Jakob Milani
Staff Writer
Freshman forward Katelyn Young has burst onto the scene as a legitimate OVC Freshman of the Year candidate, becoming the post presence Murray State women’s basketball has lacked in recent years.
For those watching the Racers’ first game of the season against now-ranked No. 15 University of Kentucky, there was an unfamiliar face on the floor.
This 6’1” forward was in the starting lineup leading the charge for Murray State. That forward from Oakwood, Illinois, was none other than Young.
While the Racers might’ve fallen short to one of the best teams in the country, Young nabbed the first double-double of her career at 14 points and 14 rebounds in her first career game.
That day in Lexington, Kentucky, served as a breakthrough for Young, who is now a dominant force for the Racers game in and game out.
Before coming to Murray State, Young attended Oakwood High School in Oakwood, Illinois. She was an AP Class 2A All-State selection during all four years of high school. Young was also a four-time Illinois Coaches Association All-State selection and was named to three different all-area/conference teams in 2020. She finished her high school career with 2,361 points and averaged 22.7 points per game and 10.9 rebounds per game her senior year.
She is averaging 13.2 ppg and 9.5 rpg on the season, which puts her at second and first on the team, respectively.
Young has won a total of five OVC Freshman of the Week awards so far this season and looks to add more with just three weeks remaining in the schedule.
Young has talked throughout the season about her role on the team and her game plan for each game. After her performance against Mississippi Valley State, a game in which she scored 20 points and shot 6-6 from the free throw line, she discussed the ways she liked to score in the game.
“I just like trying to be our big up inside, make my moves in there,” Young said. “But I had most of my shots from the outside, which I like being versatile. I like being able to score outside or stay down.”
Head Coach Rechelle Turner has given Young high praise all season, especially when it comes to her ability to rebound and score.
Turner said during the recruiting process that Young could be a program-changing player and she believes that’s been the case.
“Because we have Katelyn on the inside, when we establish her early it forces us to score from the outside,” Turner said. “When we can make shots after we’ve established her early, that makes us a whole different offensive team. Katelyn’s a green light shooter every single week from 15 to 17 feet.”
Young has already set some impressive career highs in her freshman season, including 27 points against Indiana State on a career best 11-14 shooting. Her highest number of rebounds in a game is now 16, which she has tallied twice already this season, once against Belmont and once against Jacksonville State. Young has also shot well from the field, making an impressive 49.7% of her shots from the field on the year.
The ceiling is high for Young in her college career. With just a few weeks remaining until the OVC Tournament, Young hopes to get another Freshman of the Week award, something that seems very possible with the season she has had so far.
