Basketball Season Preview Interview with Coach Kenneth Kelly

For the past 7 years, the Miramar Boys Basketball team, led by Coach Kenneth Kelly, has raised the bar on their performance. They have won their district, regular season and tournament, for the past 6 years. With a strong team returning they look to continue their success and strive for the ultimate goal: A State Championship.

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Coach Kelly to discuss his philosophy on basketball, thoughts on the players, and the outlook for the upcoming season. Here’s the interview:

Miramar Sports (MS): Coach, thanks for taking the time to sit down with me today.

Coach Kelly (Kelly): No problem.

MS: First of all, you’ve been very successful in your time here at Miramar. How have you built this program over the past 7 years?

Kelly: Mainly just trying to get quality student athletes. We can teach them how to play basketball, but we want kids who are willing to learn, willing to work, and do all the things that it takes to be successful.

MS: As the new season approaches, how are you feeling about this year’s team?

Kelly: Excited. Excited because we’re so young [only 1 senior], but possibly more talented across the board than we’ve been in my 7 years as the Coach here.

MS: Which players do you feel will be the leaders of this team?

Kelly: Our lone senior [Cornelius Henry] is definitely taking on leadership role, and 2 returning guys who saw quality minutes in Lance Tejada II and Zach Johnson

MS: What is your philosophy on offense? How have you adapted that with the team that you have 

this year?

Kelly: Just… we’re very good at the guard position. We try to play at a tempo offensively that gets us easy, quick shots before defense gets a chance to set up. We shoot the ball pretty well, and try to get the best available shot, and make the most out of every possession that we have.

MS: What is your preferred style of defense?

Kelly: We try to be very disruptive, because the speed we try to play at on offense is kinda created because of the pressure defensively. We pressure the ball the entire length of the court, pretty much the whole game. With a good rotation of guards, we can keep that pressure all the time.

MS: You’ve graduated big time players the last 2 years, especially Xavier Martin and Luis Dinolis. Who on the team do you expect to fill the void of scoring and leadership in the absence of those players?

Kelly: I think this year scoring is going to be more leveled out across the board. The 2 sophomores are really, REALLY talented, and can put the ball in the basket, so I wouldn’t be surprised if one of them takes on the lead scoring role. But, it should be more balanced than it has been in the previous years.

MS: Who are some new faces that we can look forward to seeing play a big role this year?

Kelly: Junior Peterson Morency is up from JV last year. He’s a super fast point guard, very disruptive defensively and makes plays on offense. Another player is Junior Wolky Guerrier. He’s a high energy, athletic forward. Another one to watch is Freshman Sandro Noel. He’s a 6’6’’ big fella with skills on the inside.

MS: This summer, Zach Johnson played in an all-star camp event, and scored against NBA All-Star John Wall. How has that experience helped his development, and what do you think we can expect from him this season?

Kelly: He now knows he has the ability, from the big summer he had, to play with kids that are considered nationally as the better kids in the country. And taking that experience, and bringing it back here to the team, he’s now willing to take on the leadership role both offensively and defensively to take the team, hopefully, a little further than we went last year.

MS: Lance Tejada II also participated in some invitational camps. What can you say about his play, and development at the point guard position?

Kelly: He’s the ultimate team leader on the floor. He’s never concerned with his shot first, he’s always looking for teammates. And the confidence that he’s gained over the summer has added more scoring ability to his game than he had last year as a freshman starting for a good basketball team.

MS: We've already touched on this one, but Cornelius Henry is the only senior you have this year. How has he embraced his role as the upperclassman on this team?

Kelly: He’s jumped in fully. He teaches these young kids how hard they gotta work, to push each other in practice every day. He keeps everyone in line and organized, and ready to move into every part of practice, every drill. And he hasn’t put too much pressure on himself.  He believes in the younger guys and their ability to help him, and this team, win.

MS: This year you’re in a new district this year. What can you tell me about the teams in the district?

Kelly: Cypress Bay is usually tough every year. West Broward made the BCAA Big 8 County Championship Tournament last year, so that’s a team that’s proven they can win in the short time they’ve existed. Flanagan is always a team with talent that’s there in the end. And of course, we bring our city rivalry back in Everglades, and playing them twice a year.

MS: Cypress Bay is the defending champion of this district, and Miramar won our old district 6 years in a row. What are your thoughts on matching these 2 teams against each other in the Regular Season opener (November 29^th at Cypress Bay)?

Kelly: *Laughs* Yeah, that was interesting seeing that when the schedule came out. It's the best way to measure where you’re at. Find things you may have to work on and get better right away. And it’s an opportunity find out where the other teams are by starting out against one of the better teams in the district.

MS: Every coach has to have good assistants to be successful.  What can you tell me about the your Assistant Coaches: Lance Tejada Sr. and Warren Gale?

Kelly: Yes, very true. Lance Tejada Sr [father of starting point guard Lance Tejada II] has coached at the collegiate level, has coached at the High School level, has coached at the AAU level, and has been a winner everywhere he’s been. I’ve known him for over 20 years, and he’s GREAT at getting kids to believe that they can be better, and work harder.

Coach [Warren] Gale is a 2001 graduate from Miramar High School and played basketball at FIU. He brings a true passion to want to see Miramar Basketball succeed because of the special connection that he has with the school, being an alumni.

MS: With you and the other coaches, what is the main thing that you’re looking to instill into the players early on in this season?

Kelly: With the team being so young, we’re just trying to get across to them to be able to trrust each other. They’re individually talented enough to sometimes think that they can go out there and do it all themselves. But we’re trying to get across to all 12 them that we’re going to be a better team by believing in each others’ abilities to help us win basketball games.

MS: Last question Coach: as we sit here today, before the season starts, tell me what you would say would classify as a successful season for this team?

Kelly: We’ve been lucky enough to never have taken a step back, and have progressed further in the playoffs each of the last 5 years. To be successful this year, we want to continue to keep moving on, and take every year a step further than the year previous. Now, that does mean we have to make it to the state finals, but that’s our goal. That's where we want to be.

MS: That’s it coach. Thanks for your time, and best of luck this season.

Kelly: Perfect. Thank you.