Kevon Looney

Kevon Looney

Looney in 2016
No. 36 – Golden State Warriors
Position Power forward
League NBA
Personal information
Born (1996-02-06) February 6, 1996
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Nationality American
Listed height 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Listed weight 220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
High school Alexander Hamilton
(Milwaukee, Wisconsin)
College UCLA (2014–2015)
NBA draft 2015 / Round: 1 / Pick: 30th overall
Selected by the Golden State Warriors
Playing career 2015–present
Career history
2015–present Golden State Warriors
2016 →Santa Cruz Warriors (D-League)
Career highlights and awards
Stats at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

Kevon Grant Looney (born February 6, 1996) is an American professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). As a freshman playing college basketball with the UCLA Bruins, he earned second-team all-conference honors in the Pac-12 in 2014–15. After the season, he decided to forego his college eligibility and enter the 2015 NBA draft, and was subsequently selected in the first round by the Warriors with the 30th overall pick.

Growing up in Wisconsin, Looney was named the top high school player in the state as a senior in 2014. He also received national recognition as a five-star prospect and earned All-American honors. In his only season at UCLA, he led all freshmen in the nation in double-doubles, recording double figures in both points and rebounds in 15 games. One of the top players in the Pac-12, he was also named to their all-freshman team. As a rookie with Golden State, Looney's playing time was limited after undergoing surgery on both of his hips.

Early life

Looney in the 2014 McDonald's All-American Game

Looney was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Doug and Victoria Looney.[1] As a youngster, he watched his older brother Kevin, who was six years older, play pickup games. Like his brother, Looney became a Los Angeles Lakers and Kobe Bryant fan, and would watch tapes of Bryant and copy the Lakers star's moves.[2]

Looney was the best player on his high school team at Alexander Hamilton High in Milwaukee.[2][3] He was already being recruited by colleges as a freshman, receiving offers from in-state schools Marquette and Wisconsin.[4] In his sophomore year in 2012, he was named Player of the Year of the Milwaukee City Conference after averaging 20.9 points, 8.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game.[1][5] As a junior, Looney averaged 26.1 points, 12.4 rebounds, 7.0 blocks and 3.1 assists per game, and led a team of mostly unproven players to a runner-up finish for the conference title.[1][6]

In his final season, he averaged 27.9 points, 12.7 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 8.0 blocks per game;[1] both CBS Sports and The Post-Crescent called his averages "nearly" a quadruple-double.[7][8] Though he was Hamilton's tallest player, he was also their best passer, and played mostly at point guard.[2][9] Hamilton went undefeated in conference play to win its first league title in four years,[10] and Looney earned his second City Conference player of the year award.[9] He gained national recognition, becoming just the second player in Milwaukee Public Schools history, and the sixth ever in Wisconsin, to be named a McDonald's All-American; he was a Parade All-American as well.[3][9] Looney was named Wisconsin Mr. Basketball by the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association, and Gatorade and the Associated Press named him their state player of the year.[10] He was listed as a five-star prospect by Rivals.com, ESPN.com and Scout.com, who ranked him nationally as the No. 10, No. 12, and No. 15 player, respectively.[1]

College career

Looney announced on Halloween in 2013 his decision to attend the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). No recruiting analysts at 247Sports.com had predicted his decision, which was a secret to everyone including his parents.[7] Looney liked California, and called UCLA the "most beautiful campus I had ever seen."[6] He was impressed with UCLA coach Steve Alford's vision for the team.[11] The Bruins did not guarantee Looney a feature role as a freshman, but sold to him that he would be allowed to play both inside and outside and show his versatility, much like Kyle Anderson did for the Bruins in 2013–14.[2]

Looney as a UCLA freshman on defense against USC

Upon his arrival at UCLA, Looney suffered a hip injury. He rested for two-to-three weeks before the season and did not exhibit any related issues the rest of the season.[12] Playing power forward for the Bruins, he was one of the top freshman in the country in 2014–15.[13] In the season opener, he debuted with 20 points, nine rebounds and three assists in a 113–78 win over Montana State. CBS Sports called his performance "one of the more impressive freshman debuts in UCLA's rich history."[7] He followed up with double-doubles in his next four games, and became the first freshman in UCLA history with at least four double-doubles in his first five games.[lower-alpha 1][1] Soon, pundits began projecting Looney as a freshman lottery pick should he decide to enter the National Basketball Association (NBA).[7][17][18] He had seven double-doubles in the Bruins' first 10 games, before scoring in double digits just once during a five-game losing streak for UCLA, which included an 0–2 start to their Pac-12 Conference schedule.[19] Looney helped the team end their streak with career highs of 27 points and 19 rebounds in a 86–81 double-overtime win over Stanford.[20][21] He was one of 14 players named to the midseason watch list of the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) for the Wayman Tisdale Award, presented annually to the nation's top freshman.[22] He was also one of 16 finalists for the inaugural Karl Malone Award, given to the top power forward in Division I men's basketball.[23]

