Wayne Newsom- Call Him a Leader

Wayne Newsom, a 6'7 sophomore forward for the Piscataway (NJ) Chiefs, is a player who loves to win. The big man plays for Team New Jersey ABC on the AAU circuit, and has had a stellar season thus far. Newsom's U-16 NJABC squad made it to the quarterfinals of the gold bracket at the Pitt Jam Fest. Early on in the event, I had the chance to chat with Wayne about his future, his love for the game, and more.

NB: So, [with] your season at Piscataway this year, what did you think you . . . accomplished as a team?
WN: As a team about two years back, we were 4-20, so we accomplished a lot, we went . . . 25-3, I mean that’s a big accomplishment, from going from 4-20, a lot of work from Coach [Guy] Genson, our head coach, he put in a lot of hard work for us, and just made us remember [to] stay humble [and] focused.

NB: What did it mean to you, . . . as a team to be able to play at the Prime Time Shootout, and to be playing against an opponent like Oak Hill [Academy in Virginia]?
WN: Well , we played against Oak Hill [and] it was pretty interesting. Everybody [else] was going into the game [saying] ‘you guys . . . are crazy, why are you playing Oak Hill? They’re going to beat you.’ We lost . . . by like 40. We lost by like 40, but it was a good experience because . . . we don’t have any DI players going out this year, [and] we were on the court with about seven or eight Division I players, so it felt good playing against DI players, and just having that experience [was great]. [We played against] a future NBA player [in] Brandon Jennings, [and] just going up against him, . . . playing physical, and just seeing what it takes to be the elite player [and] an elite team [was great].

NB: Was there any sort of awe-factor when [the team] stepped on the court of ‘wow, we’re on the same court as Oak Hill,’ or was it something that you guys didn’t think about?
WN: No, we just really . . . looked at them like ‘it’s a team, we play against teams everyday, . . . they got five players, we got five players. They got five brothers, we got five brothers.’ That was the [mindset that] we wanted to go into that game with. . . . We knew it was going to be a tough game, but we were also going to have fun, as young men, and just take it to another level, but it felt good playing against them.

NB: How does playing against this AAU competition . . . with Team New Jersey [ABC] help you to play against some of the higher-quality [high school] opponents both in New Jersey and out-of-state?
WN: Playing against AAU players, it’s a good experience, it’s a lot of talent out here, a lot of top prospects coming out of the class of 2010. . . . it’s a good . . . situation to see . . . what you [are] going to face [at] the college level, the elite players. [At] Team New Jersey [ABC], we have a lot of elite players coming up this year, we just got to keep working hard, . . . listen to [U-16 Head] Coach Matt [Pauls] and stay focused.

NB: You mentioned college, what are some of the schools that are currently showing interest in you?
WN: Rhode Island, I have a couple . . . of DII schools, . . . Felician, [and] a couple other schools.

NB: What school would you say right now is at the top of your list.
WN: I can’t even tell you, . . . I’m really going to focus on . . . playing basketball [and] just having fun right now. When the time comes, I’ll sit down with my family and Coach Matt and discuss what’s going to be my best decision for college.

NB: Do you have a goal to play high DI [basketball], or do you just want to find the right fit, whether it’s DIII, whether it’s a mid-major, or whether it is a high-major?
WN: I want to play college ball [at a school that is] . . . going to pay for my education, and [where I will be able to study] . . . what I want to study. . . . I would like to play high DI [basketball], high-major, low-major, I would like to do that, but it depends on me, it depends [on] if I keep working hard. . . . So, whatever Coach Matt . . . and my family feel is best for me, that’s what I’ll do.

NB: You mentioned . . . about your field of study, and [that] you want to go someplace that has that. Do you know what you’re interested in doing as of now, or is that something that you’re going to think about later?
WN: I want to be pediatrician, I want to help kids, I like helping kids. My mom always tell me ‘give back to your community . . . once you succeed in life,’ and . . . I think that . . . I’m going to succeed, I’m around positive people, positive people are around me, so I think I want to give back to my community by helping kids out.

