Kevin Lee Pittsnogle Jr. (born July 30, 1984) is an American former professional
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...
player. He played for the
Pittsburgh Xplosion
The Pittsburgh Xplosion was a professional basketball team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh were members of the Continental Basketball Association from 2006 to 2008. Founded in 2004 as the Pittsburgh Hard Hats as a member of the ABA ...
of the
CBA[http://www.pittsburghxplosion.com/pr/pr110806.htm](_blank)
and the
Austin Toros and the
Albuquerque Thunderbirds
Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...
of the
NBA D-League
The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is the National Basketball Association's (NBA) official minor league basketball organization. The league was known as the National Basketball Development League (NBDL) from 2001 to 2005, and the NBA Dev ...
. He is best known for his collegiate play at
West Virginia University
West Virginia University (WVU) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Morgantown, West Virginia. Its other campuses are those of the West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Beckley, Potomac State Coll ...
.
College career
A forward from
Martinsburg, West Virginia
Martinsburg is a city in and the seat of Berkeley County, West Virginia, in the tip of the state's Eastern Panhandle region in the lower Shenandoah Valley. Its population was 18,835 in the 2021 census estimate, making it the largest city in the E ...
, Pittsnogle made an impact in his first year at
West Virginia University
West Virginia University (WVU) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Morgantown, West Virginia. Its other campuses are those of the West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Beckley, Potomac State Coll ...
, particularly against
Rutgers
Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College, and w ...
on January 26, 2003 when he posted 26 points. He also added 24 points against
Syracuse on February 8, 2003.
Until late in the 2004–05 season, Pittsnogle primarily came off the bench for the
Mountaineers
Mountaineering or alpinism, is a set of outdoor activities that involves ascending tall mountains. Mountaineering-related activities include traditional outdoor climbing, skiing, and traversing via ferratas. Indoor climbing, sport climbin ...
. However, on February 5, 2005 starting center D'or Fischer was unable to play against
Pitt due to illness. Fischer was replaced in the starting lineup by Pittsnogle, who proceeded to score 27 points in an upset of the Panthers. He remained in the starting lineup for the rest of the season, and quickly came to the forefront during the
2005 NCAA Tournament, when on March 24, 2005, he scored 22 points and grabbed 8 rebounds in a 65-60 victory against
Texas Tech
Texas Tech University (Texas Tech, Tech, or TTU) is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas. Established on , and called Texas Technological College until 1969, it is the main institution of the five-institution Texas Tech University Sys ...
in the
Sweet 16 round, and then scored a team-high 25 points (on 9-for-15 shooting) and grabbed 5 rebounds in a 93-85 overtime loss to
Louisville
Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border.
...
on March 26.
Pittsnogle declared for the
2005 NBA Draft
The 2005 NBA draft took place on June 28, 2005, in the Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City. In this draft, NBA teams took turns selecting amateur college basketball players and other first-time eligible players, such as players fr ...
. He did not hire an
agent
Agent may refer to:
Espionage, investigation, and law
*, spies or intelligence officers
* Law of agency, laws involving a person authorized to act on behalf of another
** Agent of record, a person with a contractual agreement with an insuranc ...
, which meant that he still had the option to reverse his decision. He ultimately decided to withdraw from the draft and return to WVU for his senior year.
His collegiate career came to an end following a 74-71 loss to
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
in the Sweet 16 of the
2006 NCAA Tournament. Pittsnogle, having just returned from a bloody nose, tied the game with 5 seconds remaining with his fifth
three-pointer
A three-point field goal (also 3-pointer, three, or trey) is a field goal in a basketball game made from beyond the three-point line, a designated arc surrounding the basket. A successful attempt is worth three points, in contrast to the two poi ...
, but Texas guard Kenton Paulino hit a three-pointer at the buzzer for the win.
Pittsnogle has the 6th most points in a career (1,708), the 2nd best 3-point field goal percentage in a career (41.1%), the 25th most rebounds in a career (563), the most games played in a career (128) and the ninth most games started in a career (105) in school history.
