Keonte Kennedy Reportedly Going To Memphis

For discussion of Vanderbilt Commodores men's basketball games and recruiting.

Moderators: kerrigjl, BrentVU, jfgogold, NateSY, KarenYates, Vandyman74, roanoke, VandyWhit

MrMemorial
Rear Admiral
Posts: 2016
Joined: Wed Apr 07, 2021 10:37 pm
Has thanked: 26 times
Been thanked: 37 times

Re: Keonte Kennedy Reportedly Going To Memphis

Post by MrMemorial »

Dezonie's last tweet (late May) was that he was backing out of the St Johns thing. Nothing since.

KK's tweets have all been about pro sports teams/players. He's quite a fan. But nothing on >his< plans.**

**Verbal Commits still has him to VU this afternoon.


dore74
Vice Admiral
Posts: 3144
Joined: Tue Nov 22, 2016 9:02 pm
Has thanked: 80 times
Been thanked: 29 times

Re: Keonte Kennedy Reportedly Going To Memphis

Post by dore74 »

With NIL and unlimited transfers we may have gone from too little to too much optionality. Wish I had a great idea of how to give the kids the freedom they deserve (and the right to share in the riches they are creating) without the anarchy we are currently going through. Sorry to say that I think this gets a bit more crazy before it finally settles down.

On the Kennedy matter, who knows. While five schools is bushel I know nothing about the kid and would presume that Stack does.
User avatar
buffy
Vice Admiral
Posts: 3359
Joined: Wed Nov 23, 2016 3:49 pm
Been thanked: 53 times

Re: Keonte Kennedy Reportedly Going To Memphis

Post by buffy »

VUaskew wrote: Tue Jun 21, 2022 9:55 am How is this CJS undoing? Pretty dramatic...
Because he only has a finite time to make it happen. It's hard to build continuity on a team if the team is completely new every year. Our problem is not unique, but I believe it's more difficult for us to fill unexpected holes in our roster than most. Think about all the work that went into building that recruiting class with nothing to show for it. Think about all the extra time it will take to fill those holes with comparable guys. That's time that could have been used building relationships for future classes.
Jason94
Admiral
Posts: 6121
Joined: Wed Nov 23, 2016 10:15 am
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 56 times

Re: Keonte Kennedy Reportedly Going To Memphis

Post by Jason94 »

MrMemorial wrote: Tue Jun 21, 2022 3:08 pm Dezonie's last tweet (late May) was that he was backing out of the St Johns thing. Nothing since.

KK's tweets have all been about pro sports teams/players. He's quite a fan. But nothing on >his< plans.**

**Verbal Commits still has him to VU this afternoon.
I am still hopeful on Kennedy - Dezonie would be another option that I don't think is any better than Lawrence necessarily. Both he and Lawrence were pretty inefficient despite using up very little possessions or shots. Kennedy wasn't tremendously efficient but was more efficient than either Lawrence or Dezonie, and used up a ton of possessions and shots.

Basic rule of thumb is that you can generally expect a player to be more efficient given a similar usage pattern the following season, or have a similar level of efficiency given a rise in prominence within an offense. It is highly unusual for a player to have both a tremendous rise in both usage and efficiency, which is problematic for any player who was both inefficient and had a limited role jumping into a more prominent position. Unfortunately both Lawrence and Dezonie fall within that category of players, and while they may end up being solid contributors, it is likely at least two years away.

Offensively at least, Thomas had the highest usage and efficiency of the trio, but he struggled so much of the defensive end that it limited his overall value. His usage is further limited by the fact that our likely starter at the point will be the same height. For whatever reason, the roster (without Kennedy) has a number of sub-optimal 2 guards to choose a starter from.