UCLA rarely called plays for Looney, and his scoring typically came off putbacks, fast breaks, and open shots.[24][25] A natural at rebounding, his shooting improved as the season progressed. After making just nine of 28 of his three-point field goals in the first 24 games, Looney was 11 of 17 in the last seven games of the regular season.[13] Still his scoring tapered off, with only one game over 15 points since his career-game at Stanford.[24] In the 2015 Pac-12 Tournament, Looney exited mid-game after he took an arm to his left cheek during UCLA's quarterfinal win over USC. He was a game-time decision to play the following day against Arizona, when he was cleared and fitted with a protective mask just 90 minutes before the contest. Though impaired by the mask, he played 30 minutes but was limited, finishing below his season averages with only five points and four rebounds.[26][27][28] The Bruins lost 70–64, but the close match helped them secure a bid into the 2015 NCAA tournament.[29] Looney continued to play wearing the mask as UCLA advanced to the Sweet 16 for the second straight season.[30]

For the season, Looney started all 36 games and did not miss a practice.[31] He averaged 11.6 points and led the team with 9.2 rebounds per game, finishing with 15 double-doubles. Among all freshmen nationally, his double-doubles led the nation and his rebounding ranked second.[32] His rebounds and double-doubles ranked second among all players in the Pac-12. Looney made 47.0 percent of his field goals, and 41.5 percent from three-point range.[30] He was voted second-team All-Pac-12, and named to the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team.[33] He was also named second-team all-district by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC).[34]

College statistics

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2014–15 UCLA 363630.9.470.415.6269.21.41.30.911.6

Professional career

Looney (left) on assignment with Santa Cruz in 2016

After one season with UCLA, Looney decided to forego his remaining college eligibility to declare for the 2015 NBA draft.[30] However, his draft stock dropped over concerns with his hip.[12][31][35] ESPN.com reported on the morning of the draft that he had undergone surgery on his hip before the 2014–15 season, and stated that "he probably misses the [following] season."[31] However, Looney's camp denied he had any procedure done.[31] He had also heard that some teams did not think his success at UCLA would translate to the NBA, and there were executives and scouts that did not believe he played hard enough.[36] One of 19 players who attended the draft, Looney fell to the final pick of the first round, where he was chosen 30th overall by Golden State.[31][36][37] The Warriors, who had recently won the 2015 NBA Finals, stated that they had no evidence that Looney required any further treatment. Nonetheless, they were comfortable with any recovery time that he might need, given his age, potential, and the team's established core lineup.[31][38][39] On July 8, 2015, he signed his rookie scale contract with the Warriors,[40] and played on their Las Vegas Summer League team.[41] On August 20, Looney underwent a successful right hip arthroscopy to repair a torn labrum.[41]

On January 4, 2016, Looney was assigned to the Santa Cruz Warriors, Golden State's D-League affiliate, after he was cleared to practice following rehab from his surgery.[42][43] He made his professional debut on January 12 with Santa Cruz, logging a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds in 16 minutes against the Idaho Stampede.[44] On January 24, he was recalled by Golden State after averaging 8.0 points and 10.0 rebounds in 18.2 minutes over five games.[45] Three days later against the Dallas Mavericks, Looney was activated for the first time due to an injury to big man Festus Ezeli.[46] He made his NBA debut that evening, becoming the 11th former UCLA player to play for the Warriors. Looney scored on his first attempt and finished with two points and two rebounds in a 127–107 win. He was given the game ball after the game.[47] Golden State had him continue working on his conditioning,[48] and he received multiple assignments to Santa Cruz.[49]

Looney suffered a setback in March, when he was sidelined by inflammation in his surgically repaired hip.[50] On April 22, he underwent a successful arthroscopic surgery to repair a torn labrum on his left hip, which was expected to sideline him from four to six months.[51] A similar procedure had been performed on his right hip eight months earlier.[39] He finished his rookie year with five games played with Golden State and 12 in the D-League.[52]

NBA career statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

Regular season

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2015–16 Golden State 5 0 4.2 .571 .500 .000 2.0 .0 .0 .0 1.8
Career 5 0 4.2 .571 .500 .000 2.0 .0 .0 .0 1.8

