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Asst. Coach Keith Booth, Women's Basketball, Loyola College

Loyola University Women's assistant basketball coach/former College All-American/NBA World Champion Keith Booth

(BALTIMORE - September 17, 2012) - WHO IS KEITH BOOTH? Who knows? He could be on his way ... again! 

Keith Booth (born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland) is a former professional basketball player. Booth attended renowned Baltimore Paul Laurence Dunbar high school then played college basketball at the University of Maryland from 1993 to 1997.

Heavily recruited by Coach Gary Williams, he was the first player from Baltimore City in many years to play for Maryland. After the resignation of Williams' predecessor, Bob Wade, former Dunbar High coach, a de facto boycott of the university was put in place by the high-school coaches in Baltimore. Because of this boycott, many star high-school players avoided Maryland as a choice to play their college ball. In becoming one of the members of Maryland's 1993 recruiting class, Booth broke the ice, and the school once again had access to talent-rich Baltimore City.

Booth was the Chicago Bulls' first-pick (28th overall) in the 1997 NBA Draft. He also became an N.B.A world champion as a member of the Bulls' in 1998. Keith played two seasons with the Bulls then later returned to the Maryland campus and earned a bachelor's degree in criminology and criminal justice in 2003. In 2004, he returned to his alma mater to become an assistant under future Hall Of Fame Coach Gary Williams.

The Baltimore, Md., native's decision to attend the University out of Dunbar High School was considered one of the major recruiting windfalls for Williams and the Terps in the mid-1990s. As a 6-foot-6 guard, Booth was frequently called upon by Williams to guard bigger opponents, and he always rose to occasion.

"Keith Booth was the most important recruit during my years here in terms of getting our basketball program to the national level," said Williams when Booth was introduced as an assistant coach at his alma mater. "Keith always achieved success against larger opponents, and his competitive attitude will carry over to our players."

As a senior at Dunbar, Booth was a Parade and McDonald's All-American selection, he also led his team to the Maryland Class "A" State Championship. Booth was named "Player of the Year" in Baltimore City and the state of Maryland by the Baltimore Sun. A year earlier, Booth led his Dunbar squad to a 29-0 record as a junior, helping the team to a No.1 national ranking by USA Today.

It was Booth's decision to attend Maryland that revived the Terps' recruiting pipeline to talent-rich Baltimore. Terrapin star Rodney Elliott followed Booth from the Charm City and enjoyed a successful career as a Terp, and in 1998 another Baltimore native, Juan Dixon, arrived on campus. Dixon, of course, would help continue Maryland's resurgence begun by Booth and teammate Joe Smith, as he eventually became the Terps' all-time scoring leader and keyed Maryland to the 2002 National Championship.

Back at Maryland, Booth assists in all facets of the basketball program. He will work with the athletics department's Academic Support and Career Development to ensure that the team's academic responsibilities are met. He will also assume responsibilities as the co-director of the Gary Williams basketball camp, coordinating the management of the coaches, scheduling of the facilities, housing, meals and guest speakers.

In October of 2008, Booth was inducted into the University of Maryland Athletics Hall of Fame.

Today, Booth currently serves as the women's assistant basketball coach at Loyola University in Baltimore, Maryland.

Tags: Loyola University Women's assistant basketball coach/former College All-American/NBA World Champion Keith Booth