Billy Keys

{{Infobox basketball biography

| name = Billy Keys

| image =

| image_size =

| position = Point guard

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 2

| weight_lbs = 210

| league =

| team =

| number =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1977|10|26}}

| birth_place = Chicago, Illinois, U.S.

| high_school = Hugh Manley (Chicago, Illinois)

| college =

Northeastern Illinois (1995–1998)
New Mexico State (1998–2000)

| draft_year = 2000

| career_start = 2000

| career_end = 2014

| career_position =

| career_number =

| coach_start = 2014

| coach_end =

| years1 = 2000–2001

| team1 = New Mexico Slam

| years2 = 2001

| team2 = Grindavík

| years3 = 2001

| team3 = Florida Sea Dragons

| years4 = 2001–2002

| team4 = Fargo-Moorhead Beez

| years5 = 2002

| team5 = Cocodrilos de Caracas

| years6 = 2002–2003

| team6 = Hapoel Tel Aviv

| years7 = 2003–2004

| team7 = Roseto

| years8 = 2004

| team8 = Dakota Wizards

| years9 = 2004

| team9 = Cocodrilos de Caracas

| years10 = 2004–2005

| team10 = Dakota Wizards

| years11 = 2005

| team11 = Gran Canaria

| years12 = 2005–2006

| team12 = Zaragoza

| years13 = 2006–2007

| team13 = Varese

| years14 = 2007–2008

| team14 = AEL 1964

| years15 = 2008–2010

| team15 = Maroussi

| years16 = 2010–2011

| team16 = Budivelnyk

| years17 = 2011–2013

| team17 = Panionios

| years18 = 2013–2014

| team18 = Nilan Bisons

| cyears1 = 2014–2015

| cteam1 = Centennial HS (assistant)

| cyears2 = 2015–2019

| cteam2 = Mayfield HS

| cyears3 = 2019–present

| cteam3 = Northern New Mexico College

(assistant)

| highlights =

CBA champion (2004)

}}

William Amar Keys (born October 26, 1977) is an American former professional basketball player and basketball coach. At a height of {{convert|6|ft|2|in|m|abbr=on}} and a weight of {{convert|210|lb|kg}}, he played at the point guard position. He currently is a men's basketball assistant coach at Northern New Mexico College in Espanola, New Mexico.

College career

After playing high school basketball at Hugh Manley High School in Chicago, Illinois, Keys played college basketball at Northeastern Illinois University, with the Northeastern Illinois Golden Eagles, from 1995 to 1998, and at New Mexico State University, with the New Mexico State Aggies, from 1998 to 2000. He was named to the 1999–00 season's All-Big West Conference First Team.

Professional career

In February 2001, Keys signed with Grindavík of the Icelandic Úrvalsdeild karla.{{cite news |title=Daley farinn frá Grindavík |url=https://timarit.is/page/3388674 |accessdate=12 April 2020 |work=Morgunblaðið |date=20 February 2001 |page=3B |language=Icelandic}} In his debut, he scored a season high 47 points along with 18 rebounds an 7 assists.{{cite news |title=Lykillinn |url=https://timarit.is/page/3012699 |accessdate=12 April 2020 |work=Dagblaðið Vísir |date=2 March 2001 |pages=16–17 |language=Icelandic}} In three regular season games, he averaged 38.7 points, 12.7 rebounds and 5.7 assists.{{cite web |title=William Keys: Ferillinn í úrvalsdeild |url=http://gamli.kki.is/tolfraedi_ferill_leikmanns.asp?Felaganumer=137724 |website=kki.is |publisher=Icelandic Basketball Association |accessdate=12 April 2020 |language=Icelandic}} In the playoffs, Grindavík lost to Tindastóll, 1–2, in the first round{{cite news |author1=Björn Björnsson |title=Tindastóll loks áfram |url=https://timarit.is/page/3391867 |accessdate=12 April 2020 |work=Morgunblaðið |date=21 March 2001 |page=2C |language=Icelandic}} with Keys averaging 26.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists.{{cite web |title=EPSON-deild úrsl.keppni – UMFG |url=http://gamli.kki.is/mot/1500001200_UMFG________.htm |website=kki.is |publisher=Icelandic Basketball Association |accessdate=12 April 2020 |language=Icelandic}}

Keys played with the Miami Heat during their 2002–03 NBA season training camp, but he did not play in any official NBA games with the club. He then played with the New York Knicks' NBA Summer League team, in the summer of 2003. Keys then won the 2004 CBA championship with the Dakota Wizards.

In the summer of 2004, he played with the NBA Summer League teams of both the Detroit Pistons and the Denver Nuggets. He then played with Nuggets during their 2004–05 NBA season training camp, but he did not play in any official NBA games with the club. He next played with the NBA Summer League teams of both the Portland Trail Blazers and the Houston Rockets, in the summer of 2005.{{Cite web |url=http://www.acb.com/jugador.php?id=B7C |title=ACB.com – Billy Keys {{in lang{{!}}es}}. |access-date=2010-02-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120927172355/http://www.acb.com/jugador.php?id=B7C |archive-date=2012-09-27 |url-status=dead }}

Keys also played in the three major European national domestic basketball leagues, the Italian LBA League, the Spanish ACB League, and the Greek Basket League. In 2009, he extended his contract with the EuroLeague club Maroussi.[http://www.euroleague.net/news/i/55430/180/maroussi-re-signs-point-guard-billy-keys Euroleague.net Maroussi re-signs point guard Billy Keys.] He retired from playing professional basketball in 2014.

Coaching career

Keys began his basketball coaching career in 2014, when he became an assistant coach at Centennial High School, in Las Cruces, New Mexico. He then became the head coach at Mayfield High School, in Las Cruces, New Mexico, in 2015.[http://www.lcsun-news.com/story/sports/high-school/2015/05/06/prep-basketball-former-aggie-billy-keys-takes-over/32309759/ PREP BASKETBALL: Former Aggie Billy Keys takes over at Mayfield High.]

References

External links

[http://www.euroleague.net/competition/players/showplayer?clubcode=MAR&pcode=KIG&seasoncode=e2009#!careerstats Euroleague.net Profile]
[http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Billy-Keys-5580/stats/ Draftexpress.com Profile] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111020144928/http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Billy-Keys-5580/stats/ |date=2011-10-20 }}
[http://www.eurobasket.com/player.asp?Cntry=GRE&PlayerID=32259 Eurobasket.com Profile]
[http://widgets.baskethotel.com/site/esake/player/5112247/ Greek Basket League Profile]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20120927172355/http://www.acb.com/jugador.php?id=B7C Spanish League Profile] {{in lang|es}}
[http://195.56.77.208/player/?id=KEY-WIL-77 Italian League Profile] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110704060010/http://195.56.77.208/player/?id=KEY-WIL-77 |date=2011-07-04 }} {{in lang|it}}
[http://gamli.kki.is/tolfraedi_ferill_leikmanns.asp?Felaganumer=137724 Úrvalsdeild Profile] {{in lang|is}}

Category:1977 births

Category:Living people

Category:A.E.L. 1964 B.C. players

Category:American men's basketball coaches

Category:American expatriate basketball people in Finland

Category:American expatriate basketball people in Greece

Category:American expatriate basketball people in Iceland

Category:American expatriate basketball people in Israel

Category:American expatriate basketball people in Italy

Category:American expatriate basketball people in Spain

Category:American expatriate basketball people in Ukraine

Category:American expatriate basketball people in Venezuela