Notes

  1. ↑ Looney had earlier become the fourth UCLA freshman in the past 22 years with a double-double in either of his first two games.[14] The first three were Charles O'Bannon, Kevin Love, and Kyle Anderson.[15] Looney later became the first Bruins freshman with two double-doubles in his first three games.[16]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Kevon Looney Bio". UCLA Bruins. Retrieved November 21, 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Kartje, Ryan (July 25, 2014). "Versatile Looney could be a game-changer for UCLA basketball". Orange County Register. Archived from the original on November 21, 2014.
  3. 1 2 Langemo, Laura (February 4, 2014). "MPS’ Kevon Looney named McDonald’s All-American". Fox 6 News. Archived from the original on November 21, 2014.
  4. ↑ Bates, Greg (June 8, 2012). "Kevon Looney draws comparisons as next Kevin Durant". Max Preps. Archived from the original on November 22, 2014.
  5. ↑ Stewart, Mark (April 4, 2012). "All-area capsules". The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Archived from the original on November 22, 2014.
  6. 1 2 Stewart, Mark (October 31, 2014). "Milwaukee Hamilton basketball star Kevon Looney chooses UCLA". The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Archived from the original on November 21, 2014.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Vecenie, Sam (November 15, 2014). "UCLA freshman Kevon Looney ready to make instant impact". CBS Sports. Archived from the original on November 21, 2014.
  8. ↑ Arguello, Ricardo (March 26, 2014). "Seymour Thunder's Sandy Cohen leads all-state team". The Post-Crescent. Archived from the original on January 3, 2015.
  9. 1 2 3 Stewart, Mark (March 26, 2014). "Milwaukee Hamilton's Looney, Brown Deer's Appleby win state honors". The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Archived from the original on November 22, 2014.
  10. 1 2 Stewart, Mark (April 10, 2014). "Hamilton's Kevon Looney not resting on laurels". The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Archived from the original on November 22, 2014.
  11. ↑ Hernandez, Rob (November 1, 2013). "College basketball: Milwaukee Hamilton's Kevon Looney chooses UCLA over Badgers". Madison.com. Archived from the original on November 21, 2014.
  12. 1 2 Leung, Diamond (June 27, 2015). "Looney surgery reports denied". San Jose Mercury News. Archived from the original on July 9, 2015.
  13. 1 2 Helfand, Zach (March 11, 2015). "UCLA's Kevon Looney is on the bubble too". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 13, 2015.
  14. ↑ "UCLA routs Nicholls 107-74 for 3rd straight win". ESPN. Associated Press. November 20, 2014. Archived from the original on November 22, 2014.
  15. ↑ Bonsignore, Vincent (December 12, 2014). "UCLA freshman Kevon Looney is gobbling up the double-doubles". Los Angeles Daily News. Archived from the original on December 12, 2014.
  16. ↑ "Long Beach State (2-2) at UCLA (3-0)" (PDF). UCLA Sports Information. Archived from the original on November 23, 2014.
  17. ↑ Tucker, Kyle (December 20, 2014). "Kentucky rolls to rout of UCLA". USA Today. Archived from the original on March 13, 2015.
  18. ↑ Medcalf, Myron (December 12, 2014). "Weekend Predictions: Kansas falls in K.C.". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on March 13, 2015.
  19. ↑ Kartje, Ryan (January 6, 2015). "Alford searching for right buttons to turn around Bruins". Orange County Register. Archived from the original on January 10, 2015.
  20. ↑ Helfand, Zach (January 8, 2015). "UCLA ends losing streak with 86-81, double-overtime win over Stanford". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on January 10, 2015.
  21. ↑ Vecenie, Sam (January 9, 2015). "Kevon Looney's night leaves NBA scouts drooling, gives UCLA hope". CBS Sports. Archived from the original on January 10, 2015.
  22. ↑ "UCLA's Kevon Looney Named to Wayman Tisdale Award Midseason List". UCLA Bruins. January 23, 2015. Retrieved January 26, 2015.
  23. ↑ "Wyoming's Nance finalist for Karl Malone Award". USA Today. Associated Press. February 17, 2015. Archived from the original on March 13, 2015.
  24. 1 2 Wang, Jack (March 18, 2015). "Kevon Looney’s UCLA career could end with unfulfilled promise". Los Angeles Daily News. Archived from the original on March 19, 2015.