Professional career
Expected to be taken in the
2006 NBA Draft, neither Pittsnogle nor his teammate,
shooting guard Mike Gansey, were chosen by any teams. Although Pittsnogle was predicted in most mock drafts as being chosen in the early-to-mid second round, he went undrafted and thus became a
free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
. On July 25, 2006, Pittsnogle signed a two-year contract with the
Boston Celtics, but he was waived on October 20. On November 8, 2006, Pittsnogle signed with the
CBA's
Pittsburgh Xplosion
The Pittsburgh Xplosion was a professional basketball team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh were members of the Continental Basketball Association from 2006 to 2008. Founded in 2004 as the Pittsburgh Hard Hats as a member of the ABA ...
.
Pittsnogle was selected to the CBA All-Star game on February 6, after posting 23.5 points per game. Pittsnogle currently holds the CBA single-game record for points scored with 44, which he accomplished earlier in his rookie season. On March 9, 2007 the Xplosion placed him on the team's inactive reserve list due to
tendinitis
Tendinopathy, a type of tendon disorder that results in pain, swelling, and impaired function. The pain is typically worse with movement. It most commonly occurs around the shoulder (rotator cuff tendinitis, biceps tendinitis), elbow (tennis elbo ...
in his non-shooting elbow. He earned CBA All-Rookie Team honors.
Pittsnogle played for the
NBA's
Cleveland Cavaliers on their
Summer League team in early July 2007. On July 23, 2007 Pittsnogle signed with
French Pro A league team
Cholet Basket
Cholet Basket is a professional basketball club that is based in Cholet, France. The club plays in the French League. Their home arena is La Meilleraie. Established in 1975, Cholet won its first French championship in the 2009–10 season. In 1 ...
, but was cut one week before the start of the season.
Pittsnogle was selected 12th overall by the
NBA Development League's
Austin Toros in the 2007 D-League draft.
[ He was waived by Austin on January 9, 2008. He was picked up by the ]Albuquerque Thunderbirds
Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...
on January 13, 2008.[Albuquerque Thunderbirds Add New Big Man Kevin Pittsnogle Coming off 2-1 Road Trip – NBA D-League]
In summer 2008, Pittsnogle has placed his basketball aspirations on hold and, as of January 2009, was working as a middle school teacher and unpaid assistant high school coach. Pittsnogle's weight increased to over 300 lbs, causing most scouts to tell him he was in inappropriate shape to return to even semi-professional basketball leagues. In the fall of 2008, Pittsnogle learned he had a thyroid condition that slowed his metabolism, which might be partially responsible for his weight gain. Medication played a role in his successful effort to lose 25 pounds. Currently, he lives with his wife and seven children in his home town of Martinsburg.
Pittsnogle attempted a comeback in the fall of 2009 when he joined the D-League's Albuquerque Thunderbirds, but after some success on the court, retired again on February 16, 2010 for personal reasons.
In late 2010, Pittsnogle joined a semipro team based in Winchester, Virginia
Winchester is the most north western independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is the county seat of Frederick County, although the two are separate jurisdictions. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Winchester wit ...
. In 2012, he became a member of a semipro team based in Jefferson County, West Virginia
Jefferson County is located in the Shenandoah Valley in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. It is the easternmost county of the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 57,701. Its county seat is Charles Tow ...
.
Personal life
Following Pittsnogle's basketball career, he became a car dealer in his hometown, worked as a special education teacher, high school basketball coach, and most recently as an assistant principal. Pittsnogle resides in his hometown of Martinsburg, West Virginia with his wife, and their combined eight kids.
Awards and accomplishments
* Big East
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletic conference that competes in NCAA Division I in ten men's sports and twelve women's sports. Headquartered in New York City, the eleven full-member schools are primarily located in Northeast and ...
Academic All-Star
* Finalist for the 2003 USA Basketball Junior World Championship team
* Named to 2007 CBA All-Star Team
* Named to 2007 CBA All Rookie Team
* 2020 xReiLox Fantasy League Runner-Up
References
"WVU: The A-10's loss is nation's gain" Pat Forde, ESPN.com, February 8, 2006
(story includes information on Pittsnogle)
Shocking Night for WVU at the NBA Draft
Notes
External links
West Virginia Mountaineers bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pittsnogle, Kevin
1984 births
Living people
Albuquerque Thunderbirds players
All-American college men's basketball players
American expatriate basketball people in France
American men's basketball players
Basketball players from West Virginia
Centers (basketball)
Martinsburg High School alumni
Sportspeople from Martinsburg, West Virginia
Power forwards (basketball)
West Virginia Mountaineers men's basketball players