GREAT FALLS — University of Providence guard Kenny Curtis just finished his sophomore year where he was the third leading scorer on the team and led the Argos in assists.
The 5-foot-9 guard out of Washington had an impressive year for Providence, and it’s all because he believed in himself after others thought he couldn’t do it.
After graduating from Rainier Beach High School in Seattle, Curtis committed to play at NCAA Diviaion II Saint Martin’s University. Unfortunately for Curtis, the coach who recruited him would end up leaving, and the new coach didn’t have that same faith in him.
“The coach didn’t feel like I was ready to play at that level,” said Curtis. “I just wanted to get a place where I could play. He was telling me I wouldn’t really have a chance to play and I was too small so I decided to go the (junior college) route.”
Curtis left Saint Martin's and played at Highline College where he averaged 14 points and four assist. His performance was enough to get him recruited by Providence, landing him in the position he’s in now.
Curtis had an immediate impact for the Argos and his outstanding performance was recognized early on by the Frontier Conference as he was awarded player of the week in the beginning of the season.
After finishing his first year at UP and nearly winning a conference championship, Curtis has gotten more comfortable playing at this level and is eager to get back to work and finish what the team started this past season.
“Overall I had a good experience with how Frontier conference is, how competitive the NAIA is. Unfortunately we didn’t get to make the national tournament which is one of our goals but we got to play in the Frontier conference championship so we were not too far away from reaching our goal of going to the national tournament,” he said.
Curtis has two years of eligibility remaining and wants to do something special with his time at Providence.
“When I leave UP, I fell like I want to leave with a legacy. Knowing that I stamped something here, whether that's a national tournament or national champions. I just want to leave my mark on the school with all my teammates,” he said.
