Today was a dream come true for Kennedy Chandler. The process was everything he imagined it to be, but it also proved to be a learning experience. No one ever saw Kennedy developing into a high-major prospect except Kennedy and those close to him, and each season he continued to improve. According to the 247 Sports Composite, Kennedy is the number one overall point guard prospect in the country, and he’s also the top rated player in the state of Tennessee.
As a junior, Chandler averaged 22.2 points, 4.3 assists and 2.6 steals per game last season at Briarcrest, leading the school to the state title game. As a sophomore, he averaged 19.5 points, four rebounds, 3.6 steals, and three assists per game on his way to earning a Tennessee Division II State Championship and State Tournament MVP honors. Kennedy Chandler was also voted TSSAA Division II Class AA Mr. Basketball for both his sophomore season and his junior season.
The 6-foot-0 point guard was recruited by every college coach America. Many expected for him to attend Duke University. It was always his dream to be a Blue Devil like his favorite point guard Kyrie Irving, but times have since changed. The decision to attend the University of Tennessee at Knoxville was based on a relationship that was developed over the years with both Coach Rick Barnes and Assistant Coach Kim English.
Tennessee made Kennedy a priority from the very beginning. Head Coach Rick Barnes has developed a brand in Knoxville and has had Chandler high on the Vols wish list for the past 2 years. The Class of 2021 Star has become a special player as he continued to develop on the court and in the weight room as it relates to his strength and conditioning. He took the world by storm after winning a Nike EYBL championship leading MoKan Elite.
Following Kennedy’s Nike EYBL performance, everyone in America finally realized that he was a true star in the making. Today was dream come true for Kennedy and his family. His father Kylan Chandler has been very influential in Kennedy’s maturation, making sure he traveled all across the city for hoop sessions and strength workouts for most of his young basketball career, and also traveling with his son on the circuit each summer during AAU season.
The University of Memphis vs Tennessee game has now added some extra hot sauce to the party. This situation brings back many memories of a another Memphis point guard by the name of Tony Harris Class of 1997. Tony Harris broke the hearts of many Memphis fans and this too will hurt some fans as well. Although many felt for quite sometime now that he would go else where.
At the end of the day a young gifted student athlete will be attending college for free.
