OKLAHOMA CITY - The U.S. Grant athletic department announced the hiring of Xavier Henry as the new boys basketball head coach on Tuesday.

A hoops legend around the Oklahoma City area, Henry arrives at U.S. Grant with a rich history of basketball excellence and experience. He is a 2009 graduate of Putnam City High School, where he was a two-time Class 6A State Champion with the Pirates and was also named a McDonald’s All-American in his senior season.

He went on to play college basketball at the University of Kansas in the Fall of 2009, where he scored 27 points in his first college game, breaking the school record for most points scored by a Jayhawk in a debut game. After one season with the Jayhawks averaging 13.4 points per game, Henry declared for the 2010 NBA Draft, where he was selected 12th overall by the Memphis Grizzlies.

After one season in Memphis, he was traded to the New Orleans Hornets where he played from 2011-13, before one final stop with the Los Angeles Lakers for the 2013-15 seasons. In his 2013-14 season with the Lakers, he averaged a career-high 10.0 points per game in 43 games played. He appeared in 185 games over the course of five NBA seasons.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to coach the U.S. Grant basketball team.” said Henry on Tuesday in his introductory press conference. “I’m excited to pass on the knowledge I’ve gained during my playing years to helping these kids excel both on and off the floor. I look forward to teaching them the importance of discipline, faith, and the will to persevere!”

Following his playing career, Henry opened “X Marks the Shot”, an elite basketball training academy for athletes in the Oklahoma City area.