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Curtis Aiken Sr. is an American former
college basketball College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the Higher education in the United States, United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athle ...
player who is a radio analyst for
Pitt Panthers men's basketball The Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball team is the NCAA Division I intercollegiate men's basketball program of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Pitt men's basketball team comp ...
team. He was a two-time
captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
at Pitt who scored 1,200 points for the team and held the school single-season
field goal percentage Field goal percentage in basketball is the ratio of field goals made to field goals attempted. Its abbreviation is FG%. Although three-point field goal percentage is often calculated separately, three-point field goals are included in the gene ...
record from 1986 to 1989. Prior to college, Aiken played for Bennett High School and formerly held the
New York State Public High School Athletic Association The New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) is the governing body of interscholastic sports for most public schools in New York (state), New York outside New York City.http://www.nysphsaa.org/ ''nysphsaa.org'', accesse ...
(NYSPHSAA) single-season scoring record, the
Buffalo Public Schools Buffalo Public Schools serves approximately 31,000 students in Buffalo, New York, It is located in Erie County, New York, Erie County of western New York and operates nearly 70 facilities. History The Buffalo Public School System was started ...
(BPS) and
Western New York Western New York (WNY) is the westernmost region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. The eastern boundary of the region is not consistently defined by state agencies or those who call themselves "Western New Yorkers". Almost all so ...
career scoring record (disputed), as well as the BPS and
Erie County, New York Erie County is a county along the shore of Lake Erie in western New York (state), New York State. As of the United States Census 2020, 2020 census, the population was 954,236. However, in the 2023 census, the Erie County population was 946,147 ...
public school single-game scoring record.


