Ok this is up there for photo of the year:
For those unfamiliar with his work, Kenneth Lofton Jr. (no relation to the old outfielder, if the picture didn’t give that away) stole hearts and souls in this spring’s NIT, leading Louisiana Tech to a third-place finish while notching double-doubles in both the semifinal and the third-place game. A zero-star recruit (I don’t know if that’s technically true, but he says it) from near the Texas/Louisiana border there on the Gulf, Lofton is a rising sophomore for a Louisiana Tech team we can only assume I should have put in my Teams to Watch for the 2022 NIT post, especially now that we know Chris Beard decided he was going to make transfers a thing in Austin.
Lofton was a force in the FIBA U19 World Cup, with many opining that he deserved the tournament’s MVP award over destined-for-NIT-irrelevancy Gonzaga commit Chet Holmgren.
I know, I know. A World Championship isn’t quite at the same level as an NIT title. I’ll be the first to say it. But Lofton got his medal, and now he’ll pursue his ring. Godspeed, champion.
