High School Spotlight: Kokomo Wildkats

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The High School Spotlight Series is back and we are excited to feature multiple teams throughout the state once again! The season is still a month away, but with practices happening, it is the perfect time to start previewing the season. In this series, we will be taking a look at some quick hitters, the top player(s), a potential breakout player, other roster members, and notable games for the upcoming season. For today's spotlight, we take a look at the Kokomo Wildkats.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Quick Hitters</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Went 25-4 last season.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Lost to Fishers in Regionals.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Head Coach John Peckinpaugh returns for his 4th season as the head coach. 68-17 overall record.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>First season without former Indiana Mr. Basketball and current Kansas start center Flory Bidunga. </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Top Player: [player_tooltip player_id='1561440' first='Korbyn' last='Hammel']<a href="https://prephoops.com/player/nijah-jewell/"></a></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Things are going to look a whole lot different for the Kokomo Wildkats this year and they will be looking for multiple guys to step up to replace the production of former Indiana Mr. Basketball Flory Bidunga. The player that I feel most confident to replace most of that production this season be that go-to guy for them is 2026 guard [player_tooltip player_id='1561440' first='Korbyn' last='Hammel']. He brings back 6.9 points per game from last year but you can almost 100% expect those numbers to increase, especially from the flashes he showed over the summer. He is a dynamic playmaker with good positional size, length, and a very high motor. Expect the talented junior to step up big time this season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Potential Breakout Player: [player_tooltip player_id='1381461' first='Zion' last='Bellamy']<a href="https://prephoops.com/player/jeremiah-bellamy/"></a></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bellamy has been the primary ball handler for the Wildkats for a few years now and that will not change as he heads into his senior season. While he won't have Flory Bidunga to play off of this year, it will be very exciting to see what opens up with Bellamy's game as he will be on of the guys asked to step up and produce even more. While he is on the shorter side, he has great on-ball skills and his quickness and IQ allow him to be a tough player to control if you are the defense. He is the team's leading returning producer bringing back 9.3 points and 3.4 assists per game as a junior. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Other Key Roster Members</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='2485720' first='A'Dayveon' last='Young'] - Senior</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='1561074' first='Baris' last='Moore'] - Junior </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Notable Games</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>vs Carmel (12/21)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Kokomo Tournament (12/17-12/28)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>at Tipton (1/25)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>at Anderson (2/21)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list -->