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Kent State Basketball Recruit With Autism Will Make NCAA History

Bennett, from Little Rock, Arkansas, signed a letter of intent to join the Kent State team.
KENT STATE UNIVERSITY
Bennett, from Little Rock, Arkansas, signed a letter of intent to join the Kent State team.

When Kalin Bennett was young, medical experts told his family he might never walk or speak because of autism. During his senior year of high school, he was ranked as the No. 16 basketball prospect in Arkansas.

Bennett will bring his talents on the court to Kent State as the NCAA’s first autistic basketball player to sign at the Division 1 level.

The prospect from Little Rock, Arkansas has signed a letter of intent to join the team.

Kent State men’s basketball coach Rob Senderoff said Bennett’s recruitment is more than just an inspirational story.Not just an inspirational story

“I didn’t recruit him for the story. I recruited him because I believe in him as a basketball player, and I believe he can help our program,” he said. “I think his best basketball is ahead of him.”

Senderoff said he was impressed with Bennett’s rebounding skills, teamwork and size.

Bennett is 6'10" and weighs about 300 pounds.

Copyright 2018 WKSU

Mitch Felan is a news intern for WKSU. He is a multimedia journalist with experience in print, television, radio and visual journalism. Felan is a junior at Kent State University, working towards a Bachelor's Degree in Multimedia Journalism. During the school year, Felan works for Kent State Student Media in TV2, The Kent Stater, and KentWired. He will be serving as the Digital Director for Kent State University's Student Media Newsroom in the Fall.