Scott to focus on basketball at Union | Sports

MOUNT WASHINGTON – If there is a negative from going from high school sports to college sports, is that there are few multi-sport athletes at the college level.

That will be the case for Bullitt East senior Kennedy Scott as she moves on to play basketball at Union Commonwealth University in Barbourville, Kentucky (often just called Union College, but Scott likes to use the full name when she talks about her future home).

While at Bullitt East, the youngest daughter of Lady Charger assistant coach Christal Scott and Ed Scott, was a member of the powerful girls’ basketball program run by her uncle, Chris Stallings, for five years and was a varsity team member for three years. At the same time, Scott played tennis for four seasons, reaching the championship match in doubles (with different partners) each of those four campaigns while twice winning the Sixth Region title. Each of the past two seasons she has been a key part of the Lady Chargers’ winning the team title, advancing to the final eight of the state tournament this past season.

But as a senior, Scott decided that basketball was the route that she wanted to follow at the next level. That was solidified in his college selection as Union does not even have a tennis program.

“It was all basketball,” she said of the sport in which her two older sisters also played while in college. “I looked into several places but nothing really came from that (about playing tennis). I was looking for basketball. I guess I always knew that it would be basketball.

“I love playhing tennis and in college I could have done that,” the senior said. “But basketball is what I want to do.”

Scott was not a high school standout. She started only a handful of games over her last two seasons and she never averaged more than 1.1 points per game as she did her senior season. But Scott checked many of the boxes for being a strong team member and a leader. Coming from a family of basketball coaches and players, she knows the game and is strong on defense.

The 18-year-old just felt that Union was the best opportunity for her.

“It was a good community,” Scott said on the day of her signing ceremony in the Buliltt East Media Center with coaches, family and teammates present. “I liked the coaches and some of the players and they were really nice. I thought it would be a good fit.”

Scott’s two older sisters, Kathleen (Scott) Henry and Caroline Scott, both played college basketball after playing for their mother and uncle at Bullitt East.

Kennedy Scott is wanting to major in Elementary Education at her next stop.

“I’ve always known that was what I wanted to do,” she said. “I definitely want to teach and maybe coach.”

The most important thing about being a basketball player is lost on some general fans.

“I loved just hanging out with all of my teammates,” she said of her favorite memory while at Bullitt East.

Basketball has always been a part of Scott’s life. She was playing the sport by the time she was in kindergarten and was part of the East Lady Charger program since she was in the second grade. She then played three years under her mother at Mount Washington Middle School. She moved into the Bullitt East program after her middle school season ended as an 8th-grader and she moved to the Lady Charger squad. By a sophomore she was a member of the varsity program.

Unlike the ‘old’ days, many high school seniors do their own recruiting through the internet. Chris Stallings said that his main job now is counseling the players on what programs might best fit their skill level.

“I think this is a good fit for her,” the coach said on the day of Scott’s signing. “We have been blessed here (to have so many go on and play in college). I’m proud of her.

“What I try to do now is help guide them about what school to contact,” the long-time coach said. “It was good that Union had seen her play. Coach (Aleka) Carr is new there. She went and visited and then made a second trip and she was sold.”

It also didn’t hurt her college options that she was one of the top-10 graduates in her class at Bullitt East.

“She knows what she wants to do after college,” Stallings noted. “Union was a great fit for that.”

The player is only 5-4 so her college playing position options are limited.

“They said we would play that by ear,” Scott said with a smile. “It just depends. Other than playing in the post I am up to try anything.”

Scott will be joining a Union program that posted a 10-19 record last season. The season ended for the Lady Bulldogs in the opening round of the AAC Tournament with a 60-57 loss to Tennessee Wesleyan in a game playing Kingsport, Tennessee.

Union is an NAIA program that plays in the Appalachian Athletic Conference.