The Strange Trip of Keonte Kennedy

[Xuperman]

The guy has taken quite an unusual path to Memphis.

https://sports.yahoo.com/memphis-basketball-adds-keonte-kennedy-210855239.html

Who knows what could have been here at Xavier. He's pretty damn good when healthy, but we ended up with the better UTEP guard anyway.

[MHettel]

Does anyone know off hand when Kennedy was at Xavier? What was the roster like at the time. I assume it was the first year of Steele? There should have been minutes available, but he never played. was he not ready, or just didnt get a chance? Seemed like we could have used him the last couple years.

[xukeith]

Does anyone know off hand when Kennedy was at Xavier? What was the roster like at the time. I assume it was the first year of Steele? There should have been minutes available, but he never played. was he not ready, or just didnt get a chance? Seemed like we could have used him the last couple years.

He played in 22 games during Steele's first year.
https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/keonte-kennedy-1.html

[drudy23]

I wouldn't put alot of stock in a kid's potential based on how Steele utilized him.

[MHettel]

I wouldn't put alot of stock in a kid's potential based on how Steele utilized him.

Well, thats kind of why I asked the question. Did he just get alot better after he left. Or was he always a solid player but just buried in Steeles moronic rotation?

[noteggs]

Well, thats kind of why I asked the question. Did he just get alot better after he left. Or was he always a solid player but just buried in Steeles moronic rotation?

At the time I thought he showed flashes at being a good player when he wasn’t just taking 3’s, but after watching the last 4 years, unfortunately think it’s the latter.

Of course I was probably higher on Kennedy than most on here, so take it for what it’s worth…or maybe it was just his Xavier commitment video I enjoyed.

[GoMuskies]

He averaged about 8.5 points in his third year out of high school at UTEP. I suspect he just wasn't particularly good as a freshman and has developed somewhat.

[xukeith]

He averaged about 8.5 points in his third year out of high school at UTEP. I suspect he just wasn't particularly good as a freshman and has developed somewhat.

I would say KK is above average for all the frosh in his class with rides to D1 schools. Most players don't get a ton of PT nor score more than 6 points a game.

[Jumpin_Jamal_Forever]

I wouldn't put a lot of stock in a kid's potential based on how Steele utilized him.

Yes to that. Kennedy was a long athletic guard. He didn't see the floor a lot and, as I recall, he basically quit the team in the second half of his freshman year----"personal reasons' I think were the culprit. He had a game which could have been used, I think, in an up-tempo offensive scheme. Of course, Steele didn't run an up-tempo offense so most times X would push the ball up court then immediately circle the wagons and fall into some silly weave that often resulted in a long three attempt. Does this sound familiar?

I recall Kennedy launching some ill-advised three balls and don't remember him as an effective outside shooter. Then, again, he was a freshman. I'm sure he had a fragile ego (like many frosh) and we all know Steele wasn't an effective communicator with his teams.

So, Kennedy left for greener pastures, found them and he has had a decent, if not spectacular, career. Steele either ruined or failed to develop talent in his four years. We are so fortunate he is gone.

[nuts4xu]

I would say KK is above average for all the frosh in his class with rides to D1 schools. Most players don't get a ton of PT nor score more than 6 points a game.

This is a tough statement to prove, but I don't believe KK was "above average" his freshman year. He averaged 12 minutes per game and played in a total of 22 games that season, and averaged a measly 2 points. He played in 19 and 24 games in his other 2 seasons so 22 games is not a small sample for KK. He played 11 minutes against Creighton on February 3rd of that year, then he quit on his team and went home.

KK didn't get a great shot at playing time his only year at Xavier. His minutes dropped off significantly after the first of the year. I blame Travis Steele as much as any for the lack of development by Kennedy and his departure.

[xukeith]

This is a tough statement to prove, but I don't believe KK was "above average" his freshman year. He averaged 12 minutes per game and played in a total of 22 games that season, and averaged a measly 2 points. He played in 19 and 24 games in his other 2 seasons so 22 games is not a small sample for KK. He played 11 minutes against Creighton on February 3rd of that year, then he quit on his team and went home.

KK didn't get a great shot at playing time his only year at Xavier. His minutes dropped off significantly after the first of the year. I blame Travis Steele as much as any for the lack of development by Kennedy and his departure.

