Kevin Zabo

{{Infobox basketball biography

| name = Kevin Zabo

| image = Kevin Zabo (cropped).jpg

| image_size =

| caption = Zabo with San Diego State in 2014

| position = Point guard / shooting guard

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 3

| weight_lbs = 190

| league = LEB Plata

| team = CB Ciudad de Ponferrada

| number = 6

| nationality = Canadian

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1995|05|12|mf=y}}

| birth_place = Sherbrooke, Quebec

| high_school =

| college = *San Diego State (2014–2015)

Indian Hills CC (2015–2016)
Kent State (2016–2018)

| draft_year = 2018

| career_start = 2018

| years1 = 2018

| team1 = St. John's Edge

| highlights =

| medal_templates = {{MedalSport | Men's basketball}}

{{MedalCountry|{{flagu|Canada}}}}

| team2 = Albacete Basket

| years2 = 2018–2019

| team3 = CB Ciudad de Ponferrada

| years3 = 2019–present

}}

Kevin Zabo (born December 5, 1995) is a Canadian professional basketball player for the CB Ciudad de Ponferrada of the LEB Plata. He completed his college basketball career with Kent State.

Early life

Zabo was born in Sherbrooke, Quebec to Congolese father Ndavo Zeph Zabo and Rwandan mother Jackie Mukamayire.{{cite web |last1=Zeigler |first1=Mark |title=Zabo's journey: Africa, Canada, SDSU |url=http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sports/aztecs/sdut-sdsu-basketball-kevin-zabo-africa-canada-2014nov05-story.html |website=The San Diego Union-Tribune |accessdate=October 28, 2018 |date=November 5, 2014}} His parents and older brother Alexandre had settled in Canada in the 1990s to escape a brewing war in central Africa. At age 4, Zabo moved to Gatineau, Quebec, and at age 5, he began playing basketball against older opponents in a YMCA league. He played for De L'Île High School by 7th grade and was also a member of Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) team QC United.{{cite web |last1=Castora |first1=Tanner |title=Behind the jersey: Kent State junior point guard Kevin Zabo |url=http://www.kentwired.com/latest_updates/article_acc588f6-f968-11e6-a05b-ebe3b9d13509.html |publisher=Kent Wired |date=February 22, 2017|accessdate=October 30, 2018}}{{cite web |last1=Hayes |first1=Barry |title=2010 AAU Spotlight: QC-United |url=http://www.hoopstarscanada.com/news.pl?nid=73 |publisher=Hoopstars Canada |accessdate=October 28, 2018 |date=July 8, 2014}}

High school career

When he was 15 years old, Zabo started living in the United States, away from his family, for high school. He first attended St. Mark's School in Southborough, Massachusetts, where he was teammates with college prospects Nik Stauskas, Alex Murphy, and Kaleb Tarczewski. With St. Mark's, Zabo was ranked among the top guards in his class by ESPN.{{cite web |last1=Hall |first1=Brendan C. |title=Kevin Zabo returning to New England |url=https://www.espn.com/blog/boston/high-school/post/_/id/17103/kevin-zabo-returning-to-new-england |publisher=ESPN |access-date=October 28, 2018 |date=June 13, 2012}} However, he decided to transfer due to the school's requirement of playing multiple sports, which forced him to play football. As a sophomore, he attended Montrose Christian School in Rockville, Maryland but left after one year over housing concerns.

Zabo completed his high school career at Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, where he joined several NCAA Division I recruits, including Devonte' Graham and Chris McCullough. In the 2013–14 season, he helped his team finish with a 33–2 record and win the National Prep Championship and New England Preparatory School Athletic Council Class AAA title.{{cite web |title=Kevin Zabo |url=https://goaztecs.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=510 |publisher=San Diego State University Athletics |accessdate=October 28, 2018}} Zabo was rated a three-star recruit by recruiting service 247Sports and ESPN.{{cite web |title=Kevin Zabo |url=https://www.espn.com/college-sports/basketball/recruiting/player/_/id/126052/kevin-zabo |publisher=ESPN |access-date=October 28, 2018}}{{cite web |title=Kevin Zabo |url=https://247sports.com/Player/Kevin-Zabo-24016/high-school-38508/ |publisher=247Sports |accessdate=October 28, 2018}} He played with CIA Bounce on the AAU circuit, a team that featured Anthony Bennett and Andrew Wiggins, who would both become first overall NBA draft picks.

College career

Zabo joined a San Diego State team that was coming off a 31–5 season, and he was logging productive minutes during the nonconference season. However, after spraining his pinky toe, Zabo had trouble finding his spot in the rotation. He opted to transfer following the season. Zabo played a season at Indian Hills Community College, averaging seven points per game and attracting the attention of Division I coaches. He narrowed down his choices to Wichita State, Memphis and Iona. However, Wichita State ran out of scholarships, Memphis lost its coaching staff and Iona signed another point guard. Kent State head coach Rob Senderoff had seen Zabo play at Indian Hills while recruiting his teammate Jerrelle DeBerry, and the Golden Flashes were losing starting point guard Kellon Thomas to transfer, so Senderoff offered Zabo a scholarship.

He committed to Kent State, and helped lead the team to the 2017 NCAA Tournament as a junior.{{cite news |last1=Moff |first1=Allen |title=Kent State men's basketball program adds junior college guard Williams |url=https://www.record-courier.com/sports/20180418/kent-state-mens-basketball-program-adds-junior-college-guard-williams |accessdate=October 30, 2018 |work=Record-Courier |date=April 18, 2018}} He posted 5.6 points per game on the season.{{cite news |last1=Moff |first1=Allen |title=Kent State set for Senior Night showdown with Miami |url=https://www.record-courier.com/sports/20180226/kent-state-set-for-senior-night-showdown-with-miami |accessdate=October 30, 2018 |work=The Record-Courier |date=February 26, 2018}} On January 12, 2018, Zabo scored a career-high 24 points and hit four three-pointers in a 70–69 win over Ohio.{{cite news |title=Zabo, De La Rosa spark Kent State to 70-69 victory |url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=400990210 |access-date=October 30, 2018 |work=ESPN |agency=Associated Press |date=January 12, 2018}} The following game, Zabo scored 23 points in a 73–71 win over Western Michigan.{{cite news |title=Zabo, Peterson lead Kent State past Western Michigan 73-71 |url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=400990219 |access-date=October 30, 2018 |work=ESPN |agency=Associated Press |date=January 16, 2018}} As a senior at Kent State, Zabo averaged 13 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists per game and shot 42.1% from the field.{{cite web|url=http://sjnbl.prestosports.com/sports/mbkb/2018-19/releases/KevinZabo|title=Edge Sign Kevin Zabo|date=August 2, 2018|website=St. John's Edge|accessdate=October 30, 2018}}

Professional career

After completing his collegiate eligibility, Zabo participated in the inaugural Dos Equis 3X3U National Championship.{{cite news |last1=Moff |first1=Allen |title=Three-peat for Stypinski |url=https://www.record-courier.com/sports/20180327/three-peat-for-stypinski |accessdate=October 30, 2018 |work=The Record-Courier |date=March 27, 2018}}