D.J. Kennedy reflects on TBT, St. John's, and his professional career to date

Four years after his graduation, D.J. Kennedy remains beloved by St. John's fans. (Photo courtesy of the New York Daily News)

Steve Lavin once called him the "hub of the wheel." Keith Arias famously referred to him on a WSJU broadcast as "The Hitman." A tattoo on his neck bears an inscription that is also prominently displayed in his Twitter handle: "Big Play."

Whatever nickname you may have for him, one thread always remains common for D.J. Kennedy, that being his relentless hustle and determination, qualities that once again revealed themselves in The Basketball Tournament, where Kennedy's Overseas Elite squad plays for a million-dollar prize in Sunday's championship game at Fordham University.

"To be honest with you, I have no idea how this team came together," Kennedy said of his latest basketball endeavor shortly after Overseas Elite locked up their spot in the title tilt with a semifinal victory against City Of Gods. "Paris (Horne, his college teammate and Overseas Elite teammate as well) called me, he goes 'you want to play?' I said 'yeah, I'll play.' I wasn't even sure if I was going to be able to play because I was playing in the Summer League, but I was able to meet them in Chicago and since then, we've just been rolling. It's almost like a Cinderella story. We're just a group of guys that just came together for an event, and we just keep winning."

Overseas Elite nearly no-showed their date with destiny, almost having to forfeit their first-round game before Travis Bader showed up hours after competing in a Summer League game of his own to be the fifth player on the roster. When Kennedy got to the club in Chicago, he became the tallest player on a team suddenly devoid of height. But for a team that is still getting to know one another in a way, the four years of experience Kennedy had with Horne, his longtime St. John's partner in crime, seemingly became invaluable.

"I've loved playing with Paris, ever since college," Kennedy fondly recollected. "I know what I'm going to get every single time he steps on the court. He's going to play hard, a great defender, great athlete. It's easy to play with guys like that."

Regardless of what happens on Sunday, Kennedy is still, like a lot of us in the world, chasing his dream of competing at the highest level, and after a stint with the Houston Rockets' Summer League team, is just as interested as his fans are to see what lies ahead in the saga of the Steel City's native son.

"It's been one journey this summer," he opined. "I don't really know what's next. Maybe overseas, NBA, I've had a lot of looks, interest in the NBA."

A visit with Kennedy would not be complete without an obligatory question or two about St. John's, a topic that evoked a genuine smile from the four-year Red Storm stalwart, who seemed appreciative of every St. John's fan and media member that came to see him.

"The direction they're headed is great," he said, the optimism palpable in his voice. "I'm happy for Chris Mullin, he always came around throughout the years that I was there, and I think he's going to take it in the right direction. There's a lot of young talent they're signing. It might take a while because they're so young, but Chris will get the job done."

"People are excited about Chris getting the job," he continued, "and they want to see how it goes. I think somebody like Chris, (a) New York guy, somebody who's passionate about the job, so I know he's going to do whatever it takes to make sure the program has success, and it's his alma mater."

Reminiscing for a moment, Kennedy recounted his favorite memories in the red and white, listing St. John's 2011 NCAA Tournament appearance, along with the Red Storm's memorable victories over Duke and Pittsburgh before sellout crowds at Madison Square Garden. "That team we had was special," he declared, waxing nostalgic. "We beat everyone that year. We just had so many great players, and we were finally able to have the chemistry with each other, and I think that was probably the best group we had in some years at St. John's."

As Kennedy continues to carve out his niche in the professional basketball world, the rugged Pittsburgh forward also took time to impart some wisdom upon the burgeoning talent in the college ranks getting ready to embark upon playing the game they love for a living, giving an introspective look at what it takes to succeed in the sport.

"It's tough," he admitted. "There's a lot of ups and downs. You've just got to fight through it, and understand it's basketball. It's something you love to do, something you're getting paid for. I think once you accept that, and just appreciating the opportunity to travel the world, see that, it makes it easier for you."