By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
BEDFORD – Robbie Kent, the former Jennings County star who powered the Panthers to a regional championship in 1998 and wore an Indiana All-Star jersey later that year, missed a great opportunity when he named his son. Perhaps Mom had the final say. They all do.
Not that there’s anything wrong, a line Jerry Seinfeld made famous, with their choice. It’s just that Clark would have been perfect, because this second-generation Jennings kid is super. Carter Kent does it all for the Panthers.
Leading scorer? Check. Leading rebounder? Double check. Leader in assists? Triple check. There’s no cape on his uniform, there’s no hiding behind a secret identity. Everyone knows who he is by now, and Bedford North Lawrence will definitely have him locked on the radar when Jennings visits BNL Fieldhouse on Saturday night.
The Panthers count on Kent, a constant triple-double threat, and his basketball superpowers. He’s averaging 23.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 6.4 assists as Jennings (7-5, 1-0 in the Hoosier Hills Conference) comes off an extended layoff to battle the Stars (5-4, 0-1).
“They have one of the more dynamic players in our conference,” BNL coach Kurt Godlevske said. “He’s a tremendous passer and puts his teammates in really good positions. He’s tremendous at reading and forcing defenses into what he’s looking for.”
When Kent made his first appearance, he was a one-trick Panther. He could launch from long range. Keegan Manowitz was the floor general who guided Jennings to a sectional title (at BNL’s expense) in 2023. All Kent had to do was catch and shoot. Now he’s required to do much more.
“Everybody wants to look as his scoring average and his shooting, but he’s our leading rebounder and assist guy,” first-year JC coach Michael McBride said. “What we’re getting through to him is his need to impact the game in other ways than being a pull-up shooter. He sees the floor better than almost any kid I’ve ever coached. His basketball savvy is off the charts.”
McBride, who guided Eastern Pekin to the Class 2A girls state championship in 2017, moved to Jennings after a stint as an assistant with the New Albany girls program. He’s the third coach in three years, which often includes an adjustment period amid unsettling changes and transition. And he took over late in June, a key time for summer team camps and bonding.
“Rob Kent and Josh Land (the other former coach) have been phenomenal with me, giving me the guidance, answering questions, offering their knowledge and experience,” McBride said. “That has made it really easy for me.
“It’s been a welcome change, to get back on the boys side again. Not that I didn’t enjoy coaching the girls, but I missed the camaraderie you have with the guys as a coach, from the standpoint of building relationships. Our guys have been phenomenal of being receptive to the newness of everything, the changes they have gone through. They have made it easy for me. They’re a passionate group that’s highly competitive.“
Jennings has had the entire week to prepare for BNL, but that edge came with a caveat. Jennings missed more than a week of practice following the winter storm. The Panthers almost had to start over a second time.
“It was like a mini-camp, refreshing their minds,” McBride said.
BNL went through a similar idle period, but the Stars shook off any rust with two games (a victory at Martinsville and Friday night’s county clash with Mitchell). This will finish BNL’s NBA-style week of three games in four days.
“We built our break into a positive thing,” Godlevske said. “They will be fresh, and they’ve had a week to prepare. We’ll have to be very solid in what we do on both ends.”
McBride got a first-hand look at BNL’s return from ‘vacation’ at Martinsville. The Stars were ultra-impressive that night as Patric Matson scored 26 points while Logan Miracle exploded for a career-high 26. Matson is averaging 21.0, Miracle is totaling 10.7, and Quincy Pickett is contributing 9.3.
“Matson is a great player,” McBride said. “I had the chance to watch him last year at New Albany (when he blasted the Bulldogs for a career-high 39), and he had an awesome game. So we’re very familiar with him and his ability to shoot. Other guys that stand out are Pickett and (Dax) Short on the perimeter, and Miracle is a guy inside who we definitely have to focus on. He has solid post play.”
BNL won last year’s game 58-57. Matson had 23 points, including five treys. Kent totaled 24 for Jennings.
JENNINGS COUNTY at BNL
When: Saturday, 7:30 p.m.
Records: Jennings County 7-5, 1-0 in HHC; BNL 5-4 (vs Mitchell on Friday), 0-1 in HHC
Sagarin ratings: Jennings County 72.55; BNL 79.20
Series: BNL leads 42-24
Last meeting: Last year at Jennings, the Stars fought off the Panthers 58-57. Patric Matson scored 23 points and Trace Rynders added 11 for BNL. Carter Kent had 24 points and Cole Sigler totaled 12 for Jennings.
Previous game story: Streaking Stars have the last word
Game notes: First-year Jennings coach Michael McBride guided the Eastern Pekin girls to a Class 2A state title in 2017. He also worked as an assistant coach with the New Albany girls program and guided the Borden boys from 2002-06.
Starting lineups
Bedford NL Stars
F – Dax Short 6-1 Jr.
F – Isaiah Sasser 6-2 Sr.
C – Logan Miracle 6-5 Sr.
G – Patric Matson 6-5 Sr.
G – Quincy Pickett 6-3 Sr.
Jennings County Panthers
F – Omar Gonzalez 6-2 Jr.
F – Luke Alexander 6-2 Jr.
G – Carter Kent 6-1 Sr.
G – Jeremiah Davis 6-0 Jr.
G – Logan Napier 5-10 Sr.
