Kelvin Torbert
Personal information | |
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Born | Okapi Aalstar | May 24, 1983
2012 | Ratiopharm Ulm |
Career highlights and awards | |
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Kelvin Deion Torbert[1] (born May 24, 1983) is an American former professional basketball player.
High school career
Torbert was born in Flint, Michigan[2] to Climmie Torbert and Florine Green.[3] His mother died of breast cancer when Torbert was 5 years old; his father, an Opelika, Alabama native, was employed at General Motors and also had developed health issues, specifically to his kidneys;[4] he died in 2005.
After attending Holmes Middle School, Torbert enrolled at Northwestern High School in Flint in 1997 and during his 4-year career he became the best player of the varsity team, gaining state recognition starting from his sophomore year.[3] He was considered an all-around player, capable of scoring in the post, the midrange and on dunks and 3-point shots.[5] Torbert became a starter for the team in his freshman year, and averaged 15.5 points per game; he improved to 18 points in his sophomore year.[6] He started to be nationally ranked during his junior year in 2000,[7] and he was selected in the Parade All-American Third Team after averaging 25.1 points, 10.5 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game.[6][8][9]
His senior year at Northwestern was very successful. He was ranked among the top 5 players in the nation by the major recruiting services, and he was considered the top
College career
Torbert was recruited since his junior year in high school, and received interest from
In October 2002 he underwent ankle surgery and missed the preseason games,[19] and during the season-opening game against UNC Asheville on November 22 he did not start.[9] His sophomore season saw him getting increased playing time and he became a regular starter (34 out of 35 games), and he averaged 8.7 points and 3.8 rebounds. He recorded a new career high scoring 22 points on February 15, 2003, against Northwestern, and contributed to reach the Elite Eight during the 2003 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament: the Spartans were defeated by Texas in the South Regional finals. At the end of the season he was named Michigan State Most Improved Player and Best Defensive Player.[9]
Before the 2003–04 season started, Torbert worked on his shooting,[20] and his percentages increased significantly: he shot 53% from the field and 48% from 3-point range on 2.1 attempts per game, and his scoring average reached a career high of 10.7 points per game. He ranked in the top ten of the Big Ten Conference in all the shooting categories, and he led the conference in 3-point field goal percentage.[21] His performance during his junior year earned him All-Big 10 honors: he was selected as a Honorable Mention by the coaches and in the Third team by the media.[22] He started 26 out of 30 games, and recorded a season-best 21 points against Coppin State on December 30, 2003; he was also second on the team in rebounding average, and third in assists. At the end of the season he received the team Most Improved Player award, and his third consecutive Best Defensive Player award, sharing it with Maurice Ager.[9]
Torbert's senior year at Michigan State saw him losing his spot in the starting five, and he took the role of sixth man, being the first option off the bench.[4] He played 33 games but only started 2, and he had the lowest minutes per game average of his career with 22.6. His overall stats declined and he averaged 9.5 points and 2.9 rebounds on .509 shooting (.345 from three). Torbert was considered a very good defender during his senior year,[4] and he scored a total of 1,195 points for the Spartans during his 4-year career in college basketball.
College statistics
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2001–02 | Michigan State | 31 | 26 | 25.1 | .399 | .316 | .806 | 3.4 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 8.2 |
2002–03 | Michigan State | 35 | 34 | 29.3 | .420 | .323 | .747 | 3.8 | 1.7 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 8.7 |
2003–04 | Michigan State | 30 | 26 | 28.8 | .534 | .484 | .800 | 3.6 | 2.0 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 10.7 |
2004–05 | Michigan State | 33 | 2 | 22.6 | .509 | .345 | .827 | 2.9 | 1.5 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 9.5 |
Career | 129 | 88 | 26.5 | .462 | .373 | .792 | 3.4 | 1.7 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 9.3 |
Professional career
After the end of his senior year of college Torbert was automatically eligible for the
After that he went back to France, this time signing for Paris-Levallois, but he had limited playing time and despite appearing in 30 regular season games, he only averaged 7.0 points. After the 2007–08 season he transferred in Belgium again, joining Mons-Hainaut where he played 2 seasons. He then played in Greece for Iraklis, but ended the season in Russia, playing 31 games in the second level for Ural Yekaterinburg scoring 12.5 points per game. After a brief stint in Mexico, where he played 3 games with Toros de Nuevo Laredo,[24] he again signed with a Belgian team, Okapi Aalstar, but he only played 2 games there.
Torbert then moved to
References
- ^ "Player Profile". FIBA.
- ^ a b c Woodyard, Eric (February 17, 2016). "All-time greats: After career at Michigan State, Kelvin Torbert settles down in Lansing area". MLive.com.
- ^ a b Woodyard, Eric (December 15, 2011). "Was Kelvin Torbert Flint's greatest high school basketball player ever?". MLive.com.
- ^ Washington Post. p. D01.
- ^ "Torbert Responds To Izzo's Challenge". msuspartans.com. January 17, 2002.
- ^ Newspapers.com.
- ^ Konecky, Chad. "ABCD/adidas Camp Notes". ESPN.
- ^ a b c d Reidel, Jon (October 30, 2000). "Basketball recruiting buzz: Falling into place". ESPN.com. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f "Kelvin Torbert". msuspartans.com. Archived from the original on March 17, 2016. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
- ^ Recruiting Services Consensus Index (RSCI) Rankings - 2001
- ^ HOOP SCOOP'S FINAL RANKING OF THE TOP 450 SENIORS IN THE CLASS OF 2001
- ^ "Spartans ink No. 2 player in the country". Battle Creek Enquirer. November 9, 2000. p. 13.
- ^ "MSU recruit named Mr. Basketball". Livingston County Daily Press & Argus. March 10, 2001. p. 10.
- ^ "The Next 48 are up" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on January 30, 2018. Retrieved April 10, 2020. 2001 game and rosters at page 81.
- ^ "UConn men notebook". Hartford Courant. July 31, 2000. p. 177.
- ^ "National Letters-of-Intent: Mens' Basketball". ESPN.
- ^ Biggers, Adam (May 19, 2013). "Michigan State Basketball: Ranking the 5 Most Hyped Recruits in Spartans History".
- ^ "Men's Basketball Opens Season With Preseason NIT". msuspartans.com. November 11, 2001.
- ^ "Kelvin Torbert Undergoes Ankle Surgery". msuspartans.com. November 2, 2002. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
- ^ "Men's Basketball Opens Exhibition Season Against Magic Johnson And Harlem Globetrotters". msuspartans.com. November 2, 2003.
- ^ "Men's Basketball Looks To Improve To 2-0 On Young Season". msuspartans.com. November 23, 2004.
- ^ "IU Trio Honored by Big Ten". IUHoosiers.com. March 9, 2004.
- NBA.com. July 8, 2005.
- ^ "2011-2012 Toros Nuevo Laredo Roster". RealGM.com.
- ^ Beyer, Johannes (September 27, 2011). "BAYREUTH: COREY STOKES ERSETZT KELVIN TORBERT" (in German). Basketball.de.