NB: Being with Team New Jersey [ABC] and getting the workout that you guys do [get], all the practices. . . . What’s your opinion on all that? . . . A lot of AAU programs don’t do as much work as you do. What makes it appealing to you to play for the program that does do all that?
WN: Well, Coach Matt, he works hard on us. . . . Coach Matt is more than just a coach, he’s like a father figure to everybody. So, . . . when we have practice, that’s what we want to do, we want to get to practice, we want to work hard for not just us, but for Coach Matt too, and our families. Just . . . getting better, getting competitive, the practices that we have [are] competitive. You won’t find that in any other AAU program, [they are] real competitive.

NB: In practice [recently], you really were showing your mentality of wanting to win, and wanting to try hard, and wanting to be in the game, even in practice. . . . Where does that mindset come from, of always wanting to be a part of the action, be a part of that winning team?
WN: It’s just in any boy’s nature, any boy who loves playing basketball, that loves . . . doing anything with sports, football, basketball, soccer, baseball, name it, you just always want to win, no matter where you are, if you’re, [even] if you’re . . . on the bench, you always want to win, you just want to win. It’s just that mean streak about something, like ‘Oh, I got to win.’ . . . The word ‘lose,’ or ‘I lost,’ shouldn’t be in anybody’s vocabulary, it shouldn’t be, that’s just . . . a plain simple fact, it shouldn’t be in [anybody’s] vocabulary. [That’s] because if you don’t . . . want to win, if you don’t want to be the best at what you can be, then why try?

NB: What do you think that Piscataway is going to be able to accomplish over your final two seasons there?
WN: We brought a sectional championship home this year. Next year, it’s step-by-step, brick-by-brick. We . . . have a saying at our school . . . in our locker room, saying ‘brick-by-brick,’ and then when we say ‘brick-by-brick,’ it’s [supposed to mean] keep working. . . . Whatever comes, it goes by how hard we work, if we work hard, we succeed. If we don’t, then we won’t, so we have to keep working hard, and I think that we can be the best . . . in the state of New Jersey. That’s just up to us.

NB: What are some of your goals?
WN: Some of my goals as a teammate [are] to help my teammates get better, and another goal is to be a better leader, off the court and on the court. I would like for some of my teammates to come to me and talk to me. Some of them, they [already do] come to me and talk to me, . . . just about family. I would also . . . get an offer by the end of this season. If not an offer, an offer or two, . . . and I would just like to become a better man in general, and . . . become more focused [on] what I want to do and what my goals are.

NB: What do you consider to be the strongest point of your game?
WN: No doubt rebounding, rebounding and defense because . . . I like to play the bad guy because when you play the bad guy on defense, it’s just that you have a mean streak to you like, ‘yeah, he’s not doing this.’ . . . I also would like to be the vocal leader, I’m a vocal leader. . . . When I say something, the team usually reacts on it, so I . . . think one of the my strongest [aspects] is [that I am] a vocal leader.

NB: What do you think is your biggest weakness?
WN: I would have to say [Pause] consistency. I have more consistent. . . . I have to have at least good games back-to-back, if not doing something good like scoring, doing something good like rebounding. . . . . I have to be more consistent because if you’re not a consistent player, college coaches [will not like you as much, and] that . . . lowers your stock, and that’s one of things I would like to improve on.

NB: Give me one word to sum up basketball, . . . what the game of basketball means to you.
WN: Love, no doubt.

It is evident from this question and answer session that Wayne Newsom has what it takes to play ball at the college level, at least mentally. The forward loves basketball and he sure knows how to play it. Wayne is the type of "glue guy" that many teams need to succeed. Newsom will need to fine tune his game a bit, but he has two years to do so, and in that time he will wreak havoc at the high school and AAU levels. Wayne is a kid that low-major college teams may want to take a look at due to his mentality and solid game. If Newsom grows two or three more inches, high mid-major or even BCS conference ball may not be out of the picture. One thing is for sure, no matter where he ends up, Newsom will bring his leadership qualities, and people will be drawn to him right away.

Scouting Report on Newsom:

The 6'7 sophomore is a beast on the offense glass, and can do work on the defensive boards as well. Wayne routinely wows his teammates and crowds with highlight reel dunks, displaying his phenomenal ups and athleticism. He could certainly use some more range on his jumper, and that will hopefully come with time. As well, some more post moves would be a welcome addition for Newsom. The leadership abilities that Wayne possesses are evident. He takes charge of his NJABC team, whether he is on the court or on the sidelines. This may well be Wayne's best attribute. Every single team in every sport from pre-teen squads all the way up to the pro ranks need someone who has a presence, and that is something that Newsom certainly has.

