Games People Play: Avalon’s Garret Kerr Looks to Professional Basketball

Transferring from Moorestown to Middle Township High School for his senior season, Avalon resident Garret Kerr led the Panthers to the 2011 South Jersey Group II basketball title.
The stellar effort by the 6-4, 230-pounder wasn’t enough to garner major college interest. Middle coach Tom Feraco knew Dave Pauley, the head man for Philadelphia’s University of the Sciences men’s basketball team. Pauley made the trek to Court House to see for himself. The rest, as they say, is history.
“I didn’t have much of a choice because I was noticed late in the recruiting process,” said Kerr, who led Middle to a 28-3 record in his lone season as a Panther. “I was considering a prep school in Connecticut but I really wanted to go right to college and play. I wouldn’t change anything now.”
Kerr wrapped up his collegiate career this winter by leading the Devils to a 25-6 record and he was named National Player of the Year for Division II. The son of Tim and Midge Kerr, Garret was a three-time Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Player of the Year. The only season he didn’t garner that accolade was when he was selected the CACC Rookie of the Year as a freshman.
The 22-year-old finished with 2,423 career points while pulling 1,391 rebounds. His senior season numbers were 25.7 points per game and 12.7 rebounds per contest with an amazing 27 double-doubles. In two Division II National Tournament games, Kerr dropped 40 and 34 points, respectively.
Kerr’s collegiate career began slowly and it frustrated a kid accustomed to being a key performer on every team he had suited up for since the Avalon Recreation Department.
“I started out as a guard and the coach told me that if I was going to get minutes I needed to play the four (forward),” said Kerr. “I played well in my first game but didn’t get much time in the next five. Then a kid tore his ACL in the sixth game. I started the next game and got 30 points and 15 rebounds against Philadelphia University.”
Kerr said he regrets that a teammate’s misfortune allowed him the opportunity, but he knew he could play college basketball.
“When I came here I knew I could play,” he said. “It was definitely frustrating in the beginning because I was used to being in control of my fate. It’s a shame it came about that way, but that’s how it ended up happening for me.”
Garret’s father, an accomplished performer for the Philadelphia Flyers more than two decades ago, never pushed his five children to the ice or to any sport. He told them that whatever it is they pursued, they should do it with passion and effort.
“He told us to play whatever we wanted but his advice was always more about the mental aspects,” said Kerr. “He wasn’t much into basketball then but he told us to be the hardest worker on the floor. He focused on the competitive aspect. He said it wasn’t about wins and losses but about how hard you play.”
Stepping onto the college basketball floor, Kerr knew immediately that the competition would be bigger, faster and stronger than he was accustomed to as a high school athlete.
“The first few games were a little bit of a shock,” said the physical therapy major. “You’re not used to playing against guys that big or strong, but you adapt and you combat what they’re trying to do to you. Improving is a continuous process of adapting.”
Pauley, the University of the Sciences head coach, was certainly impressed with Kerr.
“You can certainly talk about all of his statistics, but he was a terrific teammate and an Academic All American as well,” said Pauley between recruiting stops. “He’s in a six-year doctorate program and he was carrying 20 credits each semester. And if you talk about the history of Philadelphia and Big Five basketball, there are less than 10 players who achieved Garret’s career totals in points and rebounds. You’re talking about names like Tom Gola, Michael Brooks and Lionel Simmons to name a few. That’s significant.”
(And speaking of recruiting, Pauley added that Wildwood Catholic graduate and Devils’ junior point guard T-John Casiello led the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio this season.)
Kerr recalled his freshman season for the game-winner he scored versus Wilmington University. He led Division II in rebounding and was named to the Freshman All American Team. He scored 16 points per game and swept 13 boards each night out.
The Devils improved to 13-13 in his second season, a year in which he connected for five game-winning field goals and earned his first CACC Player of the Year trophy. He was also second team All-American after scoring 21 points and 12.5 rebounds per game.
“We needed to keep building,” said Kerr of the Sciences basketball program.
Kerr and his teammates took another step in his junior season with a 17-11 mark and a heart-breaking season-ending buzzer-beater loss to rival Philadelphia University in the playoffs. He was named National Player of the Year by the publication Basketball Times on his way to a First Team All America performance of 24.8 points and 12.5 rebounds per contest.
“In college basketball it is about continually adapting,” said Kerr, who was teammates with his junior brother, Wes, and his red-shirt freshman sibling, Tanner. “Every year if you get decent minutes they’ll know who you are and they’ll do different things to try and stop what you’re good at so every year I had to adapt. I was trying to not be guardable. I was trying to not be predictable. I wanted a bunch of different things in my arsenal.”
Kerr said the question he’s asked the most concerns his penchant for stellar rebounding despite standing just 6-4.
“It’s not about the biggest or most athletic,” he explained. “It’s instinct, good positioning and foot work. I have a weird gift. I know where the ball’s going. I have an idea of where it’s coming off.”
Kerr said he signed with an agent last week and is reviewing opportunities to play professional basketball overseas.
“We’ve talked to some teams to see what they think,” he said. “We’ll see if someone offers me a contract and if it’s the right fit.”