Let's get right to the "point." Has there ever been a better
point guard in WPI basketball history than Kevin Doherty? A lawyer
would revel in this open-and-shut case.
"I know it's a cliché," says his coach, Ken Kaufman, "but
Kevin had eyes in the back of his head-I swear he did. He had an
instinct for this game that a coach simply cannot teach. He was a
great passer in Division III. He was a great passer in any
division!"
His trademark was a no-look bullet pass from the top of the key
to a wide-open teammate underneath the basket. One can still hear
the announcer... "Nestor from Doherty." "Kelleher from Doherty."
"Broderson from Doherty." "Wheeler from Doherty."
Kevin's 200 assists as a senior in 1978-79 still stands as a
single-season record. No player has recorded 100 assists in a
season since 1988-89. His 187 assists as a junior and his 180
assists as a sophomore are still the second and third best
single-season totals in WPI history.
Other standing records include Kevin's 9.5 assists per game in a
single-season (1978-79); 567 career assists (overall); 9 assists
per game (career); and 18 assists versus Middlebury in 1976-77
(single game). In 63 career games, this 5'10" guard started 62
times, and led WPI in assists 61 times. He produced assists in
double figures a remarkable 26 times.
In his senior year, WPI finished 12-9. This may not sound
extraordinary, but it was WPI's first winning season in eight
years. That season foreshadowed the greatest 16 year run in WPI
basketball annals, all under Ken Kaufman.
As a senior, Kevin averaged 11.3 points, 3 rebounds and 9.5
assists, and shot .479 from the field. As a junior, he averaged
12.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 8.9 assists. As a sophomore, he
averaged 9.5 points per game, 3.1 rebounds, and 8.6 assists. His
percentage of "points responsible for" is simply the best ever at
WPI.
A gentleman on and off the court, Kevin co-captained the team
his junior and senior seasons. He was named NABC All-New England
Third Team as a junior and First Team as a senior. He is also a
member of Skull. Today, Kevin is a residential builder, living in
his native New Hampshire with his wife and three children.
It is with great honor that WPI inducts Kevin Doherty into its
Athletic Hall of Fame.
