Greg Oden. Kosta Koufos. B.J. Mullens.
The list of highly-touted big men that have passed through Ohio State recently is long and distinguished, but Buckeye fans might have to make room for another name on that list: Markus Kennedy.
Kennedy, a 6-9, 225 lb. prospect out of St. Patrick (N.J.), is quickly making a name for himself on the AAU circuit with Team NJ ABC after playing behind Kansas recruit Quintrell Thomas last season.
And, although his college days are still a couple of years away, the class of 2010 big man lists Ohio State as his current favorite.
“I like the way they use their big man,” said Kennedy, who also lists Louisville, Michigan State, Rutgers, Xavier, Georgetown and “most of the ACC and Big East” among his potential suitors.
“Academics are important,” he added when asked what he was looking for in a school. “And if the team is like a family, I like that.”
Unfortunately for Big East fans in the Northeast, Kennedy said he wants to go away for college, which could rule out several schools in the New York, New Jersey and Philadelphia area.
After watching Kennedy play several times over the past month, it is clear that he has the potential to be a dominant force at both ends of the floor – if he improves his conditioning and stamina. He gets tired very quickly and does not get up-and-down the floor very well after a few minutes on the court. He will need to play in a halfcourt setting in college.
However, he did say that conditioning is the main thing he is trying to work on over the summer.
“I’m just running a certain number of miles per day,” Kennedy said. “I need to get more stamina and improve my agility.”
On the positive side, Kennedy already has a variety of skills that are only likely to get better as he gets older and matures. First of all, according to a source with knowledge of the situation, he is supposed to be 7-foot-2 when he finishes growing. If that ends up being true, look out.
Offensively, Kennedy is an outstanding force inside. He can finish around the rim, and is a ferocious dunker with both hands. He moves without the ball extremely well, constantly making himself available. He gets great position inside, enabling him to get easy baskets once he gets the ball. Kennedy has a variety of back-to-the-basket post moves off which he can get points. Additionally, he has decent hands. If he does not have a shot, he looks to pass the ball and does not force shots. He has a tendency to miss a few open lay-ups at times down low, but he also has the ability to finish with contact.
Defensively, he is a very shot-blocker who also changes shots without even touching them. On the other hand, he falls victim to pump-fakes on occasion and is often out of position or fails to box out when he tries to help out in the lane.
Kennedy is a charismatic and somewhat goofy player off the court, but he is all business on the hardwood and could be one of the top centers in his class in a couple of years.
“I think I can hang with [the top players in my class],” he said. “Other players have a bigger name than me, but I can hang with them.”
With two more years of tutelage from St. Pat’s coach Kevin Boyle, Kennedy will refine his game – and potentially more importantly, his physique and conditioning. Luckily, he knows what he needs to improve and he seems determined to work hard.
Said Kennedy: “I just want to get better for my high school team.”
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Monday, July 28, 2008
Confident Boynton Putting on Summer Show
Big-time scorers need confidence. They need confidence to be able to go against the best defenders and still be able to get points. They need confidence to make difficult shots over multiple defenders. And most importantly, they need confidence to be able to take – and make – shots in the closing seconds of games.
Luckily for Kenny Boynton and his teammates, he has plenty of confidence – and the talent to back it up.
“I think I’m the number one player in the country,” Boynton said. “Whenever I go up against someone, I do really well.”
At the Reebok U All-American Camp in Philadelphia, Boynton was arguably the best player the entire week. He was named to the All-Star Game and consistently showed the coaches and scouts in attendance why he might be the best pure scorer and shooter in his class. Going against the best perimeter defender in the country in Avery Bradley, Boynton was still able to get to the basket at will and get his shot off from deep. Furthermore, he was not afraid to take big shots, putting up potential game-winners in back-to-back games; he missed the first, but knocked down the second.
He has kept up his impressive summer, scoring 37 points on Tuesday against Bradley and the Northwest Panthers at the Reebok Summer Championships in Las Vegas.
“[My biggest strengths are] definitely be scoring ability and my ability to shoot,” said Boynton, who is a member of Team Breakdown, along with 2010 star Brandon Knight.
