Markus Kennedy, a 6-foot-8 junior forward from St. Patrick in Elizabeth (N.J.) who has had a monster summer, continues to draw offers from high-major schools.
Kennedy recently picked up offers from Miami, UMass and Penn State and lists Villanova, Rutgers, Syracuse, Miami, Penn State and UMass as his frontrunners, according to his summer coach, Matt Pauls of Team NJABC.
“He has loved Syracuse since he was young, but Villanova and Rutgers are the frontrunners and are recruiting him the hardest,” Pauls said.
Kennedy helped St. Patrick win The Hoop Group Showcase in June at The Barn at Rutgers and figures to be a major factor for Kevin Boyle’s team next season as it seeks to recapture the New Jersey Tournament of Champions title.
“Markus has great hands, excellent footwork, nice touch from 15-17 feet, and is a strong passer for his size,” Pauls added. “He needs to improve on the defensive end, and must get stronger and improve his endurance.”
“Obviously, Markus is coming on,” Boyle added at The Hoop Group Showcase. “He has to lose weight. He couldn’t contribute much last year. He had some issues early doing the right thing and once he got himself straightened out there, he had to lose some weight. I think he’s still another 10 pounds away. I think he’s going to be a monster and he’s got another two inches to grow.”
**Speaking of Syracuse, while James Southerland will not be eligible this season for Jim Boeheim’s club, we hear Peekskill, N.Y. native Mookie Jones will be. That’s good news for the Orange, who also return both Eric Devendorf and Andy Rautins this season.
