Joshua Michael Pace (born May 23, 1983) is an American former professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

player who spent the majority of his ten-year career playing in the

New Zealand National Basketball League The National Basketball League (NBL) is a men's semi-professional basketball league in New Zealand. In 1981, a group of club and provincial teams came together to create a men's national basketball league. The following year, the league was b ...

. He also had successful stints playing college basketball for

Syracuse Syracuse may refer to: Places Italy *Syracuse, Sicily, or spelled as ''Siracusa'' *Province of Syracuse United States * Syracuse, New York ** East Syracuse, New York ** North Syracuse, New York * Syracuse, Indiana *Syracuse, Kansas *Syracuse, M ...

and playing in the

ABA ABA may refer to: Businesses and organizations Broadcasting * Alabama Broadcasters Association, United States * Asahi Broadcasting Aomori, Japanese television station * Australian Broadcasting Authority Education * Académie des Beaux- ...

for the Mavericks. He currently serves as the head coach for the Western New Mexico Mustangs women's basketball team.

High school career

Pace attended Griffin High School in

Griffin, Georgia Griffin is a city in and the county seat of Spalding County, Georgia. It is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 23,478. Griffin was founded in 1840 and named for landowner Col. Lewis Law ...

where as a senior in 2000–01, he averaged 26.0 points, 9.7 rebounds and three steals per game. His honors in high school included four selections each to the all-region and all-state teams, regional player of the year twice, and selection in the

Street & Smith Street & Smith or Street & Smith Publications, Inc. was a New York City publisher specializing in inexpensive paperbacks and magazines referred to as dime novels and pulp magazine, pulp fiction. They also published comic books and sporting year ...

’s and

Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine given ...

All-American clubs.

College career

2001–02

In his freshman year at

, Pace finished seventh on the team in scoring average (4.3) and fifth in steals average (0.9), appearing in 32 of 36 games.

2002–03

Pace was an important part of Syracuse's 2003 National Championship run as a key player off the bench, including a season-high 14 points against Auburn in the Sweet 16 and 12 points against

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

in the national semifinals. In the National Championship game against

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to ...

, Pace scored eight points and grabbed eight rebounds. During the NCAA Tournament, Pace averaged 8.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.2 steals, and he connected on .639 percent (23-of-36) of his shots.

2003–04

Pace became the team's starting

small forward The small forward (SF), also known as the three or swingman, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular c ...

his junior year following

Carmelo Anthony Carmelo Kyam Anthony (born May 29, 1984) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has been named an NBA All-Star ten times and an All-NBA Team m ...

declaring early for the NBA draft. Pace also saw time at shooting guard while more than doubling his scoring average from the previous season (4.3 to 9.5) and his minutes played from 14.7 average per game to 33.9.

2004–05

In his senior season, Pace averaged 10.8 points per game, including a career-high 22 points against Rice. Pace was awarded the Big East Conference Sportsmanship Award. When Pace reached double-digits in scoring, Syracuse went 20–4. He was also earned All-Big East Honorable Mention selection and was named to the Big East All-Tournament Team. Pace finished with career averages of 7.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. He played in 129 games, starting 65 of them.Josh Pace - 2004 Men's Basketball
/ref>

Professional career

Early years

After going undrafted in the

2005 NBA draft The 2005 NBA draft took place on June 28, 2005, in the Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City. In this draft, NBA teams took turns selecting amateur college basketball players and other first-time eligible players, such as players fro ...

, Pace joined the

Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference, Northwest Division. Since the 1991–92 season, ...

for the 2005

NBA Summer League The NBA Summer League, also known as the Las Vegas Summer League, is an off-season competition organized by the National Basketball Association. NBA teams come together to try out different summer rosters instead of their regular season line-ups ...

. Pace later joined the

Nelson Giants The Nelson Giants are a New Zealand basketball team based in Nelson. The Giants compete in the National Basketball League (NBL) and play their home games at the Trafalgar Centre. For sponsorship reasons, they are known as the Mike Pero Nelson ...

for the 2006 New Zealand NBL season where he earned league All-Star five honors and was named Round 10 Player of the Week. In 18 regular season games for the Giants, Pace averaged 19.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.4 steals per game. He went on to score 32 points in a losing semi-final effort to the eventual champions

Hawke's Bay Hawks The Hawke's Bay Hawks are a New Zealand basketball team based in Napier. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball League (NBL) and play their home games at Pettigrew Green Arena. For sponsorship reasons, they are known as the Taylor Hawks ...

