KILAH DANDRIDGE
LeBron 17 ‘Uptempo’
You know when you see the makings of a Division I athlete. Luckily for us, that was November of last year when we realized what it meant to see the Kilah Dandridge show.
Dandridge, a rising junior, has excelled in her first two years of high school basketball at Spring Mills. This past season she averaged 15.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 2.0 steals per game, on par with her freshman year numbers of 14.4 points, 5.4 boards, 3.7 assists and 1.6 steals a game. In both seasons the Cardinals went to the state tournament. To witness her growth has been an experience in itself, and she credits that to her hard work and dedication to the game.
So it was a little jarring that she announced she was leaving the Eastern Panhandle to attend St. Maria Goretti in Hagerstown, Md.
“This past season meant a lot,” she said. “We were all great teammates, made it to states, had a good showing there and I think I improved in every aspect of the game.”
But, then again, if you understand how dedicated Dandridge truly is to basketball, it wasn’t that shocking. In many ways, players can outgrow a program or experience some level of discomfort; in many ways, the Cardinals were a fantastic team. Not only did they sit in the Top 5 of West Virginia’s Class 4A for a majority of the season, but they also blew teams out in significant routs. Further, they hushed some haters saying their competition was weak and they weren’t ready to take on the best teams from other regions in the state tournament, but they made it to the state semifinals with a first-round win against Cabell Midland and, for one half, held a double-digit lead over No. 1 Wheeling Park.
Sophomore, Forward
Goretti High School
WV Thunder Select 40
The truth of the matter is, though, despite their success in the state tournament, the Cardinals didn’t schedule tough opponents in the regular season. And, maybe the most prominent truth, Dandridge was a significant reason they even made it to the semifinals and competed with Park.
“(Against Cabell Midland) I was just trying to play as hard as I could,” Dandridge said. “And get everyone involved to win the game. We were down going into the half but came back more explosive in the second half. I just focused on myself, but … I think everybody, they were in the mindset that they wanted to win so they played their hardest.”
The upside to the state tournament loss is that it fueled Dandridge as she moved into her travel season, where she’s been showcasing her talents with West Virginia Thunder’s Select 40 16U team.
“Playing against Lex (Bordas) and Lala (Woods) (from Wheeling Park) was big, and, that game, it taught me a lot moving into travel ball,” she began. “That, even if you’re down, not to give up.”
The Kicks
LeBron 17 ‘Uptempo’
Mastermind / Jason Petrie
Release / 2020
Fun fact / Was made with the design notes to ‘create force not fear,’ to protect LeBron James while also helping him maintain his speed, according to Nike
The only heartbreaking part of Dandridge’s travel campaign is one many players often experience — they can’t wear their favorite kicks.
For her, that’s her pair of LeBron 17s in the ‘Uptempo’ colorway. They almost look fresh out of the box, until you take a closer look and see this pair has some miles — albeit, incredibly valuable miles — on them.
The knit upper is clean, its rich red and white trim still popping juxtaposed with the rough, beaten blacktop of the local court. But the further you go down the shoe, the more her two years of varsity play begin to show, as the Max Air heel unit is beginning to get fogged up and the midsole and outsole are beginning to lose their luster.
Dandridge doesn’t mind, though. Not only is she loyal to the LeBron brand due to James being her favorite player, but the sneakers also support her feet and ankles in her role as a forward.
“They’re comfortable and I play the best in these,” she said. “Playing in these, it feels different than any other shoe.”
A change is due soon, though. Considering Goretti lacks any red in its color scheme, Dandridge will be picking up a new pair of sneakers in blue or black. But will she be rocking a different model?
“Nah, I’m going to just buy another pair of these,” she said with a slight smile.
In many ways, the new pair of LeBron 17s will signify a fresh start for Dandridge. Not only will she be getting more exposure with Goretti, something that many worthy athletes in the Mountain State struggle to gain, but she’ll also have the opportunity to grow deeper into her game.
And though a portion of it comes down to outgrowing her current program, much of it also comes down to her dedication to the sport and her hunger to not see that fall by the wayside.
“If you’re not as dedicated as some others you’re not going to make it far. You have to put that work in to get better and be able to make it to the next level,” she said. “You can’t stay the same, you have to level up eventually.”
Before she steps foot into the halls of her new school in Hagerstown, however, she’s got some unfinished business with West Virginia Thunder. The girls finish out the season with trips to Indiana, Kentucky and, finally, Manheim, Pa., for the Select 40 Finals.
Naturally, her goals haven’t changed.
“I just want to finish out strong, hustle, make good plays, get my teammates involved and, hopefully, win the finals,” she said.
