added 10 rebounds in BYU’s 89-81 victory.
Young was spectacular in February. He matched his career high with 29 points in another victory over Wyoming. He scored 25, 23, and 24 points in the next three games, all BYU victories. Young carried the Cougars to their first regular season MWC championship since 2000-01. Opponents took notice of Young’s outstanding play. Ray Giacoletti
Ray Giacoletti
Ray Giacoletti is a men's basketball coach. He played collegiate basketball at Minot State University in North Dakota from 1980-1984, where he was a four-year letterman and a team captain for two seasons...
, the coach of rival Utah
University of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
, commented, “You can’t guard Keena Young. Nobody can. Nobody has had an answer for Keena Young, anywhere”.
However, Young faced constant double-teams and struggled in the first two games of the 2007 MWC Tournament. Fortunately for BYU, Plaisted raised his game and led the Cougars to victory each time. Young returned to form in the title game against UNLV. He set a new career-high with 34 points, including BYU’s last 16 points of the game. He also added 9 rebounds, but UNLV ultimately won the game, 78-70.
Despite the loss, the Cougars received an at-large bid to enter the NCAA Tournament
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
. They faced Xavier
Xavier University (Cincinnati)
Xavier University is a co-educational Jesuit university in the United States located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The University is the sixth-oldest Catholic university in the nation and has an undergraduate enrollment of about 4,000 students and graduate enrollment of 2,600 students. Xavier is primarily...
in the first round. Young played a solid game, finishing with 24 points and 10 rebounds, but BYU suffered a heart-breaking 79-77 loss. It was the last game of the season for the Cougars, and the last game of Young’s college career.
Young finished the season with outstanding statistics: 17.4 points and 6.6 rebounds per game, along with great shooting percentages (54.3 percent on field goals, 80.3 percent on free throws). He received many honors and awards for his spectacular senior season. He was named MWC Player of the Year, First Team All-MWC, Deseret Morning News Player of the Year, Deseret Morning News First Team All-Utah, USBWA All-District VIII, and NABC All-District 13 First Team. He was also named Honorable Mention All-American by the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
.
In three seasons at BYU, Young scored 1,068 points in 88 games. His 590 points during 2006-07 ranks as the 15th-highest scoring season in the history of BYU basketball.
Professional career
In 2007, Young had a short stint with Spotter Leuven, a professional team in BelgiumBelgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, before joining Mobis Phoebus of the Korean Basketball League
Korean Basketball League
The Korean Basketball League, often abbreviated to the KBL, is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in South Korea. Its inaugural season was in 1997. The season starts in October and ends in April the following year. The KBL consists of 10 teams. Each team plays 54 games . Each team...
(in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
). He had a try-out with Besancon Basket Comte Doubs of the Pro A League in 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...
in 2008, but moved to Sigal Prishtine of the Super League in Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
. He led the team to the Kosovo Cup Championship in 2009 and played in the league's All-Star Game. He later spent time with Air21 Express in 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...
before moving to Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
in August 2010 to join Elitzur Ramla.