Ken Owens (basketball)
{{short description|American basketball player and coach}}
{{for|the Welsh rugby union player|Ken Owens}}
{{Infobox basketball biography
| name = Ken Owens
| image =
| caption =
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 0
| weight_lb = 180
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1959|5|3}}
| birth_place = New York City, New York, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| high_school = Manhattan Vocational and Technical
(New York City, New York)
| college =
- Treasure Valley CC (1978–1980)
- Idaho (1980–1982)
| draft_year = 1982
| draft_round = 4
| draft_pick = 88
| draft_team = Seattle SuperSonics
| career_start =
| career_end =
| career_number = 14
| career_position = Point guard
| coach_start = 1987
| cyears1 = 1987–2020
| cteam1 = Columbia Basin (assistant)
| highlights =
- Big Sky Player of the Year (1982)
- First-team All-Big Sky (1982)
- Second-team All-Big Sky (1981)
- AP Honorable mention All-American (1982)
- 2× Big Sky tournament MVP (1981, 1982)
}}
Ken Owens (born May 3, 1959) is an American basketball coach and former player. He is known for his college basketball career at the University of Idaho, and was the Big Sky Conference Player of the Year in 1982.
Early life and education
Born and raised in New York City, Owens attended Manhattan Vocational and Technical High School, then went west to Treasure Valley Community College (TVCC) in eastern Oregon, where he was recruited by former Idaho assistant Dale James.
University of Idaho
This connection paid off for Vandals' head coach Don Monson as he recruited the point guard to complete his college career on the Palouse at Idaho.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=iKpfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=nTIMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4996%2C3901967 |work=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=(Idaho) |last=Killen |first=John |title=Magic: Owens makes teams go poof |date=January 10, 1982 |page=6C}}{{cite news|title='Union Pacific' — no ramblin' wreck but a fine engineer|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/57011952/the-spokesman-review/|newspaper=The Spokesman-Review|date=February 12, 1982|page=20|via =Newspapers.com|accessdate = August 9, 2020}} {{Open access}}{{cite news|last=White Jr.|first=Gordon S.|title=Idaho is rolling on, with New Yorker key player|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1982/01/18/sports/idaho-is-rolling-on-with-new-yorker-key-player.html|date=January 18, 1982|website=The New York Times|accessdate=August 9, 2020}}
Owens moved into the Idaho starting lineup immediately, succeeding conference player of the year Don Newman. He helped lead the Vandals to their first regular season title, averaging 13.5 points and 3.8 assists per game and earning second-team all-conference honors.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=fPlLAAAAIBAJ&sjid=cO4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=4606%2C4819214 |work=Spokesman-Review |location=(Spokane, Washington) |agency=Associated Press |title=Guards head league's list |date=March 12, 1981 |page=22}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=v1ZOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=QPkDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6886%2C2911507 |work=Spokane Daily Chronicle |location=(Washington) |title=Briefs: Kellerman honored |date=March 12, 1981 |page=52}} At the close of the 1980–81 season, Owens led the team to a Big Sky tournament championship and the program's first NCAA tournament berth. He scored 18 points in the championship game against Montana and was named tournament MVP.{{cite news|url=https://digital.lib.uidaho.edu/cdm/ref/collection/argonaut/id/9218?_ga=2.64562924.2129247309.1517587210-632479480.1517437024 |work=Idaho Argonaut |location=(Moscow) |agency=(University of Idaho) |last=Sahlberg |first=Bert|title=Vandals win it all over stubborn Grizzlies |date=March 10, 1981 |page=9 }}{{cite news|title=Idaho wins first-ever Sky crown|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/57017005/the-times-news/|newspaper=Times-News|date=March 8, 1981|page=41|via =Newspapers.com|accessdate = August 9, 2020}} {{Open access}}{{cite news|title=Vandals battle Pitt in NCAA Tourney opener|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/57017730/spokane-chronicle/|newspaper=The Spokesman-Review|date=March 9, 1981|page=10|via =Newspapers.com|accessdate = August 9, 2020}} {{Open access}} Seventh-seeded in the West region, the Vandals lost in overtime by a point and ended the season at 25–4.
