'Her maturity level is through the roof.' Kenny Brooks praises Kaelyn Carroll ahead of freshman season

Kenny Brooks brought in just one freshman from the 2025 recruiting class, but after retaining much of last year’s roster and bringing in a few additions from the transfer portal, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

That freshman would end up being Kaelyn Carroll, the No. 16 overall prospect in On3’s Women’s Basketball Recruiting Rankings. The 6-foot-3 wing brings a ton of versatility and talent on the court, but some of her qualities as a player aren’t found in the stat sheet.

Despite just being a freshman this upcoming season, Carroll already possesses a level of maturity that really caught Brooks’ eye.

“KK is going to be a leader on the floor and off the floor,” Brooks told KSR in his interview on The Memorial Memo. “Her maturity level is through the roof. We entertained a lot of McDonald’s All-Americans in the fall here on campus — she was the one that we wanted because she was the one that was mature enough. Her game fit our philosophies.”

A big thing for Brooks and his teams is culture. There’s a reason why talks about getting the “right” players rather than just going after the “best” players. Carroll is going to a be big piece for Kentucky’s culture for the next several years.

“Her off the floor, you can have a conversation with her — and I’ve been recruiting her since we were at Virginia Tech — and just fell in love with her attitude, her demeanor,” Brooks added. “So, when we got her, we knew we got more than just a basketball player. We got someone that was gonna help our culture for the years to come. She’s going to be a leader. She’s going to help us recruit. I’m just excited to get her on campus and get going with her.”

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