Brian Kellerman

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Brian Kellerman
Personal information
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Listed weight190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
High schoolRichland (Richland, Washington)
CollegeIdaho (1979–1983)
NBA draft1983 / Round: 7 / Pick: 140th overall
Selected by the Houston Rockets
Playing career1983–1986
PositionShooting guard
Career history
1983–1984Crystal Palace
1984–1985Athletes in Action
1985–1986Efes Pilsen
Career highlights and awards

Brian Kellerman is an American former basketball player. He is known for his college career at the University of Idaho. where in 1981 he was named the Big Sky Conference Player of the Year. He also played professionally in England and Turkey.

High school career[]

Kellerman was raised in Richland, Washington, where as a senior at Richland High School he led the team to the Washington AAA state championship and was named state player of the year at the conclusion of the season.[1] A 6'2" small forward in high school, Kellerman was not recruited by major conference schools, but was signed by Idaho Vandals head coach Don Monson who projected him as a shooting guard. Kellerman grew three inches between committing to the Vandals and arriving on campus, making him a taller guard, especially in the mid-major Big Sky Conference.[2]

College career[]

Kellerman became a starter in his freshman season, teaming with senior and eventual Big Sky MVP Don Newman to lead the Vandals to a second-place conference finish. He averaged 11.3 points and 3.4 assists on the season. For the 1980–81 season, Kellerman was joined by junior college transfer Ken Owens and led the team to 11 consecutive wins to start the campaign. They would finish 25–4 overall and win the Big Sky regular season and Tournament titles. In the NCAA Tournament, the Vandals' first in program history, they narrowly lost to Pittsburgh by a point in overtime in the first round.[2] Kellerman received individual recognition after averaging 16 points and 3.2 assists a game and earning Big Sky Player of the Year honors as a sophomore.[3]

The following season, Kellerman and Owens led the Vandals to their best season in program history. The team won their first 16 contests before dropping a pair of road games to Montana and Notre Dame. These would be the only losses for the rest of the regular season as the team won the Big Sky Tournament and entered the 1982 NCAA Tournament with a record of 26–2 and ranked #8 in the country. The third-seeded Vandals won their second round contest over Iowa 69–67 in overtime and advanced to the Sweet 16, where they lost to Oregon State. Kellerman was again honored as a first-team All-Big Sky pick, but lost the conference player of the year award to his backcourt partner Owens. With the loss of Owens the team took a step back in the conference but Kellerman posted a career-high 17.9 points per game and was named All-Big Sky for the third consecutive season.

Kellerman ended his Vandals career as the school's all-time leading scorer (since eclipsed) with 1,586 points. In 1988 he was named to the Big Sky Conference's 25th anniversary team along with Ken Owens.[4] In 2006 he was inducted into the Northern Idaho Athletic Hall of Fame and two years later was named to the University of Idaho Athletics Hall of Fame.

Professional career and later life[]

Following the close of his college career, Kellerman was drafted by the Houston Rockets in the seventh round of the 1983 NBA draft (140th pick overall), but did not make the team. He instead went to England to play for the Crystal Palace basketball team for the 1983–84 season. At the conclusion of the season, he returned to the United States and played for Athletes in Action, a faith-based barnstorming team known for playing exhibition games against American colleges in the 1980s.[5] For the 1985–86 season, Kellerman joined Efes Pilsen in Turkey.[6] Following his lone season in Turkey, Kellerman retired from playing and entered software sales.[7]

References[]

  1. ^ "2 bombers honored". Spokane Daily Chronicle. April 12, 1979. p. 17. Retrieved January 19, 2022 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  2. ^ a b White Jr., Gordon S. (January 18, 1982). "Idaho is moving on, with New Yorker key player". New York Times. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  3. ^ "Brian Kellerman of Idaho named MVP in Big Sky". Independent Record. March 14, 1981. p. 11. Retrieved January 19, 2022 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  4. ^ "Krysto tops Big Sky's 25th fete team". South Idaho Press. January 24, 1988. p. 10. Retrieved January 19, 2022 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  5. ^ "Today, Kellerman gets by on a win and a prayer". The Spokesman-Review. December 9, 1984. p. 7. Retrieved January 19, 2022 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  6. ^ "Idaho's magic season hasn't ended yet". The Spokesman-Review. November 17, 1985. p. 44. Retrieved January 19, 2022 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  7. ^ Trimmer, Dave (February 29, 2008). "Kellerman's Brave world". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved January 19, 2022.

External links[]

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