2020-21 Men's Water Polo Roster
Roster
Kenney, Makoto
GK
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DEF
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ATK
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Jersey Number 22
Makoto Kenney
- Position:
- Attacker
- Height:
- 6-3
- Class:
- Freshman
- Hometown:
- Costa Mesa, Calif.
- High School:
- Newport Harbor HS
Bio
UCLA Career Highlights
• ACWPC All-American (Second Team - 2023)
• 4-time All-MPSF (First Team - 2023, 2024; Second Team - 2020; Honorable Mention - 2022)
• NCAA All-Tournament Team (Second Team - 2023)
• MPSF Newcomer of the Year (2020)
• 2-time MPSF Player of the Week (Feb. 1, 2021; Sept. 23, 2024)
• 5-time ACWPC All-Academic Honors (Superior - 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024; Excellent - 2021)
• 4-time MPSF All-Academic Team (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
• 4-time Pac-12 Fall All-Academic Team (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023)
• 11-time UCLA Athletic Director's Honor Roll (Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Winter 2022, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Winter 2023, Spring 2023, Fall 2023, Winter 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2024)
2024
Played in 25 of 28 games … scored 15 goals on 49 attempts, converting at a 30.6 percent rate … was fourth on the team in total points (60) with 45 assists (first on the team) … scored a season-high four goals in a win vs. No. 7 Princeton (Sept. 20) … he scored at least one goal in 10 of the 25 games he played, including three multiple-goal games, and one game with a hat trick … scored at least one goal in four straight games (Sept. 8 to Sept. 20) … was eighth on the team in steals (12) and third in field blocks (13) … also drew six exclusions (tied for ninth on the team).
2023
Played in 21 of 29 games … scored 27 goals on 62 attempts, converting at a 43.5 percent rate … finished third on the team in total points (68) and ninth in the MPSF … led the team in assists with 41 which ranked fourth in the MPSF … scored at least one goal in 14 of the 21 games he played in, including eight multiple-goal games … scored three or more goals in back-to-back games twice (Oct. 7 - Oct. 8 and Oct. 18 - Oct. 20) … scored a season-high four goals in a win at No. 2 California on Oct. 7 … also registered nine field blocks, 14 steals, and seven drawn exclusions.
2022
Played in 16 of 27 games … scored 21 goals (fifth on team) on 44 attempts, converting at a 47.7 percent rate … was fifth on the team in total points (40) with 19 assists (fifth on the team) … scored a season-high four goals in a win over No. 7 Long Beach State (Sept. 9) … he scored at least one goal in 11 of the 16 games he played, including seven multiple-goal games, and two games with a hat trick … scored at least one goal in a season-best four straight games (Oct. 10 to Oct. 20) … also registered five steals, eight drawn exclusions, and six field blocks.
2021
Played in 22 of 24 games … scored 14 goals on 39 attempts, converting at a 35.9 percent rate … was ninth on the team in total points (25) with 11 assists (eighth on the team) … scored a season-high three goals two times on the year (in a loss at No. 2 USC on Nov. 6 and in an overtime loss to No. 3 California on Dec. 4) … he scored at least one goal in 10 of the 22 games he played, including two multiple goal games, and two games with a hat trick … scored at least one goal in a season-best three straight games (Sept. 11 to Sept. 17) … also registered nine steals, six drawn exclusions, and four field blocks.
2020
Played in 12 games … named the MPSF Newcomer of the Year (just the second Bruin all-time to earn the distinction, joining Garrett Danner in 2013) … named MPSF/KAP7 Player of the Week (Feb. 1, 2021) when he made his collegiate debut and scored a game-high and season-best five goals on just six shots in leading the No. 2 Bruins to a 15-9 home-opening win over No. 5 Pepperdine (Jan. 30, 2021) … finished fourth on the team in scoring with 20 goals on 46 shots, which ranked sixth in the MPSF (1.7 goals per game) … also finished fifth on the team in total points (26 - six assists) and added eight steals, four exclusions drawn, and two field blocks … scored in 10 of the 12 contests he played … logged goals in a season-high seven consecutive games (his first seven) and registered five multiple-goal contests including three hat tricks.
