Ronnie McCollum
Encyclopedia
Ronnie Allen McCollum II (born December 28, 1978) is an American professional basketball player for various teams in different countries, most recently with Intercollege ETHA in Cyprus Basketball Division 1
. McCollum has had a successful international career, but it was his collegiate career playing for the Centenary Gentlemen basketball team
between 1997–98 and 2000–01
for which he is best known.
, but grew up in Fayette
. He attended Fayette County High School from 1993–94 to 1996–97 where he was a star basketball player. He averaged 17 points per game
(ppg) as a freshman
, 20 ppg as a sophomore
, 22 ppg as a junior
and then finished second in the state in scoring as a senior
with 30 ppg. In his final two seasons, McCollum was a 5A All-State selection and conference MVP
awardee as FCHS finished ranked in the top five in the state. For his high school career, he recorded 2,204 points, 750 rebounds, 400 assists and 150 steals. McCollum signed to play NCAA Division I basketball at the Centenary College of Louisiana
on April 23, 1997.
s, which set school and Trans America Athletic Conference (TAAC) records, and was selected to the All-TAAC Second Team, All-Newcomer Team and the All-Louisiana Third Team. As a sophomore in 1998–99, he repeated as the team's scoring leader while averaging 19.4 ppg. He also finished 11th in the nation in free throw
shooting percentage (87.4%).
McCollum's junior season in 1999–2000 saw him burst onto the national scene as he finished third in the country in scoring at 23.8 ppg. He finished 11th in three-pointers made per game (3.3) and scored 30 or more points in a game five times. He wa named to the All-Independent First Team and was the Independent Conference Player of the Year runner-up. McCollum also hit back-to-back game-winning three-point shots against Southwest Texas State and Texas A&M
. The following year—his senior season—he continued to score in high numbers and finished as the nation's leading scorer with a 29.1 ppg average, which was 5.3 points per game more than the second highest scorer (Eastern Illinois' Kyle Hill
averaged 23.8). McCollum was an Honorable Mention All-America selection and named to the All-Independent Conference First Team. He set a school single season record with 787 points, and he was selected as the 2001 Louisiana Player of the Year by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association.
McCollum finished his Centenary College career with 2,524 points, 400 rebounds and 119 assists in 113 career games. He fell 12 points shy of breaking the school's all-time career scoring record of 2,535 set by Willie Jackson
between 1980–81 and 1983–84.
in Health and Science Exercise, McCollum played for the Golden State Warriors
in the NBA Summer League
. He had gone undrafted in the 2001 NBA Draft
, and when no teams signed him as a free agent, he took his game abroad. Between 2001–02 and 2009–10, McCollum played for seven different teams in five different countries, including China
, Austria
, Portugal
, Belgium
and Cyprus
. He won the Belgian 2nd Division league championship in 2008–09 and was named the season MVP, Guard of the Year and Import Player of the Year while averaging 14 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. The only season McCollum has missed since turning professional was in 2005–06. He had signed a contract in Saint-Étienne
, France
, but he ruptured his Achilles tendon
in the third practice of the season. Up through the 2008–09 basketball season, McCollum holds professional career averages of 17.8 points, 3.5 rebounds 1.7 assists and 2.6 threes made per game.
College
Professional
player at Memphis State
and is still ranked in the top 10 for many defensive statistical categories, while his cousin is Mike Davis, the current head men's basketball coach for the UAB Blazers
.
Cyprus Basketball Division 1
The Cypriot First Division A of the Men’s Basketball League is currently the top competition on the Cyprus Basketball calendar. It is run and governed by the Cyprus Basketball Federation...
. McCollum has had a successful international career, but it was his collegiate career playing for the Centenary Gentlemen basketball team
Centenary Gentlemen basketball
The Centenary Gentlemen basketball team represents Centenary College, located in Shreveport, Louisiana, in NCAA Division III men's basketball competition. The "Gentlemen" nickname is exclusive to men's athletes and teams; Ladies is used for women's teams and athletes. The school's team currently...
between 1997–98 and 2000–01
2000–01 NCAA Division I men's basketball season
The 2000–01 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 8, 2000, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 2001 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament Championship Game on April 2, 2001 at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in...
for which he is best known.
