By JACOB POLACHECK
After a 22-3 record during the 2019-20 season, Sunrise Christian Academy enters the 2020-21 high school season as one of the nation’s top high school programs, as they had four seniors sign with Division 1 schools on Saturday.
Class of 2021 prospects Zachary Clemence (Kansas), Kennedy Chandler (Tennessee), Kendall Brown (Baylor) and Kenny Pohto signed their National Letters of Intent Saturday with their respective schools in a ceremony at Sunrise Christian.
Clemence, the 6-foot-9, 210-pound power forward from San Antonio, TX, was the first Sunrise player to make it official on Saturday when he signed his NLI with Kansas.
“This day is everything,” Clemence said. “It’s everything I’ve wanted. All the work I’ve put in leads up to this point.”
Ranked by 247Sports.com as the No. 16 power forward and No. 60 overall prospect in the Class of 2021, Clemence broke down the factors in choosing Kansas:
“I just thought it was the right fit for me,” he said. “Through conversations with coaches, seeing the campus, seeing how they play just fit me.”
Chandler, the 6-foot-1, 165-pound point guard from Memphis, TN, was the next player to make it official when he signed his NLI with Tennessee.
“This is a special day for me for me to officially sign and be a Vol,” Chandler said. “A future of mine, goal of mine [has been] to go and play college basketball.”
Ranked by 247Sports.com as the No. 2 point guard and No. 18 overall player in the Class of 2021, Chandler committed to the Vols in August.
“Tennessee, ever since they offered me, coach Kim English and Rick Barnes have recruited me real hard,” he said. “Ever since I took that visit there, it just felt like home, to be able to play in my state. It’s the right fit for me and they’ll put me in good hands.”
Brown, the 6-foot-8, 205-pound small forward from Cottage Grove, MN, was next to sign his NLI when he signed with Baylor.
“Just grinding since I was a youngin’, this was the goal since day one” Brown said. “My family pushed me, the early mornings, the long nights, it just means everything because this is the moment that me and my family have been working for my whole life.”
Ranked by 247Sports.com as the No. 4 small forward and No. 11 overall prospect in the Class of 2021, Brown committed to Baylor in July.
“I had a great relationship with the coaching staff,” Brown said. “We just really connected and it felt like this was the best fit for me to go and succeed and go to the next level. I just felt like they were going to push me the most and give me the best opportunity to succeed.”
Pohto, the 6-foot-11, 240-pound center from Stockholm, Sweden, was the fourth and final Sunrise Christian player to sign his NLI Saturday when he signed with Minnesota.
“I’m excited,” he said. “It’s been a long three years. I came here, not knowing much about the place. I wasn’t even thinking about college, but now, I’m so excited about going to college.”
Ranked by 247Sports.com as the No. 24 center and No. 142 overall prospect in the Class of 2021, Pohto committed to Minnesota on Oct. 10.
“Just the way coach [Richard] Pitino uses his bigs, I like his system,” he said. “I’ve established a great connection with coach [Kyle] Lindsted because he’s been here coaching. I’ve met him a few times too.”
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