Kenneth L. Blakeney was born November 29, 1971, in Washington, D.C. He grew up in the DMV — the District, Maryland, Virginia corridor that has produced more elite basketball talent per square mile than almost anywhere in America. The culture was everywhere: rec centers, Catholic league gyms, summer leagues through Potomac heat.
He attended DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Maryland — one of the most storied programs in the country. Head coach Morgan Wootten, a Naismith Hall of Famer, coached for 46 years and won over 1,200 games. Under Wootten, Blakeney became a three-year varsity letterman and one of the elite guards in the Washington area. Senior year: 18 PPG, 7 RPG, 4 APG. First Team All-Metro (Washington Post). 1990 Maryland Gatorade Player of the Year. McDonald’s All-American. Converse All-American. Capital Classic and Great Western Shootout.
Two Hall of Fame coaches shaped him: Wootten taught sacrifice, discipline, and how to be a program player. Then Coach K recruited him to Duke. Blakeney committed knowing his role might not be immediate, knowing the program demanded everything. He arrived in Durham as one of the most decorated recruits in DMV history.