Recruiting Report 2018: Kenneth Tyree
Kenneth Tyree, 5’9″, PG, 2018. Friendship Tech Prep Academy Titans Washington, DC.
Grassroots Team: Team St8ment.
In the loaded Washington, DC & Baltimore DMVs we have many under the radar players. In Kenneth Tyree’s case he is an under the under radar player. Kenneth plays for Friendship Tech HS who play in the up & coming Charter League in Washington, DC. Last season was the Titans 1st basketball season and Friendship Tech finished the 2016/17 season @ 16-6. FTPA played a tough schedule & recorded some very good wins. Kenneth led FTPA averaging 20ppg, 4.5 assist, 4 rebounds & 3 steals per game under 1st year Head Coach Dwayne Shackleford who did a remarkable job. In Grassroots play Kenneth averaged 12 ppg, 6 assists & 2 steals per game for a very strong Team St8ment 17U team who played on the Powerade Platform. Last season we heard about Kenneth from several DMV Coaches & they all agreed he was a hidden gem.
Last Saturday Kenneth attended the prestigious & Invite only DMV Elite 80 in Bowie, MD. Kenneth scrimmaged against many of the top 2018 (majority), 2019 & 2020 prospects in the Washington DC & Baltimore DMVs. He caught our attention with his excellent handle & ability to get inside the paint off the dribble. Kenneth is very crafty & possesses an arsenal of rim finishing moves with both hands & he utilizes the backboard very well on his conversions. He plays with a very high motor & enthusiasm directing his teammates on the floor & chatting with them on the bench while studying the game. He proved his ability to score from all 3 levels we got a good look at his 3 point shot mechanics which look very, very good. Kenneth can score from any angle on the court & adds,” I like to shoot the 3 pointer off the dribble with a side step move. My ball handling skills are are a strength & I use stop & go moves, hesitation & cross over, & spin moves.” Additionally, Kenneth changed gears very well & has the speed & quickness to blow by his defenders.
On defense Kenneth played well & showed excellent lateral movement keeping his opponents in front of him. During the afternoon he proved he can do the intangibles going hard after loose balls, getting deflections in the passing lanes, and making the extra pass & hockey assists.
When we chatted with Kenneth he added,” I work on basketball before & after school. We do strength & conditioning & work on my basketball drills daily. My goals are to get stronger, finish thru contact, improve my decision making & court vision. Also, I want to be 2 steps ahead in games this coming season. I like to watch & study Isaiah Thomas & Allen Iverson on cable & You Tube.
This coming season Kenneth believes Friendship Tech can better than last year. Malik Miller, Derrick Love & Kenneth will be the go to players in the Titans guard oriented & close knit team. Kenneth names his Dad, Coach “Shaq” (Shackelford) & Steve Lee as his role models, In the classroom he is working hard to get his grades up to a 3.0 & he is interested in majoring in communications in college. Rutgers, UTEP, Campbell & Wesley are all expressing interest in Kenneth. We need to get a better look at Kenneth to determine his college level, but without question he is a scholarship player. We will be attending some of Friendship Tech games this year & provide game & player reports.