Maybe CJS will go really big and play Wright at the 2 and Stute at the three. That is perhaps the best option if we don't get Kennedy.
User avatar
fldore
Vice Admiral
Posts: 4880
Joined: Mon Nov 28, 2016 9:05 pm
Been thanked: 6 times

Re: Keonte Kennedy Reportedly Going To Memphis

Post by fldore »

Probably easier said than done but we probably need to recruit more kids that might want to come here even if they didn't play basketball. It's gonna be hard for us to have any consistent level of success in this current environment. If they're just here for basketball why would they stick around? Especially if we aren't winning. We may do okay in any given year with transfers but it seems like it'd be harder to recruit those kids on a consistent basis. And selfishly I'd rather pull for a bunch of guys I recognize and have seen get better and develop over 4 years.
SV# VU# Fl@g @AD
User avatar
Vandy187187
Rear Admiral
Posts: 1345
Joined: Sat Nov 13, 2021 9:06 pm
Has thanked: 8 times
Been thanked: 25 times

Re: Keonte Kennedy Reportedly Going To Memphis

Post by Vandy187187 »

the transfer portal on a PG/SG is only a problem because Pippen went to the draft and he's not even going to get picked in the 1st or 2nd round. Let's just be honest.

Love Pippen. But delusional to enter to the draft both years with eligibility left. Last year he came back because he would never be drafted high and he will never be drafted high. Why waste eligibility. Garland got hurt became a star in the NBA anyway. Pippen will never be Garland from an NBA perspective. Pippen would have made more memories in the NCAA tourney this year than anything he will ever do in the NBA.
Starkiller
Commander
Posts: 328
Joined: Mon Nov 21, 2016 8:31 am
Has thanked: 23 times
Been thanked: 8 times

Re: Keonte Kennedy Reportedly Going To Memphis

Post by Starkiller »

Pippen wasn’t going to do any better at Vandy than he already had or build up a better resume by coming back for another season. Clearly his goal was to play in the NBA. So from that perspective, it made more sense for him to go pro.
User avatar
Vandy187187
Rear Admiral
Posts: 1345
Joined: Sat Nov 13, 2021 9:06 pm
Has thanked: 8 times
Been thanked: 25 times

Re: Keonte Kennedy Reportedly Going To Memphis

Post by Vandy187187 »

Starkiller wrote: Thu Jun 23, 2022 9:45 pm Pippen wasn’t going to do any better at Vandy than he already had or build up a better resume by coming back for another season. Clearly his goal was to play in the NBA. So from that perspective, it made more sense for him to go pro.
You can say that but he's not going to ever be a pro. So why not be big man on campus for another year before trying. If you ain't a sure thing you might as well enjoy college for another year vs play in Europe or the G league. Especially with NIL. It was a poor decision
User avatar
Vandy187187
Rear Admiral
Posts: 1345
Joined: Sat Nov 13, 2021 9:06 pm
Has thanked: 8 times
Been thanked: 25 times

Re: Keonte Kennedy Reportedly Going To Memphis

Post by Vandy187187 »

If you built up the best resume you could ever build and it's still not good enough why go pro early? You know you ain't getting there if you haven't by now with stats you have built up. NBA is more than stats, it's measurables, pure raw talent and Pippen didn't have that compared to 60-80 others who will get drafted before him. Leaving early basically means that you lose the degree that can make you millions off of and then you waste a few years trying to get to the NBA. Going back to school after you fail to go to the nBA just makes you even less desirable in any other career other than basketball. You wait a year and basketball doesn't work out you graduate and can do something else vs having to go back to school and no one wants to hire a 25 year old college grad with no work experience that bounced around some EU hotels and high school gyms over there or played in the G league for years. If you aren't getting drafted in the first round you might as well stay in school
TwoSaints
Vice Admiral
Posts: 3130
Joined: Fri Dec 30, 2016 1:23 pm
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 6 times

Re: Keonte Kennedy Reportedly Going To Memphis

Post by TwoSaints »

