NBA Veteran Joins Manhattan Coaching Staff

RIVERDALE, N.Y. - The Manhattan men's basketball program welcomes another new face to its coaching staff for the 2010-11 campaign.  Jaspers fifth-year head coach Barry Rohrssen has named eight-year NBA veteran and former University of Kentucky standout Scott Padgett an assistant coach.

"We would like to welcome Scott and his family to the Manhattan College basketball program," Rohrssen said. "Scott has played for some of the best coaches in our profession: Hall of Famer Jerry Sloan, Rick Pitino, Jeff Van Gundy. We feel his experience will help with the development of our post and front court players."

Padgett spent the 2009-10 season at his alma mater on head coach John Calipari's staff.  The Wildcats advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament, finished with a 35-3 overall record and ranked in the top-5 of both the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today polls, including a #1 ranking on January 25.

"I have always wanted to be a head coach in college, so this is a great first step for me to coach basketball in New York City and learn every aspect of running a program from recruiting, to coaching in practice and the day-to-day operations," explained Padgett. "I am very excited to start the next chapter of my basketball career."

Padgett was a 1^st Round draft pick selected 28^th overall by the Utah Jazz in 1999 and spent eight years in the league. Padgett recorded 1,142 points in four years with the Jazz, before spending the next two seasons with the Houston Rockets.  The Louisville, Ky., native played the 2005-06 season with the New Jersey Nets.  Padgett began the 2006-07 season with the Rockets before being traded to the Memphis Grizzlies, where he finished out his career.

Padgett played at Kentucky from 1995-99.  He helped lead the Wildcats to the 1998 NCAA National Championship, where he was named to the NCAA All-Final Four team, as well as the NCAA All-East Regional team and All-SEC during the regular season.  In 1997, Padgett helped Kentucky to the NCAA championship game and was named to the All-Final Four team.  A true student-athlete, Padgett received All-SEC honors twice for his work on the hardwood, and he was also honored with Academic All-SEC honors in 1998 and 1999 for his success in the classroom. Padgett scored 1,252 points over his career, which ranks 32^nd on Kentucky's all-time list.  

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