Click here to Skip to main content

Prospect Profile

Kenneth Faried

  • Full Name: Kenneth Faried
  • Position: Forward
  • Height/Weight: 6-8 / 225
  • Birthdate: November 19, 1989
  • College: Morehead State
Denver Nuggets Round 1: Pick 22

Dortch: Kenneth Faried rebounds like his mother's life depends on it


  * Relentless on the boards
  * Athletic
  * Willing and capable defender
  * Emerging offensive game
  * Strong work ethic


  * Has to add size and strength
  * Free-throw shooting
  * Consistency on 15- to 17-foot jump shots

NBA projection:
Plenty of players have made a living in the NBA with just one exceptional skill. Faried has that—rebounding—but he's also a capable defender. Every team has room for a player who loves to board and guard. And if he develops his perimeter game, Faried can do that from either forward spot.

2010-11 Season:
Faried led the nation in rebounding for the second consecutive season and helped lead Morehead State to its second Ohio Valley Conference Tournament and NCAA tournament bid in the last three years. Faried was chosen the OVC Player of the Year for the second straight season and the league's defensive player of the year for the third year in succession. He was chosen to several All-American teams after passing Tim Duncan and becoming the NCAA's leading rebounder since the era of freshman eligibility, which began in 1973. He currently has 1,643 boards to his credit.

Key statistics:
17.6 ppg, 14.5 rpg, 1.0 apg, 2.6 tpg, 2.4 bpg, 2.0 spg, 34.6 mpg, .644 FG, .578 FT

Cool statistic:
Faried grabbed 10 or more rebounds in all but four of Morehead State's 33 games this season. He racked up five games of 20 or more rebounds.

Reminds me of:
Dennis Rodman, because of his relentless aggression on the boards.

What Insiders Say:
Morehead State coach Donnie Tyndall
"I have nothing to do with the way he rebounds the ball. He had that natural motor and that drive to play hard. He's got exceptional hands and a great second jump. He was blessed with a lot of those things."

What Outsiders Say:
Florida coach Billy Donovan
"He plays really hard, and he's very active. He attempts to rebound on every offensive shot. It's not that he's more athletic; it's not that he's bigger, he's just more active than anybody and that's what he decides. ‘I'm going to beat this guy to that ball.' He's a terrific player."

Murray State coach Billy Kennedy
"His effort and energy is unmatched throughout the country."

Tennessee State coach John Cooper
"First of all, you've got to understand, the guy is unique. And there's a side of him, that, as a coach, you just absolutely love. Work ethic, toughness, determination, whatever you want to call it, you just have a sense of appreciation for him. What he does, night in and night out, there's not a coach in America that would not want him on his side. Not one."

Ohio State coach Thad Matta
"The big kid is legit. He reminds me of a kid we had at Miami several years ago, Devin Davis. He finishes strong around the basket, he's on the glass on every shot, he runs hard he plays hard. He can pass it. I think he's the epitome of a power forward."




Morehead State
2007-08 30 20.2 132 256 .516 51 88 .580 8.0 0.3 1.2 0.8 315 10.5
2008-09 36 30.1 194 349 .556 109 189 .577 13.0 1.4 1.9 1.9 499 13.9
2009-10 35 30.3 224 397 .564 141 237 .595 13.0 0.5 1.6 1.9 590 16.9
2010-11 35 34.7 233 374 .623 139 241 .577 14.5 1.1 1.9 2.3 605 17.3
Totals 136 29.1 783 1376 .569 440 755 .583 12.3 0.9 1.7 1.8 2009 14.8
Three-point field goals: 2007-08, 0-for-3 (.000); 2008-09, 2-for-5 (.400); 2009-10, 1-for-4 (.250); 2010-11, 0-for-0. Totals: 3-for-12 (.250).
