No bench for Kench
Canterbury Rams’ stalwart Jeremy Kench hasn’t contemplated retirement despite the most frustrating season of his basketball career.
The 31-year-old point guard has looked a shadow of his former self after aggravating an old injury to his right knee in the second game of the National Basketball League season. He is in his 12th year in the NBL and with 193 career games under his belt, is poised to join the 200-club if he returns in 2016.
The Rams conclude a disappointing NBL campaign when they take on the defending champion Wellington Saints at Cowles Stadium on Friday night and Kench is unsure of his plans for next season.
‘‘I haven’t really given it a lot of thought. I want to finish the season and see how things go from there, really,’’ Kench said. ‘‘[200 NBL games] that would be a nice thing to do, but that will be a wait and see thing next year, I guess.’’
Kench is a proud basketballer and after the season he and the Rams have had, you’d imagine he’d like to finish on his own terms. The former Middleton Grange standout has spent the majority of his career with the Rams, playing 137 games in the red singlet.
Over the past decade he has been the most successful basketballer out of Canterbury, playing internationally for the Tall Blacks. This year’s Rams squad was probably the most talented since Kench debuted for the team in 2003 but has failed to deliver on potential.
With former NBA players Mickell Gladness and Jermaine Taylor in their ranks – and a solid support cast in Kench, Ethan Rusbatch, Richie Edwards, Marques Whippy, and Sam Timmins – the Rams had more than enough quality.
‘‘I think we had the squad to probably make the playoffs this year and things haven’t panned out as we would have wanted,’’ Kench said. ‘‘If you’re going to be a playoff team, you’ve got to compete every game and there’s been a few times where we haven’t been ready to go.’’
Kench has soldiered on through his injury and could have easily sat out after the midway point of the season. There was no new damage to the knee, but it could not be repaired surgically, he said.
‘‘It’s probably going to be a matter of rest. That would help the swelling go down and hopefully, the pain goes away.’’
He has appeared in all of the Rams’ 17 games, but his dodgy knee has restricted him to just 22 minutes per contest. He is averaging 5.7 points [34 per cent shooting] and 3.9 assists per game, well down on what he has done in previous seasons.
The swelling has heavily restricted his play. The usually-aggressive Kench has found it difficult to drive to the basket and said his athleticism and range of movement has been hampered. He didn’t have a lot of jumping ability in his right leg either.
‘‘I haven’t really had anything like it before. It’s been very niggly the whole year and it hasn’t gone away.
‘‘It’s something I haven’t been able to get right, which is the most frustrating thing for me and has affected my performance out on court.’’
Kench has always been a teamfirst player and never wanted to let his team-mates down. ‘‘I thought there’s always a way I can contribute to the team and if I can do anything to help the team, I would play.’’
Tipoff is at 7pm. Canterbury’s brightest young basketballers will feature in the curtain-raiser at 4.30pm in a high school All Star game.