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One of the top defenders in one of the top programs in New Jersey, sophomore Jack Kennedy of Ridgewood, is a takeaway defender who plays a physical, aggressive style.
It’s something defenders at Syracuse University have become known for through the years.
And that’s where Kennedy will play his college lacrosse. He became the Orange’s eighth sophomore commit from NY/NJ/CT last week in a verbal commitment first reported by Joe Lombardi on LaxLessons.com’s Lacrosse Insider premium coverage section.
The 6-foot-2, 190-pound Kennedy, a righty, is also adept at getting groundballs.
Now, here’s a Q&A with Jack on his commitment.
What were the main factors in your decision?
There were many reasons I chose Syracuse.
Main factors were the campus size, location, the coaching staff, the academics, and especially the academic support that Syracuse has to offer to their student athletes. Syracuse has so many great things to offer to their players and recruits, and made me feel very comfortable with my decision.
What other schools were you considering and what schools did you visit?
Rutgers, Richmond, Colgate, Army, Lehigh and Vermont.
Have you decided what academic major you plan to pursue?
Undecided.
What are your strengths as a player and how would you describe your style of play?
My strengths as a player is being able to get on the offensive player’s hands when he has the ball and putting a lot of pressure on him, and being very physical when I play defense, and scrappy for groundballs.
Also, I pick up groundballs smoothly and can push the ball in transition to also contribute to the teams offense.
What area of your game do you need to work on?
Obviously, there is always room for improvement. I need to be more decisive. When pushing the ball in transition I sometimes wait a little too long, and I think that if I work on being more decisive and quicker with my decisions when I get a ground ball or have it in transition I will make myself a better player.
How did you get introduced to lacrosse and what other sports have you played?
I have been playing lacrosse since third grade, first introduced to it by my older brothers Brett and Thomas, and my dad. I also play football and basketball.
What travel team do you play on what showcase events did you participate in?
I play on NJ Riot and MLC (Maroons Lacrosse Club-Ridgewood High School summer team).
Showcase events I attended were the Philly freshman showcase (standout writeup), Nike Blue Chip (standout writeup), Liberty Bell team tournament, Best of the Best team tournament, Sweetlax Invitational team tournament (all-star), MVP towson team tournament (all- star), Champ Champ team tournament, and UNC team camp tournament (all-star).
Any final thoughts and people you want to thank for helping you reach this point?
First off, I would like to thank my parents for being alongside me throughout my recruiting process, and for driving me all over the map for lacrosse events.
I would like to thank both of my brothers Brett and Thomas for always picking up a stick and practicing with me.
Finally, I would like to thank my high school coach (Mike Pounds), and my club coaches (Lee Southren, Pat Scarpello, and Jeff Pearson) for guiding throughout my recruiting process and helping me become the player that I am now.
Have a recruiting commitment to report? Send an email to info@laxlessons.com, contact Joe Lombardi directly at joe@laxlessons.com or send a Tweet to @Joe_Lombardi or @LaxLessons.
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Posted In: New Jersey lacrosse, Recruiting Rundown
