Memphis transfer commits to Cal

Former Memphis guard Keonte Kennedy committed to the California Golden Bears, according to a Tuesday tweet from CBS Sports Insider Jon Rothstein.

A former three-star recruit out of Austin, Texas, Kennedy initially committed to the Xavier Musketeers over offers from Memphis, SMU, Air Force, Baylor, Georgia Tech, Oregon and Nebraska, among others, according to 247Sports. He joined a 2018 Musketeers recruiting class that ranked 66th in the country and featured one other enrollee in forward Dontarius James.

Kennedy played for one season with Xavier before playing for two years at UTEP, where he played in 43 games and started in 40. He transferred to Memphis in 2022, joining four other players as veteran additions to the Memphis roster. 

The 6-foot-5-inch guard played in 25 games and started in 12 for the Tigers, averaging 9.2 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 23 minutes played per game. He scored a season-high 19 points and grabbed five rebounds in a 99-81 win over the South Florida Bulls in February, hitting seven of his 13 shot attempts and three of his five tries from the three-point line.

Cal brought in guard Jalen Cone, guard Mike Meadows and forward Fardaws Aimaq in the offseason, adding veteran stability on top of a Golden Bears recruiting class featuring two three-star recruits in forward Rodney Brown and center Devin Curtis. It will be in Cal's first season under head coach Mark Madsen, who went 42-42 in three seasons with the Utah Valley Wolverines, according to Sports Reference. 

Kennedy's four years of experience will be a welcomed part of a Golden Bears squad that ended last season with a 3-29 overall record and a 2-18 record against conference opponents. The senior guard's improved three-point shooting will provide an immediate boost to a team that shot a Pac-12-worst 29.8% from the three-point line, according to ESPN.