Memphis Picks Up UTEP Transfer Keonte Kennedy

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Memphis Tiger head men's basketball coach Penny Hardaway has inked Keonte Kennedy (G, 6-5, UTEP) for the upcoming 2022-23 season.

Kennedy, a redshirt-senior, joins fellow college basketball veterans Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu (F, 6-10, UT-Arlington), Emmanuel Akot (G, 6-8, Boise State), Kendric Davis (G, 6-0, SMU) and Elijah McCadden (G, 6-4, Georgia Southern University) as additions to the Memphis roster this offseason.

The quintet has combined for 441 games and 3,989 points at the Division I level entering the 2022-23 campaign.

"We are thrilled to add Keonte to our program," Hardaway said. "He brings toughness, great defensive instincts and shot-making ability to our roster to go along with his experience. Keonte can guard multiple positions and will provide steady leadership on that end of the floor, and his poise, feel for the game, versatility, work ethic and competitiveness are just some of the reasons why we know Tiger Nation will love watching him suit up. He is a perfect complement to the pieces we already have and will play an integral role for us this season."

Kennedy played the past two seasons at UTEP, where he averaged 14.1 points and 6.1 rebounds in 2021-22 and 8.6 points and 5.9 rebounds in 2020-21. He scored in double figures 15 times in 19 games a season ago, despite being limited due to injury, and he shot at least 50 percent from the floor in eight games. The Austin, Texas, native started all 24 games for the Miners in 2020-21, where he finished second on the team in rebounds per game and tied for third in scoring.

Prior to joining UTEP, Kennedy appeared in 22 games for Xavier in 2018-19. He redshirted the 2019-20 season due to NCAA transfer rules.

Kennedy starred at Westlake (Texas) High School in Austin, where he earned a four-star rating and was ranked as the No. 25 shooting guard in the nation. He averaged 14.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.5 steals per game as a senior in 2017-18 and earned first-team all-district accolades.

The Tigers finished the 2021-22 season with a 22-11 record and the program's first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2014. In four seasons at the helm, Hardaway has amassed an 85-43 record, four-straight 20-win seasons and the 2021 National Invitation Tournament championship in addition to the 2022 NCAA Tournament appearance.

Hardaway's 85 wins are second-most among 14 first-time NCAA Division I head coaches hired prior to the 2018-19 season and tied for third-most among Tiger head coaches in their first four seasons. In his tenure, Hardaway has mentored three first-round NBA Draft picks and four overall, three AAC Freshmen of the Year, five all-conference selections and five all-freshman honorees.

How to follow the Tigers: For complete information on Memphis Tiger Men's Basketball, visit www.GoTigersGo.com and follow the team's social media channels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

University of Memphis Athletics

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Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu

Kendric Davis

Keonte Kennedy

Elijah McCadden

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