photo: comportal.villanova.edu
Basketball, broken down to its simplest compound, is about scoring more buckets than the team you’re playing against. The Semi-Automatic refers to players who leave bodies in their wake with their innate ability to get buckets. And in the mid ’90s – when Georgetown’s Allen Iverson, UCONN’s Ray Allen, Wake Forest’s Tim Duncan, St. John’s Felipe Lopez, Syracuse’s Lawrence Moten aka “Poetry in Motion”, UMASS’s Marcus Camby and quite possibly the greatest college hoops team of all time, the ‘96 Kentucky Wildcats aka “The Untouchables” had a monopoly on the headlines – Villanova’s Kerry Kittles left behind a remarkable body of work that easily establishes him as one of the Big East Conference’s greatest players ever.
At the age of nine, Kittles was already solidifying his reputation as a force on the playgrounds of his hometown, New Orleans. He entered St. Augustine High School standing 5′9″. As a senior, he stood 6′5″, capturing the state’s Mr. Basketball distinction while pouring in 29 ppg.
When ‘Nova head coach Rollie Massimino accepted the U.N.L.V. job, bolting from Philly’s main line in favor the glitz of the Vegas Strip, Kittles began to re-consider his college choice. But Rollie’s move proved to be a blessing in disguise for the lean, explosive, fluid Kittles.
His skills could be better utilized in the open court, motion offense of new coach Steve Lappas, as opposed to the deliberate style that Rollie preferred. Kittles blended into the team construct as a freshman in ‘92-’93, putting up 11 points, four rebounds, two steals and three assists per game during a rebuilding year. But he raised the eyebrows of those paying attention by banging in 43% of his 3-point attempts.
As a sophomore, he exploded while averaging 20 points, seven boards, three steals and three dimes during his season-long coming out party. ‘Nova was expected to be a Big East doormat, but behind the unexpected, all-around elite-level play of Kittles, the Wildcats posted their first 20-win season since ‘88. They won 14 of their final 17 games, and copped the school’s first N.I.T. title.
As a junior in ‘94-’95, Villanova went 25-8, winning their first ever Big East Tourney title. Kittles, who converted over 52% of his field goal attempts, led them into the Big Dance – something that hadn’t been accomplished in four years.
Kittles surprised many when he chose to return to school for his senior season. Due to his athleticism, speed, above the rim exploits, shooting ability and defensive prowess, he was already being projected as a top pick. ‘Nova proceeded to reach their highest regular season ranking ever, ascending to #2 in the December A.P. poll.
His last two college seasons brought All-American recognition while returning Villanova to the status of a consistently viable program that was national in scope. He walked into the NBA after amassing 2,243 points and 715 rebounds during his spectacular college run. A relentless competitor who did so many things well, Kittles was always in perpetual motion on the court.
During this year’s March Madness, ‘Nova’s Scottie Reynolds, barring injury, will break Kittles’ record as the school’s all-time leading scorer. So as the Wildcats try to match last season’s Final Four run, and as we appreciate Scottie Reynold’s for his four-year magnificence, let’s also take a pause for the cause and aknowledge the greatness of Kerry Kittles.
He stands, without debate, alongside Patrick Ewing, Derrick Coleman, Chris Mullin, Pearl Washington and Walter Berry as one of the greatest to ever play in the Big East.
March 11th, 2010 at 2:40 pm
Blk Caesar says:
Man, dudes always forget about Kerry Kittles.. I liked that squad with him Alvin Williams, Jason Lawson etc.. They got beat by ODU in the tourney in 95 in triple OT. He played really well next to Kidd when he came to the Nets.. The first year Kidd came to NJ I can’t front I watched that team alot b/c they were so much fun on the break..
March 11th, 2010 at 2:56 pm
ali says:
they always leave kittles out of the discussion caese. when scottie breaks his record shortly, folks will be shaken out of the slumber, but only momentarily. and him and alvin williams at nova were a serious combo. i remember kittles torching boston college something awful -think he had like 44 one game, then 33 the next against them.
and those nets teams were awesome to watch, just some elevated playground funk w/ jkidd orchestrating the break. that first net team that went to the finals in ‘02, kidd had todd maculough lookin’ right. you know you nice when you make todd maculough a weapon. that’s when they had the young greyhounds – jefferson and kenyon, running the break with a mature kittles. and lucious harris firing off the bench.
i liked that next year’s team better, when they added rodney rogers and dikembe, but they couldn’t hang w/ timmy, tony parker, manu and stephen jackson in the finals.
but you’re right caase, kittles, w/ jefferson and k-mart filling the lanes with kidd pushing the rock? yessir!!!
