St. Ambrose senior forward John Kerr’s future is full of options — in basketball.
That’s wasn’t always the case when Kerr was toiling away in relative obscurity playing for Grant in Fox Lake.
Grant coach Wayne Bosworth said Kerr had limited choices early in his senior season.
“John was one of the most under-recruited players I’ve seen in a long time,” Bosworth said.
The 6-foot-7, 210-pound Kerr is an overlooked player no longer.
He has been a mainstay in the Fighting Bees’ starting lineup since early in his freshman season. He’s averaged double digits in scoring each season.
Kerr averaged 12.3 points as a freshman, 15.1 points as a sophomore and 15.3 points as a junior. Through 13 games this season, he is averaging 17.8 points, 10.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists and has 10 blocks, 25 3-pointers and 34 free throws made in 43 attempts — all team highs.
Kerr credits his steady rise to his work ethic and belief in his game.
More Top Picks Sandpapers
“I’ve put in so much time and effort into this sport that it’s great to know that I’ve kept improving and seeing improvement on the court,” Kerr said. “It’s really exciting to see the heights that I can reach.”
As a do-it-all player for the NAIA program in Davenport, Iowa, Kerr can chose from a number of paths to continue his basketball career.
His first option is to stick with what’s familiar and play another season for St. Ambrose. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the NCAA granted all student-athletes an extra year of eligibility.
Or Kerr could put his name in the transfer portal and, like many once-overlooked players, get an opportunity to test himself against better competition on a daily basis.
Once he receives his degree this spring, Kerr also can look into playing overseas — an option that intrigues him.
Regardless, he said, he’s excited about his future.
“I’ve always thought about playing at a (higher) level, but I’m not looking to transfer,” Kerr said. “I’ll maybe play overseas after next season. I’ll get my year of eligibility back, play as a graduate (at St. Ambrose).
“But if someone offered me something, maybe it will be a different story, though I’m not looking to leave.”
St. Ambrose coach Ray Shovlain said consistency has been Kerr’s trademark.
“John is one of the best all-around players we’ve ever had,” Shovlain said. “He’s the definition of a versatile player. He can score inside, he can score outside, he rebounds, he plays defense. He’s the type of player every program wants. He’s just an exceptional player.”
Bosworth said he’s not surprised by Kerr’s remarkable steadiness in college. Kerr grew from 5-10 to 6-7 in high school and had to adjust.
“His work ethic is off the charts,” Bosworth said. “He wants to be coached hard. He wants coaches to get after him and push him, and wants to get better. When you put that talent, potential coaching ability and work ethic together, the sky is the limit.”
Kerr said he cherishes being a leader for the Fighting Bees and sees more layers of improvement left in his game.
He chose an unconventional route when he started playing AAU late in his high school career and continued to work with Full Package coaches Steve Pratt and Dmitry Pirshin after graduating from Grant. He credits them for his development in college.
“I didn’t have a lot of guard skills when I got to college and had to develop more ballhandling and better moves into a shot off a dribble,” he said. “I started working with Full Package over the past four years, and that’s really helped me, especially in the summers.
“The exciting thing is I think I have a lot more improving to do, especially on my guard skills. I’ve been mostly used as a stretch four right now. I feel I can develop more as a shooter, and once I get my ballhandling down and more guard work, I can definitely push it to the next level.”
Bob Narang is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.