I agree with you. My point : I am willing to guess that the average D1 basketball player does not start, does not score more than 6 points, and does not play more than 20 minutes a game. KK has developed(post XU) at UTEP into a dependable guard. I say he is above average for his career.

Average basketball players in D1 do not score 14 ppg
Do I know this to be a fact? No. I am guessing/estimating.

[Jumpin_Jamal_Forever]

I agree with you. My point : I am willing to guess that the average D1 basketball player does not start, does not score more than 6 points, and does not play more than 20 minutes a game. KK has developed(post XU) at UTEP into a dependable guard. I say he is above average for his career.

Average basketball players in D1 do not score 14 ppg
Do I know this to be a fact? No. I am guessing/estimating.

Perhaps I'm misunderstanding your post. But, are you saying KK averaged 14 pts per game? If you are, that just isn't correct. I don't know where he stands among other first year X players. He saw some minutes in the non-conference schedule but that's when most frosh at X see most of their playing time. He was disappointed once the conference season began and that is when he left the team.

[Jumpin_Jamal_Forever]

I agree with you. My point : I am willing to guess that the average D1 basketball player does not start, does not score more than 6 points, and does not play more than 20 minutes a game. KK has developed(post XU) at UTEP into a dependable guard. I say he is above average for his career.

Average basketball players in D1 do not score 14 ppg
Do I know this to be a fact? No. I am guessing/estimating.

My bad. I thought you were saying KK averaged 14 ppg his freshman year at X.

[xavierj]

Probably should pump the breaks on this guy being held back. If Chris Mack was not half way out the door and 100% bought into Xavier, Kennedy would never have even been at Xavier. He has averaged 8 ppg for his career and has taken 8 shots per game to get there. Last year he took 12 shots a game and averaged 14. For his career he has shot threes at a 27% clip and free throws at 60%. All while playing at Utep. Not outstanding.

[Blue Blooded-05]

He took 5 threes per game last year and made .319 of them. Had he stayed he would have fit in well.

[MHettel]

Probably should pump the breaks on this guy being held back. If Chris Mack was not half way out the door and 100% bought into Xavier, Kennedy would never have even been at Xavier. He has averaged 8 ppg for his career and has taken 8 shots per game to get there. Last year he took 12 shots a game and averaged 14. For his career he has shot threes at a 27% clip and free throws at 60%. All while playing at Utep. Not outstanding.

I guess my point is that he seems to have turned out to be more productive than I would have imagined. I do recall that he was a very late commit to us, based mostly on the fact that we had available scholarships late in the cycle (Kaiser leaving?) and there just werent that many uncommitted guys left. I thought it was a reach, but with little downside. We either get Kennedy or some other 2Star level guy....whats the difference. Or, we just leave the scholarship empty. No risk at all to take him under those circumstances.

Then we saw him play a little and it was kind of what you would expect. We had a short roster and I recall that Q was injured for a long stretch. Kennedy got some minutes and looked like a mediocre Freshman. When he transferred, I figured he'd drop down a notch and never be heard from again.

UTEP is not bad. Not Duke, but not Fordham. And he put up some decent numbers and apparently is a great defender. Memphis would be considered a High Major. He has achieved more than I think I would have reasonably expected.

Also, if he was at UTEP, he would have played with Boum last year, right? Wonder if that was any factor in Boum coming to X. You have to assume that Boum would have asked Kennedy about his experience right? If so, he must have given some positive feedback....

[drudy23]

He took 5 threes per game last year and made .319 of them. Had he stayed he would have fit in well.

He would have had the ultra green light with that percentage.

Man I don't miss Steele.

[IM4X]

He would have had the ultra green light with that percentage.

Man I don't miss Steele.

I wonder how well that brilliant strategy of his is working out for him at those Miami practices. “It’s like I tell my guys… if you’re open from three, just shoot it… eventually they’ll start falling.”

[Xuperman]

Keonte started for Memphis, but didn't do well...... terrible line.

[drudy23]

I wonder how well that brilliant strategy of his is working out for him at those Miami practices. “It’s like I tell my guys… if you’re open from three, just shoot it… eventually they’ll start falling.”

Analytics, man!