Chesterton’s Kenedi Bradley entered her freshman season with an open mind.
The 5-foot-7 point guard believed in her talent and preparation, but she wasn’t quite sure how her ability would translate.
“I really didn’t think about it like that,” Bradley said when asked about her expectations. “I’ve been playing for a long time, and I had a lot of people telling me I was going to do good. But I didn’t really know myself.”
It didn’t take long to learn. Bradley has made an immediate impact for the Trojans (8-7), averaging a team-high 9.8 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.2 steals entering a game against West Side on Wednesday.
She has impressed longtime Chesterton coach Jack Campbell.
“She’s done a great job for us,” he said. “She’s really skilled at handling the ball. Not only is she quick, but she’s lightning fast. She’s really going to be a good one.”
While Bradley might not have had preconceived notions about her first high school season, her performance hasn’t at all surprised Campbell.
“We knew she was going to be the point guard coming up,” he said. “Eighth grade, she played a little bit with us in the summertime. She hasn’t disappointed. We knew she was going to be a special kid.
“She really wants to be good, and she does everything she can to get better.”
Bradley began playing basketball in second grade and said she “fell in love with it” from the outset.
“One hundred percent,” she said.
She grew up playing against her cousins Kolton Cardenas, who graduated from Chesterton in 2019, and Karson Cardenas, who graduated from the school in 2021. Competing with her older relatives honed both her skills and her toughness.
Bradley said the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic, when she was in sixth grade, marked a turning point in her further development. She focused on her dribbling and shooting and made significant strides with her game.
“I put a lot of time in, and a lot of people helped me,” she said. “It was a lot of hard work.”
Bradley also trained with high school boys from around the Region — Crown Point, Merrillville, Portage — to really push herself.
“That helped tremendously,” she said. “It was a lot of fun too.”
Bradley, who said she has aspirations to play at a “big” college, has continued her upward trajectory.
“As a freshman, I’m doing pretty decent,” she said. “It’s gone pretty good so far.
“Coming in here with the girls on this team, it’s awesome. I love it. I love pressure. I know the team relies on me, and the coaching staff does too. I love it. It’s fun.”
Bradley is looking forward to the final month of the regular season and her first taste of the postseason with the Trojans.
“We’ve come a long way,” she said. “We’ve improved a lot as a team and become closer. That’s helped with our game. We’re very hardworking. We’ve been doing pretty good, and we can do even better with the games coming up.”