FYI, guys. The NBA draft isn't what it used to be. There are a few reasons why, but essentially the biggest one is because the game has changed so much that scouting is less effective overall. Second, the complexities of the salary cap and the new popularity of the two-way contract has really changed the game, especially for players taken outside of the second round. Many agents now would rather have their players be free agents than to sign with a team that wants them on a two-way contract. Free agency is actually best for players who are overlooked in the draft, especially if they're amenable to playing overseas. For players that need to develop, however (i.e. projects), a two-way contract with a rebuilding team is often an ideal situation. For instance, that's how one-time VU recruit and Scotty's high school teammate Kenyon Martin Jr. managed to rebuild his career and become a guy with a future in the league (although maybe not in Houston, after they drafted Jabari Smith and Tari Eason).

In Scotty's case, I think there's a very good chance that his people were working toward a deal with the Lakers off the books the entire time. The Lakers managed to buy into this year's draft with the fifth pick in the second round (#35 overall, a very valuable pick). But that's simply too high for a guy like Scotty who is very skilled already but may, or may not, be able to transfer that success to the NBA. (His size works seriously against him, but his game is much more suited to the NBA than the NCAA. If he was a lights-out shooter or defender, then he would've gone in the second round, probably somewhere near #38 where Kennedy Chandler did.) And when you consider that most teams will have to cut veteran players to get down to their maximum roster size... That was a deterrent in his case. But the Lakers need skilled players who can contribute this year. Scotty could fit in very well with them as a bench player, if he can shore up some critical weaknesses early in the season. As a result, I actually think he has a better chance of sticking in the NBA than he would if he had been picked in the draft.
User avatar
AuricGoldfinger
Fleet Admiral
Posts: 16329
Joined: Tue Nov 22, 2016 8:29 pm
Has thanked: 88 times
Been thanked: 223 times
Contact:

Re: Keonte Kennedy Reportedly Going To Memphis

Post by AuricGoldfinger »

Officially gone:

[tweet][/tweet]
Jason94
Admiral
Posts: 6121
Joined: Wed Nov 23, 2016 10:15 am
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 56 times

Re: Keonte Kennedy Reportedly Going To Memphis

Post by Jason94 »

TwoSaints wrote: Fri Jun 24, 2022 7:05 am FYI, guys. The NBA draft isn't what it used to be. There are a few reasons why, but essentially the biggest one is because the game has changed so much that scouting is less effective overall. Second, the complexities of the salary cap and the new popularity of the two-way contract has really changed the game, especially for players taken outside of the second round. Many agents now would rather have their players be free agents than to sign with a team that wants them on a two-way contract. Free agency is actually best for players who are overlooked in the draft, especially if they're amenable to playing overseas. For players that need to develop, however (i.e. projects), a two-way contract with a rebuilding team is often an ideal situation. For instance, that's how one-time VU recruit and Scotty's high school teammate Kenyon Martin Jr. managed to rebuild his career and become a guy with a future in the league (although maybe not in Houston, after they drafted Jabari Smith and Tari Eason).

In Scotty's case, I think there's a very good chance that his people were working toward a deal with the Lakers off the books the entire time. The Lakers managed to buy into this year's draft with the fifth pick in the second round (#35 overall, a very valuable pick). But that's simply too high for a guy like Scotty who is very skilled already but may, or may not, be able to transfer that success to the NBA. (His size works seriously against him, but his game is much more suited to the NBA than the NCAA. If he was a lights-out shooter or defender, then he would've gone in the second round, probably somewhere near #38 where Kennedy Chandler did.) And when you consider that most teams will have to cut veteran players to get down to their maximum roster size... That was a deterrent in his case. But the Lakers need skilled players who can contribute this year. Scotty could fit in very well with them as a bench player, if he can shore up some critical weaknesses early in the season. As a result, I actually think he has a better chance of sticking in the NBA than he would if he had been picked in the draft.
I don't quite follow why you think that Pippen's game is more suited to the NBA than college when he was a legit star in College who led the SEC in scoring two seasons in a row and probably would have had more success had he actually played with a little more overall scoring talent. I'm assuming you aren't of the opinion that he will be a star, and it is difficult to find a comparison for a short guard without top end athleticism and an inconsistent outside shot (based on NBA players). Nothing that I see that benefits him in the NBA didn't also benefit his college game, which is why he was so successful despite having to shoulder such a heavy load during his final two seasons.
commadore
Admiral
Posts: 9918
Joined: Tue Nov 29, 2016 12:29 pm
Has thanked: 88 times
Been thanked: 124 times

