NORTH ANDOVER – Walking onto Hammel Court at Merrimack College, you can’t help but notice Kevair Kennedy.
His energy. Really, his contagious energy.
Sporting a big smile on his face the entirety of each two-hour summer practice, Kennedy hasn’t even started the fall semester yet, but he’s already opening eyes.
Speaking of eyes, he is eyeing a career at Merrimack in which he not only replaces another Philadelphia point guard great, but surpasses him.
“Budd (Clark) did some outstanding things,” said Kennedy, “But I look to go past that, I look to do bigger things, just as the competitor in me.”
Kennedy and Clark know each other quite well. With both growing up in Philadelphia, and attending rival high schools, the 6-foot playmaker spoke highly regarding the two years he saw of Clark at Merrimack, before transferring to Seton Hall.
Both Kennedy and Clark led their high school teams to state titles in Pennsylvania.
“He ran full of energy here at Merrimack, and he got his teammates playing hard,” said Kennedy. “That’s what I envision for this team.”
The biggest difference between the two Philly natives may be the pressure. When “Budd” arrived on campus, he played alongside veterans such as Jordan Derkack and Jordan McKoy, who were already “The guys.”
For Kennedy, it’s wildly different. Merrimack only returns five players from its 2024-25 team, with the guard immediately slotted in to make a significant impact at the point.
It wouldn’t be a shock to see him leading the team in multiple categories.
Malik Edmead, who has been with the Warriors for five years, is one of the few returnees and thinks the sky is the limit for Kennedy’s potential.
“There is no ceiling for what Kev can do here,” said Edmead. “If he wants to come out and be one of the best players in Merrimack history, he can do that.”
Merrimack head coach Joe Gallo concurs.
“(He) is arguably the best freshman in the MAAC,” noting his “motor” is beyond normal.
“Kevair is battle-tested, he comes from a high school that only wins,” said Gallo. “There was a day last week that he just took the gym over with his energy and his effort. I grabbed one of my assistants and said there’s a reason why this guy won a state title.”
Clark won a state title, too, before leaving after his sophomore year to become a member of the Big East’s Seton Hall University.
One of Clark’s best traits, beyond his ability to score, pass and run the offense, was his consistency. That’s what Gallo is looking for out of Kennedy.
“The biggest thing for him is doing that every day, and that’s the hard part when you’re a young guy,” said Gallo. “He has a gear that he can get to, that most freshmen can’t.”
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