Titan Memories: Yaphett King – The St. Petersburg Swiss Army Knife

10/1/2026 10:00:00 AM | By: Kirk San Roman

Yaphett King was one of those rare basketball players who could provide whatever was needed: Whether it was bullying a bigger man in the paint for a needed bucket or rebound, providing lockdown defense, or stepping back to knock down a "three." But, perhaps, most of all, Yaphett provided leadership.

A native of St. Petersburg, Fla., King played his first two seasons at national junior college power Redlands Community College (Okla.), helping them to an NJCAA D-2 national championship and earning All-American honors in 2001-02.

Yaphett's freshman-year success drew interest from D-1 coaches at East Carolina, UTEP, South Florida, Wisconsin, Georgia, and Cal State Fullerton.

King explained, "During my sophomore year at Redlands, I went home for Christmas break and broke my fifth metatarsal in my foot while playing basketball. The timing was unfortunate because the injury affected my recruitment.

"Andy Newman (then-Titan assistant coach) continued recruiting me while I was working my way back from the injury, and that played an important role in the relationship we developed."

Yaphett described his recruiting visit to Cal State Fullerton: "I remember going to dinner and Pape Sow joining us. Pape made it very clear that he cared about winning and valued having good teammates around him. I respected his approach to the game. He was also appearing on NBA draft boards at the time, and I was excited about the opportunity to become part of the journey that eventually led him to the NBA. The coaching staff was another major factor. Andy Newman and I developed a strong bond pretty quickly. We later had some crazy one-on-one battles during the offseason, and I won those at a pretty high rate, in case anyone was wondering."

King was the first recruit to sign during the Bob Burton era, and his versatility allowed him to play either wing position or post up at the power forward spot for the Titans.

After an 11-17 record in 2003-04, Yaphett saw his time on the floor increase in 2004-05 following a season-ending injury to power forward Hardy Asprilla.

Per Andy Newman, now the current head coach at Cal State Northridge: "When we moved Yaphett to power forward, it allowed us to play a lot faster and made us very hard to guard. We could isolate Yaphett on the perimeter when opponents put a traditional '4' on him, and he could break them down off the dribble and get to the rim. If opponents put a wing on him, we could post him up and force teams to double the post."

The Titans ultimately finished with a 21-11 record in Burton's second season, the first overall winning record for CSUF men's basketball since 1992-93, and included 5- and 4-game win streaks and NIT wins at Oregon State and the University of San Francisco.

That team, which featured King, Ralphy Holmes, Hardy Asprilla, Bobby Brown, Jamaal Brown, Justin Burns, Derek Quinet, Vershan Cottrell, and John Clemmons, has been described by many Titan fans as their favorite all-time Fullerton squad for their up-tempo play, overall team camaraderie, and their demonstrated appreciation of the noisy Titan fans.

King/San Roman

King continued, "My senior year was so much fun. It was probably the most fun I ever had playing basketball. The level of trust between the players and the coaching staff was special."

"Our NIT run stands out, including beating Oregon State on Ralphy Holmes' buzzer-beater. I also remember beating Utah State at home and hitting the dagger that essentially put the game away. I hit another game-winner on the road against Cal Poly."

"One of my favorite memories came against Long Beach State in the Pyramid. I went 5-for-5 from three-point range in the first half after Coach Burton had told me that I shouldn't be shooting threes," he said with a smile.

"Being named Second Team All-Conference also meant a lot to me. The league was really good during my senior year, so earning that respect from the coaches was a big deal."

When asked about some favorite off-court memories, several quickly came to mind:   "One memory I'll never forget was when my teammate Andrew Awad came to visit us while he was battling leukemia. Even while going through something so difficult, he still had a smile on his face. He ultimately lost his battle, but I will always remember his strength and that smile.

"Beyond that, I enjoyed the time I spent with my teammates - in the locker room, on bus rides, and just being around one another – it was priceless."

Remembering his time on campus, King added: "I took a political science course with Dr. (Bert) Buzan that I really enjoyed. He liked having me in class enough that he tried to convince me to change my major! Dr. Hilla Israely worked closely with me and helped me finish my degree, and I will always be grateful to her. Mark Walia, my history professor, also taught with a great deal of passion. He genuinely cared about his students, and that was evident in the way he approached his classes. I still check in with Allyson Kelly to see how she and her family are doing. She has two boys, and the last time I visited, they had me playing two-on-two in the backyard. It was a rough go!"

After playing professionally for two seasons in Austria, Yaphett began a coaching career, returning to Redlands CC for four seasons before embarking on assistant coaching stints at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Louisiana Tech, and SMU.

King has been an assistant coach at the University of Tulsa since 2022. In 2025-26, the Golden Hurricane won 30 games and advanced to the NIT championship game, where their run ended against Auburn.

Yaphett has been married to his wife, Charlena, for 16 years. "We have two beautiful daughters together," King enthused. "Caydance is 14, and Yaahra will turn 10 in November."

King reflected: "I look back at my senior year - coming within one victory of reaching Madison Square Garden - as a pivotal moment in Cal State Fullerton basketball history. That team showed that Fullerton could win at a high level and helped create momentum that continued after we left.

"A few years later (2008), I was in Omaha to watch Fullerton play Wisconsin in the NCAA Tournament. Frank Robinson, who had been my teammate on the 2004-05 team, was still on the roster. Seeing the program on that stage - and seeing one of my former teammates get to experience it - was a proud, full-circle moment for me. It felt like what we had started was still moving forward, and I'll always take pride in being part of that foundation."

Newman has the final words: "Yaphett's balance of skill and toughness was a nightmare for teams to try to match up against, and really changed the way Coach Burton approached the offensive side of the ball."

"As good a player as Yaphett was, he is an even better person. He has grown into an incredible coach who truly cares about the holistic development of the players he surrounds himself with. I am very proud to say that I was part of the staff that recruited Yaphett to CSUF, and even more proud to call him a very close friend."

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