Kentucky WBB finalist for two important 2022 recruits
Kyra Elzy hasn’t made a huge splash in recruiting just yet for Kentucky Women’s Basketball, but she could be on the verge of making that happen very soon.
Kentucky is about to embark on the first official season with Elzy as the head coach going into 2021-22. She’s already been hitting the recruiting trail with ferocity, securing commitments from four-stars Saniah Tyler and Tionna Herron for the class of 2022. Those two join in-state prospect, sharpshooter Cassidy Rowe, in what could end up being a deep recruiting class for Elzy–and here’s why.
Two talented prospects from the class of 2022, Ashlyn Watkins and Amiya Jenkins, have announced their college finalists and both have Kentucky in the mix. Here’s what you need to know about the highly-rated duo.
Ashlyn Watkins: 6-foot-3, Post
Watkins is a nationally-rated five-star recruit out of Columbia, SC. At 6-foot-3, she’s one of the country’s best post players and has gone viral in the past for throwing down dunks in the eighth grade. On Tuesday, she posted to her Instagram account that Kentucky has made her top four, along with North Carolina, South Carolina, and Mississippi State.
Kentucky and former head coach Matthew Mitchell initially offered Watkins all the way back in July 2017, before she was even in high school or going viral for slamming on 10-foot rims. That relationship has clearly continued into the Elzy era, but pulling Watkins out of in-state powerhouse South Carolina will be an uphill battle.
What makes the recruitment even more complicated for Kentucky is the fact that two of Watkins’ former AAU teammates at FBC United, Raven Johnson and Kamilla Cardoso, are both in their first years playing at South Carolina.
The plan for Watkins is to make her final decision ahead of her senior season for Cardinal Newman High School, which begins in November. She also holds offers from big-name programs such as N.C. State and Tennessee.
Amiya Jenkins: 5-foot-10, Guard
Moving back to the Bluegrass State, Amiya Jenkins should be viewed as a must-get for Coach Elzy. Suiting up for Anderson County High School, the 5-foot-10 guard was named MaxPreps Player of the Year out of Kentucky last season. She was the engine behind the Anderson County squad that made it all the way to the Sweet 16 semifinals earlier this year.
There’s an argument to be made that Jenkins is the most talented player in the state of Kentucky, regardless of age. She’s ranked by ESPN as a four-star prospect and the 94th best player in the class of 2022.
On Wednesday afternoon, Jenkins dropped her top eight, which included the ‘Cats. Joining her list are Rutgers, Penn State, Dayton, Tennessee, Virginia Tech, Belmont, and Eastern Kentucky. Jenkins plays her AAU ball for Kentucky Premier.
“Amiya, simply put, is one of the best players in the state of Kentucky. We’ll just start right there,” Lady Bearcat head Coach Clay Birdwhistell said during this year’s Sweet 16, according to Chris Leach of The Anderson News. “What she’s able to do for our team is second to none. There’s some days she’ll have 10 deflections and some days she’ll have seven or eight steals and tonight we needed her to get rebounds.”
Outside of basketball, Jenkins is also an excellent track athlete. She currently owns the Anderson County school record in the 100-meter dash.
There is currently no timeline for Jenkins’ decision date, although she does intend on visiting Tennessee in September.
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