Bear Insider Video: Cal Senior Guard Keonté Kennedy

The Bears dipped into the transfer portal for a substantial part of their expected rotation for the 2023-24 season and one of the most critical pieces of that class is Memphis portal transfer guard Keonté Kennedy. The senior guard was one of two players along with soph forward Grant Newell who joined head coach Mark Madsen at this week’s Pac-12 Media Day.

The 6-5/180 sixth-year senior was a 2018 signee with UTEP out of Westlake High School in Austin, Texas, where the 4 star senior averaged 14 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.5 steals per game during the 2017-18 season. Kennedy was named All-District 25 first team, 6A Regional Defensive MVP and District 25-6A Academic All-District as a senior before arriving at UTEP.

Kennedy’s most productive season at UTEP was in his final season there in 2021-22 where he averaged 14.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game, shooting 31.9 from 3. Last season with Memphis after his transfer, Kennedy averaged 9.1 points per game, shooting 46.1% from the field and 38.1% from the perimeter in 23 minutes per game.

The sharpshooting guard also brings a healthy dose of leadership and energy to the court that should go a long way towards helping the team turn around their fortunes this season.

"Absolutely. Positive vibes, good vibes," Kennedy said. "I always want to keep my players -my teammates- motivated, the coaching staff. Because even on bad days, we're not always going to be perfect. Nobody's perfect. There will be ups and downs and we'll just stay positive and be joyful through it all and that will just push us to be great."

"Keonte Kennedy, our best defender,” Madsen said. “The guy who shot close to 43%, in conference play in the AAC, for Memphis. Keonte's a guy who'll drive down the lane and dunk. He'll drive down the lane and flip a lob up there. He's a guy who can finish with both hands. He's in elite shape, elite. And he has never tired. He's never tired. That's a testimony and a testament of how well he takes care of his body and how well he just takes care of his personal conditioning on his own."

"Growing up, I was just a shooter, shooter, shooter,” Kennedy said. “And my dad always used to tell me something's always got to keep me on the court, regardless if you're having a good night or a bad night. It was defense for me. I became a great defender and I loved it. It makes me a better player and it's the right mentality to have."

When it came to make a move from Memphis to the transfer portal, it didn’t take the Aurora, Colorado native long to find his new home.

"Coach, number one, and then the staff, support system, everybody around us," Kennedy said of what made Cal stand out to him. "It was an easy decision. Coach has an NBA pedigree, championship pedigree. He's a winner. He's motivated. He's a hard worker. The staff he brought along, they're a great staff. They all come from good programs. We have former coaches from the pros, a former player in the pros.”

It’s often been notoriously tricky for programs to meld largely new rosters into a cohesive unit and Cal’s blend of four portal transfers, five returning scholarship players and four freshmen could present a significant challenge but the reviews so far have been positive and the team has reportedly bonded well on and off the court.

"Yeah, I think Coach started as soon as he got here," Kennedy said. "He got us together over at his house, with dinners, and different things just outside of basketball. And then, like he says, the best teams are player-led and we've carried that on throughout. We went back home for a couple of weeks and stayed in touch, came back together, bonded and we hang out on off the court."

Those relationships have built a level of trust that has carried over onto the court so far in practice this fall and could pay big dividends during the season.

"Absolutely," Kennedy said. "It translates a lot. We know people were putting the work in so we all trust each other's game and just as a person. We love each other, so absolutely."

As for the strengths of his game, Kennedy prides himself on being far more than just a perimeter scorer.

"My versatility," Kennedy noted of his main strength. "I shot 40% last year. I can shoot the ball, I can get downhill and create my shot and create for others. But obviously, defensively, I’ll be able to lock down the best player.

“I'm going to play the right way. If you ask what am I gonna do this year? Everything I've done every year, which is play the right way. That's it. I'm always going to shoot if I'm open. I'm always going to create for others. One night, I might just be a facilitator. Whatever the team needs. And I'm always going to light it up on defense."

Kennedy was asked who some of the unique characters are on his new team and he didn’t hesitate at all.

"Oh Jalen Cone," Kennedy said with a laugh. "JCone, that's my guy. He's fun. He's a good personality. He's someone you meet once in a lifetime. Great dude."

As for what can Cal fans expect to see from his team this season?

"Fast pace, a lot of energy, better play in transition, throwing and catching lobs, just having fun with the game,” Kennedy said. “We're having a lot of fun. We're going to be playing hard and we're going to execute.

“We're going to play with a lot of space and a lot of pace. And I think there's a lot of size, we have the speed and the athleticism to do it. We have the team to do it at the highest level. The best teams space the floor and are unselfish. So you'll see a lot of that with this team with everybody. We have so many players, so many who are talented in different ways and it's easy for us to mesh together."
Related:

Bears Add Memphis Portal Guard Keonte Kennedy

Pac-12 Men's Hoops Media Day: Madsen, Kennedy and Newell

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