Ken Owens (basketball)

Ken Owens (born May 3, 1959) is an American basketball coach and former player. He is known for his college basketball career at the University of Idaho, where he was the Big Sky Conference Player of the Year for the 1981–82 season. He is currently an assistant coach for Columbia Basin College.

Born and raised in New York City, Owens played high school basketball for Manhattan Vocational and Technical High School. He then moved to Treasure Valley Community College in Oregon where he was recruited by former Idaho assistant Dale James. This connection paid off for Vandals coach Don Monson as he recruited the point guard to complete his college career at Idaho.[1][2] Owens moved into the starting lineup immediately and helped lead the Vandals to a Big Sky Conference regular season title, averaging 13.5 points and 3.8 assists per game and earning second-team All-conference honors. At the close of the season, Owens led the team to a Big Sky Tournament championship and the school's first NCAA Tournament bid in its history. Owens scored 18 points in the championship game against Montana (including the game-winner) and was named tournament MVP.[3][4]

The following season, Idaho returned the bulk of its perimeter attack with Owens and 1981 Big Sky Player of the Year Brian Kellerman, and added redshirt forward Gordon Herbert.[5] The Vandals won their first 16 games of the season, including wins over four Pacific-10 Conference opponents. A highlight of the season was winning the Far West Classic by defeating Iowa State, Oregon State and Oregon with Owens leading the way, scoring 32 points in the championship game and taking home tournament MVP honors.[6] The fast start helped the Vandals to #8 in the AP poll before falling to Montana on a last-second shot in January.[7] This would be the only game that the Vandals would lose to a Big Sky opponent, and only one of two in the regular season. Owens again led the team to win the 1982 Big Sky Tournament while repeating as tournament MVP. Owens capped the regular season by winning Big Sky Player of the Year honors, averaging 14.5 points and 4.0 assists.[8] The Vandals entered the 1982 NCAA Tournament as the number 3 seed in the West region and made it to the Sweet 16 before falling in a rematch to Oregon State.

Owens has received several accolades for his college career. In 1988 he was named to the Big Sky Conference's all-time team, named for the league's 25th anniversary.[9] In 2012, he was inducted into the University of Idaho's athletics Hall of Fame.[10]

Following the close of his college career, Owens was drafted in the fourth round (88th pick overall) of the 1982 NBA draft by the Seattle SuperSonics.[11] However, he did not make the team. After a failed tryout with the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League, he signed with Athletes in Action Canada where he played exhibitions against a number of U.S. and Canadian colleges.[12] In 1987, he turned to coaching, accepting an assistant coach position at Columbia Basin College, where he has remained for over 30 years.[10]