Kevin Roberson (basketball)

Kevin A. Roberson (October 25, 1970 – May 8, 1993)[1][2] was an American basketball player known for his collegiate playing career at the University of Vermont from 1988 to 1992. He etched himself into the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) record book for blocks; Roberson's 409 career blocks was the third-highest total in Division I history at the time of his graduation, and as of the 2013–14 season it remains the 21st highest.[3] Five different times he recorded 10 or more blocks in a single game,[4] including a career-high 13 against New Hampshire on January 9, 1992.[3] Roberson also scored 1,503 points and grabbed 1,054 rebounds, which were second and first in school history, respectively, at the time of his graduation.[2] Roberson recorded five triple-doubles in his career as well.[2] In his junior and senior seasons he was a two-time All-North Atlantic Conference (NAC) First Team selection, and his senior year in 1991–92 saw him be named the NAC Player of the Year.[2] He averaged 18 points and 11.2 rebounds en route to the award.[5]

Kevin Roberson
Personal information
BornOctober 25, 1970
DiedMay 8, 1993(1993-05-08) (aged 22)
Buffalo, New York
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Listed weight195 lb (88 kg)
Career information
High schoolHutchinson Tech (Buffalo, New York)
CollegeVermont (1988–1992)
NBA draft1992 / Undrafted
PositionCenter
Career highlights and awards

Death and legacy

Roberson went undrafted in the 1992 NBA draft, and less than a year after graduating from the University of Vermont, he was killed in a car accident in his hometown of Buffalo, New York on May 8, 1993.[5][6] He and his sister, Michelle, were hit head-on in an intersection by a drunk driver.[5] Basketball fans throughout the region were stunned.[2] Roberson's coach, Tom Brennan, said "Looking back, what really sticks out is the reaction of everyone to Kevin and I mean everyone. As brilliant as Kevin's career was; as electric a player as he was; everyone talked about Kevin as a person."[2]

Roberson was immediately inducted into the University of Vermont Hall of Fame in 1993.[2] The conference player of the year award was later renamed the "Kevin Roberson America East Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year."[2] Since fall 1993, there has been an annual Kevin Roberson 5K Memorial Run/Walk dedicated to him.[7] Roberson's jersey number (33) also became the first men's basketball number ever retired by the school.[2]

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See also

Further reading

References
  1. "Kevin Roberson stats, splits". ESPN.com. ESPN Internet Ventures, Inc. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
  2. "Vermont Athletic Hall of Fame – Kevin A. Roberson Class of 1992". UVMathletics.com. University of Vermont. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
  3. "2013–14 NCAA Men's Basketball Records" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. 2013. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
  4. Top ten UVM men's basketball players of all time. (March 21, 2010). examiner.com. Retrieved on January 18, 2014.
  5. "Ex-Vermont player killed", Lawrence Journal-World, pp. 2B, May 9, 1993, retrieved January 18, 2014
  6. Hoffer, Richard (December 27, 1993). "A Time To Mourn: Untimely deaths in 1993 kept the sports world in a nearly constant state of grieving". Sports Illustrated. Time Warner. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
  7. "19th Annual Roberson Run set for Oct. 6". Vermont Today. Rutland Herald and Times Argus Newspapers. September 26, 2012. Archived from the original on February 1, 2014. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
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