Team USA
Was a member of the 2018-19 Men’s Youth National Team roster … competed in the 2018 UANA Pan-American Youth Water Polo Championship in Clearwater, Fla. … found the back of the net three times in Team USA’s silver-medal finish in 2018.
High School/Club
Was a four-year varsity letterwinner in water polo at Newport Harbor High School under coach Ross Sinclair… named to All-CIF Southern Section Division I team in 2018 and 2019 … earned All-Orange County first team in 2018 and 2019 … notched three goals, three assists, three exclusions drawn and two field blocks in the 2019 CIF Southern Section Division I semifinal win over Loyola to lead the Sailors to back-to-back championship games … earned the Daily Pilot’s Dream Team Player of the Year honor in 2017 … scored a 360-backhand shot off of a foul in a 2017 league match to send the game to overtime where Newport Harbor eventually won the Sunset League title … led NHHS to its first league title and a CIF semifinal for the first time in four years … played club for Newport Beach Water Polo … helped the team finish sixth at the 2018 Junior Olympics … led the 12U team to a bronze finish in the 2014 Junior Olympics’ Platinum Division and earned first-team All-American honors.
Personal
Full name: Makoto James Kenney … born in Pasadena, Calif. … his mother is Waka Kenney … says he chose UCLA because of its strong athletic department… describes his greatest athletic thrill as “winning games” … lists Damian Lillard as the athlete he admires most … lists basketball as a hobby … is half Japanese … majoring in political science.
• ACWPC All-American (Second Team - 2023)
• 4-time All-MPSF (First Team - 2023, 2024; Second Team - 2020; Honorable Mention - 2022)
• NCAA All-Tournament Team (Second Team - 2023)
• MPSF Newcomer of the Year (2020)
• 2-time MPSF Player of the Week (Feb. 1, 2021; Sept. 23, 2024)
• 5-time ACWPC All-Academic Honors (Superior - 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024; Excellent - 2021)
• 4-time MPSF All-Academic Team (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
• 4-time Pac-12 Fall All-Academic Team (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023)
• 11-time UCLA Athletic Director's Honor Roll (Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Winter 2022, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Winter 2023, Spring 2023, Fall 2023, Winter 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2024)
2024
Played in 25 of 28 games … scored 15 goals on 49 attempts, converting at a 30.6 percent rate … was fourth on the team in total points (60) with 45 assists (first on the team) … scored a season-high four goals in a win vs. No. 7 Princeton (Sept. 20) … he scored at least one goal in 10 of the 25 games he played, including three multiple-goal games, and one game with a hat trick … scored at least one goal in four straight games (Sept. 8 to Sept. 20) … was eighth on the team in steals (12) and third in field blocks (13) … also drew six exclusions (tied for ninth on the team).
2023
Played in 21 of 29 games … scored 27 goals on 62 attempts, converting at a 43.5 percent rate … finished third on the team in total points (68) and ninth in the MPSF … led the team in assists with 41 which ranked fourth in the MPSF … scored at least one goal in 14 of the 21 games he played in, including eight multiple-goal games … scored three or more goals in back-to-back games twice (Oct. 7 - Oct. 8 and Oct. 18 - Oct. 20) … scored a season-high four goals in a win at No. 2 California on Oct. 7 … also registered nine field blocks, 14 steals, and seven drawn exclusions.
2022
Played in 16 of 27 games … scored 21 goals (fifth on team) on 44 attempts, converting at a 47.7 percent rate … was fifth on the team in total points (40) with 19 assists (fifth on the team) … scored a season-high four goals in a win over No. 7 Long Beach State (Sept. 9) … he scored at least one goal in 11 of the 16 games he played, including seven multiple-goal games, and two games with a hat trick … scored at least one goal in a season-best four straight games (Oct. 10 to Oct. 20) … also registered five steals, eight drawn exclusions, and six field blocks.
