Kerry Martin Boagni (born September 24, 1964)[1] is an American former professional basketball player. A native of California, he played college basketball for the Cal State Fullerton Titans before being drafted by the Utah Jazz in the 1986 NBA draft. He then began a very successful career in New Zealand, playing the majority of his years for the Wellington Saints.
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
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| Born | September 24, 1964 Los Angeles, California | ||||||||||||||
| Nationality | American | ||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 205 lb (93 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school | Serra (Gardena, California) | ||||||||||||||
| College |
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| NBA draft | 1986: 5th round, 105th overall pick | ||||||||||||||
| Selected by the Utah Jazz | |||||||||||||||
| Playing career | 1988–1999 | ||||||||||||||
| Position | Power forward | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
| 1988–1992 | Wellington Saints | ||||||||||||||
| 1993–1995 | Hawke's Bay Hawks | ||||||||||||||
| 1996–1997 | Wellington Saints | ||||||||||||||
| 1998 | North Harbour Kings | ||||||||||||||
| 1999 | North Otago Penguins | ||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||
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Medals
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Early life
editBoagni was born in Los Angeles, California. He attended Serra High School in Gardena, California, where he played basketball. A star forward, Boagni averaged 24 points and 17 rebounds per game and shot 61% from the floor. He was named to the 1982 Sporting News' Top 10 prep list, the USA Men's U.S. Olympic Festival Roster, and made more than a half dozen All-America teams. Boagni played in the 1982 McDonald's All-American Boys Game, along with future NBA stars Dell Curry and Kenny Walker.[2]
College career
editA highly regarded recruit, Boagni selected the University of Kansas to pursue his basketball career. In his freshman year, he was the team's No. 2 scorer (14 points per game), scored in double figures 23 times, and was named to the Big Eight Conference all-freshman team. After playing 10 games for Kansas in his sophomore year,[3] Boagni transferred to California State University, Fullerton and excelled. The Utah Jazz subsequently picked Boagni with the 105th overall draft pick in the 1986 NBA draft.[4]
Professional career
editBoagni landed in New Zealand in 1988 where he began a successful NBL career with the Wellington Saints. Boagni and fellow American Kenny McFadden became club legends[5] as they helped the Saints win the 1988 championship and both earned All-Star Five honors. Boagni played five seasons for the Saints, departing the club for the Hawke's Bay Hawks in 1993. Between 1993 and 1998, Boagni played for the Hawks, had a second stint with the Saints, and had one season with the North Harbour Kings. In 267 career NBL games, Boagni recorded 6,929 points (ranked second all-time) and 1,870 rebounds (ranked ninth all-time).[6][7] Then in 1999, he served as player-coach of the North Otago Penguins and helped them win the Conference Basketball League championship.[8][9]
Personal
editBoagni's ex-partner, Jane McMeeken, was a former captain of the New Zealand women's national basketball team.[10] His daughter, Tessa, has played in the Women's Basketball Championship, the top women's basketball competition in New Zealand.[11][12]
References
edit- ^ 13 - Kerry Martin Boagni
- ^ All American High School Basketball Games
- ^ SPORTS PEOPLE ; Boagni Quits Kansas
- ^ Woodling: Last time KSU won at home …
- ^ Fans come marching in for Saints
- ^ All-Time NBL Leaders
- ^ "National Basketball League (New Zealand) - Rebounds". Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
- ^ "CBL Final". plug.co.nz. August 25, 1999. Archived from the original on January 18, 2000. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
- ^ CBL FINALS - SECTION B
- ^ Basketball all in the family for new Tall Fern Tessa Boagni
- ^ Tessa Boagni courts success in two sports
- ^ Boagni becomes a Matador