On a team loaded with depth and a senior star in Addy Blackwell, it can be easy to forget the underclassmen. Blackwell may be the star now, but who will step up in years to come? The answer may very well be freshman Kendall Harmon.
Harmon, who stands at 5 feet 7 inches, has looked fantastic off the bench this season, even going up against competition that is three and four years older than her. For anyone who watched her play in middle school at Jackson Creek, this comes to no surprise. Harmon absolutely eviscerated the competition, even posting 41 points in one game. She was a key piece for the Jaguars, leading them to successful seventh and eighth grade seasons.
“There’s definitely a big difference between middle school and varsity basketball,” Harmon said. “The game is much faster when you get to high school, which is a good thing. It’s way more competitive and way more fun.”
Though Harmon has seen limited minutes this season, she has looked very efficient while playing, knocking down a good percentage of shots during her time on the court. This could easily be attributed to her outstanding work ethic and competitive motor. Harmon has been playing travel ball since fifth grade and it’s clearly payed off.
“Playing for the Indiana Blaze for several years has made me a better player. The level of competitiveness in travel ball helped prepare me for what it would be like playing varsity basketball as a freshman.”
The timing couldn’t be any better for Harmon. She will see a solid increase in minutes with Blackwell playing college ball next year, and she will likely be the star after the deep class of 2020 graduates. Harmon will still have plenty of talent at her disposal in current sophomores Anya Friend, Casey Thomas and Brooke Grinstead. Being only a freshman, Harmon looks up to Blackwell as a role model.
“Addy is obviously a really good player,” Harmon said. “She’s also a really good leader, and I think that’s really helpful on a team that doesn’t have many seniors.”
With young talent like Harmon and Friend playing at a high level, coach Larry Winters certainly shouldn’t have any concerns about the future of his team.
