At his absolute best and where the bulk of his value on the court lies is when he’s a dangerously rhythmic shot maker from three point territory and Matthew Kennedy did so much of that throughout the course of the weekend to do nothing but reaffirm that notion. Relying on fluid and continuous mechanics that feature an extremely quick and high shooting release and settling into a nice rhythm from deep, Kennedy showcased what his impact looks when he gets hot from three point range, stepping into a number of open looks as a perimeter spot up shooter and knocking down opportunistic shots at a rather efficient clip percentage wise.

Over the first few weeks of the spring AAU season, Matthew Kennedy has legitimately emerged as a valuable and versatile scoring option. Kennedy consistently and efficiently stretches defenses with his extremely quick and smooth shooting stroke while also leveraging his strong and physical frame to finish effectively inside while at the same time proving to be highly effective creating off the dribble, taking advantage of opportunities within the flow of the offense to attack defenses in multiple ways, leading to a number of impressive individual scoring performances.

On the brink of a prep year this upcoming fall and several of the region’s top Division II programs showing strong interest, it will be intriguing to see how Kennedy’s recruitment unfolds over the coming months.

Matthew Kennedy remains a highly valuable piece of Riverside’s offense, particularly having blossomed into a more and more versatile scoring threat. Serving as a confident and effective perimeter shooter who stretches defenses and creates space across the floor, Kennedy’s readiness to take and ability to knock down shots from beyond the arc forces opponents to guard him closely. More than comfortable off the bounce, Kennedy benefited from additional scoring opportunities amidst the team’s overall offensive flow, allowing him to attack more effectively— getting to mid range area for smooth turn around jumpers, navigating PnR action for soft touch runners in the lane while also being a strong finisher in transition sprinting the lanes in the open floor.

Matthew Kennedy Matthew Kennedy 6'4" | SG/SF St. Mary | 2026 State NJ continues to offer an immensely valuable dynamic to Riverside’s offense as a potent and confident perimeter shot maker, stretching defenses in ways that open up the entire floor. Kennedy’s willingness to take and ability to convert on shots from beyond the arc forces opponents to extend their coverage while also opening up so much more additional offense for himself, in particular mid range pull ups and creating driving lanes to get to the basket. Kennedy also impressed providing relief as an additional reliable ball handler for this Riverside offense, bringing the ball up against pressure and orchestrating different sets when need be.

A dangerous perimeter shooter with extremely strong shooting intangibles, Matthew Kennedy Matthew Kennedy 6'4" | SG/SF St. Mary | 2026 State NJ demonstrated his ability to be an impactful shot maker from three point range for this Riverside offense. Kennedy, much like his usual self, proved to be a lethal sharpshooter with a quick trigger release who provided optimal floor spacing and outside shot making as a spot up shooter. Kennedy also thrived as an open floor playmaker, making a lot of the right reads in transition to find other open shooters out on the perimeter when initiating the break himself.

One of the biggest stock risers in the entire state regardless of class going back to as far as last year’s grassroots season, Matthew Kennedy Matthew Kennedy 6'4" | SG/SF St. Mary | 2026 State NJ carried much of that momentum he generated this past summer heading into his senior year. A confident scoring guard who served as the catalyst to the different actions St. Mary’s was able to effectively get into over the course of the season, Kennedy demonstrated an ability to stretch the floor with a quick and soft shooting touch as well as finish inside with his physical and bruising frame, Matthew Kennedy Matthew Kennedy 6'4" | SG/SF St. Mary | 2026 State NJ consistently put together strong individual scoring performances that highlighted a well rounded offensive arsenal. Known for his perimeter shooting and ability to catch fire from deep, Kennedy routinely delivered from beyond the arc at a highly effective shooting clip while also using the attention he draws out on the perimeter to attack off the bounce, getting into the paint and converting on soft runners. Easily settling into a nice rhythm on pretty much every night, Kennedy also made an impact in transition, turning defensive stops into easy offense as well as the on the offensive glass with his powerfully built frame to capitalize on second chance possessions. It’ll be interesting to see how the rest of Kennedy’s recruitment pans out in the coming months with a handful of the area’s most prominent DII programs all heavily showing interest in his services.

A confident scoring guard who possesses the shooting touch to impact the game from the outside alongside his ability to counter his perimeter game with inside finishing, Matthew Kennedy Matthew Kennedy 6'4" | SG/SF St. Mary | 2026 State NJ displayed a rather diverse scoring attack in St. Mary’s quarterfinal victory over Morristown Beard Monday night. Known for his dangerous perimeter shooting ability and capable of getting hot and settling into a nice hythm from three point range, Kennedy showcased some of those intangibles to score from different areas on the floor— particularly with his impact as a spot up shooter with his confident and quick trigger shooting release while also displaying an ability to allow the gravity he attracts as a shooter to open up additional offense for himself, flashing his ability to get in the paint and convert on soft touch runners. Kennedy was also effective in transition, allowing the defensive disruption St. Mary’s forced as a unit to turn opposing ball handlers over and finish on the other end for easy offense.

A strong and powerfully built scoring guard who invites contact around the basket while also being extremely dangerous from beyond the three point arc, Matthew Kennedy Matthew Kennedy 6'4" | SG/SF St. Mary | 2026 State NJ turned in a standout performance that highlighted his ability to score the basketball from different areas on the floor. Often shouldering a lot of the offensive production and benefiting from St. Mary’s different actions putting an emphasis on his amount of touches, Kennedy’s diverse and aggressive consisted of him using his strong bodied frame to get to the basket off the bounce while also getting to his spots in the in between area for smooth mid range pull ups. As the game went on, Kennedy settled into a nice rhythm from three point range showcasing his lethal shooting ability— thriving as a catch and shoot option while also demonstrating his ability to be effective as a movement shooter, not only generating open looks as a screener himself but also utilizing different screens and pindowns to get open out around the perimeter.

A strong and powerfully built guard who invites contact on downhill attacking drives, Matthew Kennedy Matthew Kennedy 6'4" | SG/SF St. Mary | 2026 State NJ was aggressive in getting in the paint, particularly in transition and in St. Mary’s different half court actions. Highlighting his ability to counter his outside sharpshooting ability, Kennedy seemed to basically live in the paint— converting on a handful of soft touch floaters in transition, attacking driving angles with physicality playing through contact and getting to the free throw line, and even flashing his smooth mid range pull up game. An ultimately overall versatile scoring attack on the day, Kennedy also flashed his dynamic perimeter shot making ability, knocking down a pair of outside looks from three point range.

An incredibly confident outside shooter who gets great lift and has a quick release on his jump shot, Matthew Kennedy Matthew Kennedy 6'4" | SG/SF St. Mary | 2026 State NJ delivered a standout performance that highlighted his ability to be an extremely impactful shot maker from the perimeter. A loud and efficient shooting performance that saw him capitalize on any ounce of space the defense gave him and exhibit a diverse shooting arsenal, Kennedy knocked down a number of smooth and fluid movement threes and effortless and easy spot up threes. Kennedy also allowed the gravity he attracts as a shooter to open up additional offense for him, using his strong bodied frame and physicality to attack closeouts and finish in traffic at the basket. In addition to providing offense in the half court, Kennedy also excelled as a playmaker in transition, whether it was finding guys ahead in transition or pushing the break himself and finishing on the other end.