Kieron Achara
- School
- Duquesne University
- Position
- Foward/Center
- Ht
- 6'10
- PPG
- 11.0
- RPG
- 4.0
- APG
- 0.8
Classroom
Achara has excelled in the classroom, earning his undergraduate degree in management in May 2007 with a cumulative 3.63 grade point average. He is currently taking classes in Duquesne’s graduate school of sports leadership. He was the 2006-07 Atlantic 10 Student-Athlete of the Year and is two-time men’s basketball A-10 All-Academic team member.
Character
Because of his maturity and intelligence, Duquesne coaches leaned on Achara extensively as a team spokesman in the aftermath of a campus shooting that saw five of his teammates injured on September 17, 2006. Achara was an excellent representative of Duquesne University during a very difficult time. He accompanied head coach Ron Everhart to Atlanta for the USBWA’s presentation of its Most Courageous Award to the Duquesne team the morning of the 2006-07 national championship game. On the court he served as the leader of a very young team. The 2007-08 Sporting News basketball preview issue named him as the “Best Interview” in the A-10.
Community
Achara is a participant in the Duquesne University student-athlete alcohol education peer mentoring program (called the “Natural Leader” program). He serves as a leader and mentor for his team, fellow student-athletes and the campus community as a whole.
Competition
Achara has improved steadily since arriving on campus. He nearly doubled his scoring and rebounding averages from his freshman to sophomore year and improved on those numbers again last season (after missing 2005-06 with a shoulder injury). He ranked 16th nationally and 2nd in the Atlantic 10 in blocked shots last season (2.6 per game). After a shoulder injury sidelined him for the 2005-06 season, he returned to average 15.8 points and 7.3 rebounds a contest last year. He was the second-youngest player invited to try out for Team Great Britain this summer. He was one of the final cuts for the 13-man squad. He was a member of the 2006-07 Atlantic 10 All-Defensive team and was also the league’s Chris Daniels award (most improved) winner following his sophomore season (2004-05).
