Brian Bales won’t be there, but the Franklin coach will surely be watching.
“I’m pretty emotionally invested in the games,” Bales said Wednesday night. “It’s been neat to think that this guy played at Franklin High School last year in the SWBL, and now he’s in the Sweet 16 and starting for Duke.”
Bales said he prefers to watch Duke games alone at his house, but he’s been going to the home of Franklin City Councilman Mike Aldridge — a childhood friend — to view the NCAA games. That’s where he’ll be Thursday night.
“It’s kind of surreal,” Bales said. “We were watching March Madness games at my friend’s house a year ago, and Luke and his family would go over and watch the games as well. Luke’s watching the games with us, eating pizza and having fun, and now we’re over there watching him play on TV. Pretty ironic.
“We get excited any time he does something good, and we all high five. We’re like that with Luke. We’re like that with Travis Lakins, who’s with the (Boston) Red Sox. It’s just neat to see guys you’ve coached going on and doing big things.”
The 6-foot-5, 180-pound Kennard has been an impact player from Day 1 in Durham, N.C.
His freshman path hasn’t been covered in roses, but he’s the third-leading scorer (11.8) and has started 10 games (including the last four) for the defending national champion Blue Devils (25-10). He also ranks in the national Top 10 in free-throw percentage (88.9).
Kennard is averaging 3.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 0.9 steals per game. He’s blocked five shots while shooting 41.8 percent from the field and 32.3 percent from 3-point range.
In addition, Kennard has only turned the ball over 28 times. He scored 30 points against Notre Dame on Jan. 16, marking the seventh time in Duke history that a freshman has reached the 30-point mark.
“I have such high expectations for him,” Bales said. “He’s a freshman, and he’s been through a roller-coaster season personally. But if you told me he was going to go to Duke and be in the Sweet 16 and be in the top three on their team in scoring, I probably would’ve said, ‘You know what? We’ll take that Year 1.’ ”
He’s watched every Duke game this season and was in Durham for four of them.
Bales said he can see a physical difference in Kennard compared to this time last year.
“He’s definitely stronger,” Bales said. “Of course we all try to do our best as a high school program, but down there, he has a professional strength coach. Luke constantly talks about the foods they want him to eat and the smoothies and the protein shakes. They’ve got everything you’d need there to be successful. He’s just gotten stronger and more explosive.
“Everybody wants to try to label him as a shooter. The thing I think that’s surprised people, even their staff, is how he’s been able to take guys off the dribble. That’s been his go-to of late.”
Bales is in contact with Kennard from time to time, mostly by text.
“I did talk to him last week,” Bales said. “He’s dreamed about being in the Sweet 16 or the Final Four since he was a kid, and now he’s getting ready to do it. He said even for him, it’s been kind of crazy.”
Bales said he spoke to a Cameron Indoor Stadium security guard and a Duke team manager during his time in Durham this season, and those conversations filled him with pride.
“Each player has a security guard that escorts them out of the building and to their car,” Bales said. “As I was standing there in the hallway waiting for Luke, the security guard said, ‘Are you family?’ I told him that I was his high school coach and very close with the family. He said, ‘I want to tell you something. I’ve been doing this for a long time. I’m retired, and this is what I do. Luke Kennard is one of the nicest guys that’s ever come through this school.’ He said it doesn’t matter if he doesn’t play well or it’s raining … he’s the one guy that after every game will go out and sign autographs until there’s nobody else left to sign for.
“I sat next to a team manager on a bus one day down there, and he said, ‘Luke’s the nicest guy. I’ve been around a lot of these players my last four years, and every time we do something for Luke, he’s the one guy that’s always going to say thank you.’
“Obviously hearing things like that make me very proud as a coach. That’s what we all know about Luke and why we all love him.”
Bales said even if Kennard’s first collegiate season ends in Anaheim, there are plenty of special moments in his future.
“I talk to their coaches quite often, especially (assistant) Jon Scheyer,” Bales said. “They think he’s going to be a star. He told me over the phone, ‘We didn’t bring him here to be a player. We brought him here to be a star.’ I think Luke’s on track to do that.”
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