Billy Keys
PositionPoint guard
Height6 ft
Height in2
Weight lbs210
Birth dateOctober 26, 1977 (age 48)
Birth placeChicago, Illinois, U.S.
High schoolHugh Manley (Chicago, Illinois)
College
Draft year2000
Career start2000
Career end2014
Years 12000–2001
Team 1New Mexico Slam
Years 22001
Team 2Grindavík
Years 32001
Team 3Florida Sea Dragons
Years 42001–2002
Team 4Fargo-Moorhead Beez
Years 52002
Team 5Cocodrilos de Caracas
Years 62002–2003
Team 6Hapoel Tel Aviv
Years 72003–2004
Team 7Roseto
Years 82004
Team 8Dakota Wizards
Years 92004
Team 9Cocodrilos de Caracas
Years 102004–2005
Team 10Dakota Wizards
Years 112005
Team 11Gran Canaria
Years 122005–2006
Team 12Zaragoza
Years 132006–2007
Team 13Varese
Years 142007–2008
Team 14AEL 1964
Years 152008–2010
Team 15Maroussi
Years 162010–2011
Team 16Budivelnyk
Years 172011–2013
Team 17Panionios
Years 182013–2014
Team 18Nilan Bisons
Cyears 12014–2015
Cteam 1Centennial HS (assistant)
Cyears 22015–2019
Cteam 2Mayfield HS
Cyears 32019–present
Cteam 3Northern New Mexico College (assistant)
Highlights

William Amar Keys (born October 26, 1977) is an American former professional basketball player and basketball coach. At a height of 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) and a weight of 210 pounds (95 kg), he played at the point guard position. He currently is a men's basketball assistant coach at Northern New Mexico College in Espanola, New Mexico.

College career

After playing high school basketball at Hugh Manley High School in Chicago, Illinois, Keys played college basketball at Northeastern Illinois University, with the Northeastern Illinois Golden Eagles, from 1995 to 1998, and at New Mexico State University, with the New Mexico State Aggies, from 1998 to 2000. He was named to the 1999–00 season's All-Big West Conference First Team.

Professional career

In February 2001, Keys signed with Grindavík of the Icelandic Úrvalsdeild karla.[1] In his debut, he scored a season high 47 points along with 18 rebounds an 7 assists.[2] In three regular season games, he averaged 38.7 points, 12.7 rebounds and 5.7 assists.[3] In the playoffs, Grindavík lost to Tindastóll, 1–2, in the first round[4] with Keys averaging 26.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists.[5]

Keys played with the Miami Heat during their 2002–03 NBA season training camp, but he did not play in any official NBA games with the club. He then played with the New York Knicks' NBA Summer League team, in the summer of 2003. Keys then won the 2004 CBA championship with the Dakota Wizards.

In the summer of 2004, he played with the NBA Summer League teams of both the Detroit Pistons and the Denver Nuggets. He then played with Nuggets during their 2004–05 NBA season training camp, but he did not play in any official NBA games with the club. He next played with the NBA Summer League teams of both the Portland Trail Blazers and the Houston Rockets, in the summer of 2005.[6]

Keys also played in the three major European national domestic basketball leagues, the Italian LBA League, the Spanish ACB League, and the Greek Basket League. In 2009, he extended his contract with the EuroLeague club Maroussi.[7] He retired from playing professional basketball in 2014.

Coaching career

Keys began his basketball coaching career in 2014, when he became an assistant coach at Centennial High School, in Las Cruces, New Mexico. He then became the head coach at Mayfield High School, in Las Cruces, New Mexico, in 2015.[8]

References

  1. ^ "Daley farinn frá Grindavík" (in Icelandic). Morgunblaðið. 20 February 2001. p. 3B. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
  2. ^ "Lykillinn" (in Icelandic). Dagblaðið Vísir. 2 March 2001. pp. 16–17. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
  3. ^ "William Keys: Ferillinn í úrvalsdeild" (in Icelandic). kki.is. Icelandic Basketball Association. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
  4. ^ Björn Björnsson (21 March 2001). "Tindastóll loks áfram" (in Icelandic). Morgunblaðið. p. 2C. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
  5. ^ "EPSON-deild úrsl.keppni – UMFG" (in Icelandic). kki.is. Icelandic Basketball Association. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
  6. ^ "ACB.com – Billy Keys .". Archived from the original on 2012-09-27. Retrieved 2010-02-10.
  7. ^ Euroleague.net Maroussi re-signs point guard Billy Keys.
  8. ^ PREP BASKETBALL: Former Aggie Billy Keys takes over at Mayfield High.