Khem Birch Still Branching Out as a Player
Posted on 30. Apr, 2010 by Tariq Sbiet in High School
Anyone remember Keon Clark? The former 6’11, 221 pound skeleton for the Toronto Raptors made a living serving up facials (on both ends) to any soul that would dare meet him at the rim. This is an accurate comparison to 17 Year old youngster, Khem Birch out of Montreal, Quebec. KB who is currently 6’9, 190lbs has managed to catch the eye of scouts in a short period of time with the help of his branch-like arms. “He is very long and at 6’9 has a wing span over 7’1,” states AAU Coach, Joey McKitterick of Brookwood Elite. With those weapons attached to his torso, he should’ve joined the SWAT team, knowing a thing or two about the art of blocking shots. Still growing and adapting to his body, Birch will only improve on his coordination and strength; which are some of his main weaknesses. “I feel my weaknesses are my strength (no pun intended) and my offensive game. I started playing basketball four years ago and I’m starting to get used to the game now. what I do to get better is do 100 pushups every night and work on every aspect of the game from ball handling, shooting, defense, and working on my post game,” explains Birch. He already boasts a couple solid post moves in his arsenal and can rebound with the best of them.
Birch played a year of high school ball in Quebec and had a short stint in Ontario before hitting the prep scene at Winchendon School (MA). After an ESPN report which stated that KB would be a top-50 player if he played in the States, you can’t blame him for leaving the great white North. “I didn’t even know I was on ESPN because my last name was spelt wrong; so that was a shock. Just being ranked makes me feel good because there are a lot of players who wish they were in my position.”
The event that put Khem on the radar was the Adidas Jr. Phenom Camp at Bridgewater, Massachusetts. In 2007, he was ranked as the #1 freshman in the entire camp. After asking Birch about his experience at this colossal event, he replied ecstatically, “It was the best experience of my life; I was put on a lot of pressure. My mother, step mother and dad had spent so much money to get me there so I felt that I had to do well. When I heard I came #1 I was so happy!”
After a year at Winchendon, this 2012 prospect has managed to climb up the rankings and solidify himself as a sure high-major while earning interest from Pittsburgh, Purdue, Uconn, Syracuse, Siena and Providence, (to name a few) with Prov being at the top of his list.
When Khem was still in Quebec, he played for one of the top AAU teams in the province, Brookwood Elite where he flourished in Coach McKitterick’s program posting averages of 16 points, 8 rebounds and 5 swats. “Khem is a soft spoken, very likeable person. He is easy to coach and wants to be as good as possible,” says McKitterick.
Not only is Khem a willing learner but he is developing quite progressively. “As a player he is a great shot blocker and finishes plays very well. His mid range is coming along nicely and rebounds well on the offensive end, “adds McKitterick.
The truth is Khem’s upside is scary. When all elements of his game collide and this “Tree” is full-grown: Houston, we have a problem!
Tariq Sbiet - Canadian Recruiting Analyst
Follow me on twitter @Tsbiet
Email me at tariq.sbiet@gmail.com
