Monrovia, Liberia – As Liberia made its historic comeback to international basketball since 2007, Rookie Simeon Kennedy was one of the bright young players going to Abidjan, Ivory Coast, in July 2024 to play for Liberia in the FIBA-Africa Zone 3 U-18 Championship.
While Simeon showed potential during the tournament, there were notable lapses observed by sports journalists closely following the team. He demonstrated his shooting ability, but was visibly slow on the court, a concern that reflected the general tempo of both Liberia’s male and female teams. At the time, Simeon was playing for second division club T.S Warriors.
Out of the five nations that participated, Liberia finished 3rd in the female competition, while the male finished 4th. In discussion with lessons learnt from the delegation members, one important conclusion was reached by almost every member of the team. Liberian basketball is played at a much slower tempo than it is elsewhere. They admitted that the experience in Abidjan will be used as a case study to enhance their play style.
In the future, Simeon has signed a contract with the NPA Pythons, the previous Liberian Basketball Association (LBA) League winners. It’s important to note that Simeon has significantly improved, as many of the players from that trip to Ivory Coast.
Simeon demonstrated that he had the skills of a first-division player during NPA’s most recent defeat to Mighty Barrolle, the reigning champions. He was the only NPA player to score in double figures, earning 18 points off the bench while shooting 4 of 8 from beyond the arc.
Simeon showed his development as a two-way player by fusing a strong defensive effort with shooting range in addition to his offensive prowess. He maintained that his outstanding play in NPA’s match against Spartacus, defeating Ferdinand Lokko, one of the Spartans’ most dangerous shooters. Lokko struggled as a result of Simeon’s defensive pressure, and NPA eventually won.
After the Spartacus guard had made four of seven three-point attempts in the first half, Simeon limited Lokko to just one shot attempt in the second half. Fairly speaking, international tournaments are important. Through, athletes may assess their abilities, pinpoint their shortcomings, and create fresh growth plans. The development of every participant who competed for Liberia in that historic U-18 tournament in Ivory Coast will be kept you informed.
Reported by: Sylvester Tamba
