Basketball star Luke Kornet makes the VandySports 100. Track our countdown to No. 1 here.
Honors and awards: 2015-16 Southeastern Conference All-Defensive team
2016-17 first-team All-SEC
2016-17 SEC All-Defensive team
In the VU record book: Single-game blocks: first (10 vs. Auburn, Feb. 13, 2016)
Single-season blocks: second, fifth (84 in 2015-26, 71 in 2016-17)
Single-season blocks per game: first and tied-sixth (3.0 in 2015-16, 2.0 in 2016-17)
Career blocks: first (210)
Career blocks per game: tied-first (1.69)
Career scoring: 41st (1,135)
Before VU: Averaged 15.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.0 steals and 3.0 blocks as a senior at Liberty Christian School in Argyle, Texas. Was TAPPS-5A first-team all-state as a senior, and honorable mention as a junior. Was the Denton Record Chronicle Defensive Player of the Year as a senior. Signed with VU in the spring after his senior season.
Freshman (2013-14): Played in 30 of 31 games, starting two, averaging 15.0 minutes, 4.0 points and 2.3 rebounds, for a team that went 15-16 (7-11 in the SEC). Played all 18 SEC games, starting one, averaging 15.5 minutes, 3.6 points and 2.2 rebounds. Scored in double-figures three times, including a 13-point game vs. Ole Miss.
Sophomore (2014-15): Played in 35 games, with 14 starts, for a 21-14 (9-9) team that won two games in the NIT. Averaged 8.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game and scored in double figures in 18 games. Played 401 SEC minutes (sixth on the team) and averaged 8.9 points, 3.2 rebounds, shooting 47.1 percent from the field and 38.9 percent from 3, while blocking 15 shots. Scored 24 points and was 10-of-11 from the field vs. Tennessee St. Had first career double-double (10 points, 10 rebounds) vs. Trevecca. Blocked four shots in an NIT win over South Dakota St. Had 10 rebounds vs. Auburn. Hit five 3s in a win at Tennessee.
Junior (2015-16): Played in 28 games and made 25 starts in 2015-16, for a team that went 19-11 (11-8) and lost to Wichita State in the NCAA Tournament First Four. Averaged 8.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks per game, the latter ranking fourth in the country. Played in 17 SEC games, starting 15, averaging 29.4 minutes, 7.8 rebounds and 39.4 percent shooting, adding 54 blocks. Had the second triple-double in school history (11 points, 10 rebounds, 10 blocks vs. Auburn). Had double figures in 11 games and had four or more blocks in 12 contests. Scored a season-high 20 points at Ole Miss. Scored 14 points and had four blocks vs. Kansas.
Senior (2016-17): Started all 35 games for a 19-16 (11-8) team that lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Averaged 13.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks per game. Led the team in SEC regular-season minutes (599), scoring (14.1) and blocks (39) while averaging 6.7 rebounds and shooting 45.4 percent from the field, 37.8 percent from 3 and 86.4 percent from the line. Became the NCAA's all-time leader in 3-pointers by a 7-footer. Scored in double figures in 26 games and had seven games in which he made three 3s or more. Tied a career high with 24 points in win over Florida on Senior Day. Scored 20 points against Belmont, 21 vs. Iowa State, and 21 at Kentucky. Blocked a season-high seven shots in win at Tennessee. Posted five double-doubles for the season.
Post-VU: Kornet was un-drafted in 2017, but signed a two-way contract with the Knicks. Kornet was a two-year contributor for New York, and was averaging 15.5 minutes this season for the Bulls before the regular season was suspended.
Final thoughts, and why I ranked him where I did: I've gone back and forth on whether I've ranked Kornet too high. On one hand, he was a full-time starter for just one year and exceeded 767 minutes in a season just that year. He had a career effective field goal mark of 49.9 percent, which isn't good but also not abysmal. He wasn't the rebounding force you'd expect for a 7-footer, and, his teams never won an NCAA Tournament game.
On the other hand, Kornet was one of the rarest of commodities: a rim protector and a 3-point threat in one. It wasn't just the school record for blocks, but the fact he affected a lot of shots, too. Folks respected that, and it's why he made the league's all-defensive team twice. As an offensive player, his outside shooting ability also helped stretch the floor and open things up for teammates.
Sometimes value is also measured in absence. VU ranked 23rd in Ken Pomeroy's adjusted defensive efficiency in Kornet's junior season, and 38th the next. That fell off a cliff after he left when VU ranked 219th the next season.
Two more things about Kornet: He was a project at the time coach Kevin Stallings signed him. He would have benefitted from a redshirt year, but the program was in a down cycle and he was forced into action. He was also playing through a great deal of pain the first month and a half or so of his senior season. Change his circumstances a bit, and Kornet may have left VU as one of its all-time greats.
On balance, Kornet was a complete game-changer on one end of the floor for two seasons, and a quality, versatile player on the other end for the balance of his career, and a smart, thoughtful teammate. and that's why he slots squarely in the middle of our top 100.
