Documentary video by Danny DeRocco, Advanced Digital Communications

Chris Ortiz, a forward and a post-grad, puts the ball in over a Brewster Academy opponent.

For many, when they hear South Kent, they think of basketball – a game these boys have shaped their lives around.

They came to this school to be basketball players, with hopes they will carry on the legacy of past teams.

Prep Basketball ended its 2011-12 season with an 18-11 overall record. The final game was a tough 1-point loss, 69-70, to New Hampton in the NEPSAC AAA quarterfinal playoff match Feb. 29 at Endicott College in Beverly, MA.

Video and Text Article by Jacky Han

Weijia Ren shoots the ball in a JV Basketball game. Photo by Andy Tang

JV Basketball is a team sport that teaches players how to play and improve their skills. Success is not measured solely by the wins and the losses on the schedule but the individual growth the each player has and the collective effort of the team.

This year’s team had a different type of practice compared to last year’s, when players would scrimmage for 45 minutes. This year the team was coached by Mr. Michael Daniels, who taught the team to run plays and execute on offense.

The team this year did not have a very successful season like last year. The final game record was 3-7.

“This year we didn’t have a really competitive team. I think we just won two games, but play on the team is really good. We have really fun training sessions. Everybody tries to learn something on the team. The students are well engaged with the JV Basketball team,” said Anil Ozer, a Fifth Former from Turkey, who was also a leading scorer on the team.

“Basketball is a group sport and we need to play it as a team. Our coach is really good. He makes our team strong. We won some games by playing as a team,” said Ziaqio Han, a two-year participant of the JV Basketball program.

Video and Text by Kyle Wehmhoff

Forward Ricky Ledo in a recent game against Brewster Academy.

There are eight games left in the regular Prep Basketball season to show everyone South Kent basketball is a championship team. Prep basketball is currently 11-4.

Kelvin Jefferson, head coach for the Prep basketball team at South Kent, is confident that the team will win this year’s are going to win a championship. The Prep Basketball team is always a huge competitor in its league. With Mr. Jefferson’s recruiting from around the world, he always finds the top players.

“So far, I am happy with my team. Everyone is coming together and playing well,” said according to Coach Jefferson.

Ricky Ledo is expected to be a NBA future draft player. He is a top player on the Prep basketball team. Ricky is a 6’6” forward from Providence, RI, who is a Sixth Former. He has committed to play next year at Providence College on a full scholarship.

Ricky said he has been playing basketball since he could walk. Ricky Ledo who is also confident that his team will win a championship.

“I think we’re going to go all the way this year and win the championship,” Ricky said.

Riley Kirsh, a Prep Basketball player from Madison, CT, who learned recently he will be out for the rest of the season because of an ACL tear said the team has really come together. Even though he knows he can’t play, he is more than confident that his team can do it.

“We’re going all the way this year. We’re going to win a championship,” he said.

Prep Basketball has been impressing those who follow NEPSAC Class A basketball all year. In December, ESPN College Basketball Recruiting commented on the Hoop Mountain Prep Classic at Marianapolis Prep School.

“The marquee matchup of the event saw Ledo’s South Kent squad against Tilton. In a game full of stars, Ledo was the best player on the floor,” ESPN’s Adam Finkelstein wrote. “After a slow start that included just one bucket in the first 15 minutes, Ledo rattled off 19 straight points to close the first half, giving South Kent a double-digit lead that it wouldn’t relinquish. When he gets into a rhythm there’s absolutely no stopping him and he proved it on Sunday. His once-inconsistent jumper is now a true weapon to match his dribble-drive attack, and when he’s a willing distributor he only makes himself that much more effective.”

South Kent headed to the National Prep School Invitational at Rhode Island College in Providence, RI, over Long Winter Weekend. On Feb. 2, SKS faced La Jolla Prep from California and on Feb. 3 the team played NIA Prep from New Jersey.

Video by Kevin Golden

Prep Hockey players Zach Carrano and Matt Swett are two of those who share their sports' lingo.

Kevin Golden interviews several SKS student-athletes about some of the words and phrases specific to their sport.

Video and Text by Jesse Schwartz

Tre Oliver slam dunks during an early season home game. Photo by LMW.

After the first games of the season, fans are looking for great things from the Prep Basketball team this year.

Mr. Kelvin Jefferson, the head coach, and the rest of the coaching staff have brought players to South Kent from all over the world. They spent the fall preparing and hosting college coaches for visits. The team’s current record after the Christmas break is 5-4.

Coach Jefferson teaches the players the mental aspect of work ethic.  Winning games comes from working harder than the other team.

“This team has a lot of depth at every position. We can play various lineups and still be very effective,” said Coach Jefferson.

