Chris Kaman appears at McGuirk Arena in CMU’s win
Former Central Michigan men's basketball player Chris Kaman talks to Athletic Director Michael Alford during the basketball game on Jan. 30 at McGuirk Arena.
Chris Kaman and Tom Pantlind were Chippewas the last time the Central Michigan men’s basketball team made it to the NCAA Tournament.
The duo was back in McGuirk Arena on Jan. 30 for CMU’s 81-67 victory over Northern Illinois.
Over three seasons in the maroon and gold, Kaman averaged 15.1 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.2 blocks. In the 2002-03 campaign, the 7-foot-0, 265-pound center registered 22.4 points, 12.0 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 3.2 blocks per game. Kaman was named as the Mid-American Conference Player of the Year.
Kaman holds the MAC season field goals, field goal percentage, 2-point field goals and blocks record, all of which were earned during his final season. The center helped lead the Chippewas to a No. 11 seed in the 2003 NCAA Tournament. CMU defeated Creighton, 79-73, before losing to Duke by 26 points in the Second Round.
Over 62 total games for CMU, Pantlind averaged 2.8 points, 2.0 rebounds and 0.3 assists. He was also a member of the 2003 NCAA Tournament team under head coach Jay Smith.
Kaman is currently a free agent in the NBA, last playing in 2015-16 for the Portland Trail Blazers. Across his 13-year NBA career, Kaman averaged 11.2 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game.
The former CMU center was selected No. 6 overall by the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2003 NBA Draft. Kaman’s best season was a 2009-10 All-Star campaign in the City of Angels, which he logged 18.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.2 blocks in 76 games.