. Following his stint with Nelson, Pace moved to Finland where he joined

Kouvot Kouvot is a Finnish professional basketball team based in Kouvola. Founded in 1964, the team plays in the Korisliiga and has won the national championship four times: in 1995, 1999, 2004, and 2016. The team plays at the Mansikka-ahon urheiluhalli. ...

for the 2006–07

Korisliiga The Korisliiga is the top-tier professional basketball league in Finland, comprising the top 12 teams of the country. In its current format, each team plays all other teams two times in the regular season, once at home and once away, for a total o ...

season. However, his stint with Kouvot lasted only half a season as he departed the club in December 2006 and returned to New Zealand to re-join the Nelson Giants. Pace went on to have a memorable 2007 season with the Giants as he earned league MVP honors after averaging 22.4 points, 8.1 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.3 steals in 18 regular season games. In three post season games, he averaged 28.3 points per game in leading the Giants to their first championship since 1998.

CBA and Estonia

In November 2007, Pace became a starter for CBA expansion team, the

East Kentucky Miners The East Kentucky Miners were a professional basketball team in the American Basketball Association that began play as a member of the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) in the 2007–2008 season. The Miners, announced in the local paper, an ...

, based in Pikeville,

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virgini ...

. Pace appeared in 45 games for the Miners in 2007–08, and finished leading the team in scoring (23.0 ppg) while also posting averages of 7.1 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game. He earned All-CBA Second Team honors and played in the 2008 CBA All-Star Game. In June 2008, Pace received invitations to try out for the

Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. Founded in 194 ...

Miami Heat The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The club plays its home games at FT ...

and

Indiana Pacers The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first est ...

. Pace did not receive an offer from any of the teams, and later signed with

BC Kalev/Cramo BC Kalev, known as BC Kalev/Cramo for sponsorship reasons, is a professional basketball club based in Tallinn, Estonia. The team plays in the Korvpalli Meistriliiga, the Estonian-Latvian Basketball League and the FIBA Europe Cup. They play the ...

of Estonia on July 16, 2008. With the team, he won the 2008–09 season Estonian National Championship and the Estonian National Cup. In 17 Estonian League games, Pace averaged 9.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.0 steals per game.

ABA and New Zealand

2009–2011

In 2009–10, Pace played for the Southeast Texas Mavericks of the

American Basketball Association The American Basketball Association (ABA) was a major men's professional basketball league from 1967 to 1976. The ABA ceased to exist with the American Basketball Association–National Basketball Association merger in 1976, leading to four A ...

where he earned ABA MVP and All-ABA First Team honors, and played in the 2010 ABA All-Star Game. Following the 2009–10 ABA season, Pace returned to New Zealand and joined the

for the

2010 New Zealand NBL season The 2010 NBL season was the 29th season of the National Basketball League. Foundation member and nine-time NBL champions the Auckland Stars withdrew from the league in 2010, while the Otago Nuggets returned after a one-year absence and the Sout ...

. In 12 regular season games for the Hawks in 2010, Pace averaged 19.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.1 steals per game. He went on to score 28 points in a quarter-final win over the

Harbour Heat The Harbour Heat were a New Zealand basketball team based in Auckland. The Heat competed in the National Basketball League (NBL) and played their home games at North Shore Events Centre. Team history The Harbour Heat, then known as North Shore ...

, and 30 points in a semi-final loss to the eventual champions

Wellington Saints The Wellington Saints are a New Zealand basketball team based in Wellington. The Saints compete in the National Basketball League (NBL) and play their home games at TSB Bank Arena. Team history The Wellington Saints were founded in 1981. In ...

to finish with a scoring average of 21.1 points in 14 total games. Pace returned to the Southeast Texas Mavericks for the 2010–11 ABA season, and after the season, re-joined the Hawke's Bay Hawks again for the 2011 New Zealand NBL season. In 17 total games for the Hawks in 2011, Pace averaged 19.0 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game.

