Kenny Gregory

William Kendrick "Kenny" Gregory ( born November 16, 1978 in Columbus, Ohio ) is a former American professional basketball player. After studying in his native Gregory first played in the National Basketball Development League (D -League ) before he continued his professional career in Europe. With the recommendation of a " Most Valuable Player " ( MVP ) of the British Basketball League (BBL ) 2003 Gregory got even more lucrative offers from Southern European leagues. With Le Mans Sarthe Basket 2006 he won the French championship and the League Cup and at the end of his career and the Slovenian Cup competition with KK Union Olimpija. His last engagement the French champions Nancy SLUC ended after just four weeks in December 2011, Gregory was then professionally no longer active.

Career

Gregory went as MVP of the " McDonald 's All- American Game " in 1997 for the best high school basketball players in the country to study at the University of Kansas, where he played for the prestigious high school team Jayhawks in the Big 12 Conference of the NCAA. In the 1997/98 season, the Jayhawks were able to defend their title in 12 championship tournament big success, with Gregory's teammate, the future NBA All-Star Paul Pierce, again MVP of the tournament was. In Pierce's final college season, they lost however as top-seeded team in the NCAA national tournament in the second round against the motion of Lamar Odom Rhode Iceland Rams. A year later you could without Pierce the Big 12 Championship tournament even at its third edition in a " low-scoring Game" win 53:37 against the Oklahoma State Cowboys. The Jayhawks won until then no Big 12 Championship final with less than ten points difference. Placed at number six regional seedings in the NCAA finals they met in the second round to the Kentucky Wildcats, which they lost after extra time. In the final two college seasons by Gregory the Jayhawks could not connect to their usual level. At the Conference it was not enough to title success and after a new second-round defeat, it was enough to at least 2001 for collection in the knockout round of "Sweet Sixteen" of the NCAA final, where the Illinois Fighting Illini coach Bill Self one subject, two years later coach of the Jayhawks should be.

After Gregory had not been selected in the NBA Draft in 2001, he tries to earn a place in the most highly endowed professional league NBA over the newly established D- League. Drafted by the Mobile Revelers he eventually played in the groove from Greenville ( South Carolina), together with his former teammate Eric Chenowith, who was indeed selected in the Entry Draft of the NBA, but was left without a contract. However, both were at the end of the season, as the Groove won the first championship of the D- League, no longer represented in the squad. Gregory tried to recommend for a contract in the NBA summer league over the United States Basketball League ( USBL ). When this was not successful, he eventually got only one contract in the athletic rather insignificant British Basketball League (BBL ) at the Jets from Chester. The Jets had the BBL dominated in the preseason and won all the titles to be awarded this closed professional league. At the last edition of the Cup competition in its original form as " National Cup" they lost as defending the final ten points difference from the Brighton Bears. The title in the League Cup BBL Trophy could defend with two points difference on the London Towers, however, after the final victory. Although Gregory was appointed as a " scorer " BBL MVP of the season, they finished the regular season in the BBL only the third place and lost in the first play-off round against the eventual champions Scottish Rocks.

After Gregory again got on the NBA Summer League 2003 in the jersey of the Chicago Bulls no annual contract in the NBA, he looked for a contract in a lucrative Southern League. However, he only got a commitment in the second Italian league Legadue basketball club from Pavia, who had been brought in the preseason Eric Burks from the BBL. In the play-offs for promotion would retire as head of sixth round in the first round. Although Gregory increased its yield point in the season 2004/ 05, Pavia missed the play-off places as eleventh. For the season 2005/ 06 Gregory then got a contract in the first French LNB Pro A League in MSB Le Mans. With this club he won the League Cup " Semaine de As" and moved as main round fifth in the play-offs to the French championship one in which they lost no more game and celebrate the victory in the final over SLUC Nancy fourth championship of the Association could. In the preliminary round group of the highest European club competition ULEB Euro Cup 2006/ 07 could be just the German champion Rhein Energie Cologne behind and do not qualify for the second round of the 16 best European teams. The title defense in the French league cup you missed after a final defeat against Chorale Roanne, like Le Mans in the championship play-offs won in the previous year, while the defending champion was eliminated as a major sixth round in the first round. For the 2007 /08 season Gregory got a contract with the Turkish runners- Efes Pilsen Istanbul in Türkiye Ligi Basketbol. In the ULEB Euro League 2007 /08 it was enough time to move into the second round, in which one but only scored a win in six games. The main round of the Turkish Second Cup they lost the play-off semi-final series against defending champion Fenerbahçe Ülker.

For the season 2008/ 09 Gregory joined the Greek League A1 Ethniki to PAOK from Thessaloniki. After PAOK put into liquidity difficulties, Gregory left the club in February 2009 and Pamesa joined from Valencia in the Spanish ACB League on. This association qualified in the Eurocup 2008/ 09 after just two defeats in twelve group matches comparatively sovereign for the " Final Eight " tournament in Turin, but in which they lost in the quarterfinals to eventual finalists Russian BK Khimki. In the Spanish championship would retire in the first round of the playoffs against the eventual winners FC Barcelona shelf. For the 2009/10 season Gregory returned to PAOK, which could improve the end of the season to fifth place itself, but just as in the previous year were eliminated in the first play-off round of the Greek Cup. In the season 2010/11 Gregory played in the Slovenian capital Ljubljana for the local runners KK Union Olimpija, with which he could achieve in the ULEB Euro Cup 2010 / 6:11 first round wins second place in the preliminary round group. After the opening win in the second round, in which Gregory was appointed as the most effective player named MVP of the match, they lost the remaining five games and retired. The title in the national cup competition could successfully defend during the final series was again lost in the championship against defending champion and archrival KK Krka. The following season, Gregory was only in December 2011 of a new contract with the French champions SLUC from Nancy after Nicolas Batum returned after the end of " lockout " in the NBA. After leaving in the first round of the ULEB Euro Cup 2011 /12 and only two championship operations in the National League but the contract was already finished by the end December. Then Gregory did not return as a professional player back onto the field.