Kenwood opened last season with the No. 1 ranking and barrels of hype. The season didn’t go as planned, but that is all in the past.
Interim coach Joseph Mason has a loaded, motivated team ready to tip off against Rich on Monday night at Corliss.
Mason, a Kenwood graduate, is the school’s assistant principal. According to Chicago Public Schools, he’s an interim coach for this season, and the school will conduct a search for a new coach after the season. Former coach Mike Irvin resigned on Nov. 4.
“I’m delivering the same message, it is just a different voice,” Mason said. “It is a good group of kids so things have gone smoothly.”
It turns out, Mason’s team may be better than most realized. Sophomore Devin Cleveland is one of the best players in the country and 6-9 senior Aleks Alston is an excellent shooter. Guard Chris Watkins and 6-7 Prince McCord return from last season.
On Friday, Mason confirmed that transfers Amari Edwards (Phillips) and TJ Seals (Johnson) are eligible and healthy. That’s a major boost for the Broncos and makes their preseason ranking of No. 9 look far too low.
Edwards, a senior point guard, led Phillips to the Class 2A state championship last season. Seals, a 6-5 senior, averaged 24 points, 13 rebounds and five assists last season. Both players were honorable mention Sun-Times All-City selections.
There are three additional promising players in the rotation, 6-6 junior Jumir Aguda-Batie, 6-3 sophomore Damari Stephens and 6-2 sophomore Osiris Bell, who will play sophomore and varsity basketball this season.
The Broncos are deep and talented, but the focus will be on Cleveland. The sophomore has grown to 6-3 and is ranked No. 11 in the nation in the Class of 2027 by ESPN.
“You should definitely expect him to score a lot,” Mason said. “He’s really taken more of a lead this year. He can still shoot the ball from anywhere. He’s gotten stronger as well. He’s a lot more confident and comfortable.”
The Broncos are back at the Proviso West Holiday Tournament this season (where Cleveland and Warren’s Jaxson Davis could meet up) and recently scheduled a game on Dec. 1 against DePaul Prep, the defending Class 3A state champs.
“The goal is to win city and state,” Mason said. “I think we have the group to do it. Their energy is high. They feel like they are overlooked with everything that has been going on.”