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PG East: Schenley grad Kennedy facing another challenge
Thursday, December 13, 2007
By Jeff Greer, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07347/841046-134.stm
It's hard to overlook a 6-foot-6 basketball player, but somehow people managed to do it.
It's hard to discount a team that features three seniors with college-level abilities and a slew of juniors better than most seniors in Western Pennsylvania, but somehow people managed to do it.
That's why D.J. Kennedy plays with a boxer's mentality: When someone counts him out, the guard/forward hybrid fights back with the kind of tenacity found in Pittsburgh's City League.
That tenacity has taken Kennedy to the Big Apple and St. John's, where his roots tracing back to Schenley High School and Pittsburgh are clear for all to see.
"He brings his lunch pale to practice," St. John's coach Norm Roberts said. "Coming from Schenley, [Kennedy] is used to winning and doing whatever it takes to win."
Kennedy teamed with 6-7 powerhouse DeJuan Blair and dynamic distributor Jamaal Bryant to form a trio that led Schenley to an unprecedented 57-0 record against City League opponents and its third consecutive league title. The tandem finished 29-3 en route to the 2007 PIAA Class AAAA title. It was the first PIAA title for coach Fred Skrocki, whose multiple trips to the finals made getting over the hump that much more special.
"It was an accumulation of a lot of hard work," Skrocki said. "It takes a lot of sacrifices [to win a PIAA title]. You really have to have a great team. D.J. was definitely part of making us great."
Kennedy's height made him difficult to guard on the perimeter and a force to be reckoned with close to the basket. He earned first team all-state honors his senior season, averaging 17.7 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists a game. His combination of speed, power and skill made him a standout, but it was his defense and nose-to-the-grindstone style that earned Skrocki's trust and praise.
"He just has a special presence on the court," Skrocki said. "Everybody wants to score points, but he took special pride in shutting people down. He's one of the best defensive players I've ever had."
His skills caught the attention of Roberts, who said the St. John's coaching staff liked him as soon as they saw him.
"We needed a guy who could do a little bit of everything," Roberts said. "He can play any position. He can rebound. He has a great feel for the game. He just brings so many things to the table."
Aside from his on-court abilities, his coaches and teammates all say the same thing about Kennedy, that he is a hard working player who strives for the best, on and off the court, without losing track of his goals.
"We're pursuing our dreams," Blair said. "We three made it a point that you don't have to go to the WPIAL to get to college. You can go anywhere. We proved that point."
Skrocki said Kennedy's maturity and responsibility off the court always impressed him at Schenley. He keeps in touch with Kennedy weekly.
"One of the highest GPAs I've ever had at Schenley was owned by D.J.," Skrocki said. "If anything, he wanted to take more classes. D.J. called me last week and wanted to tell me he was doing well. That means so much to me."
Kennedy starts as a freshman at St. John's. Roberts said Kennedy's desire to get better and work harder fit in well and impressed the Red Storm coaching staff.
"He wants to work on his shot," Roberts said. "He wants to get stronger. He's constantly thinking about getting better in every aspect of his game."
Part of the challenge of improving as a college freshman comes from the league in which one plays. Kennedy chose to play in one of the toughest conferences in the nation, the Big East, and will face a harsh test after Jan. 1.
"It's harder going from high school to college," Kennedy said. "I feel pretty good, though. I feel comfortable with the players, the coaches, everything."
Skrocki said if anyone was going to adjust easily to college life away from home, it was Kennedy.
"When a kid decides to do what he did, go to a new area for college, you're venturing out," Skrocki said. "You're going to make yourself a strong person. I tell them, 'Whatever happens, get that degree. Meet people. Learn how to deal with people.' A lot of kids don't come back after they leave."
For now, Kennedy is focused on the new season in New York City, where the spotlight shines the brightest. Blair will bring a little piece of home with him when Pitt travels to Madison Square Garden Jan. 23 to face St. John's. Kennedy can't wait to see his best friend.
"It's going to be wonderful," he said. "Me playing against [DeJuan] once again."
None of that will change Kennedy's mind set once the teams meet at center court.
"On the court, it ain't going to be funny," Kennedy said. "Its all business. We're trying to get the win."
Once again, Kennedy finds himself on a team overlooked by the critics. The Big East's coaches picked St. John's to finish 14th in the conference this season, and a pair of Syracuse freshmen as preseason newcomers of the year. That's why Kennedy played hard in his first five games with St. John's.
At the start of the week he was averaging 12.4 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists through five games for the 4-1 Red Storm. For Kennedy, there's a new chip on his shoulder, and the only direction for St. John's basketball to go is up. With freshman star Justin Burrell, who leads St. John's in scoring, Kennedy has a new teammate to challenge him.
"The sky's the limit, man," Kennedy said.