Upcoming Interviews:

Due to my busy schedule, I've been unable to post all the interviews that I have conducted at the Pitt and Providence Jam Fests. I will do my best to have these all up before this weekend, though. The interviews that I have yet to post are those of Wayne Newsom, Dontae Johnson, DeJuan Blair, Donyell Marshall, Marcus Morris, and Markieff Morris. The first one up will be Newsom's, which I will post Thursday. Thank you for your patience.

In 08-09, Who Will Be New Jersey's Best?

The logical choice for the best team in New Jersey next season would seem to be the St. Anthony's Friars, the consensus national champions this year. Yet, when you looker closely at Bob Hurley Sr.'s squad for next year, the selection is not that simple. The Friars will lose the core of their team to graduation: Rutgers-bound McDonald's All-American 6'3 guard Michael Rosario, Pitt-signee 6'0 guard Travon Woodall, soon-to-be Kansas Jayhawk 6'4 guard Tyshawn Taylor, Fordham-bound 5'10 guard Jio Fontan and 6'4 guard Alberto Eastwick, and St. Joseph's-commit 6'6 power forward AJ Rogers. The squad will also lose three other seniors to graduation, meaning that only seven of the 16 varsity players will return. The Friars do have two transfers coming in next year, as http://njmg.typepad.com/zagsblog/ reported, in 6'8 Ashton Pankey and 6'7 Devon Collier. Their height will be a huge boost, but it won't be enough to keep St. Anthony's atop the Jersey standings. Seniors-to-be 6'6 guard Dominic Cheek and 6'6 power forward will have to pick up a lot of the slack left by the departures of this year's seniors. Cheek is one of America's best players, but he can only do so much. Meanwhile, St. Benedict's, which is coached by Danny Hurely, Bob's son, is primed for another big year. The Gray Bees had just one loss last year, and were ranked number two in America by most polls. Although the team will lose McDonald's All-American 6'9 power forward Samardo Samuels to graduation, he is one of just three departing seniors. Senior-to-be 6'9 center Greg Echenique, a Rutgers-commit, has the talent to fill the void left by Samuels. The squad has a strong class of 2011 in 5'8 guard Tavon Sledge, 6'0 guard Myck Kabongo, and 6'0 guard Myles Davis, all of whom have the talent to contribute quite a bit next year. UAB-pledge 6'2 guard Tamir "Pop" Jackson, a member of the class of 2009, and 6'8 forward, Tristan Thompson, a Texas-bound 2010 hotshot will play prominent roles on the team as well. The Gray Bees will not suffer much of a drop-off. The St. Patrick's Celtics had a down year by their standards, but Head Coach Kevin Boyle won't let that happen again next year. Jermel Jenkins, a 5'9 guard, and Kansas-signee 6'8 forward Quintrell 6'0 Thomas are the team's only main losses to graduation. Jamin Shumate, a 6'7 forward, and Marcus Charles, a 5'10 guard, will also be lost to graduation, along with three others, but none of these five had particularly major roles on the team. Chase Plummer, a 6'5 junior-to-be forward, and fellow class of 2010 members, 6'9 forward Markus Kennedy and 5'9 guard Kevin Boyle, Jr. will all be major contributors next season. Class of 2011 superstar Michael Gilchrist, a 6'5 forward, and Kennedy will be able to replace Thomas. Shaq Stokes, a 5'10 guard, and Derrick Gordon, a 6'1 guard, are two freshman who will help to cover up the hole left by Jenkins and Charles. Class of 2009 members 6'6 swingman Paris Bennett and North Carolina-commit 6'3 guard Dexter Strickland will be key to the Celtics, as will 5'8 junior guard Dean Kowalski. St. Patrick's will be near the top of the national rankings again next year. The major question mark in New Jersey will be the Paterson Catholic Cougars. Head Coach Damon Wright has a fantastic squad on his hands, led by some of the best players in the class of 2010 in America: 6'6 swingman Shaquille Thomas, 6'2 swingman Jermaine Peart, 6'5 swingman Fuquan Edwin, 6'5 swingman Jayon James, and 6'8 power forward TJ Clemmings. Along with these five are sophomores-to-be 5'8 guards Myles Mack and Jhamir White, and the lone class of 2009 member 6'3 swingman Lance Brown. In addition, the team will bring in a highly touted player from the class of 2012, in 6'5 swingman Kyle Anderson. The team will be losing Seton Hall-bound 6'0 guard Jordan Theodore, 7'0 center Ian Chiles, 5'9 guard Wayne Mack, and two others to graduation. Next year's Cougars should be even better than this year's, and that's saying something, as the team throttled ultra-talented Montrose Christian (MD) at the Prime Time Shootout. Now, to my rankings. It's clear to me that these are "Fab Four" teams in the Garden State, yet all three are so good, that it's hard to rank them. One thing that I can conclude quickly is that defending national champion St. Anthony's, will come in at number four on my list due to the mass exodus of seniors. From there, it gets quite tricky. Paterson Catholic has the potential to be number one, but until they start knocking off the other New Jersey powerhouses, it will be hard to put them at number one. I'll put the Cougars at number three on my list. The decision between St. Patrick's and St. Benedict's for number one is tough to make. This year at the Prime Time Shootout, the Celtics lost a close one to the Gray Bees, and I think the game next season will be extremely close as well. I have to go with St. Patrick's at number one and St. Benedict's at number two. A lot may depend on the play of Markus Kennedy and Kevin Boyle, Jr. for the Celtics as they step into bigger role. Much of the pressure for St. Benedict's may be on Greg Echenique--who will to take on many more double teams down low--and Myck Kabongo, who may well end up running the point for the Gray Bees. I'm picking St. Pat's due to its fantastic depth, but either one of these teams has a shot at number one, both in New Jersey and in America.