  25. ↑ Wang, Jack (January 10, 2015). "Can UCLA’s Kevon Looney be more than a ‘garbage guy’?". Los Angeles Daily News. Archived from the original on March 19, 2015.
  26. ↑ Helfand, Zach (March 16, 2015). "UCLA Bruins' Kevon Looney knows he faces a tough challenge". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 18, 2015.
  27. ↑ Kartje, Ryan (March 17, 2015). "New mask is a clear winner for UCLA's Looney". Orange County Register. Archived from the original on March 18, 2015.
  28. ↑ Kartje, Ryan (March 12, 2015). "Looney's status uncertain after facial injury". Orange County Register. Archived from the original on March 18, 2015.
  29. ↑ "Larry Eustachy: Players devastated". ESPN.com. March 15, 2015. Archived from the original on March 16, 2015.
  30. 1 2 3 Wang, Jack (April 6, 2015). "Kevon Looney leaving UCLA for NBA draft". Los Angeles Daily News. Archived from the original on April 7, 2015.
  31. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Helfand, Zach (June 25, 2015). "UCLA's Kevon Looney tumbles to Golden State Warriors at 30th pick". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on July 9, 2015.
  32. ↑ "UCLA freshman Kevon Looney to leave early for NBA draft". The Washington Post. Associated Press. April 6, 2015. Archived from the original on March 6, 2015.
  33. ↑ "2014-15 Pac-12 Conference Men's Basketball Honors" (Press release). Pac-12. March 9, 2015. Archived from the original on March 9, 2015.
  34. ↑ "National Association of Basketball Coaches Announces 2014-15 Division I All-District Teams and UPS All-District Coaches" (PDF) (Press release). National Association of Basketball Coaches. March 27, 2015. Archived from the original on April 1, 2015.
  35. ↑ Witt, Brian (June 26, 2015). "Getting to Know Kevon Looney". NBA.com. Archived from the original on July 9, 2015.
  36. 1 2 Howard-Cooper, Scott (January 13, 2016). "Warriors' Looney driven to disprove Draft-day doubters". NBA.com. Archived from the original on January 13, 2016.
  37. ↑ "Warriors Select UCLA Forward Kevon Looney With 30th Overall Pick in 2015 NBA Draft". NBA.com. June 25, 2015. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
  38. ↑ Poole, Monte (June 25, 2015). "Warriors' Myers: Kevon Looney a 'skilled big'". CSNBayArea.com. Archived from the original on July 10, 2015.
  39. 1 2 Poole, Monte (April 22, 2016). "Warriors' Kevon Looney undergoes successful surgery". CSNBayArea.com. Archived from the original on April 23, 2016.
  40. ↑ "Warriors Sign Rookie Forward Kevon Looney to Contract". NBA.com. July 8, 2015. Retrieved July 8, 2015.
  41. 1 2 "Warriors Rookie Kevon Looney Undergoes Successful Surgery". NBA.com. August 20, 2015. Retrieved August 20, 2015.
  42. ↑ "Warriors Assign Kevon Looney to Santa Cruz Warriors". NBA.com. January 4, 2016. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
  43. ↑ Poole, Monty (January 4, 2016). "Gameday: Curry returns vs hometown Hornets". CSNBayArea.com. Archived from the original on January 5, 2016.
  44. ↑ "D-League Basketball: Warriors trampled by Stampede, 101-91". Register-Pajaronian. January 13, 2016. Archived from the original on January 13, 2016.
  45. ↑ "Warriors Recall Kevon Looney from Santa Cruz Warriors". NBA.com. January 24, 2016. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
  46. ↑ "Warriors' Festus Ezeli: Inactive Wednesday against Dallas". CBSSports.com. January 27, 2016. Archived from the original on January 28, 2016.
  47. ↑ "Klay Thompson's big scoring night leads Warriors past Mavs". NBA.com. January 27, 2016. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
  48. ↑ Poole, Monty (January 27, 2016). "First-rounder Looney makes Warriors debut: 'It was surreal'". CSNBayArea.com. Archived from the original on January 28, 2016.
  49. ↑ "2015-16 NBA Assignments". NBA.com. Retrieved March 2, 2016.
  50. ↑ Simmons, Rusty (March 16, 2016). "Kevon Looney a surprise addition to Warriors’ injury report". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on March 24, 2016.
  51. ↑ "Warriors Rookie Kevon Looney Undergoes Successful Surgery". NBA.com. April 22, 2016. Retrieved April 23, 2016.
  52. ↑ Leung, Diamond (April 9, 2016). "Warriors rookie Kevon Looney ‘real nervous’ as doctors look for answers to hip injury, inconclusive MRI". ibabuzz.com (Bay Area News Group). Archived from the original on April 14, 2016.

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