At an open gym session back in September, everyone quickly feared the worst.
Kennedy Umeh, a girls’ basketball star at McDonogh School and one of the top prospects in the Class of 2024, landed awkwardly on her right knee and was down on the court in considerable pain.
“Obviously a gulp moment,” said McDonogh coach Brad Rees, who was present at the time. “When she first went down, I think everyone in the gym was like, ‘Oh no, she has torn her ACL. She is out for a year-plus, and she’ll never be the same.’ I think that’s the first thing that goes through, not only the player’s mind, but her coaches and teammates as well.”
The 6-foot-4 Umeh was able to walk off the court with some assistance and then took the next week off from any physical activity.
Having dealt with persistently creaky knees for most of her young life, Umeh believed she had lucked out and the injury was not all that serious. But a return to the court more than a week later and another awkward landing brought a fresh wave of pain and finally convinced Umeh it was time to see the doctor.
“I was very upset,” she said. “You can ask my parents. You can ask my coach. You can ask my team. … For the first couple of days, it felt like the end of the world.”
Still, Umeh managed to avoid the worst-case scenario. An MRI revealed a contusion on her right knee cap and bruises on the bones surrounding the knee.
After seeking a second opinion, she was told she could return to the court for McDonogh before the end of the calendar year, which she was relieved to hear.
Had the news been worse and she had been forced to miss most of the Eagles’ season as they attempt to defend their Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland championship, Umeh said “the pity party would have been a little bit bigger than it was.”
Umeh is one of the top 30 high school players nationally for 2024, according to recruiting services. She checks in at No. 27 in ESPN’s HoopGurlz recruiting rankings.
Last season, she averaged 10 points and seven rebounds and led McDonogh in steals, as the Eagles finished 22-4 on their way to the program’s fourth IAAM championship.
Umeh plays primarily around the basket as a post player but has worked hard to expand her offensive range away from the goal and is now comfortable shooting 3-pointers, according to Rees. Even so, she is at her best near the rim.
“She attacks the basket with a vigor,” he said. “I would certainly get out of the way if I saw her coming.”
Umeh has college offers from Maryland, Michigan, Princeton, North Carolina and Duke, among others. She said Stanford has not extended an offer yet but has shown a lot of interest in her.
In July, Umeh helped the U.S. win the gold medal at the FIBA Under-17 Women’s Basketball World Cup in Debrecen, Hungary.
Her injury might have resulted from wear and tear after all of the basketball that she has played in the last year.
“This is the first time she has ever been injured, really,” Rees said. “So, learning how to deal with this and rehab and not being on the court and kind of watching her teammates, all of this stuff has been a real invaluable lesson for her.”
To help pull her out of her initial funk, Rees told her, “Hey, this could have been a lot worse. Let’s focus on getting better and not dwell on the negative.”
Umeh was not on the court when McDonogh opened the season Dec. 1 with a 71-48 road loss to nationally ranked St. John’s in Washington, D.C. Nor did she play in the Eagles’ 64-48 home win against Benson Tech from Portland, Ore., two days later.
However, she had been working off to the side since October and was cleared to return to full practice on Dec. 5. She returned to action on Dec. 9 against St. Vincent Pallotti.
Umeh plans to wear a knee brace in her return in part to help her overcome the mental hurdles associated with a serious injury.
“I need to listen to my body more,” Umeh said. “I feel like my knee was giving me the warning signs. But I was just like, ‘Whatever.’ I thought I would be that one athlete where nothing bad ever happens. … The next time I feel even a twinge of pain, I am calling the trainer.”
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Brad Rees
Issue 278: December 2022 / January 2023
Originally published Dec. 21, 2022