Northstar Basketball's "Fab Four" in 08-09:

1. St. Patrick's

2. St. Benedict's

3. Paterson Catholic

4. St. Anthony's

Note- photo in the middle on the left is of Kyle Anderson, and is from http://www.bballspotlight.com/

Note- photo on the top right is of Michael Gilchrist, the photo on the bottom right is of Tristan Thompson, and the photo on the top left is of Devon Collier, all of which are from http://scouthoops.scout.com/

Note- photo

Shaq Stokes- Future Big East Baller?

St. Patrick's (NJ) is one of the most well-regarded high school basketball programs in the United States. Head Coach Kevin Boyle seems to re-stock his talent every season, and this year was no different, as he brought in three of the premiere freshman in America, 6'5 forward Michael Gilchrist, 6'1 guard Derrick Gordon, and 5'10 guard Shaq Stokes. Not that long ago, I spoke with Stokes, a member of the Metro Hawks' U-16 squad on the AAU circuit. As of now, Shaq says that he doesn't have any scholarships offers, though he is receiving interest from UCLA, Cincinnati, Villanova, North Carolina St., and Xavier. Right now, the freshman says that "probably . . . Xavier" is in the lead right now because "the program is building up, they've really had success over the past year, [and he] really likes that school." Although he has yet to get to Ohio to take a look at the school, he "would like to." Shaq's dream schools are UConn and Georgia Tech. "I like Connecticut because the coach is tough-nosed," said Shaq, who later added that the Huskies' "Jim Calhoun" is the coach he most admires at the NCAA level. As for Georgia Tech, he said: "I like [the school] because great guards from New York City come [out] from that school, [such as] Kenny Anderson [and] Stephon Marbury. I [feel like I can] . . . be the next one." Stokes, who ended up at St. Pat's "to follow Corey Fisher because he came out of New York City, . . . [and] it's a great school to go to." Stokes did not get to play much on the varsity team this year, primarily running with the JV squad. On not getting to play with the varsity all that much, Stokes said that he "was frustrated a lot," and there were even "a few times [that he wanted to transfer], but [he] wanted to stick it [out]." Stokes is definitely toughing it out, as he does "plan on going" to St. Patrick's next year, and continuing his career as a Celtic. "Going to the basket, . . . [and] making other people better," is what the undersized guard says is his forte. Meanwhile, he claims that his major weakness is "listening, . . . not following directions," by which he means that "sometimes the coach [will] tell [him] to do something and [he] wants to do [his] own thing. That's the only reason [he] thinks [he] didn't play at St. Pat's." As for the future, Stokes plans on "working hard in practice everyday [and] listening to the coach." If you'll recall, earlier in the article, I mentioned that the coach Shaq most admires is Jim Calhoun, well, his favorite player is "Carmelo Anthony" because "he's smooth on the court," and the player he compares his game to is UConn-bound Kemba Walker. As well, from reading the rest of the article, you can likely tell that Stokes likes current Villanova Wildcat Corey Fisher. All four of these people--Calhoun, Anthony, Walker, and Fisher--have Big East ties. Thus, it seems that Stokes is likely to end up playing ball in that conference, and he agrees: "Yeah, I think . . . a Big East school, [but] only time will tell." Assuming Shaq Stokes lives up to his potential and the high expectations that have been place upon him, then a Big East school may well be in his future.

