By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Jayden McClain has three years of girls high school basketball remaining, but the 6-foot-6 Ryle center made a verbal commitment with the University of Kentucky last Thursday, according to a post on her X account.
“It just felt like the right time,” she said in an article on the KSR sports website.
One reason McClain chose the Wildcats was the way head coach Kenny Brooks used his post players last season when the team won two games in the NCAA tournament and finished with a 25-11 record.
“Sometimes they’re on the perimeter, sometimes they’re in the paint, and I want to do both, not just sit in the paint,” she said.
Last March, McClain was invited to the USA Basketball junior national minicamp after her freshman season at Ryle.
She averaged 12.8 points, 8.4 rebounds and 4.7 blocks per game. On offense, she shot 54.6 percent (159 of 291) from the field and 79.3 percent (69 of 87) at the line.
In three varsity seasons, McClain has totaled 767 points, 594 rebounds and more than 275 blocks for the Raiders.
The Ryle girls basketball program has produced several Division I college players. Jaelyn Jones, a senior guard last season, was recruited by Western Illinois University, a team that went to the NCAA national tournament.
Cooper basketball player expands college recruiting list
Cooper basketball player Haylee Noel continues to attract college scholarship offers from NCAA Division I women’s teams this summer.
The 5-foot-10 guard recently picked up offers from Boston College, Bradley University in Illinois and High Point University in North Carolina, according to postings on her X account.
Other teams recruiting her include Missouri, Western Kentucky, Cincinnati, NKU, Cleveland State, Middle Tennessee State, South Florida, North Carolina-Wilmington and Seton Hall in New Jersey.
Noel was named 9th Region Player of the Year and first-team all-state after her junior season. She averaged 20.4 points and 7.6 rebounds and shot 88 percent (139 of 158) from the free throw line.
She will enter her senior year with career totals of 1,685 points and 782 rebounds for the Jaguars, who have won 20 or more games five consecutive seasons.
CovCath graduate added to Kansas City Royals roster
Covington Catholic graduate Luke Maile returned to Major League Baseball last week when the Kansas City Royals called up the 35-year-old catcher from its Triple-A minor league team.
Maile was added to the Royals’ roster because starting catcher Salvador Perez has been unable to play due to soreness in his left elbow. While he recovers, the team will have Maile as a backup behind Carter Jensen.
This season, Maile played in 28 Triple-A games with the Omaha Storm Chasers. He had a .202 batting average (18 for 89) with two home runs and nine RBI.
Maile played in 25 games with the Royals last season. Over the last 11 years, he has been in 465 major league games with six teams, including the Cincinnati Reds.