Kennedy Quinn is going into her senior year at A-Town. The 5’6” guard just committed to play D-1 basketball at DePaul University after graduation.
At A-Town, she has had a tremendous career. Kennedy has lead the Tornadoes to 26-8, 30-5, and 26-6 records her first three years. She has averaged 19.0ppg, 16.8ppg, and 23.0ppg in her first three years. She will enter this season with 1,940 career points. In addition, she has averaged 5 assists/game over the three years.
While many think it is AAU where you are going to be found, with recent adjustments to NCAA rules, college coaches can be observed and evaluated while playing with their high school team during certain periods in June.
Kennedy was seen by DePaul in June at an exposure event at Batavia HS. In the first three games at Batavia, she had 34 points vs Lyons-LaGrange (4A), 30 points vs Dixon (3A), and 28 vs Rockford Guilford (4A).
DePaul plays in the Big East Conference, and historically has been a top twenty program nationally. Coach Jill Pizzotti will be in her third year as head coach, following legendary Coach Doug Bruno.
I reached out to four people to talk about Kennedy and DePaul.
What Kennedy Quinn says…
Everybody I have talked with describes your tremendous work ethic. Your coach says you are either working out on your own, going to Canton to work with Hunter Rhodes, or scrimmaging against boys. What has inspired you and keeps you going?
What drives me to work hard at basketball is when I was a little girl watching college basketball dreaming of hopefully being in that same position some day. I am also driven to be the best and to prove to every little kid out there that no matter where you are, hard work makes everything possible.
Obviously you can score points and are highly skilled, what do you hope people see when they watch you play?
When people watch me play I hope that they see not only the passion and drive I have for the game, but also the leadership qualities that empower my teammates. I really just want people to see how great of a teammate I am more so than a player!
What made you choose DePaul?
I chose DePaul because of the opportunity to compete at the highest level, so I can push and challenge myself everyday. I also really enjoyed the coaching staff, their vision, and the overall environment. I’m excited to learn, grow, and succeed.
You will play in the Big East Conference and against UConn, what do you think about that?
Playing teams in the Big East as well as a team like UConn was a factor in my decision. I am beyond excited to go up against the best players in the country and challenge myself!
You have made your college decision before your senior HS season starts, do you feel good about that?
I feel like making my college decision before season will help me tremendously during the season. I already feel as if a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I am super excited to just play and relax with no worries about where I’m going to go.
How are you going to approach your senior year?
My goals for my last high school season is to win state, and make everyone around me better. I want to enjoy every last moment and be present!
What Coach Brent Dugan says…
(Brent Dugan is the girls basketball coach at A-Town.)
Tell me about Kennedy’s work ethic.
She loves the game. Her work ethic is second to none. She is always working to get better- in the gym by herself, with Hunter Rhodes, or scrimmaging with boys.
What is she like to coach?
I don’t ever have to look over to see if she is working hard in practice. She always works hard. She is very skilled but her work ethic and leadership make the team better.
She takes coaching. I can talk to her and can tell she buys into being coached.
What is her skill set?
She gets downhill so well with her quickness and ballhandling skills. She can get to the basket and finish, or draw fouls. She is quicker and stronger than most players guarding her. She has really developed a nice step back jumper and three.
It sounds like she had a great performance at Batavia. I know she scored a lot of points but what are some of the things she does to impress?
At Batavia, teams began to really go after her. They got physical guarding her and even double teamed her. No matter what they did, she never got flustered or whined to refs.
One play, she had the ball and went to pass. The defender hit her really hard as she was passing. The refs made no call. After being hit, the pass was off and the other team stole the ball. She never missed a beat, she immediately got up, sprinted back on defense, and stole the ball. That’s who she is.
What is your thought on her commitment to DePaul?
She’s earned it.
What Hunter Rhodes say…
(Hunter Rhodes is a professional skill coach in Canton. Hunter was a high school star at Canton HS and then had a tremendous career playing at Northern Iowa University.)
What is it about Kennedy’s skill set that makes her a special player?
The biggest separator for Kennedy when it comes to skill isn’t the ball handling, finishing, and shooting. It’s all about the way she moves on the court. The ability to play low, the way she stays on balance, incredible footwork, and the overall strength she has.
Besides basketball skills, what do you see in her as an athlete?
Her basketball skills are top notch as well and will only keep improving as time goes. She’s an extremely hard worker that pushes the limits each day. Not only with basketball, but in the weight room as well. She’s ready to take on any challenge coming her way.
To be great a player has to love the process. As a trainer, that is what you are all about- the process. What do you see in Kennedy as she approaches the process?
Her approach the to the process of getting better is the best thing about her. When training athletes I love to see them “fail” because I know they are getting out of their comfort zone. Kennedy will keep attacking whatever drill we do until she gets it right. She doesn’t get upset with herself and doesn’t hang her head. She loves the challenges and that’s why you’ll see constant improvement from her.
You went from playing at Canton to competing at UNI and in the Missouri Valley. What advice do you have to Kennedy?
My advice for Kennedy is to stay true to yourself. Don’t try to be someone she is not. The coaches recruited Kennedy Quinn. So go be YOU! Work hard, trust the process, and attack every day. Be comfortable being uncomfortable is another one. College will challenge you in many different ways. Missing home, family, and more. Enjoy the process and keep moving different every day!
What Molly (Watson) Fordyce says…
(Molly Watson was a 5’4” guard, who led Galesburg HS to State in 1995, 1996, and 1997. Just like Kennedy, she was an All-State guard. Molly went from small town to DePaul, where she started four years for the Demons. When Kennedy committed to DePaul, Molly reached out to tell me how excited she was to hear that. It was almost 30 years ago that Molly chose DePaul, but I thought it would be fun to get her thoughts.)
It was years ago, but why did you choose DePaul?
DePaul was a great basketball decision for me for so many reasons. Obviously, Coach Bruno was a big reason why I wanted to compete at DePaul. Beyond that, DePaul was a great basketball decision for me because I had the opportunity to be a four-year starter. Playing is obviously more fun than sitting on the bench, but I am thankful that my coaches had faith in me as I was able to grow and learn through so many in-game experiences.
I also loved that DePaul played a tough schedule. When I was at DePaul, we played Tennessee every year, and they were ranked #1 all four of those years. Even though we never beat Tennessee, I loved having the opportunity to compete against the best.
Playing at DePaul also gave me the chance to travel to many amazing places in the United States and Europe. Our trip abroad to Europe really inspired me to pursue playing basketball overseas after I graduated.
I also loved that DePaul was a true basketball school. There is such a great history of basketball at DePaul, and it was an honor to be a part of that tradition.
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