| Michael Kidd-Gilchrist | |
|---|---|
| Kidd-Gilchrist during a game in February 2010 | |
| College | Kentucky |
| Conference | SEC |
| Sport | Basketball |
| Position | Small forward |
| Jersey # | 14 |
| Class | Freshman |
| Height | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) |
| Weight | 232 lb (105 kg) |
| Nationality | American |
| Born | September 26, 1993 |
| High school | St. Patrick's High School, Elizabeth, New Jersey |
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (born September 26, 1993) is an American college basketball player at the University of Kentucky.
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In high school, he was considered one of the best basketball players in the United States.[1] He was rated as the #3 player by ESPN.com,[2] and Rivals.com,[3] and Scout.com rated him as the #1 player at his position.[4] In July 2010, Gilchrist, along with future Kentucky teammate Marquis Teague, were a part of the gold medal winning team in the FIBA U-17 World Championships in Hamburg, Germany.[5]
Gilchrist committed to attend the University of Kentucky on April 14, 2010.[6]
In the first game of the 2011-12 season and his career as a Wildcat, Kidd-Gilchrist was a starter and scored 15 points on 5 of 9 shooting against the Marist Red Foxes. In his second game against the 11th ranked Kansas Jayhawks, Kidd-Gilchrist scored 12 points and pulled down nine rebounds in a 75-65 victory in Madison Square Garden. In a rivalry game against the 5th ranked North Carolina Tar Heels in Rupp Arena, Kidd-Gilchrist lead Kentucky in scoring with 17 points and had 11 rebounds, giving him his first double double as a Wildcat. Against the 4th ranked Louisville Cardinals, Kidd-Gilchrist turned in his most dominating performance of the season with 24 points and 19 rebounds, shooting a career high 13 free throws and having his first zero-turnover game at Kentucky. This was enough to lead Kentucky to a 69-62 victory in Lexington.
Gilchrist's father died August 11, 1996 from multiple gunshot wounds. He watches the movie The Lion King once a week because he watched it almost every day with his father until he was three years old. Gilchrist committed to Kentucky on April 14, 2010, which would have been his father's 44th birthday.[7]
Gilchrist's father played alongside Milt Wagner on a state championship team at Camden High in 1981. Wagner's son, former NBA player Dajuan Wagner, is Gilchrist's cousin.[8]
On July 7, 2011, Gilchrist announced via Twitter that he had legally changed his last name to Kidd-Gilchrist, in order to honor the other important man in his life, his uncle Darrin Kidd.[9] Kidd passed away on the day Gilchrist was set to sign his letter of intent to play at the University of Kentucky.
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