Kaelyn Carroll's big college decision has been several years in the making.
The Dedham, Mass., native grew up dreaming of playing at the next level, inspired partially by her mom, Sue, a former player at New Hampshire. Her dream became reality quickly when Carroll received her first scholarship offer in the summer before eighth grade.
In the four-plus years since, Carroll's offer count would surpass 40 as she rose to become ESPN's 15th-ranked senior nationwide and New England's top high school prospect. During the fall, as Carroll took her time with official visits and other big-name recruits committed, attention gravitated to Tabor's 6-foot-2 forward.
She's now ready to declare her next chapter. Carroll is committing to Kentucky, she told New England Basketball Journal, and will become the Wildcats' highest-ranked recruit since coach Kenny Brooks took over the program in March. She chose Kentucky over finalists including South Carolina, Virginia Tech, Ohio State, Minnesota, North Carolina and Villanova.
"It was kind of a hard decision at first, just because of all the amazing opportunities I had," Carroll said. "But just talking through it with my parents for a couple weeks after my last visit, we definitely decided that Kentucky was the best fit for me, and that my relationship with Kenny was just really strong. So I think I just knew that Saturday morning, and I let him know."
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Brooks first offered Carroll nearly three years ago when he was still at Virginia Tech, leading the Hokies to new heights. They made four straight NCAA Tournament appearances from 2021-2024, including a milestone 2022-23 season that saw them earn a No. 1 seed and make the Final Four.
But suddenly, following a second-round loss to Baylor last March, Brooks departed, signing a 5-year, $7.7 million contract with Kentucky. The news surprised many, including Carroll, but Brooks was quick to offer her again as a Wildcat in the spring. Carroll took note of Brooks' success building programs up — he had turned James Madison into a mid-major powerhouse before arriving at Virginia Tech in 2015 — and trusted his track record.
"I just know how much of an amazing coach he is and that he knows what he's doing," Carroll said. "I think we can already tell by some of the games they've been playing that he's really determined to change this whole program around."
The Wildcats, ranked 20th in the AP poll at 3-0, are off to a strong start under Brooks. Leading the way are a few transfers who followed Brooks from Virginia Tech to Kentucky, including star guard Georgia Amoore. Amoore's transfer was also heavily publicized last season, and Carroll saw it as a sign of how much players enjoyed competing for Brooks.
"I think that by her announcing that, I was like, 'OK, that's super cool, they're gonna do great there,'" she said. "But even just some of the younger girls too — like Clara Strack (another transfer from Virginia Tech), we can already see that she's doing amazing — so it's just super cool to see."
Brooks was one of the earlier coaches to offer Carroll, and he and his staff built a close relationship with her family. Carroll's ascension came despite several injury hurdles. Between her sophomore and junior seasons, she overcame meniscus surgery, a torn quad, a sprained ankle and a concussion. Brooks stayed in communication with Carroll throughout the ups and downs.
"Three years is a long time, and he never shied away," Carroll said. "He was always constantly texting me and calling me, especially through injuries and stuff like that. They always stayed in touch, and that definitely was important to me."
Carroll's versatility helped her contribute to Tabor's NEPSAC Class AA championship team when she was a freshman, and Tabor is expected to contend for a AAA title this winter. Over the summer, she ended her Bay State Jaguars AAU career on a high note, also earning an invite to U.S. U-18 national team tryouts, the Under Armour Next all-star game and other prestigious camps.
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The preseason All-New Englander is a prolific shooter with an elite handle at her size. She's also grown into her physical strength and wants to keep developing it for when she gets to college. Carroll appreciated the detail Brooks used in projecting her translation to Kentucky; he would often send her clips of players on his teams succeeding in ways that she could replicate.
"I think that Coach Kenny just really zoomed in on that versatility and really let me know the exact ways he's going to use me: outside on the 3, but also (to) find that mismatch in the paint, and that's something I've been learning a lot in high school as well," she said.
Carroll was the third-highest-ranked uncommitted player in the country prior to her decision. College coaches from her finalist schools frequently showed face at Tabor's open gyms, and those programs rolled out the red carpet for her unofficial visits that spanned September through early November. Like with Brooks, Carroll had gotten to know some of those coaches for years. Others — like Dawn Staley at South Carolina — made a meaningful impact late in the process.
"I think it was very hard (to tell them no)," Carroll said. "I knew that Kentucky was the school for me, so it was great to say yes to them, but definitely just ending relationships with some of the coaches that have recruited me just as long as him (was hard), or just some of the new relationships. Like Dawn Staley, she recently just recruited me, but we still developed a great, great relationship. So that really hurt to stop talking to them, but it was great to kind of just hear from them that they're still wishing me luck and that they're happy that I've found the right fit for me."
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Carroll admitted that her recruiting process felt overwhelming at times as she grappled with the pressure of making the right choice. But when she took a step back, remembered that she had earned all these options and that having them was a blessing, Carroll had better perspective on her position as a recruit. It gave her the confidence to choose the path she wants and help Kentucky build toward a new era.
"There were definitely nights where I was super stressed out and definitely just didn't have an idea of what I should do," she said. "And I think I just needed to remind myself how big of an opportunity this is, and really live in the moment, because this whole process only really happens once, and to be able to be recruited by all these top schools is very, very cool. So just reminding myself that I'm super blessed and super grateful for all these opportunities, no matter how much pressure it is or such a hard decision."
