One way to play for Kelly

By Lane Kramer

Posted: November 8, 2009 at 5:42 a.m.

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PEA RIDGE — Kip Kelly learned how to intimidate at a young age.

Now the 6-6 senior from Pea Ridge gets one last season to unleash his fury on the Blackhawks’ opponents.

Kelly’s earliest basketball memories involve one-on-one battles in the front yard against his older brother, Alex, a former Blackhawk who now plays basketball at Lyon College in Batesville. The three-year difference between the brothers didn’t scare Kip then, and he doesn’t show any fear on the court now either.

“It kind of got brutal sometimes,” Kip Kelly said. “We’d slam each other into the pole, and one of us would usually come home bleeding.”

The Kelly brothers don’t square off too often anymore, but Kip said they text each other after every game and talk on the phone at least twice a week.

“We started connecting when I was in ninth grade, and that was when I really appreciated having an older brother,” he said. “We’d be the last ones to leave the gym. Some people say it’s tough to follow an older brother, but I really enjoyed it.”

The advice Kip Kelly received from his brother worked as he developed into one of the top players in the 1-4A Conference over the past two seasons.

Kelly led Pea Ridge to a 23-4 record as a sophomore, averaging 14 points and 7 rebounds a game before the Blackhawks were knocked off by Paris at regionals.Paced by Kelly’s 17.5 points, 9.7 rebounds and 3 assists a game last year, Pea Ridge managed a 15-13 record and advanced as far as the regionals again in its first year after moving up to Class 4A.

“He’s always been a terrific athlete,” Pea Ridge Coach Charley Clark said. “He’s been able to dunk since ninth grade. He’s 6-6, but he’s not a post man, so we’re able to play Kip at the small forward, which is his natural position.”

Kelly has grown about an inch and added range to his jump shot over the past year.

“We’ve spent a lot of time working with him on his shot,” Clark said. “Sophomore year, he was just a slasher who could penetrate and score. He didn’t have much of a shot. Other teams would play him to drive, and that’s really all they needed to do.”

Another advantage Kelly will have this year is more time to prepare. After spending his sophomore and junior seasons as the Blackhawks’ starting quarterback, Kelly decided to skip football this year to focus on basketball.

Football took its toll on Kelly’s body the past two years. He broke his left arm in football as a sophomore, which created an extra delay to his arrival on the court that year.

“It was really a mental thing,” Kelly said. “I knew I was behind and knew I just had to catch up with everybody else.”

Kelly has flashed enough potential to draw interest from a host of small colleges. Still, Clark said Kelly must improve defensively to become a complete player.

“We’re still waiting for the defense to kick in,” Clark said. “Anytime you have a kid who’s 6-6 with long arms, fast and can jump out of the gym, you need him to be a good defender.

“That’s going to be the key to our team this year.”

Kelly’s fiery demeanor has gotten him in trouble on occasion in the past, like when he was ejected for drawing two technical fouls against Prairie Grove in the 1-4A district tournament last year. He says he’ll be more careful this year, although that won’t change his overall approach.

At a glance NAME Kip Kelly SCHOOL Pea Ridge CLASS Senior HEIGHT 6-6 POSITION Small forward NOTEWORTHY Averaged 17.5 points, 9.7 rebounds and 3 assists a game last year as Pea Ridge went 15-13 and advanced to regionals in its first year at the Class 4A level. ... One of four returning starters.

... Starting quarterback for Pea Ridge in 2007-2008, but skipped football this year to focus on basketball.

Special, Pages 89 on 11/08/2009

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