Early life
McCollum was born in Tuscaloosa, AlabamaTuscaloosa, Alabama
Tuscaloosa is a city in and the seat of Tuscaloosa County in west central Alabama . Located on the Black Warrior River, it is the fifth-largest city in Alabama, with a population of 90,468 in 2010...
, but grew up in Fayette
Fayette, Alabama
Fayette is a city in Fayette County, Alabama, United States. The 2000 census lists the population as 4,922. The city is the county seat of Fayette County.-Geography:Fayette is located at .According to the U.S...
. He attended Fayette County High School from 1993–94 to 1996–97 where he was a star basketball player. He averaged 17 points per game
Points per game
Points per game, often abbreviated PPG, is the average number of points scored by a player per game played in a sport, over the course of a series of games, a whole season, or a career. It is calculated by dividing the total number of points by number of games. The terminology is often used in...
(ppg) as a freshman
Freshman
A freshman or fresher is a first-year student in secondary school, high school, or college. The term first year can also be used as a noun, to describe the students themselves A freshman (US) or fresher (UK, India) (or sometimes fish, freshie, fresher; slang plural frosh or freshmeat) is a...
, 20 ppg as a sophomore
Sophomore
Sophomore is a term used in the United States to describe a student in the second year of study at high school or university.The word is also used as a synonym for "second", for the second album or EP released by a musician or group, the second movie of a director, or the second season of a...
, 22 ppg as a junior
Junior (education)
"Junior" is a term used in the United States to describe a student in their 3rd year of study . A Junior is considered an upperclassman...
and then finished second in the state in scoring as a senior
Senior (education)
Senior is a term used in the United States to describe a student in the 4th year of study .-High school:...
with 30 ppg. In his final two seasons, McCollum was a 5A All-State selection and conference MVP
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
awardee as FCHS finished ranked in the top five in the state. For his high school career, he recorded 2,204 points, 750 rebounds, 400 assists and 150 steals. McCollum signed to play NCAA Division I basketball at the Centenary College of Louisiana
Centenary College of Louisiana
Centenary College of Louisiana is a primarily undergraduate, liberal arts and sciences college in Shreveport, Louisiana. The college is one of the founding members of the Associated Colleges of the South, a pedagogical organization consisting of sixteen Southern liberal arts colleges...
on April 23, 1997.
College
McCollum made an immediate impact at Centenary as he led the team in scoring at 17.5 ppg during his freshman season. He made 101 three-point field goalThree-point field goal
A three-point field goal is a field goal in a basketball game, made from beyond the three-point line, a designated arc radiating from the basket...
s, which set school and Trans America Athletic Conference (TAAC) records, and was selected to the All-TAAC Second Team, All-Newcomer Team and the All-Louisiana Third Team. As a sophomore in 1998–99, he repeated as the team's scoring leader while averaging 19.4 ppg. He also finished 11th in the nation in free throw
Free throw
In basketball, free throws or foul shots are unopposed attempts to score points from a restricted area on the court , and are generally awarded after a foul on the shooter by the opposing team...
shooting percentage (87.4%).
McCollum's junior season in 1999–2000 saw him burst onto the national scene as he finished third in the country in scoring at 23.8 ppg. He finished 11th in three-pointers made per game (3.3) and scored 30 or more points in a game five times. He wa named to the All-Independent First Team and was the Independent Conference Player of the Year runner-up. McCollum also hit back-to-back game-winning three-point shots against Southwest Texas State and Texas A&M
Texas A&M Aggies men's basketball
The Texas A&M Aggies men's basketball team represents Texas A&M University in NCAA Division I college basketball. The Aggies play home games at Reed Arena, a 12,500-capacity arena in College Station, Texas on the campus of Texas A&M University....
. The following year—his senior season—he continued to score in high numbers and finished as the nation's leading scorer with a 29.1 ppg average, which was 5.3 points per game more than the second highest scorer (Eastern Illinois' Kyle Hill
Kyle Hill
Kyle Eric Hill is an American professional basketball player who was picked by the Dallas Mavericks in the 2001 NBA Draft with the 44th overall draft pick. Hill's NBA rights were then traded by the Mavericks shortly after the draft to the Houston Rockets.-Amateur career:Hill attended and played...
averaged 23.8). McCollum was an Honorable Mention All-America selection and named to the All-Independent Conference First Team. He set a school single season record with 787 points, and he was selected as the 2001 Louisiana Player of the Year by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association.
