Zags Wednesday Spotlight on Kaden Perry
This week our spotlight is on Kaden Perry. Kaden has been sidelined with an injury this season, but the games he did play were all winners… except one.
That one game happened to be in Gonzaga‘s defeat against Duke. Kaden Perry is a winner and his basketball career, short as it is, proves that.
Beginnings
Kaden Perry was born and raised in Battle Ground, WA. His mom, De Lena Perry, raised him as a single parent. Ms. Perry has always been there and supported her son. Until one day, when she couldn’t. Ms. Perry was stricken with the very rare Guillain-Barre syndrome in 2018. Now the woman who took of him, he was taking care of:
“It’s scary. It was like one day she was waking up every morning making breakfast for me, taking care of me, and then the next day it’s like I’m the one doing that role and I’m the one that has to take care of the family and stuff like that.”
Kaden has been happy to be by his mom’s side as she slowly recovers. His favorite part of any game is looking into the stands and seeing her there.
Perry attended Battle Ground high school. While there his, per-game averages were as follows, 27 points, 15.3 rebounds, and 3.3 blocks. A big man, 6′-9″, 210 lbs. Very athletic and powerful in the paint. And very loyal. Many thought he would leave Battle Ground High to play where scouts and college recruiters could better see him. Not Kaden Perry.
Coach Mark Few is in the house! Also, Gonzaga fans should be excited for 2021 commit, Kaden Perry from Battle Ground. Here's a handful of plays he made tonight in Tacoma… Perry finished with a game-high 26 points and 16 rebounds. pic.twitter.com/FXHmUCw2aa
— Rob Jesselson (@RobJesselson) March 5, 2020
Perry missed the last ten games of his senior season. Going up to block a shot, he said he felt a pop. “Then four or five more while still in the air. ‘Big stabbing pain in my back,”‘ he said. “Herniated discs. His high school career ended on May 6.”
Number 64 on ESPN’s Top 100 High School Recruits, Perry wanted to go to Gonzaga, nowhere else but Gonzaga. So on June 27, 2019, he committed.
At Gonzaga
Kaden Perry played eight games for Gonzaga before he felt spasms in his back. It was the end of January. To be on the safe side, Coach Mark Few sidelined him for the rest of the season.
His best game was on November 22, 2021, against Central Michigan. In that one, Perry played 12 minutes at the end of a 107-54 blowout. He was three of three from the field for six points, with four rebounds. That performance showed just a glimpse of what he could be.
What’s next for Kaden Perry?
If Drew Timme and Chet Holmgren both declare for the 2022 NBA Draft, Kaden Perry would be ideal in the frontcourt with Anton Watson. So Gonzaga fans can look forward to a lineup of Watson, Perry, Julian Strawther, Hunter Sallis, and Dominick Harris, come on now. Another winning team for Mark Few.
Related Story: Zags 360 – Week 16
Please tune in next week when we do our last Gonzaga spotlight on Ben Gregg. Also, we will begin our WCC Tournament coverage on March 7.
Remember Zags Nation, let’s stay safe and healthy out there!