Archbishop Mitty has averaged one league loss in each of the past three seasons in West Catholic Athletic League play. As the current season passes the midway point, the Monarchs are maintaining that pace with a 8-1 WCAL record and 16-3 overall. A big reason for this season's success is the play of sophomore Ben Kone.
The 6-foot-8 and 240 pound power forward transferred from Salesian to Mitty during the summer due to his mother's work situation. Despite having to adjust to a new school and system, Kone has been averaging a double-double this season with 12 points, 12 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 3 blocks, and 2 steals.
Mitty Coach Tim Kennedy says this about his primary post player, "Ben's main strength right now is that he is a big, powerful forward who is a force on defense when he is active and a force on offense when he gets deep post position. He also averages double digit rebounds and we think he still has room to grow. Ben is also very coachable and continues to improve so that is one of his best attributes."
Originally, Kone was an avid snowboarder before he started playing organized basketball as a sixth grader. His height and size were evident advantages on the court. Last season as a freshman on a talented Salesian team, Kone was logging significant minutes off the bench. But on last season's Salesian team, it was a wake up call going from middle school to high school as he says, "In 9th grade I played varsity on a high level senior based team. It was difficult adjusting to the pace and the seniors especially were tough on me. It's easy to think you are great as an 8th grader, but try getting dunked on in practice every day by Jabari Bird or doing charge drills with Mario Dunn as a freshman. The hardest part was showing up every day for the punishment. A couple months in something just clicked inside me. I was going to make people think twice about stepping to me or trying to defend against me. I put in a lot of extra work outside of practice and I got better. It was tough, but getting through that time made me stronger mentally and physically."
During the past two summers, Kone has been playing for the Oakland Soldiers. In addition, he trains with Glen Graham, who was affiliated with the Salesian program and the Oakland Soldiers. Kone attributes to Graham for pushing him the hardest and taught him the most before coming to Mitty. The exposure has helped him garner attention that has led to one offer from New Mexico State (Assistant Coach Aerick Sanders).
Only a sophomore, Kone's college destination will largely be determined by how much he develops skill wise and also if he gets bigger and taller. When asked what his college trajectory is, Coach Kennedy says, "We're not big on labeling players, especially as a power forward or center. At the college level, we think he could play both positions but we want to make sure he's a basketball player and can be successful where ever he ends up. He has the size right now to be a power forward and even a center for smaller D1s."
Only 15 years old, Kone has yet to really explore and to narrow his college preferences. Kone says, "My mom and I are going to sit down with Coach Kennedy and my trainer over the summer to sort that out. Because I'm only a sophomore, she wants me to have a little more experience in different situations before we narrow things down."
Kennedy thinks Kone still has room to improve as he states, "We want to see him improve on all his skills during the next few years at Mitty. On defense, he needs to improve his on-ball as well as off-ball positioning. He needs to be able to chase wings or guards around screens because we want him prepared for all situations that can come up in basketball. His ball handling and shooting definitely need to improve and footwork is a constant area of focus. We want him to develop his wing skills to make him a well-rounded basketball player and confident in any situation."
For college coaches and recruiters who have yet to seen Kone play in person, Kone likens his game to another former Bay Area product, Leon Powe. The similarities are in their size and physical style of play in the post. In addition, Kone is focused on his craft and is coachable.
Mitty has been dominating enough the past few years to be able to reach the state title game. When asked what his individual and team goals are for his sophomore year, he mentions not about championships or the postseason. Rather, he says, "I want to bring as much to the team as possible from scoring and rebounding to supporting my teammates. For me it's about absolute dedication this year. Our goal as a team is to be a great team. By that I mean staying focused on the team and getting it done one possession at a time."
When the Super Bowl ends, the basketball season usually takes center stage as league play is wrapping up and the postseason commences. The Monarchs are looking to remain dominant in WCAL regular season play, WCAL postseason play, and CIF postseason play. With Kone in the lineup, Mitty looks to retain their throne in San Jose, Calif.
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