March 11th, 2010 at 2:59 pm
ali says:
i think they forget about his collegiate brilliance because of the injuries as a pro. had he stayed on the trajectory he was on, after his first two years with the nets before the leg and knee problems robbed him of his full potential, he was headed into that scottie pippen neighborhood of greatness.
March 11th, 2010 at 3:22 pm
illest says:
i dont know what the scottie pippen neighborhood of greatness is but kittles is one of the top players in big east history.
March 11th, 2010 at 4:16 pm
russ says:
..did i see a orlando antigua sighting in that vid!?! that era of the big east was crazy.
March 11th, 2010 at 5:02 pm
ali says:
warden norton from shawshank, aka illest, the scottie pippen neighborhood of greatness is reserved for defensive savants that are long, lean and play the game for a full 94 feet. they can lock you down, run the floor, hit you with the jimmy, score in transition, board, dish, push the rock on the break and float through the air up there for some illmatic flushes.
kittles had that type of potential and seemed headed in that direction, before the leg injuries kept him grounded.
and the crazy flush was at the .22 second mark of the video. that joint was crazy!
March 11th, 2010 at 5:18 pm
ali says:
the madness is near, my favorite time of year. just sitting here thinking what the tourney would look like if everybody hung around for four years, like kittles – blake griffin on the sooners, a memphis backcourt with derrick rose and tyreke evans, arizona w/ chase budinger, jerryd bayless and jordan hill, dejuan blair snuffing the offensive boards for pitt, gerald henderson at duke, ucla w/ russell westbrook, kev love and jrue holliday, g-tech with javaris crittendon and thaddeus young, k-state w/ mike beasely and bill walker, ‘cuse w/ jonny flynn and donte green and paul harris, carolina w/ ellington, lawson and brandon wright, texas w/ durant and dj augustin and ohio state with conley, cook and oden.
so factoring that into the equation, who would the hypothetical top four seeds be?
March 12th, 2010 at 8:12 am
e says:
yeah i was a big fan of this dude too bad his pro career was injury plagued but he was baller for real
March 12th, 2010 at 10:10 am
illest says:
kittles was an exciting player to watch.
pippen was very good but the first thing i think is the migraines vs the pistons. it was like guru (get better) said the execution of a chump.
March 12th, 2010 at 11:13 am
ali says:
so illest, in your view, pippen is a chump?
March 12th, 2010 at 12:33 pm
The Brooklyn Report says:
I can’t front…I use to rock one high sock and one low sock lol.Kerry Kittles was official.Smooth Criminal.The Big East was wild in the mid-90’s too.Boy being a shorty in JHS wearing the Georgetown grey and blue shooting shirt with the matching shorts.
March 12th, 2010 at 12:48 pm
illest says:
ali…in that game….yes he was. no question. game 7 and a chance to get to the nba finals and you have migraines due to what the pistons were serving. overall in his career of course hes not a chump.
March 12th, 2010 at 1:24 pm
ali says:
ok illest. but kareem missed games due to migraines, which are very severe and can be physically and psychologically debilitating. so, kareem was a chump for every game he sat out with a migraine?
March 12th, 2010 at 2:35 pm
Promoman says:
Kerry would’ve been an all-star at the NBA level were it not for injuries and getting slept on.
March 12th, 2010 at 2:39 pm
illest says:
ali ali ali…come on man. you know that pippen got a bad rep for being soft because of migraines in THAT GAME 7. not just any game but because of the pistons in that game. you know better than asking me if jabbar is a chump. and you know scottie had that rep. i just said thats what i think when i hear his name. he was still an all timer
March 13th, 2010 at 11:23 pm
ali says:
i know warden norton. i just like to instigate w/ you,
yo, evan turner gets it in!!! love the smooth operator in his game.
March 13th, 2010 at 11:31 pm
ali says:
and demarcus cousins beasted tennessee today. speaking of freshman, how ’bout derrick favors getting g-tech to the acc final?
March 15th, 2010 at 8:42 am
illest says:
turners game is effortless. amazing how he was on the oden/conley team.
March 15th, 2010 at 11:43 am
ali says:
and he might wind up being the best player out of oden, conley and cook, down the road, illest.
March 15th, 2010 at 12:12 pm
illest says:
easily….oden has done nothing. conley will improve but will never be one of the top point guards. and cook barely plays.
March 15th, 2010 at 12:23 pm
Blk Caesar says:
Dude oden is real close to having the “bust” tage put on him.. OIF he doesn’t show and prove when he gets back.. It will be official.. Oden is a bust.. Did you guys hear that ESPN is doing a doc on Iverson? I am not sure if its going to be apart of the 30 on 30 series, but Bill Simmons was talking about it.
