Preston Knowles
{{short description|American basketball player}}
{{Infobox basketball biography
| name = Preston Knowles
| image =
| caption =
| position = Point guard
| height_cm = 185
| weight_kg = 88
| league = Asean Basketball League
| team = Mono Vampire
| number = 15
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|mf=yes|1989|3|29}}
| birth_place = Winchester, Kentucky, U.S.
| highschool = George Rogers Clark
(Winchester, Kentucky)
| college = Louisville (2007–2011)
| draft_year = 2011
| career_start = 2011
| years1 = 2011
| team1 = Dnipro-Azot
| years2 = 2011–2012
| team2 = Springfield Armor
| years3 = 2013
| team3 = K.A.O.D.
| years4 = 2013–2015
| team4 = Ironi Nes Ziona
| years5 = 2015–2016
| team5 = Giorgio Tesi Group Pistoia
| years6 = 2016
| team6 = AEK Larnaca
| years7 = 2016–2017
| team7 = Maccabi Ashdod
| years8 = 2017–2018
| team8 = Zadar
| years9 = 2018–2019
| team9 = Derthona Basket
| years10 = 2019
| team10 = Aurora Jesi
| years11 = 2019–present
| team11 = Mono Vampire
| highlights =
}}
Preston Demond Knowles (born March 29, 1989) is an American professional basketball player for Aurora Jesi of the Italian Serie A2 Basket. He formerly played college basketball for the Louisville Cardinals.
High school and college career
Knowles attended George Rogers Clark High School in his native Winchester, Kentucky.
He stayed in the state for college, signing with Louisville, playing in the Big East Conference of the NCAA Division I, in 2007.
Playing for the Cardinals, he was noted for his work ethic, defense,{{cite news |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB123696874244522043 |title=Cardinals Rule an Otherwise Awful Winter |accessdate=2009-03-16 |last= Berman|first= Dennis K.|date= 2009-03-16|publisher=Wall Street Journal}} and three-point shooting, regularly amongst the best in the Conference in shooting percentage from three.{{cite web |url=http://www.gocards.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=403&path=mbball |title=Preston Knowles |author= |website=GoCards.com |access-date=31 July 2015}}
Professional career
Knowles signed a contract with Ukrainian Basketball SuperLeague side Dnipro-Azot in December 2012, he ended up playing in 3 games in the league before leaving the side that same month.{{cite web |url=http://www.eurobasket.com/reports/2011/12/31.asp |title=Eurobasket news report (12/31/2011) - Dnipro release Frederick House, DniproAzot part ways with Preston Knowles |author= |date=31 December 2011 |website=Eurobasket.com |access-date=31 July 2015}}
The American then returned home, signing with the Springfield Armor of the NBA Development League in January 2012.
He finished the 2011–12 season with the Armor, averaging 7.3 points, 1.1 assists and 1.1 steals in nearly 17 minutes per game after playing 31 games.{{cite web |url=http://stats.nbadleague.com/playerStats.html?PlayerID=202972 |title=Preston Knowles |author= |website=NBADLeague.com |access-date=31 July 2015}}
After another stint with Dnipro-Azot in which he didn't play a competitive game, Knowles moved to Greek Basket League K.A.O.D. American Genetics in October 2012. He finished the 2012–13 with 12.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists in more than 27 minutes per game after playing in 23 games.{{cite web |url=http://www.esake.gr/en/action/EsakeplayerView?idteam=00000009&idchampionship=00000001&idplayer=0000071C&mode=1 |title=ΝΟΟΥΛΣ Πρέστον |author= |website=Esake.gr |access-date=31 July 2015 |trans-title=Knowles Preston}}
