WACO, Texas — For more than 25 years, Keith Kimble has been a staple in Waco-area basketball.
He first picked up the whistle as an official when the final horn sounded on his playing days at Waco High, McLennan Community College and Texas A&I.
But, on the first Monday in April, Kimble reached the pinnacle of his craft for the second time: he officiated the men's college basketball National Championship Game for the second time.
"I just felt like once I was out there, and the camraderie I have with the players and coaches, I felt like I was in my sanctuary," Kimble said. "I was where I felt like I belonged."
Five years after he was first on the Final Four officials roster, Kimble has yet to miss a Men's Final Four and was on the floor for two title games in the past three seasons.
But, even from just two years ago, those two title games are drastically different due to the pandemic-altered tournament in Indianapolis, where Kimble wore the whistle on his first National Championship Game.
"In the first one, it was pretty much like we were, to be honest with you, refereeing a scrimmage because it wasn't 90,000-plus in there," Kimble said. "So, the feel, the surroundings were very different in the second one compared to the first one."
Kimble said it finally hit him that a 25-year journey in officiating had paid off when he walked off the court in Houston.
"All those times I've been refereeing little dribblers, refereeing college ball, refereeing with the Waco basketball chapter, going through those trials and tribulations to master that craft, I got those opportunities to do those championship games and I was like, 'Wow, I did something right,'" Kimble said.
Two seasons in a row, Kimble has led Division I men's basketball in game count. Computer metric KenPom clocked him at 104 games in the 2022-23 season, including four in the NCAA Tournament.
This season, though, the Waco native was rated at KenPom as the top official in the Div. I men's game.
Kimble spoke with 6 Sports for more than 30 minutes. To see the full conversation, click below.
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