Re: Keonte Kennedy Reportedly Going To Memphis

Post by commadore »

AuricGoldfinger wrote: Fri Jun 24, 2022 3:52 pm Officially gone:

[tweet][/tweet]
Bye.
UltimateVUFan
Vice Admiral
Posts: 3143
Joined: Fri Dec 23, 2016 9:25 am
Has thanked: 163 times
Been thanked: 94 times

Re: Keonte Kennedy Reportedly Going To Memphis

Post by UltimateVUFan »

commadore wrote: Fri Jun 24, 2022 7:09 pm
AuricGoldfinger wrote: Fri Jun 24, 2022 3:52 pm Officially gone:

[tweet][/tweet]
Bye.
Yeeeeah. After seeing this tweet. And all the reflection on the number of schools he has “committed” to in a few years. Something makes me a bit less disappointed in this “loss.”
Minoadoc
Rear Admiral
Posts: 1159
Joined: Thu Jan 05, 2017 11:45 am
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 8 times

Re: Keonte Kennedy Reportedly Going To Memphis

Post by Minoadoc »

waited for check to clear?
User avatar
Doreknox
Admiral
Posts: 6969
Joined: Sat Nov 19, 2016 9:17 pm
Has thanked: 33 times
Been thanked: 13 times

Re: Keonte Kennedy Reportedly Going To Memphis

Post by Doreknox »

This probably wasn't a guy we should have been recruiting, anyway. His tweet only serves to confirm that. Stackhouse doesn't seem to recognize or perhaps attract the type of player we need to bring on campus.

I agree with Buffy - you can't lose six or seven players every year (unless you replace them with 5 stars) and win in the SEC.
Jason94
Admiral
Posts: 6121
Joined: Wed Nov 23, 2016 10:15 am
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 56 times

Re: Keonte Kennedy Reportedly Going To Memphis

Post by Jason94 »

buffy wrote: Wed Jun 22, 2022 12:25 pm
VUaskew wrote: Tue Jun 21, 2022 9:55 am How is this CJS undoing? Pretty dramatic...
Because he only has a finite time to make it happen. It's hard to build continuity on a team if the team is completely new every year. Our problem is not unique, but I believe it's more difficult for us to fill unexpected holes in our roster than most. Think about all the work that went into building that recruiting class with nothing to show for it. Think about all the extra time it will take to fill those holes with comparable guys. That's time that could have been used building relationships for future classes.
I hope you are not correct, but the fact is that we had a huge amount of momentum at the end of last season, and have not done enough (IMO) to address the loss of our starting backcourt, which was a very major factor in the success that we did have at the end of the season. Beyond the scoring that has to be replaced, both players were excellent defenders as well as both able to capably run the point. Manjon takes care of the point guard issue, but he is very unlikely to be a premier scorer in the SEC, and there will almost certainly be a defensive dropoff from either Pippen or Chatman. On paper Kennedy helped take care of the scoring void as well as the defensive void, but you are correct that there were red flags that indicated that he wasn't a good fit at Vanderbilt. And the timing is not great either, as most of the good players have already found homes, and the time invested into Kennedy could have been spend recruiting a player who could have helped the team this upcoming season.