High school

As a youth, Curtis Aiken was a regular attendee at the Masten
Boys & Girls Clubs of America Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) is a national organization of local chapters which provide voluntary after-school programs for young people. The organization, which holds a congressional charter under Title 36 of the United States Code, has i ...
in Buffalo. He was raised by his grandmother Marion on the East Side and wanted to be a boxer until attending a basketball camp at the Boys & Girls club at age 10. In the 1982
Empire State Games The Empire State Games were a set of annual Olympic-style competitions for amateur athletes from the state of New York, encompassing several divisions and allowing athletes of all ages to compete. It was a member of the National Congress of St ...
scholastic (17 & under) division, Aiken led the West New York team to the gold medal with a 115–109
overtime Overtime is the amount of time someone works beyond normal working hours. The term is also used for the pay received for this time. Normal hours may be determined in several ways: *by custom (what is considered healthy or reasonable by society) ...
victory over New York City. In the final game, when Pearl Washington established a scholastic division single-game scoring record 45 points for New York City, Aiken led the West with 43 points. This was the first time the West had ever won basketball gold in the scholastic division of this competition. On February 8, 1983, Aiken broke Ray Hall's BPS all-time career scoring record (1,794) with a 37-point performance for Bennett High School against
Buffalo Academy for Visual and Performing Arts The Buffalo Academy for Visual and Performing Arts (BAVPA) is a magnet performing arts high school and part of Buffalo, New York's public school system. It serves grades 5-12 and requires students to apply in the field of their desired major con ...
that brought his total to 1,809. Aiken's 1982–1983 single-season total of 924 was a NYSPHSAA record that brought his career total to 2,162 (disputed). Five years later,
Christian Laettner Christian Donald Laettner (, ; born August 17, 1969) is an American former professional basketball player. His college career for the Duke Blue Devils men's basketball, Duke Blue Devils is widely regarded as one of the best in National Collegi ...
became the second
Western New York Western New York (WNY) is the westernmost region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. The eastern boundary of the region is not consistently defined by state agencies or those who call themselves "Western New Yorkers". Almost all so ...
high school player to achieve 2,000 career points (2,066). On February 17, 1989 David Edwards eclipsed Aiken's single-season record with a total of 947 (disputed) in a playoff loss (his 23rd game) before Marcus Whitfield reached 958 in his 21st game, a playoff win for Burgard Vocational High School on February 18 hosted at Amherst Central High School. The 45-point performance also eclipsed Aiken's BPS career total moving the record to 2,189. Bennett won the 1983 Class B NYSPHSAA State Championships at the
Glens Falls Civic Center The Cool Insuring Arena (originally called Glens Falls Civic Center) is a 4,794-seat multi-purpose arena located in downtown Glens Falls, New York, that is the home of the Adirondack Thunder of the ECHL. Built in 1979, it was originally the home o ...
over John S. Burke Catholic High School 88-61. It was the second time a school from Western New York had won a public school state championship. That year Aiken was named Western New York boys' basketball player of the year by ''
The Buffalo News ''The Buffalo News'' is the daily newspaper of the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area, located in downtown Buffalo, New York. It was for decades the only paper fully owned by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway. On January 29, 2020, th ...
''. He also repeated as a first team All-Western New York selection. That year he was All-class co-New York State Player of the Year (with Russell Pierre) by the New York State Sportswriters Association. Despite the numbers in the press, the NYSPHSAA record book does not include Aiken among those with at least 2,041 career points (lowest total among career points leaders) and it does not list Edwards among those with at least 910 points in a season. It does include Aiken's 65-point senior season performance, which seems to have been fifth highest in state history at the time. The 65-point performance was listed below the 1968–69 70-point performance by Don Hurlburt of Hinsdale Central School, meaning it was a BPS and an Erie County public school record, which stood until Robert Robinson totaled 67 five seasons later for Emerson Vocational High School, but not a Western New York public school record at the time. Aiken was a fourth-team ''Parade'' All-American in 1983. Aiken scored 13 points in the 10th annual April 1, 1983
McDonald's Capital Classic The Capital Classic is an annual American all-star game featuring high school basketball players. It is the country's longest-running high school all-star basketball game. The game pits a team of all-stars from the Washington, D.C., area against ...
at the Capital Centre, not to be confused with the 6th annual April 9,
1983 McDonald's All-American Boys Game The 1983 McDonald's All-American Boys Game was an All-star game, All-star basketball game played on Saturday, April 9, 1983 at the Omni Coliseum in Atlanta, Georgia. The game's rosters featured the best and most highly recruited high school boys ...
at the
Omni Coliseum Omni Coliseum (often called The Omni) was an indoor arena in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Completed in 1972, the arena seated 16,378 for basketball and 15,278 for ice hockey, hockey. It was part of the Omni Complex, now known as the CNN Cente ...
. In the Capital Classic, Aiken played for the McDonald-sponsored U.S. All-Stars team that included James Blackmon Sr., Keith Gatlin,
Joe Wolf Joseph James Wolf (December 17, 1964 – September 26, 2024) was an American professional basketball player and coach. Wolf played eleven seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for seven different teams. He played college basketba ...
,
Barry Sumpter Barry Sumpter (born November 11, 1965, in Brooklyn, Illinois) is a retired American professional basketball player A 6'11" forward-center, Sumpter attended Lovejoy high school where he excelled at basketball. Following his college career at Un ...
, Mike Smith,
Corey Gaines Corey Yasuto Gaines (born June 1, 1965) is an American professional basketball coach and former player. He played five seasons in the NBA, and was a four-time Israeli Premier League Assists Leader, in 1999 and in 2001 to 2003. He was also a for ...
, Daryl Thomas, Greg Koubek, and Winston Bennett. In the 1983 National Sports Festival (later called the U.S. Olympic Festival) he was on the East team, which included Washington, Walter Berry,
Kenny Smith Kenneth Smith (born March 8, 1965) is an American sports commentator and former professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Jet", he played in the NBA from 1987 to 1997 as a member of the Sacramen ...
, and Dallas Comegys that beat the south team led by Kenny Green on June 28. In the 3rd Annual Pearl Street College Senior Basketball All-Star Game in
Waterbury, Connecticut Waterbury is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Waterbury had a population of 114,403 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 Census. The city is southwest of Hartford, Connecticut, Hartford and northeast of New York City. Waterbury i ...
Muggsy Bogues Tyrone Curtis "Muggsy" Bogues (born January 9, 1965) is an American former basketball player. The shortest player ever to play in the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Bogues played point guard for four teams during his 14-season care ...
(31 points) and Vince Johnson (34 points) were co-MVPs for the winning West team. Aiken posted 50 points for the East. He was also selected for the Dapper Dan Club's annual all-star basketball game along with guards Bogues, Washington, Antoine Joubert and
Steve Alford Stephen Todd Alford (born November 23, 1964) is an American men's college basketball coach and former professional player who is the head coach for the Nevada Wolf Pack men's basketball, Nevada Wolf Pack of the Mountain West Conference (MWC). ...
for the U.S. Team. In 2009 as ''
The Buffalo News ''The Buffalo News'' is the daily newspaper of the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area, located in downtown Buffalo, New York. It was for decades the only paper fully owned by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway. On January 29, 2020, th ...
'' celebrated 50 years of All-
Western New York Western New York (WNY) is the westernmost region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. The eastern boundary of the region is not consistently defined by state agencies or those who call themselves "Western New Yorkers". Almost all so ...
(WNY) basketball selections, Aiken, who was twice an All-WNY first team selection was named to the 1980s All-WNY first team along with
Christian Laettner Christian Donald Laettner (, ; born August 17, 1969) is an American former professional basketball player. His college career for the Duke Blue Devils men's basketball, Duke Blue Devils is widely regarded as one of the best in National Collegi ...
,
Gary Bossert Gary Bossert (born ) is an American former college basketball player for the Niagara Purple Eagles. He ranks first in NCAA Division I history for most single-game consecutive three-point shots and second in American high-school history for most si ...
, Keith Robinson and Ritchie Campbell He was a first team selection for the All-time All-WNY team along with Laettner, Paul Harris,
Bob Lanier Robert Jerry Lanier Jr. (September 10, 1948 – May 10, 2022) was an American professional basketball player. He played center (basketball), center for the Detroit Pistons and the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). L ...
and Mel Montgomery.


