There is much to be excited about this time of year, and possibly no player has more to be amped up about than Kemari Reynolds .Thedribbledrop & NJHoopRecruit are honored to introduce Kelsey as one of our diarists in 2020. Check back throughout the season as Kelsey gives us an insider look at the life of a star student athlete playing basketball on the highest level in New Jersey.
As told to Christian Mordi / @mordi_thecomeup
Hello everyone! My name is Kemari and I am a point guard for Manchester Township. I will be checking in with you guys twice a month to share my journey throughout my senior season!
This summer I committed to Penn. I was in the middle of my AAU season and things were going really great. The schools I was down to were all great and it was a really tough decision. I went and visited Penn several times and I knew that was a place that I belonged. Before I went to DC for a tournament, I called my coach and told him my decision. I talked to my AAU coach and all the other important mentors I have in my life. They were very happy with my choice and it made me even more comfortable with the decision.
I know all the kids probably say this but the visits you go on and the schools are so beautiful. When I went to Penn, it was different. It felt like home.
Playing with the Philly Belles was an amazing experience. They push you to another level. In the beginning it was a bit of a struggle mentally. You can get caught up in the numbers and things like that, but I learned to set those things aside and just focus on being the best player I could be. My final year was great. I was very comfortable. My coach was great and I grew a lot.
The Philly Belles program is full of great people. Kevin Lynch is a great guy. They are genuine people who really want to help out their players. The platform is great and the support is there. I also built great bonds with a lot of my teammates, much love to Olivia Miles and Kylee Watson. All of those girls will be forever friends for me. I had so much fun my final year.
One of the most intense games this year for us was against Cy-Fair Elite. Every time we played them it was a battle. They beat us at Boo Williams but in Indy we played them again and we beat them and won the whole thing during that session.
The first couple days of practice were intense, which was expected as we integrated a bunch of new players into the mix. Losing Leilani and Dakota was big as they were great players and that left us all with big shoes to fill. We all made it clear early that we were up to the task to fill the void and make sure we picked up where we left off. I hurt my Achilles early on, but I will be back on Friday (Editor’s note: KR is back on the floor now!) Our two female freshmen have really come in with the right mindset everyday. They come in focused and ready to learn. One thing that is great about this team is the bond we all have with each other.
One teammate that has stood out to me is my fellow senior Serenity Anderson. She really picked it up late last year and hasn’t missed a bit early on this year. She has really found her voice out there and contributes so much in so many facets of the game for us on both sides of the floor. I’m very happy to see her come into her own.
On another note, one person that inspires me to be the best me and has a big impact on me and my basketball career is my best friend, my brother. He plays for Seton Hall. He always makes time to support me and it’s great watching him play as well. His teammates are like my big brothers and we all support each other.
Til' Next Time,
Kemari