Kenneth Blakeney: A Duke Legacy Transforming HBCU Basketball
At Duke University, they speak of the “Brotherhood” – a powerful connection forged through shared experiences, championships, mentorship, and unwavering expectations among former Blue Devils basketball players. For Howard University men’s basketball head coach Kenneth “Kenny” Blakeney and Tennessee State University head coach Nolan Smith, the lessons learned within Cameron Indoor Stadium have become the cornerstone of their coaching careers.
These former Blue Devils are not only winning games but are making history by elevating their programs to unprecedented heights, ending decades-long conference tournament championship droughts, and securing groundbreaking NCAA tournament bids. This year’s NCAA men’s tournament marks a significant milestone, featuring three HBCU teams – Prairie View A&M, Tennessee State, and Howard – for the first time since 1994.
The Duke Influence
The fact that two of these programs are led by Duke alumni is a source of immense pride for both Blakeney and Smith. “It’s just a great sense of pride as a Duke man and an HBCU man,” Smith stated. “We’re here representing our culture, doing it for our people, while also being Duke men at that.”
Smith, 37, always envisioned a future in coaching. Even during his successful playing career at Duke, culminating in a 2010 national championship and All-America honors, he keenly observed the program’s leadership and foundational principles. After a four-year professional career, including 84 NBA games with the Portland Trail Blazers, Smith joined Coach K’s staff at Duke in 2016, with subsequent stops at Louisville and Memphis. In July 2023, he realized his dream of becoming a head coach when Tennessee State hired him.
He immediately sought guidance from Blakeney and fellow Duke alum Tyler Thornton, a former Bison assistant coach, who had already begun building Howard into a model of success. “[Tennessee State] was the first school to take a chance on me, give me the head coaching opportunity. It meant everything,” Smith shared. “Being a young, Black head coach isn’t easy, regardless of your playing background. It’s a privilege to be in this position, representing Tennessee State and all HBCUs.”
Leading with Positivity and Confidence
A central tenet Smith absorbed from his time at Duke is the power of positive leadership and unwavering confidence. He actively cultivates self-belief within his team, recognizing its transformative impact on performance and competitiveness. He encourages his coaching staff to do the same, fostering an environment where no one doubts their abilities.
“I want my guys feeling like they’re invincible. I want them to feel like can’t nobody mess with them. Like, can’t nobody touch them,” Smith explained. “They can guard anybody. If you put the best player in the world in front of my players, I want my guys just to have all the confidence in the world that they can stop them when they step between them lines.” His ultimate goal is to equip his players with the blueprint for success, extending beyond the basketball court and into all aspects of life.
Blakeney’s Journey and Howard’s Rise
Kenneth Blakeney’s path to a head coaching role was more protracted than Smith’s. Describing his experience playing for Coach K as akin to attending a leadership academy, Blakeney spent over two decades as a Division I assistant coach, serving at seven schools across five conferences. However, he faced numerous rejections before Howard University offered him a chance in 2019.
Implementing a philosophy centered on accountability, responsibility, and preparation – values instilled at Duke – Blakeney has orchestrated a remarkable turnaround at Howard. He has led the Bison to three MEAC tournament championships in the past four years, ending a 30-year NCAA tournament drought. “HBCUs gave us that opportunity, and we’re so grateful that they did,” Blakeney said after securing their tournament bid.
The Brotherhood Continues
Howard’s coaching staff further exemplifies the Duke connection, with assistant coach Nate James, a 2001 national champion as a player, also bringing championship experience to the bench. James emphasizes that Blakeney maintains the same championship standards at Howard that they learned at Duke. “Obviously we’re winners, we’re champions, and we want these guys here at Howard and Tennessee State to be champions as well,” James said. “But as we talk about basketball, we want them to win. We want them to have their moments be seen and all the hard work they put into it, because they represent something bigger than themselves.”
Tyler Thornton, who spent six years coaching under Blakeney at Howard, has returned to Duke as an assistant coach, crediting his time with the Bison for preparing him for his role with the Blue Devils. He highlights the unique challenges and rewards of building a program with limited resources.
Breaking Stereotypes
Smith and Blakeney are challenging long-held stereotypes about Duke basketball players. Addressing criticisms raised by Jalen Rose in the 2011 ESPN documentary “The Fab Five,” Smith asserted, “We’re not what they say we are, clearly. Two of us are coaching at HBCUs, so yeah, I think that makes us very different.”
They are proving that the values and lessons learned at Duke can be successfully applied to build thriving programs at HBCUs, fostering a new era of success and representation in college basketball.
Source: Andscape
