(Graphic via Kokomo Athletics Twitter)

 

Patrick Hardimon’s season-high was 11 points against Huntington North as a sophomore. However, the Kokomo guard wasted no time blowing that number out of the water to begin his junior year. He scored 23 of his 28 points in the second half to push the Wildkats over Western in the season opener.

 

The second-half explosion was difficult to see coming. Hardimon scored Kokomo’s first basket of the year but only went two of three from the field in the opening half. There were no signs of a breakout game coming from the junior.

 

“I challenged him at the half to get to the rim, and he did a good job of that,” said Kokomo head coach John Peckinpaugh. “He ended up getting good looks from the outside too. He stepped up in a big way for us.”

 

Kokomo needed all of Hardimon’s production. Western led by 13 points at halftime and six going into the fourth quarter. The Wildkats were in trouble if he did not step up the way he did.

 

“He has done a great job this fall, and I think he will have a really good year for us,” said Peckinpaugh. “I don’t know if I saw a 23-point half coming as he did against Western, but I expected a lot from him.”

 

Hardimon’s biggest shot came left in overtime with Kokomo trailing Western by one. He found an open look from the left corner, where he made three triples in the game and buried it to give the Wildkats the 60-58 lead.

 

As a sophomore, Hardimon averaged 4.7 points and 3.0 rebounds per game. Respectable numbers for an underclassman. Over the summer, he wanted to take his game to a new level.

 

“He wants to get better,” Peckinpaugh told Indiana Basketball Source. “He corrects things after we coach him, and he has been hungry to learn and get better.”

 

Hardimon is a shooting guard with solid size, strength, and athleticism. He did not make many outside shots as a freshman and sophomore, but he is 5-10 from deep to begin his junior year. Hardimon’s shooting is one thing that Peckinpaugh noticed has dramatically improved since he took the job in the offseason.

 

Hardimon's biggest strengths are slashing and finishing at the basket, but his shooting is coming along well. If that trend continues, he will have a great final two years at Kokomo and a chance to play at the next level.

 

Hardimon won Indiana Basketball Source’s first player of the week honor by edging South Decatur’s Hunter Johnson in the voting. Johnson scored 42 points twice in the opening week. He tallied a total of 84 points against Switzerland County and Trinity Lutheran. He also had a total of 17 rebounds over the two games.