Kentucky originally had just one freshman in its 2025 class in Kaelyn Carroll before they got a commitment from Swedish big Elsa Vadfors in May. Landing Carroll was a big deal for Kenny Brooks and the staff for a number of reasons.
Carroll, the No. 16 player in Rivals’ Women’s Basketball Recruiting Rankings, is one of the best incoming freshmen this season. However, she’s just as good a character as she is a basketball player.
“KK, she’s special on and off the floor,” Brooks said in his first media availability of the summer. “I think she’s 18, but she acts like she’s 38. She just has a wealth of knowledge. She’s witty, she understands everything, but she’s also a physical presence. When she came in — and I kid you not — we thought she was 6’3″, but I think she grew an inch, and she’s like 6’4″.”
He’s not lying about her growth spurt either. When the staff first offered her, she was in the 6-foot-1 to 6-foot-2 range. Now, like Brooks said, she’s 6-foot-4 and pushing 6-foot-5. Some of the players on the team recently hung out with some special olympics athletes at WinStar Farm, and they took a group photo together.
Carroll appears to be just as tall as Clara Strack (6-foot-5) and Amelia Hassett (6-foot-3). It’s certainly close.
“She shoots the basketball as well as anybody that I’ve seen. Her IQ is really high,” Brooks said, continuing to praise the five-star forward. “Those are the things that we covet. When we got her, we knew it was special because not only did we think she was going to help us on the floor, we felt like she was going to help us in recruiting, in the locker room. She is a seamless fit with her attitude, and she’s a lot of fun to be around.”
He continued, “She’s got that typical Northern, Boston quick wit, tells a joke and I have to think about it for three seconds before I get it, but she’s that smart… We’re excited for her. I think she’s going to contribute a lot for us as a freshman.”
It’ll be exciting to see Carroll in action this season, and hopefully, we get a glimpse at her personality along the way.
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