Kilpatrick passes on NBA to return to Bearcats to earn diploma

Kilpatrick in action against AUS

KAZAN – For young collegiate athletes in North America, passing on a professional contract to return to school for another year can be a daunting decision. But for Cincinnati Bearcat basketball player Sean Kilpatrick, it was an easy one.

“I really just wanted to come back and form better leadership skills, and really just graduate,” he said. “Graduating was something I promised my mom I was going to do and that’s something that runs far in my family. It would of course be great to have a really good season but then again I want to get that diploma.”

Kilpatrick has the NBA credentials; he is a two-time Big East Second Team All-Star, holds the Bearcat single season scoring record and has scored over 1,400 career points for Cincinnati. But he isn’t satisfied just yet.

“There are still a lot of things to work on with my game and that’s something I’m going to keep focusing on. The NBA can sit here and wait until after the season but other than that everything else that is important is USA basketball.”

Every member of Team USA at the 2013 Universiade play Division 1 NCAA basketball while the team’s three man coaching staff has over 1,300 wins in collegiate basketball.

For Kilpatrick though he wants a gold medal, and then an NCAA title. “I want to win everything. I mean that’s something that everybody should have the goal of and I want to lead my team in a great way and in the right direction.”

Matt Tidcombe (CAN), FISU Young Reporter