We can still have a good season - our frontcourt is pretty loaded overall. But to have a team that is built to thrive in the tournament we will need really good guards and I don't know that we have tournament level guards.
Minoadoc
Rear Admiral
Posts: 1159
Joined: Thu Jan 05, 2017 11:45 am
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 8 times

Re: Keonte Kennedy Reportedly Going To Memphis

Post by Minoadoc »

Doreknox wrote: Sat Jun 25, 2022 9:16 am This probably wasn't a guy we should have been recruiting, anyway. His tweet only serves to confirm that. Stackhouse doesn't seem to recognize or perhaps attract the type of player we need to bring on campus.

I agree with Buffy - you can't lose six or seven players every year (unless you replace them with 5 stars) and win in the SEC.
Actually, you may not win the SEC, but you can go the final four, which i think supersedes winning in the SEC. In 2021, national champ Baylor, 4/6 leading scores were transfers, and remarkably, only one transfer was from a P5 program. FF Houston, 4 starters, two bench were transfers. FF UCLA and Gonzaga each had two starters who were transfers.
The leading scorers were not all starters, but 8/20 FF starters were transfers. Vandy is far from the only school with players transferring. Considering there are 1200+ players in portal, it seems to be the new paradigm. Instead of only evaluating team needs in recruiting HS guys, a coach needs to be able to evaluate team needs and also recruit portal guys. You can get older, experienced players that have adapted to college and have proven themselves to playing in college. Just like the discussion about Corbin recruiting portal guys, Vandy policies in transfers may post a problem, making it tougher to compete
User avatar
OldDude
Vice Admiral
Posts: 4508
Joined: Mon Nov 21, 2016 4:59 pm
Location: Bellevue
Has thanked: 123 times
Been thanked: 53 times

Re: Keonte Kennedy Reportedly Going To Memphis

Post by OldDude »

Minoadoc wrote: Sun Jun 26, 2022 10:24 am
Doreknox wrote: Sat Jun 25, 2022 9:16 am This probably wasn't a guy we should have been recruiting, anyway. His tweet only serves to confirm that. Stackhouse doesn't seem to recognize or perhaps attract the type of player we need to bring on campus.

I agree with Buffy - you can't lose six or seven players every year (unless you replace them with 5 stars) and win in the SEC.
Actually, you may not win the SEC, but you can go the final four, which i think supersedes winning in the SEC. In 2021, national champ Baylor, 4/6 leading scores were transfers, and remarkably, only one transfer was from a P5 program. FF Houston, 4 starters, two bench were transfers. FF UCLA and Gonzaga each had two starters who were transfers.
The leading scorers were not all starters, but 8/20 FF starters were transfers. Vandy is far from the only school with players transferring. Considering there are 1200+ players in portal, it seems to be the new paradigm. Instead of only evaluating team needs in recruiting HS guys, a coach needs to be able to evaluate team needs and also recruit portal guys. You can get older, experienced players that have adapted to college and have proven themselves to playing in college. Just like the discussion about Corbin recruiting portal guys, Vandy policies in transfers may post a problem, making it tougher to compete

Big ditto on VU admin transfer rules especially for juniors and seniors.
Ndorefin
Vice Admiral
Posts: 2513
Joined: Tue Nov 22, 2016 8:08 am
Has thanked: 32 times
Been thanked: 25 times

Re: Keonte Kennedy Reportedly Going To Memphis

Post by Ndorefin »

Stack is working his behind off trying to replenish the backcourt, but who will commit knowing our past records and the hoops one has to jump thru to get admitted. I would be shocked if Kennedy had a shot to be admitted….even if he was smart enough, I don’t believe he would to put forth the effort. Most P5 transfers are looking for an opportunity to shine because they were wronged by their previous school…they believe their best chance is to be on a national power and we are not there yet. Our prior coach had destroyed any chance we had to be relevant and I’m afraid this job has become a rebuilding nightmare that will require some winning basketball to draw a prospect attention and we all know the attention span of teenagers these days. Stay patient and support our current coach!
Locked Previous topicNext topic