Prospect Spotlight: Kendall Nead (2020)

One of the fastest rising players in the state is Johnston's Kendall Nead. The 5'11 senior to-be was a big factor last season for the state tournament qualifiers and this upcoming season could be one for the ages. There is a ton of talent on this roster and this upcoming year Johnston could be one of the favorites to take home the title. With Maya McDermott (Northern Iowa) and Maddie Mock (South Dakota State) still on the roster along with Nead it will be a talented group. There have also been other underclassmen take huge steps forward already this spring. Falling short of a state championship is one thing, but the positivity that Nead shows about the people around her and the talent they have tells you a lot about her character. "I had an incredible team and they are extremely talented," Nead said. "We hoped as a group to go farther but we accomplished a lot and will come back stronger and hungrier. As for the personal side of things I had my ups and downs as any athlete would but at the end of the day I put my head down and worked to get better. I worked out with different people and tried to learn new moves throughout the season. My overall goal is to always get better, and I think I’ve done that each season. But I’m really lucky to have the coaching staff and teammates that I have; they make me better every day." Nead scored 10.8 points a game last season and with the graduation of Regan Nesheim (South Dakota State) she should see a little bit of an uptick in that scoring. In fact, I would not be surprised to see her push that scoring load up close to 17 points a game. She has been working on her game this summer and improved shooting is really going to open up her game. She's a tough player with great basketball IQ and Nead is working as hard as anyone in the state on her game this offseason. With all the work Nead is doing within her game, she's going to come out next season a much stronger player. Currently she is working on her leadership, ball-handling, and developing the ability to score at all three levels. As previously mentioned, if Nead can get her perimeter shooting percentage up to around 35 percent she will really take off offensively. Having the ability to shoot the ball would open up the drive. With Nead's finishing and playmaking ability, that would make her very dangerous. This summer she is running with Beyond Ball 24K and they have a few games under their belt. Nead expresses that she enjoys the team and is surrounded by great athletes and hard workers. As outsiders have noticed, Nead also points out that they have a high ceiling and will be getting better as the season goes on. Nead is a gym rat and you can expect that she is going to be in the gym a lot this summer working on her game. Nead recently pulled in her first D1 offer from UMKC but she isn't looking to rush the process. There is a lot of time left to figure out what will fit her the best. With her continued play, Nead could soon be looking at more offers coming her way as well. "I’m just striving to find the right fit," Nead said. "I am extremely excited and very thankful to UMKC and their coaching staff. I’m looking forward to getting to know them as well as other great coaching staffs. I believe God will tell me where I need to be when the time is right, he’s gotten me this far." Nead is a player on the rise in the state and the upcoming rankings at the end of the month with reflect that. You can count on Nead to perform on the court, but off the court she's even better. This summer and upcoming high school season will be a reflection of her dedication to her game and her teammates and you can't help but root for her. Nead the basketaball player is fun to watch, but Nead the person is even better.