The following season, Idaho returned the bulk of its perimeter attack with Owens, 1981 Big Sky Player of the Year Brian Kellerman, and senior forward Gordon Herbert, who returned after a medical redshirt year.{{cite news|title=Guard tandem spearheads Idaho's Big Sky title defense|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/57005202/the-times-news/|newspaper=Times-News|date=November 11, 1981|page=46|via =Newspapers.com|accessdate = August 9, 2020}} {{Open access}} The Vandals opened with sixteen victories, including wins over four Pacific-10 Conference opponents. An early highlight of the season was winning the Far West Classic in Portland in late December, defeating Iowa State, Oregon State, and Oregon. Owens led the way, scoring 32 points in the championship game and taking tournament MVP honors.{{cite news|title=Idaho has no time to celebrate|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/57020243/the-spokesman-review/|newspaper=Spokesman-Review |location=(Spokane, Washington)|date=December 31, 1981|page=13|via =Newspapers.com|accessdate = August 9, 2020}} {{Open access}} The fast start helped the Vandals to rise to eighth in the AP poll before falling at Montana on a last-second shot in January.{{cite news|title=Selvig's followup gives Grizzlies stunning 53–51 win over no. 8 Idaho|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/57019710/the-independent-record/|newspaper=Independent Record|date=January 24, 1982|page=9|via =Newspapers.com|accessdate = August 9, 2020}} {{Open access}} This was their sole conference loss, and only one of two in a 24–2 regular season; they won their last eight games and climbed to sixth in both major polls. Owens capped the regular season by winning Big Sky Player of the Year honors,{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=9upWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Z_kDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5804%2C2626206 |work=Spokane Chronicle |location=(Washington) |title=Vandals honored |date=March 10, 1982 |page=34}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=VJlfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=iTEMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2246%2C3840537 |work=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=(Idaho) |agency=Associated Press |title=Owens: Vandal guard named MVP |date=March 10, 1982 |page=1C}} averaging 14.5 points and 4.0 assists.{{cite news|title=Idaho guards lead list of Big Sky All-Stars|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/57021251/the-sacramento-bee/|newspaper=The Sacramento Bee|date=March 11, 1982|page=70|via =Newspapers.com|accessdate = August 9, 2020}} {{Open access}}
Idaho again hosted and won the conference tournament, and Owens repeated as tourney MVP.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=UplfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=iTEMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4182%2C2444608|newspaper=Lewiston Morning Tribune|location=Idaho|title=Vandals dream of another playoff|last=Killen|first=John|date=March 7, 1982|page=3C}} Ranked eighth in both polls, they entered the 48-team NCAA tournament as the West region's third seed, with a first-round bye. After an overtime win in the second round over Iowa at neighboring Pullman, the Vandals advanced to the Sweet 16, but fell in a rematch to fourth-ranked Oregon State, the West's second seed, and ended at 27–3, which remains the program's best season.
Owens has received several accolades for his two seasons at Idaho, the best ever ({{winpct|52|7|record=y}}) for Vandal basketball. In 1988, he was named to the Big Sky Conference's all-time team, named for the league's 25th anniversary.{{cite news|title='Krysko' pulls most votes for all-time Big Sky team|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/57022679/the-montana-standard/|newspaper=The Montana Standard|date=January 24, 1988|page=12|via =Newspapers.com|accessdate = August 9, 2020}} {{Open access}} In 2012, he was inducted into the University of Idaho's athletics Hall of Fame.{{cite news|title=Hall of Fame - Ken Owens|url=https://govandals.com/news/2012/1/5/hall_of_fame_ken_owens.aspx|date=January 5, 2012|website=Idaho Vandals|accessdate=August 9, 2020}}
Later playing career and coaching
Following the close of his college career, Owens was selected in the fourth round (88th overall) of the 1982 NBA draft by the Seattle SuperSonics,{{cite news|title=Ken Owens goes in 4th|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/57011626/the-missoulian/|newspaper=Missoulian|date=June 30, 1982|page=27|via =Newspapers.com|accessdate = August 9, 2020}} {{Open access}} but did not make the team. After a failed tryout with the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League, he signed with Athletes in Action Canada, and played exhibitions against a number of U.S. and Canadian colleges.{{cite news|title=Former Vandal returns to roots|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/57021874/the-spokesman-review/|newspaper=The Spokesman-Review|date=November 9, 1982|page=17|via =Newspapers.com|accessdate = August 9, 2020}} {{Open access}} In 1987, he turned to coaching, accepting an assistant coach position at Columbia Basin College in Pasco, where he remained for over thirty years.
References
{{reflist|2}}
External links
- [https://cbchawks.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/coaches/ken-owens/12 Columbia Basin Hawks coaching bio]
- [https://www.thedraftreview.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5140&catid=92&Itemid=342 Draft Review profile]
- [https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/kenny-owens-1.html College statistics at Sports Reference]
- [https://govandals.com/honors/hall-of-fame/kenny-owens/124 University of Idaho Athletics Hall of Fame profile]
{{Big Sky Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Owens, Ken}}
Category:American men's basketball coaches
Category:American men's basketball players
Category:Basketball coaches from New York (state)
Category:Basketball players from New York City
Category:Idaho Vandals men's basketball players
Category:Junior college men's basketball coaches in the United States
Category:Junior college men's basketball players in the United States