McCollum finished his Centenary College career with 2,524 points, 400 rebounds and 119 assists in 113 career games. He fell 12 points shy of breaking the school's all-time career scoring record of 2,535 set by Willie Jackson
Willie Jackson (basketball)
Willie Jackson is an American former college basketball stand-out and current high school head coach.-High school:Jackson grew up in Webster Parish, Louisiana and attended Sibley High School from 1976–77 to 1979–80...
between 1980–81 and 1983–84.
Professional
After graduating college with a bachelor's degreeBachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in Health and Science Exercise, McCollum played for the Golden State Warriors
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. They are part of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
in the NBA Summer League
NBA Summer League
The NBA Summer League is a period during which NBA teams come together to try out different summer rosters instead of their regular season line-ups. Typically, there is a mix of rookies and some of the younger bench players to see how well some players work with others...
. He had gone undrafted in the 2001 NBA Draft
2001 NBA Draft
The 2001 NBA Draft took place on June 27, 2001 in New York City, New York. Kwame Brown became the first high school player drafted with the first overall pick...
, and when no teams signed him as a free agent, he took his game abroad. Between 2001–02 and 2009–10, McCollum played for seven different teams in five different countries, including China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
and Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
. He won the Belgian 2nd Division league championship in 2008–09 and was named the season MVP, Guard of the Year and Import Player of the Year while averaging 14 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. The only season McCollum has missed since turning professional was in 2005–06. He had signed a contract in Saint-Étienne
Saint-Étienne
Saint-Étienne is a city in eastern central France. It is located in the Massif Central, southwest of Lyon in the Rhône-Alpes region, along the trunk road that connects Toulouse with Lyon...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, but he ruptured his Achilles tendon
Achilles tendon
The Achilles tendon , also known as the calcaneal tendon or the tendo calcaneus, is a tendon of the posterior leg. It serves to attach the plantaris, gastrocnemius and soleus muscles to the calcaneus bone.- Anatomy :The Achilles is the tendonous extension of 3 muscles in the lower leg:...
in the third practice of the season. Up through the 2008–09 basketball season, McCollum holds professional career averages of 17.8 points, 3.5 rebounds 1.7 assists and 2.6 threes made per game.
Honors and awards
High school- Sectional champion (1994)
- 2× conference MVP
- 4× all-conference selection
- 4× all-area performer
- Second in state scoring average (1997)
- 2× top five team in state (1996, 1997)
College
- 4× Centenary leading scorer
- 4× All-Conference (inc. Independent)
- School record for points in a season (787)
- Fifth most three-pointers in a season by a freshman in NCAA history (101)
- School record 345 three-pointers
- Nation's leading scorer as a senior (29.1 ppg)
- Also led in free throws made (214)
- Fifth in free throw shooting percentage (90.7%)
- Honorable Mention All-America (2001)
- 2001 Louisiana Player Of The Year
- Shreveport, Louisiana named March 13, 2001 as "Ronnie McCollum Day"
Professional
- League all-star (2003, 2004)
- First team All-Import and Second Team All-Portugal (2004)
- Free throw percentage leader (2004)
- Belgian league season record of 88 three-pointers (2005)
- Led Belgian league in three-pointers made [83] and second in three-point percentage (2007)
- Team's best overall league record (2009)
- League champion (2009)
- MVP, guard of the year and import player of the year (2009)
Personal
Ronnie McCollum has one daughter and son by his wife, Miek, whom he met while playing in Belgium. He is an only child to parents Ronnie and Beverly McCollum. His uncle is Cedric Wright, who was a standout defensive footballAmerican football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player at Memphis State
Memphis Tigers football
The Memphis Tigers football team represents the University of Memphis in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. The Tigers compete in Conference USA...
and is still ranked in the top 10 for many defensive statistical categories, while his cousin is Mike Davis, the current head men's basketball coach for the UAB Blazers
UAB Blazers men's basketball
The UAB Blazers men's basketball team represents the University of Alabama at Birmingham in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I men's college basketball, and have competed in Conference USA since 1995...
.