PREFERS TEMPLE'S OFFENSE TO PRINCETON'S
There is a cabinet full of letters sitting in the dining room of Markus Kennedy’s Yeadon home. The letters come from every corner of the college basketball world, all trying to woo the 6-9, 250-pound power forward from Living Faith Christian Academy, of Pennsauken, N.J.
But it seems as if a simple acknowledgment last summer has gone a long way in landing Kennedy, a prized power forward, who will stay home and play for Villanova in 2010, sources told the Daily News. The Wildcats were the first to notice Kennedy and the first to offer him a scholarship.
Kennedy will have a news conference Wednesday at 1:30 p.m., at Living Faith, where he is expected to choose the Wildcats over West Virginia and Temple, sources said.
It was former Villanova assistant coach Pat Chambers who noticed Kennedy at a basketball tournament last summer. Kennedy, who has not played competitive basketball very long, though has quick hands and good feet for someone his size from years of swimming, was impressed by the Villanova program.
“What I think sold Markus, who is a great kid, is coach [Jay] Wright,” a source close to Kennedy said. “The family are good people, they’re local and they want to see Markus play as much as possible. With what Villanova runs, and the way Markus moves on the court, he’s a perfect fit for what they do. He’s a great addition.”
Kennedy averaged 22 points and 12 rebounds as a junior for Living Faith.
Wright already has a major class coming for 2009, including Roman Catholic’s Maalik Wayns, Dominic Cheek, of St. Anthony (Jersey City, N.J.) and 6-9 Mouphtaou Yarou, of Montrose Christian School, of Rockville, Md.
Daily News staff
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FRAN DUNPHY, Temple
He begins his third season on North Broad with nearly 350 career victories after a long tenure at Penn. The Owls won the Atlantic 10 Tournament last season and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
BRUISER FLINT, Drexel
He begins his eighth season with the Dragons after returning to the city where he played collegiately at St. Joe’s. The Dragons have advanced to the postseason in four of the last six years and have won at least 17 games four times under Flint.
DR. JOHN GIANNINI, La Salle
He begins his fifth season at the school after successful tenures at the University of Maine and Rowan, where teams made two trips to the Division III Final Four. At LaSalle two seasons ago, he engineered an 18-win season and third-place finish in the Atlantic 10, the school’s best finish since joining the league for the 1995-96 season.
PHIL MARTELLI, Saint Joseph’s
He begins his 14th season on Hawk Hill, having won more than 250 games. He is a four-time Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year and has taken the Hawks to the postseason in seven of the last eight years.
GLEN MILLER, Penn
He begins his third season at the school after moving within the Ivy League from Brown. In his first season, he led the Quakers to an Ivy League championship and their third consecutive NCAA Tournament bid.
JAY WRIGHT, Villanova
He begins his eighth season at ‘Nova, having amassed 148 wins at the school. Villanova has made the NCAA Tournament for the last four seasons, including three trips to the Sweet 16 and an Elite Eight appearance. Wright came to Villanova following his tenure at Hofstra and has 270 career victories.
