Prospect Spotlight: Kaeli Ross (2021)
Kaeli Ross is only a Sophomore but the Russell High guard is catching the eye of multiple colleges after a very solid season. Ross averaged a team high 14.8 points per game for Red Devils and is already looking forward…
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Continue ReadingKaeli Ross is only a Sophomore but the Russell High guard is catching the eye of multiple colleges after a very solid season. Ross averaged a team high 14.8 points per game for Red Devils and is already looking forward to a good AAU season. I recently caught up with Ross to discuss her basketball abilities and her college recruitment to this point. Ross describes her game as, “I’m definitely a player that likes to get my teammates involved. i like to help my teammates out and encourage them when they’re getting down on themselves. I’m also a scorer. When we’re in a tight situation and we need to score I’ll do everything i can to score or get a fouled called and get to the free throw line.” Kaeli already has a good grasp on her strengths on the court and what she has to keep working on, “My biggest strength on the court would be my shooting ability. I’m comfortable shooting the 3 pointer and jump shot. Another strength would be my passing ability, I like to pass the ball ahead for a easy transition basket or drive to the basket and kick it out for a three. I definitely need to improve on my speed and my defense.”
Russell had a strong season, going 27-6 and finishing a game short of Rupp Arena after losing to Boyd County in the regional title game. Kaeli told me that her team exceeded all expectations, “My high school season went a lot better than anyone expected it to go. At the beginning, we were ranked 7th in our region and that didn’t settle well with us. We ended up with a record of 27-6 and going to the regional championship, it didn’t end up as we would have like it to but it still was a great season all around.” Ross also has fond memories of a game where they knocked off one of the state’s powerhouse programs, “A game that stood was when we played GRC who was ranked 3rd in the state. I was really nervous for the game because I didn’t know what to expect. We went out and end up beating them 57-46. I ended up playing one of my best games against them scoring 21 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals. It was the highlight of this season for me and my team.”
With the high school season behind her, Ross is looking forward to a good AAU season and hopefully her first scholarship offers. “This AAU season I’m playing for South Central Basketball Club. My expectations for this season is for us to go out and win a majority of the tourneys we’re attending, I have a lot of faith in my team and think we’re really good.” It’s very early in the recruiting process but Kaeli is already hearing from a trio of schools. She told me that Youngstown State, Ball State and NKU have all be in touch already. Kaeli has high hopes for the rest of her high school career also, “My individual goals I hope to achieve for the rest of my high school career are to reach my 1,000 by the beginning of my junior year, make it to state, and just improve my game all around as much as possible.”