Antoine Allen- Prep School is Right Around the Corner

At the Pitt Jam Fest, I had the opportunity to catch a bit of the Cecil Kirk (MD) versus Expressions Elite (MA) game. Although I did not get to see that much of the contest, I did see a Cecil Kirk 6'2 junior guard hit the game-winning shot in double overtime after driving to the rack as time expired. That junior was Antoine Allen. After he hit the big bucket, I spoke with Antoine for a bit.

NB: What went into that big play at the end there?
AA: Basically, . . . [it] just came [down] to . . . the end of the game, and then . . . we knew that we wanted the ball in my hands, so . . . hopefully I [would make] a smart play, which I did, [which] was, I didn’t want to take a jumper because if I would’ve went to the rack, either I was going to get fouled, or I was going to make the layup. So, I went to the rack, and then I just finished.

NB: What high school do you attend?
AA: Lake Clifton.

NB: In what state?
AA: Baltimore, Maryland.

NB: Are you receiving any college interest at this point?
AA: Yeah, Auburn, Rhode Island, Towson, [and] Central Florida [are interested].

NB: Have any of those schools offered you [a scholarship]?
AA: We [are] talking right now [about it].

NB: Is there a school [that] you currently have at the top of your list?
AA: No, not right now.

NB: Growing up, what school did you root for? Is there a school [that] you always dreamed of playing [at]?
AA: Tennessee, . . . I like Tennessee.

NB: If they were to offer you [a scholarship], what would you think about that?
AA: I would have to accept, . . . I would accept, only if I was getting playing time.

NB: What are you looking . . . forward to doing for your senior year?
AA: I’m going to Notre Dame Prep.

NB: What went into that decision?
AA: It’s something [that] . . . my coaches [and I] agreed on, and thought it would be best, so I’m just going to attend Notre Dame next year.

NB: What do you think the difference is going to be between playing at the high school level and playing at a prep school?
AA: I know that people [and] teams are older, much older than . . . high school because [in] high school you can play with a freshman, a sophomore, a junior, and I know that basically, prep school . . . is [starting] . . . off at older ages, so I just know it’s going to be more tough [with] more competition, which means [that] I got to work harder.

NB: How do you think that’s going to help you prepare for the college game?
AA: I think it’s going to help me tremendously, I think . . . prep school is just like a miniature college . . . [because you’re] playing against young men, so you just get ready for playing with them, so I think it’ll be good, though.

NB: Why Notre Dame Prep? Why not some of the other [prep] schools [such as] Hargrave [Military Academy or] Findlay [College Prep], a lot of those schools?
AA: Most likely Notre Dame, but New [Hampton is] looking at me, so I’m not sure which one I’m [going to] attend, but . . . it’s whoever [is] the cheapest, for real, . . . it’s as simple as that.

NB: What do you consider to be the strongest point of your game?
AA: [Pause] Defense.

NB: What about the thing you’ll need to work on the most?
AA: I think . . . I need to work on my whole game, . . . you can never say [that] you need to work on one area, you need to work on your whole game.

Allen may well be able to work his way into the rotation at Notre Dame Prep (MA), a school that is routinely stocked with talent, and recently produced Kansas St.'s Michael Beasley. Even if Allen does not get to star the way he does on his AAU team, he will certainly get more college looks, as New Hampshire prep schools are hotbeds for college coaches trying to find future players. Assuming Antoine keeps knocking down big shots at Notre Dame, coaches might be lining up for his signature on a Letter of Intent come signing time. Even if he doesn't hit any more game winners, he'll continue working on his game as a whole, and with the players and coaches he will be surrounded by at Notre Dame, he should be primed for a future at the NCAA level.

