College Check-in: Malta's KD

Montana State University Billings (MSUB) senior point guard Kendall Denham is making an impact for the Yellowjackets as his team tries to make the GNAC playoffs.

The former Mustangs standout and two-time Class B State Champion and MVP knows what they need to do to get there.

“We talk about it as a team and we probably have to win around twelve more games to get in our conference tournament,” Denham told the PCN. “That’s our goal right now because once we get there we are as good as anybody in our conference. Our ultimate goal is to make the NCAA tournament but to do that, we are going to have to get through our conference, which is a very tough conference.”

The team has seventeen games left, and with a current 8-6 record, the team still has the confidence and fire power to make it.

The team currently leads all of NCAA Division II teams in three pointers made with 162.

Denham, the son of Moe Denham and Steph Denham of Malta, is coming off of his hottest game of the season, both figuratively and literally.

In his final game before Christmas break, Denham made waves against his opponent, Hawaii Pacific University, scoring 25 points, which tied his career best and knocking down a career best seven treys. MSUB lost 73-71.

Though his offense was a highlight, it wasn’t his favorite college game.

“My favorite game would have to be senior night of last year,” He said. “Jace Anderson (of Whitewater), has been my best friend for a long time and being able to play with him one more time was fun. We were playing a team that had beat us (earlier in the season) pretty handily by 40 points. We wanted to get that win and we ended up coming out on top. We got back that high school type of atmosphere, where the crowd was really getting into it.”

Of course flying back from a warm and comfortable island to an Eastern Montana snowstorm last Wednesday, December 20, was not ideal.

“I wasn’t too thrilled to come back from Hawaii to this, but oh well,” Denham said with a smile. “It was 75 degrees and sunny everyday.”

While on break, Denham was looking forward to see his younger sister Kelbee, a Malta sophomore, play live high school basketball for the first time.

“I am kind of excited for her,” he said. “It’s going to be good.”

He had only seen her play one game this year, a live-stream game where the M-ettes took on Bigfork, Malta lost but Kelbee had her strongest game of the weekend, putting up 13 points.

“I got to watch a good one that week,” he said with a smile. “It was almost surreal to me.”

Denham also saw his older sister Kylee (Denham) Johnson play when he was a lot younger. The siblings had a more competitive relationship.

“When I was growing up, Kylee hated me for it, but I was at all of her games and sat on the bench with dad and anytime I would try to warm-up with them, she would always push me and tell me to go sit down.”

With his younger sister, things were somewhat different.

“She (Kelbee) was around all that with me but she had never did what I did (with Kylee),” Denham said. “So, it is kind of surreal to see her all grown up. I have seen her play when she was younger but I am excited to see what she brings to the table.”

As, Kelbee’s time as a varsity M-ette is somewhat new, Kendall’s time with college basketball is wrapping up.

“It’s kind of surreal to know that I might be playing my last games ever,” Denham said. “I grew up around basketball my whole life. It’s weird thinking about how after 17 games, I’m going to be done playing basketball forever.”

He won’t look into playing in Europe, the NBA or semi-pro.

“It’s one of those things that I won’t even try,” Denham said. “I know it’s time for me to be done and I am fine with that.”

After the season, Denham will be looking forward to graduating in May of 2018, with a degree in Health and Physical Education teaching. He plans to student teach in the Fall of 2018.