David Padgett
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| David Padgett | |
|---|---|
| College | Louisville |
| Conference | Big East |
| Sport | Basketball |
| Position | Forward/Center |
| Jersey # | 4 |
| Career | 2003 – 2008 |
| Height | 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) |
| Weight | 245 lb (111 kg) |
| Nationality | USA |
| Born | February 13, 1985  United States |
| High school | Reno High School, Reno, Nevada |
| Former school(s) | University of Kansas |
| Tournaments | |
| 2005 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament 2006 NIT Men's Basketball Tournament 2007 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament 2008 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament |
|
David Padgett (born February 13, 1985) is a former player and team captain for the University of Louisville men's basketball team.
David Padgett is the son of Pete and Debbie Padgett. He comes from a family of basketball players: his father played for the University of Nevada, his uncle played for the University of New Mexico, his grandfather played for Oregon State, and his sister played for the University of San Diego.[1]
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[edit] High school
Padgett attended Reno High School in Reno, Nevada, where he averaged 27 points and 14 rebounds per game his senior year. He was a McDonald's High School and Parade All-American. He also was a member of the 2004 USA Basketball Junior World Championship Qualifying Team, earning a gold medal at the event.
As a high school senior, he was the top-rated center and considered the fourth-rated prospect overall by Inside Hoops, the seventh overall by Rivals Hoops, and fifteenth overall by ESPN.com.[2] In 2003, he was the Nevada player of the year.
[edit] College
[edit] University of Kansas
Padgett originally attended college at the University of Kansas where he played basketball for the Jayhawks. While at Kansas, he started 19 games and averaged 6.5 points and 4.5 rebounds. At the end of his freshman year at Kansas, Padgett announced his intention to transfer.
[edit] University of Louisville
After considering UCLA and the University of North Carolina, Padgett transferred to the University of Louisville and sat out for the 2004-2005 season, during which the Cardinals made it to the Final Four.
By his sophomore year, Padgett served as team captain with Taquan Dean. His team debut against Prairie View A&M was the third highest scoring debut of any Cardinal at 17 points. Later that season, he would score a career-high 27 points and eight rebounds against UConn. However, he suffered several injuries. In September, he broke a bone in his foot, but was able to return to practice. In November, he sprained a ligament in his left knee and underwent knee surgery in March. In spite of this, he scored in the double-digits in sixteen games and was named to the Billy Minardi Classic all-tournament team.
Padgett returned to practice ahead of schedule his junior year. He scored in the double-figures in 14 games in the 2006-2007 season. The Cardinals' leader in field goal percentage (59.7%, fourth in the Big East), Padgett averaged 9.5 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. He was named to the Big East Conference Second Team.
At the beginning of his senior year, Padgett broke his kneecap in the season opener against Jackson State. In spite of Coach Rick Pitino's hopes that Padgett could return in 10 weeks, the injury was widely reported to be career-ending.[3] However, he recovered quicker than expected and rejoined the team six weeks later against Cincinnati on January 1, 2008. Although the Cardinals lost this game, they would ultimately go on a winning streak beginning with South Florida and lasting eleven games up until the final game against Georgetown University, which decided the regular season conference title.[4] Padgett's return has widely been credited with the Cardinals improved performance in the second half of the season.[5]
Padgett's leadership and skill have made him a team favorite. Tom Crean, the head coach at conference rival Marquette during Padgett's time at Louisville and now head coach at Indiana, said Padgett "facilitates [the Cardinals] offense better than any playmaker in the country," and Rick Pitino has called him one of the most selfless players he has ever coached.[6] Rick Pitino has also gone on to talk about Padgett's role on the team, calling him "The Sheriff" for the way he "patrols the floor."[7]
[edit] External links
- Player bio at the University of Louisville
