Jelan Kendrick: Former Memphis, Ole Miss Guard to JUCO Level
Out of high school, Jelan Kendrick appeared ready to make an instant impact at the collegiate level.
However, things have not clicked for Kendrick who is now over two years removed from his days as a McDonald’s All-American.
Kendrick committed to Memphis out of high school, and was part of a very talented recruiting class that was brought in by head coach Josh Pastner. However, Kendrick struggled even prior to the start of the season, eventually leaving Memphis and opting to transfer.
Ole Miss became his next destination and as a freshman this past season, Kendrick averaged 5.1 points and 2.2 rebounds per game for head coach Andy Kennedy. Yet, the problems continued for Kendrick, including this unexpected occurrence back in early March. As the report indicates, Kendrick left the arena, in uniform and during warm-ups, only to return late in the first half. Kendrick did not move from the bench for the remainder of the contest, including during timeouts or time huddles.
This past June, Kendrick once again made the decision to transfer, and on Monday evening, CBSSports‘ Jeff Goodman tweeted that Kendrick was headed to Indian Hills Community College (IA).
Kendrick was considered a top-50 recruit by many coming out of high school in 2010, but things have not clicked for the 6-foot-7 guard. With overwhelming potential, Kendrick struggled to adapt at both Memphis and Ole Miss over the course of the past two years.
If Kendrick can straighten things out and get back on track with his collegiate career, time at the JUCO level could be perfect for Atlanta-native. Kendrick could certainly have the potential to be among the nation’s best junior college players, but once again that relies on his ability to focus and bring things to the forefront.
Only time will tell if Kendrick’s name will resurface in the years to come.
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