Kee boys basketball team posts 7-16 record under first-year head coach

The Kee boys basketball team pieced together a 7-16 overall season record under first-year head coach Patrick Sullivan, showing undeniable improvement over the course of the season evident in the difference in the Hawks’ win-loss record as the season progressed. That overall mark included an effort of 5-10 that placed the Kee basketballers in eighth place in the 11-team final Upper Iowa Conference standings.
Telling the tale of this season’s improvement is the fact that the Hawks posted just two wins within their first 13 games of the season before turning those tables a bit to post five victories in their final 10 games of the year. Of those five final victories, three came in Kee’s final five contests of the year, including their only back-to-back wins of this winter campaign to both end the regular season and begin postseason tournament play - both of which Coach Sullivan featured as season highlights for his squad.
“Winning seven games, and beating Coulee Christian, because nobody expected us to,” the first-year Hawk helmsman explained of those highlights, including that final regular season win that he described even further. “(Junior) Tyler Reinhart hitting back-to-back threes and Danny Brennan making one three to give us a 9-0 run and the lead vs. Coulee Christian. Winning our first-round tournament game. Danny Brennan scoring 41 points vs. Central Elkader. Clayton Eubanks making his first three-point shot.”
“In order to further improve, we need to have a good off-season with kids in the gym improving their games,” Coach Sullivan said of his team’s future outlook.
Of this season’s seven wins, three of them came in a season-long sweep of fellow Upper Iowa Conference squad Starmont, including the Hawks’ first-round district tournament victory. Kee’s season was ultimately brought to an end in the second round of Class 1A district tournament play by a Jesup team that was among the Class 1A elite, qualifying for this season’s State Tournament field. It was teams of that higher-end caliber that proved to give the Hawks the most difficulty throughout the season, according to Coach Sullivan.
“Competing against the top opponents,” he said when asked what this season’s greatest challenges were. “Most games vs. the top teams we lost by 30-40 points. Again, we need to have a good off-season of work to challenge and compete with the top teams in the conference/area.”
This year’s squad featured the veteran leadership of a trio of seniors, each bringing their own specialty to the hardcourt. Logan Flack, Ethan Walleser and Nate Wood each played their final games in a Kee basketball uniform with completion of this winter season.
“They were a great group of kids and fun to work with,” Coach Sullivan offered. “Nate Wood was our three-point specialist. Logan Flack was our do-everything kid who could play guard or forward. Ethan Walleser was a pass first type of point guard. All three will be missed for what they brought to the team, both athletically and from a team standpoint.”
While veteran leadership came from that senior trio, a number of underclassmen accounted for the leadership in this season’s final statistics, some of that in near-record fashion. The previously mentioned 41 points scored by Brennan came in the Hawks’ season-opening victory over Central Elkader at home, getting his season off on a strong note to a team-high 442 total points and a 19.2 points per game scoring average for the season, with all three of those scoring numbers ranking second all-time in the Kee boys basketball record books. Brennan also topped the Kee boys basketball standard for free throws both made and attempted in a single game with his 19-for-24 effort at the charity stripe in that season-opening 41-point result he posted against Central Elkader.
In addition to his scoring prowess, Brennan also led the Hawks from his point guard position with 46 assists and 43 steals. His scoring leadership included additional team highs of a 78.6% free throw shooting efficiency, 110 made free throws and 30 made three-point field goals, with Wood finishing just behind Brennan with 26 converted three-point blasts. Sophomore Eric Rud provided the Hawks with a strong inside presence with his team-high totals of 120 rebounds and 37 blocked shots.
For their efforts this season, three Hawks were named to this season’s Upper Iowa Conference All-Conference teams. Brennan was a First Team selection, while both Rud and Wood received Honorable Mention. Brennan’s 442 points was just a single point off the Upper Iowa Conference scoring lead this season, with his 110 free throws topping all Upper Iowa Conference players this season by more than 20 made freebies.
A vast majority of this season’s statistical leadership is slated to return next season, setting a foundation for further improvement. But Coach Sullivan knows that high returning numbers alone doesn’t guarantee success. “We need to improve our fundamentals, primarily our shooting and dribbling,” Coach Sullivan said in looking to the future of the Kee program.