Poll Results:

It seems you feel that AAU ball for juniors is as big as it gets. In the most recent poll results, "AAU Game" was chosen as the best single way to evaluate a player, as this option received 24 of the 41 votes. A not-so-close second place was "High School Game," which took in 11 votes, which was followed up by "Camp Game" and "AAU Practice," with two votes a piece. Behind those two, in a tie for fifth place, were "High School Practice" and "All-Star Game." Those both picked up a single vote, while "All-star Practice," "Camp Practice," and "Other" came up empty. The voting shows that you favor player evaluations being done during games instead of practices. As for the other poll, in which I asked when the best time for a player to commit is, the option of "Summer after Junior Season" was the winner, with 12 of the 30 votes. Next up was "Early Signing Period," with eight votes, after which was, surprisingly, "Summer After Freshman Season," which picked up three votes. In a three-way tie for fourth place with two votes each, were "During Junior Season," "During Senior Season," and "Regular Signing Period." Finishing behind these three was "Other," with a single vote. "During Sophomore Season" was the only choice not to receive a vote. The selection of "Other" is interesting, as it would appear that the person was thinking either during freshman year or prior to high school even starting was the appropriate choice. Please comment on this article to express your viewpoint, especially if you are the one who chose "Other" or one of the three who picked "Summer After Freshman Year." To sum it up, assuming AAU games are the best way to conduct an evaluation and the summer after your junior year is the best time to commit, then those players in the class of 2009 had better give it their all on the grassroots circuit this summer.

Markus Kennedy- St. Pat's Sophomore is a Soon-to-be Star

Markus Kennedy, a 6'9 sophomore forward, might not be as well-known as some other players in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, but Kennedy will be well-known on a national level by the time he is done with his junior year. Markus plays for St. Patrick's (NJ) during the high school season, and runs with Team New Jersey ABC's U-16 squad for AAU ball. Thus far, the big man has been unstoppable in grassroots hoops, as his frame is just too much to handle. A couple days ago, I spoke with Kennedy, discussing his game, his future, and his college choices. First and foremost, so far he has received scholarship offers from Villanova, Rutgers, Rider, Michigan St., and Ohio St. The Wildcats were the first to offer, while the Buckeyes were the most recent to do so. Along with these five schools, there are eight other schools showing interest in him: St. John's, Georgetown, Syracuse, Delaware St., Towson, Drexel, LaSalle, and George Mason. Of those, the Red Storm and Hoyas are pushing the hardest. This is interesting, as Georgetown and Syracuse were Markus' dream schools growing up. "I was kind of excited," said Kennedy of his reaction to those schools starting to show interest in him. As for another Big East school on his list, Villanova, I asked Kennedy is St. Pat's graduate Corey Fisher playing there will have an impact on his decision and his feelings towards VU: "Well, I'm not really sure . . . because I didn't play with Corey Fisher last year [since I wasn't at St. Pat's], . . . [but] from seeing tapes, . . . I can see the transformation [that has occurred at Villanova for] . . . him." The big man does not have a timetable for a commitment. Kennedy told me that he ended up at St. Patrick's after he and his mother "sat down and talked about it," adding that they decided is was "better than being in Philly." In addition, they felt it would help him to get "college looks," also mentioning that they felt it would be better than major-Philly private school "Roman [Catholic] . . . because of the coaching." To sum it, Markus said that it was decided that playing for Kevin Boyle's squad would be the "best move for [him] to get out of Philly." Kennedy told me that the St. Pat's he has learned the most from is Quintrell Thomas, a Kansas-bound senior. "[I play the] same position as him, . . . [and] watching him play all season, and seeing how he progressed from the beginning of the season . . . . [I have to] work harder to keep up with him," said Markus, on why Thomas is the player he chose. Markus, who feels his strongest point is his "rebounding," thinks that his "weakest point [is his] stamina." In order to work on the stamina issue, Kennedy told me that he is "basically . . . just running a lot." The strategy seems to be working, as his stamina has clearly improved over the course of NJABC's 11-3 season thus far. The St. Pat's stud says the range at which he can consistently knock down his jumper is "19 feet." Of this shot, Markus says "it helps a lot . . . because sometimes big people . . . try to stop [him] from [using his] post moves, . . . so [he] just brings the ball out and shoots, . . . so it makes [him] harder to defend." Although he has a great jumper, Kennedy feels that it's his "up-and-under" that is his best move. For more information on Kennedy, including my scouting report on him, go to this link: http://w3.nbebasketball.com/index.php/next-at-st-patricks-markus-kennedy/#more-2098.