The 6-3, 187-lb. shooting guard from American Heritage School (Fla.) has unbelievable shooting range. At the camp, he continuously pulled up from anywhere and knocked down shots. Boynton has the utmost confidence in his shot and demonstrated that on a regular basis. As we mentioned above, he loved to have the ball in his hands when the clock was winding down. He has an awkward shooting motion, but he hit shots with defenders in his face; his unblockable step-back jumper was outstanding. He utilizes a lot of pump fakes and body fakes to get defenders off-balance. Boynton can also blow past defenders and explode at the rim. He gets great lift on his jumper and is very athletic. He can handle the ball and run the break, and is also a solid passer.
On the other hand, though, Boynton seemed out-of-control at times and forced shots when there were better options available. Despite his outstanding overall camp, he did force things on occasion.
“I need to work on my shot selection,” said Boynton, who is ranked as the No. 8 player in the Class of 2009 by both Rivals.com and Scout.com. “I just have to be smart, improve my basketball IQ.” He also mentioned defense as an area that he needs to work on before the school season starts.
Part of the reason Boynton may be thriving even more than usual this summer is the fact that he really enjoys playing AAU ball as opposed to high school.
“I love it,” he said. “The competition is so much better out here compared to playing in high school. You’re getting all the top players.”
As for his future, many recruiting experts think that Boynton will end up at Duke – if he ends up leaving his home state. Boynton mentioned the Blue Devils on his list, as well as Florida, Texas, Memphis and Georgia Tech. In a recent story by Jeff Goodman of FOXSports.com, Kansas State and USC were added to the list while the Yellow Jackets were no longer an option.
“The most important thing is the coach,” Boynton said when asked what he is looking for in a school. “I want to play as a freshman, too.”
With the confidence and scoring ability he has demonstrated this summer, though, playing time will certainly not be a problem for him – no matter where he ends up.
Luckily for Kenny Boynton and his teammates, he has plenty of confidence – and the talent to back it up.
“I think I’m the number one player in the country,” Boynton said. “Whenever I go up against someone, I do really well.”
At the Reebok U All-American Camp in Philadelphia, Boynton was arguably the best player the entire week. He was named to the All-Star Game and consistently showed the coaches and scouts in attendance why he might be the best pure scorer and shooter in his class. Going against the best perimeter defender in the country in Avery Bradley, Boynton was still able to get to the basket at will and get his shot off from deep. Furthermore, he was not afraid to take big shots, putting up potential game-winners in back-to-back games; he missed the first, but knocked down the second.
He has kept up his impressive summer, scoring 37 points on Tuesday against Bradley and the Northwest Panthers at the Reebok Summer Championships in Las Vegas.
“[My biggest strengths are] definitely be scoring ability and my ability to shoot,” said Boynton, who is a member of Team Breakdown, along with 2010 star Brandon Knight.
The 6-3, 187-lb. shooting guard from American Heritage School (Fla.) has unbelievable shooting range. At the camp, he continuously pulled up from anywhere and knocked down shots. Boynton has the utmost confidence in his shot and demonstrated that on a regular basis. As we mentioned above, he loved to have the ball in his hands when the clock was winding down. He has an awkward shooting motion, but he hit shots with defenders in his face; his unblockable step-back jumper was outstanding. He utilizes a lot of pump fakes and body fakes to get defenders off-balance. Boynton can also blow past defenders and explode at the rim. He gets great lift on his jumper and is very athletic. He can handle the ball and run the break, and is also a solid passer.
On the other hand, though, Boynton seemed out-of-control at times and forced shots when there were better options available. Despite his outstanding overall camp, he did force things on occasion.
“I need to work on my shot selection,” said Boynton, who is ranked as the No. 8 player in the Class of 2009 by both Rivals.com and Scout.com. “I just have to be smart, improve my basketball IQ.” He also mentioned defense as an area that he needs to work on before the school season starts.
Part of the reason Boynton may be thriving even more than usual this summer is the fact that he really enjoys playing AAU ball as opposed to high school.
“I love it,” he said. “The competition is so much better out here compared to playing in high school. You’re getting all the top players.”
As for his future, many recruiting experts think that Boynton will end up at Duke – if he ends up leaving his home state. Boynton mentioned the Blue Devils on his list, as well as Florida, Texas, Memphis and Georgia Tech. In a recent story by Jeff Goodman of FOXSports.com, Kansas State and USC were added to the list while the Yellow Jackets were no longer an option.
“The most important thing is the coach,” Boynton said when asked what he is looking for in a school. “I want to play as a freshman, too.”
With the confidence and scoring ability he has demonstrated this summer, though, playing time will certainly not be a problem for him – no matter where he ends up.
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