10 Andre Riddick

Andre Riddick was born February 1, 1973, in the Bronx, New York, to Lenora Riddick. He developed into one of New York City’s top defensive prospects while playing at Bishop Loughlin, where he averaged 14 points, 12 rebounds and eight blocked shots as a junior before posting 18.6 points, 11.4 rebounds and 7.6 blocked shots per game as a senior. A fourth-team Parade All-American, Riddick earned a scholarship to Kentucky, bringing his shot-blocking ability and athleticism to Lexington.

At Kentucky, Riddick became the defensive anchor of Rick Pitino’s revival of the Wildcats and earned the nickname “The Rejector” for his intimidating presence around the basket. He led the team in blocked shots during his sophomore, junior and senior seasons, was selected to the 1993 SEC All-Tournament Team, and helped Kentucky reach the 1993 Final Four as the program reestablished itself among the nation’s elite. By the end of his career, he ranked third in school history with 212 blocked shots and capped his senior season by leading the Wildcats in field-goal percentage at 55.3 percent while steadily improving his free-throw shooting.

One of Riddick’s most memorable Kentucky moments came during the 1995 NCAA Tournament Elite Eight against North Carolina, when he confronted Tar Heels star Rasheed Wallace after taking a hard elbow to the face. The ensuing altercation resulted in one of the tournament’s most debated officiating decisions, as Kentucky’s Walter McCarty was inexplicably assessed a technical foul, a call that Rick Pitino argued vehemently for years afterward. Although the Wildcats fell that day, Riddick’s toughness and willingness to stand his ground became part of Kentucky basketball lore. After graduating, he enjoyed an outstanding professional career that spanned more than a decade in Europe and Asia, becoming a six-time Belgian League champion and one of the most respected defensive centers to play overseas.