March 15th, 2010 at 12:29 pm
ali says:
i wouldn’t jump so quickly to easily there, warden. i beg to differ on the big man. oden looked like things were coming along. he was shoting over 60% and averaging 11 (on only 7 shots per game)points and 9 boards. and he was only playing a lil’ more than 20 minutes per game. he’s gonna be alright.
and conley has showed some brilliant flashes. he needs to add that consistency, but i give him some wiggle room because of his youth and the demands of the pg position.
March 15th, 2010 at 12:32 pm
ali says:
caese,
you in cahoots with the warden now? oden has had his struggles, but i can’t put him in the vicinity of the B word. kid has a very high ceiling.
March 15th, 2010 at 12:32 pm
Blk Caesar says:
Ali.. Oden has to get it in next season! oh and here’s the trailer to the Iverson joint.. It is a part of 30 for 30…
http://30for30.espn.com/film/no-crossover-the-trial-of-allen-iverson.html
March 15th, 2010 at 12:37 pm
illest says:
blk…i mentioned about the iverson doc and posted the trailer on the machine gun funk iverson post. it is 30 for 30…actually one of the next ones they are showing.
he needs to do better than 11 and 9 for the top pick. hopefully hes hungry enough after injury to show and prove.
March 15th, 2010 at 12:38 pm
Blk Caesar says:
Yeah I am with the Warden on this one.. He just looked really lost to me on the court when he played.. For his sake, let’s hope he can come along like Jermaine O’neal did when he was with Portland.. When Oden played in the national title game he got it in.. If he can just string together that kind of effort and focus for the long haul maybe he will be alright.. but again Ali.. Dude has to show and prove next season… If Camby sticks around maybe he can mentor him..
March 15th, 2010 at 12:43 pm
Blk Caesar says:
That’s right you did mention it… I guess I am having early 30’s mental lapses now! How bout them Milwaukee Bucks gents…
March 15th, 2010 at 1:37 pm
ali says:
them bucks are hummin’. bogut has taken that next step. the addition of salmons and stackhouse was a slick move. they’re playing the best ball in the league over the last few weeks, along w/ dallas and cleveland. and the bobcats have won 6 in a row as well. will someone in the mass media give stephen jackson his props, please!
yo, the jazz/thunder matchup was ill. westbrook was givin’ it to deron williams. well, they were givin’ it to each other. but you had to be impressed with westbrook’s 30 joints and 11 dimes. with durant on fire, i think they can take a series in the west come playoff time.
and the french dude, batum, out in portland, is coming along too. he’s decent.
hmmmm, wondering if steph curry has become the best rookie right now, slightly ahead of tyreke. i don’t think he has, just yet, but he’s coming on STRONG! it’s rare that you find such an excellent shooter, with the green light to gun, who’s also an incredible passer and floor leader. and how many scouts and gm’s are kicking themselves over missing out on wes matthews and marcus thornton?
and i’m glad to see the nets taking the reigns off of terrence williams, the rookie from the ‘ville, by way of his hometown of seattle (crazy how many young one’s they got puttin’ in work), and seeing what he can do. so far this month, he’s the sliver of sunshine in their abysmal season. heard they finally broke ground in brooklyn, too.
March 15th, 2010 at 1:54 pm
illest says:
the bucks have made moves. and bogut definitely worked on his game and plays like he is left handed. hes playing like a true center should.
March 15th, 2010 at 1:56 pm
illest says:
no ones commenting on the wonderful reggie vs the knicks film.
March 15th, 2010 at 3:29 pm
Blk Caesar says:
Yo, I didn’t have a chance to watch the reggie vs. knicks joint yet.. Its dvr’d. Hopefully I can find some time tonight to watch it.. I did see the Magic Bird film on HBO.. It was cool. Steph Curry is balling.. I think falling to Golden State was a blessing in disguise for him. I really like Westbrook man.. His athleticism is crazy. He can get in the lane at ease and he has the potential to be a serious lock down defender at the 1 spot.. He is a nice compliment to Durant, but you just hope that OKC will be able to keep that group of guys together once they hit free agency.. Oh and Captain jack gets props for me.. I really felt like the Celts should have gone after him.. BTW what is happening to the Celts?? age? health? infighting? what’s the problem there?
March 15th, 2010 at 4:40 pm
funkalot says:
Steph Curry at this moment is the best rookie. His numbers daily say so.
And I, too, am in cahoots with Illest and Caesar on the Ohio Non-players. Oden is Olowokandi, Cook is cooked and Conley is the least. Put the Brown Hornet at the helm of the Grizz and watch them impersonate OKC. Evan Turner will be the best of the Ohio playaz.
