Jump to content

Zaccheus Darko-Kelly

Edit links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Zaccheus Darko–Kelly
Iraklis
PositionShooting guard / Small forward
LeagueGreek Basketball League
Personal information
Born (1997-05-03) May 3, 1997 (age 28)
Great Falls, Montana, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Listed weight205 lb (93 kg)
Career information
High schoolSentinel (Missoula, Montana)
College
NBA draft2021: undrafted
Playing career2021–present
Career history
2021–2022Helsinki Seagulls
2022P.A.O.K.
2023–2024Tigers Tübingen
2024Otago Nuggets
2024–2025Kataja
2025–presentIraklis
Career highlights
  • Finnish Cup winner (2022)
  • 2× First-team NAIA All-American (2020, 2021)
  • Second-team NAIA All-American (2019)
  • 2× Frontier Player of the Year (2020, 2021)
  • 3× First-team All-Frontier (2018, 2020, 2021)
  • Frontier Freshman of the Year (2017)

Zaccheus Darko–Kelly (born May 3, 1997) is an American professional basketball player for Iraklis of the Greek Basketball League.[1] He played college basketball for the Montana Western Bulldogs and the University of Providence Argonauts.

High school career

[edit]

Darko-Kelly played basketball for Sentinel High School in Missoula, Montana. In his senior season, he averaged 15.8 points and five rebounds per game, earning all-state honors.[2] Darko-Kelly signed with Montana Western, the only four-year college to offer him a basketball scholarship.[3]

College career

[edit]

As a freshman at Montana Western, Darko-Kelly averaged 9.1 points and was named Frontier Freshman of the Year.[4] He assumed a leading role in the following season.[5] As a sophomore, he averaged 15.4 points and 6.6 rebounds per game, receiving Second Team National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) All-American and First Team All-Frontier honors.[3]

For his junior season, Darko-Kelly transferred to the University of Providence after Steve Keller, his head coach at Montana Western, was hired there. He sat out for one year due to transfer rules.[6] On February 21, 2020, Darko-Kelly recorded a career-high 40 points and 13 rebounds in a 93–76 win against Montana Western.[7] That month, he became the first player to ever win three straight NAIA Division I National Player of the Week awards, averaging 30.8 points, 10.7 rebounds and 7.7 assists per game during that span.[8] As a junior, Darko-Kelly averaged 22.5 points, eight rebounds, 5.7 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.4 blocks per game, surpassing the program single-season scoring record. He was selected as a First Team NAIA All-American, Frontier Player of the Year and a finalist for the Bevo Francis Award.[9] In his senior season, Darko-Kelly led his team to Frontier regular season and tournament titles. He averaged 18.4 points, 9.4 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.3 blocks per game, and repeated as a First Team NAIA All-American and Frontier Player of the Year.[10] He chose to forgo his additional year of college eligibility.[11]

Professional career

[edit]

After going undrafted in the 2021 NBA draft, Darko-Kelly joined the Toronto Raptors for the 2021 NBA Summer League.[12]

After initially signing with Riesen Ludwigsburg of the German Basketball Bundesliga,[13] Darko-Kelly joined Helsinki Seagulls of the Finnish Korisliiga for the 2021–22 season.[14]

Darko-Kelly joined PAOK of the Greek Basket League and the Basketball Champions League for the 2022–23 season, but in early November, he suffered a season-ending leg injury.[15][16]

For the 2023–24 season, Darko-Kelly joined German team Tigers Tübingen.[17]

On March 20, 2024, Darko-Kelly signed with the Otago Nuggets for the 2024 New Zealand NBL season.[18]

He joined Finnish team Kataja for the 2024–25 season. On July 8, 2025, Darko–Kelly signed a two-year contract with Iraklis of the Greek Basketball League.[1]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Στον Ηρακλή ο Zaccheus Darko-Kelly". iraklis-bc.gr (in Greek). 8 July 2025. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
  2. ^ Peers, Brad (1 June 2015). "Darko-Kelly headed to Western for hoops". NBC Montana. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  3. ^ a b Welsch, Jeff (5 April 2020). "'Pretty wild': Offered one 4-year ride out of Missoula Sentinel, Zaccheus Darko-Kelly now has shot at national player of year". 406 Sports. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  4. ^ "Men's Basketball Earns Individual Postseason Awards". Montana Western Athletics. 8 March 2017. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  5. ^ "Montana Western's Zaccheus Darko-Kelly enjoying breakout season". Montana Sports. 31 January 2018. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  6. ^ Dunk, Isaiah (25 February 2020). "A year well spent: After sitting out, Providence's Zaccheus Darko-Kelly gathers national accolades". Montana Sports. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  7. ^ "Zaccheus Darko-Kelly's 40 points leads No. 11 Providence to win over Montana Western". The Montana Standard. 21 February 2020. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  8. ^ "Darko-Kelly Named National Player of Week for Third Consecutive Week". University of Providence Athletics. 25 February 2020. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  9. ^ "College hoops: Basketball Times names Argos' ZDK preseason All-American". Great Falls Tribune. 23 October 2020. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  10. ^ "Providence's Zaccheus Darko-Kelly chosen first-team All-America". 406 Sports. 25 March 2021. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  11. ^ Wylie, Tom (5 August 2021). "Zaccheus Darko-Kelly joins Toronto Raptors Summer League team". Montana Sports. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  12. ^ "Former Providence All-American Zaccheus Darko-Kelly joins Toronto Raptors' Summer League roster". 406 Sports. 5 August 2021. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  13. ^ "Zaccheus Darko-Kelly joins Ludwigsburg". Sportando. 1 September 2021. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
  14. ^ "Former Providence basketball star Zaccheus Darko-Kelly signs pro contract in Finland". montanasports.com. 5 October 2021. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  15. ^ "PAOK's Zaccheus Darko-Kelly suffers gruesome injury, leaves game on stretcher". basketnews.com. 2 November 2022. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  16. ^ "Zaccheus Darko-Kelly shares wholesome message after his injury". basketnews.com. 3 November 2022. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  17. ^ "Zaccheus Darko-Kelly". australiabasket.com. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  18. ^ Seconi, Adrian (20 March 2024). "'Elite shooter' Darko-Kelly final import". Otago Daily Times. Archived from the original on 20 March 2024. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Zaccheus_Darko-Kelly&oldid=1299628766"