Former Mahwah Basketball Star Inducted Into College Hall of Fame

Kent Culuko, an all-state basketball player at Mahwah High school, was recently inducted (Nov. 15) into the James Madison University Athletics Hall of Fame.

Culuko, a rookie of the year and all-conference player, led James Madison (JMU) to three regular season Colonial Athletic Association crowns, one conference tournament title, and four postseason berths. He scored 1,701 points and hit one of the biggest three-pointers in school history. 

It was the shot of a lifetime and he was ready to take it.

JMU trailed by two in the finals of the 1994 Colonial Athletic Association tournament. With 1.1 seconds left, there was time for one pass and one shot off an inbounds play. Culuko was open in the corner and nailed a three-pointer at the buzzer to defeat Old Dominion and send James Madison to the NCAA Tournament in dramatic fashion.

“In the huddle, I told Coach Lefty Driesell, ‘give me the ball, let’s go for the win.’ That’s what you dream about as a little kid.”

His hoop dreams began early when he was a ball boy at Bergenfield High School, where his father, Cliff Culuko, was the coach. An unbridled passion for the game and countless hours of practice and playing on driveways, neighborhood courts, and in youth leagues enabled this gym rat to soar above the competition when he played at Mahwah High School, where he scored an astounding 2,780 points (No. 2 all-time in Bergen County and No. 4 in New Jersey).

Culuko was named All-County for three consecutive years; First Team All-State Group II for two consecutive years; First Team All-State All Groups; and First Team All-Century (1900-2000) for Bergen County. He was also a McDonald's High School All-American - Honorable Mention.

One of only 50 players in Division I history to hit 300 three-point field goals, Culuko tried out for the Cleveland Cavaliers, and signed a non-guaranteed contract with the Nets. Overseas, he played professionally in Argentina, Finland, Bulgaria, and South Africa. He led the German Professional League in scoring with 24 points per game, going up against the likes of Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks.

Today, Culuko, the founder and president of IYB Basketball, is using the knowledge and experience that helped him achieve high school and college fame to help players of all ages and abilities reach their goals.

IYB Basketball is a premier training program located in Northern New Jersey, offering year-round camps and clinics, AAU programs, and individual and group training. From young players just starting out to 1,000-point scorers in high school to college players like Kyle Anderson (UCLA, St, Anthony’s), Culuko and his team—which includes former NBA star Cliff Robinson—take pride in developing today’s young athletes with cutting-edge skill workouts, personal instruction, and good old-fashioned  hard work.

It’s a formula with a proven track record.

“Don’t be afraid to take the big shot,” Culuko often tells young players.

At James Madison, Culuko certainly wasn’t afraid to take the big shot on a big stage. And he is now a member of that prestigious university’s sports hall of fame.