Recruiting

On March 4, 1983, Aiken chose
Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...
over his other finalists
Michigan State Michigan State University (Michigan State or MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan, United States. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the ...
,
Syracuse Syracuse most commonly refers to: * Syracuse, Sicily, Italy; in the province of Syracuse * Syracuse, New York, USA; in the Syracuse metropolitan area Syracuse may also refer to: Places * Syracuse railway station (disambiguation) Italy * Provi ...
and
West Virginia West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau and the Association of American ...
, citing the teaching skills of assistant coach
Jo Jo White Joseph Henry White (November 16, 1946 – January 16, 2018) was an American professional basketball player. As an amateur, he played at the University of Kansas, where he was named a second-team All-American twice. White was part of the U.S. m ...
as his primary reason. On March 21, Kansas fired head coach Ted Owens after 19 seasons. There was speculation that White might replace Owens. On April 7, Kansas hired Larry Brown, which caused Aiken to reopen his recruiting. According to ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'', Brown made an unsuccessful at-home visit with his top assistants before the April 13 signing day when he signed his
National Letter of Intent The National Letter of Intent (NLI) is a document used to indicate a student athlete's commitment to participating in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) colleges and universities in the United States. The NCAA Eligibility Center manag ...
with Pitt. On April 13, Kansas announced they would retain White and
Bob Hill Robert W. Hill''The Sporting News: 1992-93 Official NBA Register''. St. Louis, Missouri: The Sporting News Publishing Co. 1992. (born November 24, 1948) is an American basketball coach. Hill grew up in Mount Sterling, Ohio, moving to Worthingt ...
. According to ''
The Oklahoman ''The Oklahoman'' is the largest daily newspaper in Oklahoma, United States, and is the only regional daily that covers the Oklahoma City metropolitan area, Greater Oklahoma City area. The Alliance for Audited Media (formerly Audit Bureau Circul ...
'', Aiken had demanded that White be retained as an assistant, but there was no announcement of his retention within 5 days of Brown's hiring. When Kansas announced they would rehire White, it was too late. White was later fired for philosophical differences and did not end up serving as an assistant coach for the 1983–84 Kansas Jayhawks. Although
Roy Chipman Leroy P. Chipman (April 24, 1939 – August 10, 1997) was an American basketball coach. Chipman was the head coach at Hartwick. The Hawks advanced to the NCAA Division II Tournament seven times, including five consecutive bids from 1973 to 1977. ...
was the Pitt head coach, his assistants Seth Greenberg (1980–83) and
John Calipari John Vincent Calipari (; born February 10, 1959) is an American basketball coach who is the head coach at the Arkansas Razorbacks men's basketball, University of Arkansas. He has been named Naismith College Coach of the Year three times (1996, 2 ...
(1985-1988) were said to deserve the credit for recruiting successes of that era, including Aiken.