2021
Played in 22 of 24 games … scored 14 goals on 39 attempts, converting at a 35.9 percent rate … was ninth on the team in total points (25) with 11 assists (eighth on the team) … scored a season-high three goals two times on the year (in a loss at No. 2 USC on Nov. 6 and in an overtime loss to No. 3 California on Dec. 4) … he scored at least one goal in 10 of the 22 games he played, including two multiple goal games, and two games with a hat trick … scored at least one goal in a season-best three straight games (Sept. 11 to Sept. 17) … also registered nine steals, six drawn exclusions, and four field blocks.
2020
Played in 12 games … named the MPSF Newcomer of the Year (just the second Bruin all-time to earn the distinction, joining Garrett Danner in 2013) … named MPSF/KAP7 Player of the Week (Feb. 1, 2021) when he made his collegiate debut and scored a game-high and season-best five goals on just six shots in leading the No. 2 Bruins to a 15-9 home-opening win over No. 5 Pepperdine (Jan. 30, 2021) … finished fourth on the team in scoring with 20 goals on 46 shots, which ranked sixth in the MPSF (1.7 goals per game) … also finished fifth on the team in total points (26 - six assists) and added eight steals, four exclusions drawn, and two field blocks … scored in 10 of the 12 contests he played … logged goals in a season-high seven consecutive games (his first seven) and registered five multiple-goal contests including three hat tricks.
Team USA
Was a member of the 2018-19 Men’s Youth National Team roster … competed in the 2018 UANA Pan-American Youth Water Polo Championship in Clearwater, Fla. … found the back of the net three times in Team USA’s silver-medal finish in 2018.
High School/Club
Was a four-year varsity letterwinner in water polo at Newport Harbor High School under coach Ross Sinclair… named to All-CIF Southern Section Division I team in 2018 and 2019 … earned All-Orange County first team in 2018 and 2019 … notched three goals, three assists, three exclusions drawn and two field blocks in the 2019 CIF Southern Section Division I semifinal win over Loyola to lead the Sailors to back-to-back championship games … earned the Daily Pilot’s Dream Team Player of the Year honor in 2017 … scored a 360-backhand shot off of a foul in a 2017 league match to send the game to overtime where Newport Harbor eventually won the Sunset League title … led NHHS to its first league title and a CIF semifinal for the first time in four years … played club for Newport Beach Water Polo … helped the team finish sixth at the 2018 Junior Olympics … led the 12U team to a bronze finish in the 2014 Junior Olympics’ Platinum Division and earned first-team All-American honors.
Personal
Full name: Makoto James Kenney … born in Pasadena, Calif. … his mother is Waka Kenney … says he chose UCLA because of its strong athletic department… describes his greatest athletic thrill as “winning games” … lists Damian Lillard as the athlete he admires most … lists basketball as a hobby … is half Japanese … majoring in political science.
| Makoto Kenney's Career Statistics | ||||||||
| Year | GP | GOALS | SHOTS | PCT | AST | STL | FB | EE |
| 2020 | 12 | 20 | 46 | .435 | 6 | 8 | 2 | 4 |
| 2021 | 22 | 14 | 39 | .359 | 11 | 9 | 4 | 6 |
| 2022 | 16 | 21 | 44 | .477 | 19 | 5 | 6 | 8 |
| 2023 | 21 | 27 | 62 | .435 | 41 | 14 | 9 | 7 |
| 2024 | 25 | 15 | 49 | .306 | 45 | 12 | 13 | 6 |
| Totals | 96 | 97 | 240 | .404 | 122 | 48 | 34 | 31 |
UCLA Men's Water Polo Ring Reveal
Wednesday, August 27
2024 UCLA Men's Water Polo NCAA Champions
Thursday, December 12
Highlights - UCLA M. Water Polo Celebrates NCAA Title
Sunday, December 08
Highlights - UCLA M. Water Polo vs. USC, NCAA Championship (Dec. 8, 2024)
Sunday, December 08
