Korean-American/Asian-American College basketball players
Richard Lee
Hi, again, Jay.
: I am trying to see what other Korean-American or Asian-Americans have
: played college. I know of a guy named Soo Sun Kim who played for the
: University of Hawaii, I dont know when, I belive in 60's. I'm not sure
: if he was Korean or Korean-American though. I also know of Ma Jien (sp?)
Ma Jian.
: who played for the Univeresity of Utah and was in the LA Clipper camp a
: couple of seasons ago. But does anyone know of any other
: Korean-Americans/Asian-Americans who are playing/have played college
: basketball at the NCAA Division one level? Or is Kirk Kim the first?
There are tons of Asian Americans who have played college basketball.
The first, as far as I know, was Ted Ohashi (Japanese American) -- the
official Cal athletic site (www.calbears.com) says he played a few years
later, but apparently from Ohashi's own words (which could be blurred from
being old now), he played at UC Berkeley from 1929-1931.
Another Japanese American guy, as Sam Cacas can tell you, played at Utah
in the 1940s before heading on briefly to the NBA (first AsAm NBA player).
Recently, hapa Rex Walters played for Northwestern before transferring to
Kansas (All-Big 8...now it's the Big 12) to play for Roy Williams
alongside Adonis Jordan. Luc Longley, too, is part Filipino, and he
played for New Mexico (or was it New Mexico State? whatever, it's in his
NBA bio) before becoming an NBA journeyman center and then lucking out
with the Bulls.
I'm sure there are more players at the low-major Division I level (by
low-major, I mean conferences that get only one team, the conference
champ, into the NCAA Tournament...this would mean places like the Big Sky,
the Big West, Patriot League, etc.) and maybe the mid-major level (by
mid-major, I mean conferences that once in a while will get 2 teams into
the NCAA Tournament...like the WCC and the MVC).
Much of this has occurred through the development that happens in the
J-Leagues (Japanese Leagues) all throughout California, esp. L.A. and in
the Bay Area. Walters, for one, went through this system in the Bay Area,
as did plenty of AsAm female players from SoCal.
Two more that will enter college next year: 6'8" hapa Jason Kapono (just
selected to the McDonald's All-America game) and 7'5" Yao Ming, who is
actually a Chinese national, but who is supposed to be headed to play for
Clyde Drexler at Houston.
Here's a good email to contact:
je...@uclink4.berkeley.edu (Jere Takahashi)
He should have all the info on Ted Ohashi, in addition to others.
Richard Lee
p.s. Btw, I'm assuming you mean men's college basketball -- if you also
include women's college basketball, there are tons more (there are three
right now in the Pac 10 with hapa Lindsey Yamasaki at Stanford, Japanese
American Natalie Nakase at UCLA, and hapa Kiyoko Miller at USC...and, many
more at mid- to low-majors like UC Irvine & the University of San Diego
and Cal State Fullerton, along with Division II and Division III players).
I have a lot more info on them.
--
"You can't spell P-E-N-I-S without ESPN!"
--seen on a sign held by a student in the stands at the Utah vs.
Colorado St. basketball game in 1997, televised by ESPN.