College

Aiken scored 1,200 career points and served as two-time
captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
of Pitt ( 1985–86, 1986–87). When Aiken arrived at Pitt much was expected. He was a 1983–84 Big East preseason All-rookie first team selection along with unanimous selections Washington and Reggie Williams as well as Michael Graham and Willie Glass. The second team included
Mark Jackson Mark A. Jackson (born April 1, 1965) is an American former professional basketball player who was a point guard in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the St. John's Red Storm and was selected by the New ...
and Harold Jensen among others. Aiken was compared to Don Hennon as an exciting short Pitt Panther. The 1983–84 Panthers only won one of its first 8 conference games. Aiken led the 1984–85 team in assists (4.2) and steals (1.6). For the 1985–86 season he led the team in
field goal percentage Field goal percentage in basketball is the ratio of field goals made to field goals attempted. Its abbreviation is FG%. Although three-point field goal percentage is often calculated separately, three-point field goals are included in the gene ...
with 56.9 percent. This percentage was a single-season school record (minimum 5 FGA/Game) that stood for three years until Brian Shorter had 60 percent for the 1988–89 team. Aiken earned the first of two career in-season tournament MVPs for that team in December 1985. He was MVP of the Sugar Bowl Classic Tournament in
New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...
when the team defeated and . He was joined on the tournament team by Charles Smith. On January 3, Aiken was switched to his natural position of
shooting guard The shooting guard (SG), also known as the two, two guard or off guard,Shooting guards are 6'3"–6'7"BBC Sports academy URL last accessed 2006-09-09. is one of the five traditional basketball positions, positions in a regulation basketball game ...
. In the 1986 Empire State games open division, Aikens' West team settled for the silver against New York City after losing 97–94 despite 31 points from Aiken who scored 12 of the West's final 14 points. New York City was led by 15 points and 9 assists by Jackson and 20 points by Derrick Chievous. For the
1986–87 NCAA Division I men's basketball season The 1986–87 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began in November 1986 and ended with the 1987 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, Final Four in New Orleans on March 30, 1987. Season headlines * All 1987 NCAA Division I men's b ...
, the
three-point field goal A three-point field goal (also 3-pointer, three, or triple) is a field goal in a basketball game made from beyond the three-point line, a designated arc surrounding the basket. A successful attempt is worth three points, in contrast to the two ...
was introduced. All Big East coaches thought of the experiment as lunacy, although players like Jackson and
Billy Donovan William John Donovan Jr. (born May 30, 1965) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach of the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Before moving to the NBA, he served as the head ...
were for the idea. As a senior for the 1986–87 team, Aiken led Pitt in
three-point shot A three-point field goal (also 3-pointer, three, or triple) is a field goal in a basketball game made from beyond the three-point line, a designated arc surrounding the basket. A successful attempt is worth three points, in contrast to the two ...
percentage (39.3 percent). He earned MVP of the December 1986 Rainbow Classic Tournament in
Honolulu Honolulu ( ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, located in the Pacific Ocean. It is the county seat of the Consolidated city-county, consolidated City and County of Honol ...
. He led the team to victories over
Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...
,
Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...
, and
Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...
and was joined on the tournament team by
Jerome Lane Jerome Lane Sr. (born December 4, 1966) is an American former professional basketball player who played six seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Lane played college basketball for the University of Pittsburgh, where he was an Al ...
, and Smith. Aiken had his career high 37 points against Arkansas on December 29. He earned Big East Player of the Week on January 4, 1987 for this effort. For the season, Pitt earned its first Big East regular season championship.


