Kennedy to fill frontcourt spot vacated by Holland

In his first two seasons as the head coach of the Boston University men’s basketball program, Pat Chambers has worked at creating a distinct brand of play that he hopes will epitomize BU basketball in the same way that other styles of play have defined other programs in the past.

Nolan Richardson had his pressing “40 Minutes of Hell” at University of Arkansas. John Calipari has implemented his patented dribble-drive offense with great success at both University of Memphis and now at University of Kentucky. And for decades, Pete Carril brought about a new calculated approach to the game with his Princeton offense at – you guessed it – Princeton University.

For Chambers and his BU program, his vision for the future of Terrier basketball will be decided by a style of play that focuses on two core attributes of the game – defense and rebounding.

For a crucial recruiting class that will look to help fill the pronounced void left by the graduation of America East Player of the Year John Holland, Chambers has landed a player who embodies those fundamental ideals of BU basketball – James Kennedy.

Kennedy is a 6’7”, 220-pound power forward who spent a post-graduate season at nearby Cushing Academy in Ashburnham and possesses a traditional low post-game that should allow him to stand out in a conference like the AE where such players are in short supply.

“Kennedy is very much an ‘old school’ type power forward and that definitely differentiates him from most 4-men in the America East,” said Adam Finkelstein of the New England Recruiting Report. “Most low- to mid-major programs aren’t able to play with two traditional big men anymore because there simply aren’t enough of them available in recruiting.

“Kennedy will give BU the flexibility to go with a two post line-up and so better match-up with programs from higher level conferences.”

This past season, Kennedy helped lead his Penguins squad to a 21-7 record and a No. 13 ranking among Massachusetts high school basketball teams. Additionally, he played AAU ball for the Boston Amateur Basketball Club.

Despite his standout skills on the defensive end and his ability to pull down boards, Kennedy’s talents and contributions are far from limited to those select facets of the game. Many recruiting outlets like NERR, Scout.com and ESPN.com, along with – most importantly – his new coach, have noted that he has a polished low post game.

“He’s athletic, he can jump, he’s an excellent rebounder, he’s got range out to 15 feet, pretty good finisher,” Chambers said. “So he’s going to fill a void where we need rebounders, people who can bang and be physical and play tough and also have a nice touch, who can catch and can finish. He’s a talented kid and I’m excited about him and his future, I really am.”

Offensively, the Dorchester native does have some glaring limits to his game. While he has good touch close to the basket (within about 15 feet), he doesn’t have a refined perimeter game and struggles from beyond the 3-point arc.

However, on a BU roster that features the likes of junior forward Jake O’Brien and freshman forward Dom Morris who are big men with solid outside shots, the need for a frontcourt player who can stretch the court isn’t a glaring one.

But Chambers feels that with proper patience, practice, coaching and development heading into his freshman season, Kennedy may be able to develop into a more complete offensive player.

“He has the capability and the potential to be able to stretch the court as he progresses and we work with and develop him,” Chambers said. “You can put him at the 4, he’s tough enough to play the 5, but he’s skilled enough to maybe even play some 3 one day, if he really commits and develops his body.

“He’s along the lines of Dom [Morris], but he’s a little bit bigger. He’s really committed to rebounding, that’s one thing that stuck out to me about him.”

While Kennedy could undoubtedly become an important contributor on the offensive end in his time at BU, his immediate impact (for next season, at least) is expected to come on the defensive end, where Kennedy has already shown an advanced aptitude to excel.

Likely facing limited minutes next season, Kennedy should be able to provide a key defensive presence to go alongside or provide relief for junior forward Pat Hazel, a 2011 AE all-defensive team honoree.

“His biggest impact will be on the defensive end,” said Finkelstein. “Offensively, he finishes well, can post up some, and is actually a pretty good passer from the low post or high post.

“But I think the bigger factor isn’t necessarily what he needs to improve on offensively but instead that he’s a guy who is going to be able to impact the game without needing a whole lot of shots.”

Kennedy’s development and role within the BU team will become increasingly important over the years with the looming graduation of low-post players like O’Brien, Hazel and junior center Jeff Pelage in 2012, with Chambers needing someone to be able to step in right away and produce.

Ultimately, as with any recruit, the future – even going into next season – is uncertain, but for Chambers and his BU staff, the addition of Kennedy looks as though it could potentially be an important building block toward constructing the future of the program.

“Right now you don’t know because every year you’ve been here, every year I’ve been here, there’s been injuries, so you never know,” Chambers said. “But what you do know is you’ve got a tough, inner-city kid coming in here who’s serious about his academics, who’s serious about playing basketball, and he’s going to earn his stripes and he knows that, and he’s looking forward to the challenge.”