There are not many high school basketball prospects walking around that look like PHH Prep's superstar 6-foot-7 lengthy and talented junior post Kennedy Basham. One of the top overall prospects in America's 2022 Class, Basham is being recruited by just about everyone in the country. She is hearing making her college decision and is having some serious fun in the process. The gifted young lady is more than a basketball player though, and is changing the game in her own way - providing a different look into young lady basketball players for the country.
Basham is coming off another excellent season in her junior year, as she led the PHH Prep program to the first ever National Championship for girls basketball on the prestigious Grind Session. In the process, Basham left Pinnacle High School during the COVID-stricken season (2021), so she could play her junior season, at a time when AIA member schools were not playing. She would team up with a very loaded ball club at PHH Prep, many of them previous club teammates with Basham. The program would run through their competition, and help to take girl's basketball to completely another level last season. The championship game for the Grind Session National Championship, was electric and attended by one of the best and largest crowds we have ever seen at a girls high school basketball game.
Basham is completely different than any girl's high school basketball prospect you will find. First of all, she is 6-foot-7 in height, which is very rare nationally. She runs the court like a guard prospect - fluid and agile. She moves like a guard and has a very long, thin frame that will fill in over time. She is also physically built like a runway model, and enjoys the profession. Basham can be seen posing in fine fashion on her Instagram account in many different ways, suggesting she has a serious future in modeling during and after her playing career - over time. Basham has an excellent smile and personality, and has a gift that should improve the perception and image of women basketball players, as more than just athletes, also over time. Basham's impact on women's basketball over time could lead this young lady to stardom throughout her basketball career, and she is becoming a change agent amongst her peers.
Basham is one of the top recruited prospects in America's 2022 Class, and is coming off a recruiting visit to the University of Oregon. While on the visit, Basham modeled numerous Oregon uniforms on social media in impressive fashion - giving the impression that she could be leaning towards Oregon in her commitment. Basham looks to be still wide open in her college recruitment, and looking to schedule more recruiting visits. She could also pull the trigger with Oregon, and join fellow Arizona star rising senior guard Jennah Isai of Valley Vista High School, who recently ended her college recruitment, and chose the University of Oregon. Isai and Basham together at Oregon would make for a monumental recruiting class for the Oregon women's basketball program, as both prospects are rated among the Top 30 nationally in America's 2022 Class by ESPN.
Basham currently possesses offers from a large number of college programs that also includes UCLA, Washington, Colorado, Kansas, Pennsylvania, Georgetown, Loyola Marymount, Utah and Vanderbilt, among others. Everyone nationally in the women's basketball community will be watching closely to see where Basham ultimately lands, since her presence in a program could change the culture and make a college program very successful. Basham is a game changer for many college programs.
Basham is a rare find nationally, not just locally, as she is a long, rangy post prospect with very good low-post footwork and an advanced overall feel for the game. She has excellent low post footwork for her young age already, and a nice jump hook that is very difficult to defend. She is patient in the low post and makes strong offensive moves in the paint, or looks for cutters and the open player on the floor for her team - making her team's offense very efficient as a result. She also has a soft touch from the perimeter, and has a nice ability to make shots from mid-range, or step out even further if needed. She will really develop this aspect of her game over the next two years of high school.
Basham is an amazing defender, as she is among the elite shot-blockers in America, and blocks or alters almost every shot in or even outside of her area. She has excellent timing as a shot-blocker and rarely leaves her feet to block shots. She is an imposing force in the middle of the paint, and makes it very difficult for opposing low-post players to be successful around the basket area. After she blocks shots, she keeps the ball in play and advances the basketball to her teammates for fast-break opportunities, while being able to push the basketball herself when needed and finish strong on the other end. Basham runs the floor like a guard and runs the floor hard. Also an active rebounder that rebounds outside of her area. Basham is terrific on both ends of the floor, and simply changes the game for her team and, of course, her opponents.
Basham is the younger sister of Sunnyslope High School's talented 6-foot-11 senior post Carson Basham (Pepperdine signee). The Basham basketball family is tremendous and quickly has helped take the state's recruitment of basketball prospects to another level. Carson is also one of the nation's top post prospects, and held a long list of scholarship offers for himself, before deciding to end his college recruitment early - giving a verbal pledge to Pepperdine University.
Our staff will be watching Basham's continued recruitment closely, and will look forward to bringing you updates as they continue to develop. Basham has a very bright future ahead of her. She is exactly what the statement says, "Be Better, Be Different." I look for Basham to help benefit the game in many ways over time - a future superstar.