Oh and Bogut is the best center in the East. I take him over Superless man D-Howard, at present. Yeah, The Bucks are humming. Stackhouse is still getting it in, along with Ssalmon. Who is their GM?
The Celtics are done and look like they need Obamacare immediately!
March 15th, 2010 at 4:59 pm
Blk Caesar says:
Their GM is John Hammond.. Fellas, what happened to the back to the basket center???
March 15th, 2010 at 6:16 pm
funkalot says:
Caes,
Bogut is a post up center, but it appears profitable to be able to have a perimeter oriented game as a big, to allow for other post-up mismatches by, commonly, guards and other forwards.
Timmy D – Ali’s guy, is another post-up big, but guys like this are a vanishing breed.
March 15th, 2010 at 6:20 pm
ali says:
great question caese. before i delve into my opinions, i will assert that ya’ll are all jumping the gun on the ohio playaz. oden and conley have game, and they’re still in the formative stage of their pro development, considering they left school after 1 year to play the hardest positions, pg and center, in the nba.
seems like all we’re left with, in terms of doing it at it’s highest level, is yao and tim duncan on the back to the basket tip.
rasheed fell in love with the gold digging three point line, which has left him broke, c-webb is posting up on tnt, divac has walked into the sunset and shaq is on his last legs. they were the last vestiges of the 80s and 90s, when the true post player was ubiquitous.
however, oden offers hope (despite the contrary opinions of my respected colleagues), as does young studs like al jefferson and andrew bynum. zach randolph is another who’s mastered serving others with his back to the basket.
where have they gone? the evolution of the game, with an emphasis on skilled big men that can play all over, has hurt. blame sabonis and dirk to an extent.
also, with so much emphasis being put on the aau scene, where fundamentals are eschewed in favor of the run and gun guard game, big men are not getting the time nor the reps. also, many things that were taken for granted, in terms of how the game was taught years ago, have gone by the waistside – i.e., the simple low post entry pass.
also, you can’t forget all of the guys growing up in the ’80s, wanting to be like mike, doc and magic. watching those guys operate seemed so much more aesthetically pleasing than dissecting the genius of guys like parish and mchale.
i have the cure. make olajuwon and mchale highlights a required course of study. like my man archie, aka illest, says – “those were the days…”
March 15th, 2010 at 6:27 pm
ali says:
and like funk said, bogut’s got a lot of old school in his post game too.
March 16th, 2010 at 9:05 am
funkalot says:
Ali,
My Brother, had the Ohio Playaz had not been the 1st and 4th picks in their drafts, I would be more forgiving. However, expectations for producing immediately are reasonable based on their draft positioning. I grant you Oden appeared to be heading into “okay” territory prior to the injury, but dems the brakes and Conley is serviceable, at best. As such, they are woefully underperforming and are subject to the scrutiny the “Archie’s” – we give them.
All niceties aside they are overpriced and overvalued back-ups. Others with similar one year college experiences have done more sooner.
March 16th, 2010 at 10:02 am
ali says:
i see that side of the argument, funk, no doubt. but i see those guys turning the corner.
conley started showing me, in december, that he was taking that next step. he’s the starting point guard for a team that’s historically been terrible, yet they’re 35-32 right now, one of the best stories of this season.
he’s inconsistent, as evidenced by putting up 26 and 7 in a win against the hornets earlier this month, then putting up a rotten egg in their recent loss to denver. he ain’t there yet, but i see him moving in that direction.
he is fortunate to be given some on the job training, whereas others are not afforded that luxury. but point guards are judged by their team’s overall performance, are they not?
he’s picking his spots, getting acclimated to the pro game, making sure zach, rudy and oj get their light and his team is not only surprisingly competitive, they’re winning. so, in that regard, i’ll give him a passing grade, with the thought that he can grow into a quicksilver, upper tier floor general down the road.
March 17th, 2010 at 1:44 pm
ali says:
finally caught dan klores doc off the DVR last night. i felt emotions dwelling inside me that i thought had forever been exorcised. no need for panic, i’m back in therapy. that damn reggie miller!
that joint was excellent. my daughters, who are starting to enjoy watching hoops with me, were transfixed at the cheryl miller footage. the sat still for the entire film, asking me questions about mase, greg anthony, oak, spike, rik smits, the davis boys, etc.
still hoping, after countless replays, that ewings layup will somehow bounce around the rim and drop through. amazing, the level of emotion that sport can trigger.
March 18th, 2010 at 11:00 am
illest says:
a hole was punched in a door because of that ewing missed layup in game seven.