2012–2014

For the 2012 New Zealand NBL season, Pace signed with the

Manawatu Jets The Manawatu Jets are a New Zealand basketball team based in Palmerston North. The Jets compete in the National Basketball League (NBL) and play their home games at Central Energy Trust Arena. For sponsorship reasons, they are known as the Pr ...

and played for head coach

Ryan Weisenberg Ryan Weisenberg (born January 21, 1975) is an American basketball coach who was the head coach of the Pepperdine Waves women's basketball team. Weisenberg attended St. Francis High School, a Catholic high school in La Cañada Flintridge, Califo ...

. On April 27, 2012, he recorded a triple-double with 21 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists in a win over the Wellington Saints. Pace had a fantastic season, finishing regular season play as the league's leading scorer with 23.0 points per game. He also earned All-Star five honors for the third time in his career. In 16 total games for the Jets in 2012, Pace averaged 23.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.5 steals per game. In January 2013, Pace signed with the

for the 2013 New Zealand NBL season. He went on to earn Player of the Week honors for Round 2 and Round 10, and finished the regular season as the league's leading scorer (22.9 ppg) for the second year in a row. He also earned his fourth career All-Star five selection. He led the Giants back to the grand final where they lost to the

Southland Sharks The Southland Sharks are a New Zealand basketball team based in Invercargill. The Sharks compete in the National Basketball League (NBL) and play their home games at Stadium Southland. For sponsorship reasons, they are known as the SBS Bank So ...

. In 18 total games for the Giants in 2013, Pace averaged 22.7 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. On July 2, 2013, Pace signed with the

Townsville Crocodiles The Townsville Crocodiles were an Australian professional men's basketball team based in the North Queensland city of Townsville. They competed in the National Basketball League (NBL) and played their home games at the Townsville Entertainme ...

for the

2013–14 NBL season The 2013–14 NBL season was the 36th season of competition since its establishment in 1979. A total of eight teams contested the league. The regular season was played between 10 October 2013 and 23 March 2014, and was followed by a post-season f ...

. On February 21, 2014, Pace was suspended by the Crocodiles for three games after being involved in a car accident and found to be driving over the limit. In 23 games for the Crocodiles, he averaged 14.9 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. In October 2013, Pace re-signed with the Nelson Giants for the 2014 season. On June 19, 2014, he was named the Player of the Week for Round 11. In his final New Zealand NBL season, Pace appeared in all 19 games for the Giants and averaged 19.9 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game.

Final season

In October 2014, Pace joined the Shreveport-Bossier Mavericks for the 2014–15

season. On April 12, 2015, he helped the Mavericks defeat the Miami Midnites to win the 2015 ABA championship. He subsequently earned league MVP honors for the second time in his career after averaging a team-high 17.7 points per game with 7.4 rebounds and 5.8 assists. Following the 2014–15 season, he retired from playing professionally in order to join the coaching ranks.

Coaching career

In July 2015, Pace was hired as an assistant coach by Pepperdine Waves women's basketball team head coach

, Pace's former coach at the Manawatu Jets in 2012. In August 2019, Pace was hired as the Associate Women's Basketball Coach for the Western New Mexico Mustangs women's basketball team. In March 2020, he was named the head coach.WNMU Promotes Pace to Head Coach Post
/ref>

Personal

Pace is the son of Larry and June Pace, and has a younger sister, Alexis.

References

External links

USBasket.com profile

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Pace, Josh 1983 births Living people American expatriate basketball people in Australia American expatriate basketball people in Estonia American expatriate basketball people in Finland American expatriate basketball people in New Zealand American men's basketball players ABA All-Star Game players Basketball players from Georgia (U.S. state) BC Kalev/Cramo players CBA All-Star Game players Korvpalli Meistriliiga players Manawatu Jets players Nelson Giants players People from Griffin, Georgia Pepperdine Waves women's basketball coaches Shooting guards Small forwards Syracuse Orange men's basketball players Townsville Crocodiles players