Chamberlain center a player to watch

Hillsborough County's basketball class of 2009 is likely to include a handful of Division I signees. The question is, can Chamberlain center Matt Kendrick be one of them?

"He has a lot of pluses," Chiefs coach Doug Aplin said.

Such as?

"He runs the floor well, he passes the ball well, he rebounds well," Aplin said. "He has a chance to be a real good player. He's getting better, but he still has a way to go."

The 6-foot-9 Kendrick averaged 11 points a game as a junior (his first season as a starter), but Aplin expects the player's numbers to rise this winter. Aplin doesn't believe skill is a major issue. In his opinion, Kendrick has plenty of that. He's also pleased with Kendrick's improved confidence.

The issue is strength. And that is the primary reason Kendrick, who has played well thus far in the county's summer league, has yet to receive any scholarship offers, Aplin said.

"He's not real heavy," Aplin said. "He needs to put on some weight. It's like I tell him, 'It's in your hands. How hard do you want to work?' You can't make them 6-9, so he has that going for him and a lot of skills. He's just got to get stronger. He's working hard. And he's working hard in the weightroom."

(Photo by James Branaman, Special to the Times)

--KEITH NIEBUHR