Coach Jefferson has faith in his team for this upcoming season. After 17 years as a coach, his ability to recognize and build a talented team of players has been honed to a skill that spectators saw during the early home games in November.

Chris Thomas, a 6’5” PG out of Denver, CO, is one of the “all-stars” on his team this year.

“We expect to win. We’ve been working hard in practice,”  he said.

Chris appreciates Mr. Jefferson as a coach and how determined he is to win the championship this year.

“Mr. Jefferson is a good coach,” Chris said. “He’s a hard one, but focuses a lot on defense.”

Many of the players on the team recognize the coach’s talents.

“He’s not just a good coach on the court, but off the court as well. He wants you to go to class as well as be respectful to your teachers,” Chris said

Chris has received a lot of scholarship offers from many different NCAA DI basketball schools and hopes to play in the NBA someday.

Isaac Freeman is a 7’0” PG out of Virginia.  Isaac is the team’s go-to guy down low in the post for this upcoming season.

“We’ve been working hard. We started off in early September in the open gym. We did conditioning, as well as weight lifting,” Isaac said.  In practice, Isaac is a workhorse and when he’s on, no one brings him down.

“The team looks good. We just need to move the ball and get down the floor,” said Isaac, who is also known by his nickname Izzy. He believes this will be the year Prep Basketball will bring the championship home.

By Sean McVey Staff Reporter

Guard Ge'Lawn Guyn on the court. Photo by Leo Qixiang Fan

This could be the year. The Prep Basketball team has already established itself as one of the elite programs in the country, but yet it is still in need of a title. Could this be the year?

The team has established its great reputation with the help of its coach, Mr. Kelvin Jefferson.

Mr. Jefferson is a 1995 graduate of Southern Connecticut State University and a native of Norwalk, CT. He began his coaching career at Wesleyan University in 1995-96, then moved on to Salem State, under Head Coach Tom Brennan. After going through colleges such as Colgate, Stony Brook, and American University, he has a long coaching career along with great experiences that he brings to the team. He is a perfect fit for this elite Prep Basketball team.

Mr. Jefferson is the base of the program, but there’s much more needed to have a successful program than just a good coach.

He has recruited the top basketball players from all around the world, from Montenegro to Japan, along with many student athletes from many different states.

“I want to say we have three guys on this team that are top 100 players in the country” said Coach Jefferson.

Many of his former players are playing at many Division I colleges, such as St. John’s, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, and Louisville. He has done an outstanding job of putting kids into the best colleges for their success.

The team is now 11-6, with a loss to Hargrave Military school, which is one of the top ranked teams in the nation, and losses to MCI, Winchendon, Notre Dame, and NIA school.

“We play the toughest schedule in our league, so that will hopefully help us in the end,” Coach Jefferson said about the schedule.

“Everyday, we practice hard, going against real good players,” said Sixth Former Anthony Jernigan, a guard on the team.

So the Cardinals are still one of the most elite teams in the nation, and with this comes elite players.

Many players have already committed to top Division I colleges. Post Grad Ge’Lawn Guyn, at 6’2 and 175 pounds, who starts at guard for the team, is already committed to Cincinnati with the rest of the season to go. He is a big leader on the team and contributes big in every game.

Sixth Former Maurice Harkless, the starting 6’8-185 pound forward, has committed to St. John’s, a top Division I college. He has proved himself all season by grabbing multiple rebounds in each game, as well as putting in many points in the paint.

All other starters have Division I caliber skill and have all talked to Division I colleges. This all shows the talent of the Cardinals basketball team this year. So maybe it will be the year of a title.

By Danny Egan

Although this is one team on campus that is not practicing every day to win a New England Championship, the JV Basketball team is practicing to become better basketball players and team members.

The JV Basketball team is run by Head Coach John Funk and Assistant Coach Ben Cohon.

The JV team is run differently than some of the other teams on campus, like Prep Basketball, Prep Hockey, and Varsity Basketball.

Coach Funk has 25 players and picks a team of 10 to 12 players to go to each game. JV Basketball is more about students to be able to learn to play a team sport, rather than a competitive activity.

But the word has been spreading fast about how much fun the team is and Devin Garrison, a Fifth Former at South Kent, is one student who made that change this year from the Skiing and Snowboarding program to JV Basketball.

“I wanted to be part of a team and I heard great things about Mr. Funk,” said Devin.

A lot of the players on the JV team have never been part of a competitive team before. Also, a good percentage of the team consists of international students.

“The main focus of the team is to have fun,” said Coach Funk. Along  the way, the coaches teach the rules of the game and some skill aspects.”I like to show the players the options they have in certain situations, but I want them to be able to think for themselves and make their own decisions in game situations” said Coach Funk.

“JV Basketball is about working with a team we want to feel good as one after the game win or lose, I just ask the players to have the right attitude when they show up for the games.”