Career

Aiken worked for
Coca-Cola Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a cola soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. In 2013, Coke products were sold in over 200 countries and territories worldwide, with consumers drinking more than 1.8 billion company beverage servings ...
after college until at least 2002. He also had several business ventures. Aiken joined Dick Groat as a second
color commentator A color commentator or expert commentator is a sports commentator who assists the main (play-by-play) commentator, typically by filling in when play is not in progress. The person may also be referred to as a summariser (outside North America) ...
on Pitt Panther broadcast in 2010. When Groat became unable to attend road games in 2017 Aiken became the sole color commentator for road games. The 2022-23 Pitt Basketball Media Guide credits the 2022–23 Pittsburgh Panthers season as his 13th alongside Bill Hillgrove as the color analyst for Pitt basketball on their broadcast radio network affiliates and on
SiriusXM Sirius XM Holdings Inc. is an American broadcasting corporation headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, that provides satellite radio and online radio services operating in the United States. The company was formed by the 2008 merge ...
satellite radio Satellite radio is defined by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)'s ITU Radio Regulations (RR) as a '' broadcasting-satellite service''. The satellite's signals are broadcast nationwide, across a much wider geographical area than te ...
. Groat's contract was not renewed in 2019. When Aiken first signed on in 2010, he was just a contributing color commentator for home games. Before his time as a color analyst on the Pitt Panther broadcast network with Hillgrove, Aiken had served as a color commentator for announcer Jeff Hathhorn on Pitt's non-conference games airing on ACC Network Extra, an online platform through ESPN. In 2002, he was inducted into the Bennett High School Hall of Fame alongside
Bob Lanier Robert Jerry Lanier Jr. (September 10, 1948 – May 10, 2022) was an American professional basketball player. He played center (basketball), center for the Detroit Pistons and the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). L ...
in the inaugural class. Aiken was induction into The Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame in 2011. Aiken was selected to the 2006 Pitt Panthers 15-man all-centennial team. Aiken was the third selection (behind
Bob Lanier Robert Jerry Lanier Jr. (September 10, 1948 – May 10, 2022) was an American professional basketball player. He played center (basketball), center for the Detroit Pistons and the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). L ...
and Laettner) to the 2009 50th anniversary All-Western New York boys first team by ''
The Buffalo News ''The Buffalo News'' is the daily newspaper of the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area, located in downtown Buffalo, New York. It was for decades the only paper fully owned by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway. On January 29, 2020, th ...
'' for his high school career.


Personal life

He has a daughter named Alexis. Alexis was a class of 2011 commit to
Indiana University of Pennsylvania Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) is a Public university, public research university in Indiana, Pennsylvania, United States. The university is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and Carnegie Classification o ...
to play for the
IUP Crimson Hawks The Indiana University of Pennsylvania Crimson Hawks, commonly known as the IUP Crimson Hawks and formerly called the IUP Indians, are the varsity athletic teams that represent Indiana University of Pennsylvania, which is located in Indiana, Penn ...
. Curtis Aiken, Jr. who played four years at Pitt (2018–22) earned a varsity letter for the 2019–20 Pitt Panthers. His son's mother also went to
University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The university is composed of seventeen undergraduate and graduate schools and colle ...
. , he had a brother-in-law named Charles Stanfield who played basketball for Holy Cross Preparatory Academy and
Duquesne Dukes men's basketball The Duquesne Dukes represent Duquesne University in college basketball. The team, which started in 1914, has only ever played in NCAA Division I and has had six appearances in the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship, NCAA Tournament. The ...
. At the time, his wife was Charles' sister, Adrian. He currently resides in Franklin Park, PA with his partner Melissa Fox.


See also

* Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball statistical leaders


Footnotes


Notes


External links


Stats
at
Sports Reference Sports Reference, LLC is an American sports statistics company that operates databases of several sports. They include Pro Football Reference for American football, Baseball Reference for baseball, Basketball Reference for basketball, Hockey ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aiken, Curtis 1960s births 20th-century African-American sportsmen 20th-century American sportsmen Living people African-American radio personalities African-American sports journalists American men's basketball players American sports journalists Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball players University of Pittsburgh trustees Basketball players from Buffalo, New York College basketball announcers in the United States Journalists from Alabama Point guards