In the 2013 summer off-season, Knowles signed a contract to play for Ironi Nes Ziona in the Israeli Basketball Super League.{{cite web|url=http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20130807/SPORTS02/308070105/Former-Louisville-basketball-players-Preston-Knowles-Larry-O-Bannon-sign-new-overseas-deals?nclick_check=1|title=Former Louisville basketball players Preston Knowles, Larry O'Bannon sign new overseas deals |date=7 August 2013 |publisher=Louisville Courier-Journal|access-date=31 July 2015 |url-access=subscription }}
In August 2014, his deal was extended for another season.{{cite web |url=http://www.eurobasket.com/reports/2014/8/3.asp |title=Eurobasket news report (8/3/2014) - Ironi Nes-Ziona keeps Knowles for another season |author= |date=3 August 2014 |website=Eurobasket.com |access-date=31 July 2015}}
In July 2015, Knowles moved to Italian Lega Basket Serie A outfit Giorgio Tesi Group Pistoia, signing for the 2015–16 season.{{cite web |url=http://www.pistoiabasket2000.com/news/70981684742/ingaggiato-preston-knowles |title=Ingaggiato Preston Knowles |author= |date=31 July 2015 |website=PistoiaBasket2000.com |access-date=31 July 2015 |language=it |trans-title=Preston Knowles is recruited}}
The 2016–17 season, Knowles started with AEK Larnaca but left the club after appearing in two games. On December 18, 2016, he signed with Israeli club Maccabi Ashdod.{{cite news|title=Maccabi Ashdod lands Preston Knowles and Jackie Carmichael|url=http://www.sportando.com/en/europe/israel/220648/maccabi-ashdod-lands-preston-knowles-and-jackie-carmichael.html|accessdate=December 18, 2016|work=Sportando.com|date=December 18, 2016}}
On August 25, 2017, Knowles signed with the Croatian team Zadar for the 2017–18 season.{{cite news|title=KK Zadar signs Preston Knowles and Domagoj Vukovic|url=http://www.sportando.com/en/europe/croatia/245131/kk-zadar-signs-preston-knowles-and-domagoj-vukovic.html|accessdate=August 25, 2017|work=Sportando.com|date=August 25, 2017}} He averaged 14.5 points and 4.2 rebounds per game.
On July 17, 2018, Knowles signed with the Italian second division squad Derthona Basket.[https://sportando.basketball/en/italy/serie-a2-ovest/282167/preston-knowles-inks-with-derthona-basket.html Preston Knowles inks with Derthona Basket] In January 2019, Knowles moved to another Serie A2 Basket club, Aurora Jesi.{{cite news|title=Preston Knowles potpisao za Termoforgiju Jesi|url=https://ezadar.rtl.hr/sport/3326559/preston-knowles-potpisao-za-termoforgiju-jesi/|language=hr|publisher=ezadar.rtl.hr|date=23 January 2019|accessdate=19 May 2019}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fc/gameCent/p/leagueid//ot//pid/6056460/playerView.html FIBA game center profile]{{dead link|date=January 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} Retrieved 31 July 2015
- [http://www.basket.co.il/PlayerPage.asp?PlayerNumber=05&TeamId=923&cYear=2015&cView=2&lang=en Israeli Super League profile] Retrieved 31 July 2015
- [http://basketball.realgm.com/player/Preston-Knowles/Summary/6123 RealGM profile] Retrieved 31 July 2015
{{DEFAULTSORT:Knowles, Preston}}
Category:AEK Larnaca B.C. players
Category:American expatriate basketball people in Croatia
Category:American expatriate basketball people in Cyprus
Category:American expatriate basketball people in Israel
Category:American expatriate basketball people in Italy
Category:American expatriate basketball people in Ukraine
Category:Basketball players from Kentucky
Category:BC Dnipro-Azot players
Category:Ironi Ness Ziona B.C. players
Category:Israeli Basketball Premier League players
Category:K.A.O.D. B.C. players
Category:Louisville Cardinals men's basketball players
Category:Maccabi Ashdod B.C. players
Category:People from Winchester, Kentucky
Category:Pistoia Basket 2000 players
Category:Springfield Armor players
Category:American men's basketball players
Category:American expatriate basketball people in Thailand
Category:ASEAN Basketball League players