Top-ranked Kenwood’s home opener on Wednesday was nearly spoiled by a rookie head coach and a team loaded with sophomores.

New Lincoln Park coach Josh Anderson’s young, unknown team played their hearts out. The Lions took a one-point lead on a basket by sophomore Ahmad Lee with 3:20 left. Then Lee tied the game with 2:08 to play. 

But after each of those buckets, Kenwood senior Chris Riddle stepped up. The Arizona State recruit finished with a game-high 25 points and kept the Lions’ upset bid at bay. 

Lincoln Park senior Tyshawn Robinson drained a three-pointer at the buzzer, but it wasn’t enough, and Kenwood held on to a 61-60 win. 

Riddle scored eight in the fourth quarter and had six rebounds. He made a three-pointer after Lincoln Park (2-1) took the lead and responded with a three-point play after the Lions tied the game. 

Riddle and senior guard Edwon Duling both said they weren’t allowed to talk with the media after the game. Kenwood coach Mike Irvin wasn’t present. He was serving the third game of a two-game suspension the Illinois High School Association handed down at the start of the season. 

Irvin sat out Kenwood’s season opener against Hansberry. The Broncos (3-0) added a game against Farragut on Tuesday that wasn’t originally on the schedule. Irvin also sat out that game. But that didn’t count for the IHSA since the game was newly added to the schedule. So Irvin was required to sit out a third game. 

Kenwood principal Karen Calloway confirmed that Irvin will be allowed to coach in the Broncos’ next game, a showdown against No. 2 Thornton on Saturday at the Chicago Elite Classic. 

Lincoln Park may have lost the game, but the strong showing was a statement moment for Anderson, the son of former NBA player Nick Anderson, and his new team. 

“My guys gave a great effort,” Anderson said. “We are young and inexperienced but they showed me something. This is a great growing game for us. We’re gonna learn and continue to get better.”

Sophomore Larry Harris led the Lions with 13 points off the bench. Lee added 11 points and sophomore Jaylen Dickerson had eight points and eight rebounds. 

Keyshawn Barfield, a 6-9 junior, held his own against Kenwood’s 6-11 Jaden Smith (three points, six rebounds, five blocks) and 6-5 Calvin Robins (eight points, nine rebounds).

“You’re seen glimpses of how good [Barfield] could be right now,” Anderson said. “But you’re going to be really surprised by mid-season. By January he’s going to be something and by senior year he’s going to be really good.”

Lincoln Park has been the Public League’s sleeping basketball giant for a while. The school has experienced success over the last two decades under previous coaches Cyrus McGinnis, Tom Livatino and Pat Gordon. 

“The sky is the limit for us,” Anderson said. “I see nothing short of eventually winning the conference, the city championship and at some point the state championship.”

Anderson was joined on the bench by another Simeon alum, Lazeric Jones, who played at UCLA and spent last year with the Windy City Bulls. 

“We’ve been best friends since eighth grade,” Anderson said. “And basketball-wise we have always been locked in.”