Murray State University women’s basketball senior forward Katelyn Young is on pace to be one of the best players in program history.
Born in Oakwood, Illinois, Young picked up a basketball at an early age.
“I just started when I was really really young, I just kind of found a love for it… I think it was grade school,” Young said. “My whole family played it, too.”
Basketball is second nature to Young, as she found her passion for basketball through her father. David Young played basketball for Oakwood High School as well, and she continued the Oakwood Comet tradition.
Basketball wasn’t the only sport she played throughout high school. Young played four years of volleyball, two years of track and field and a year of softball. She was an All-County selection at least once in all three sports.
Katelyn’s decision on what sport to focus on came a tad easier than some other athletes, given her natural talent on the basketball court. She finished her high school career with 2,361 points and averaged a double-double in her senior year.
Young put up 18.5 points and 8.5 rebounds in her junior season, as well as 22.7 points and 10.9 rebounds a game in her senior year. She was a four-time Illinois Basketball Coaches Association All-State selection, earning a third-team nod in 2017, a second-team nod in 2018 and first-team selections in 2019 and 2020. She was also named to three different all-area conference teams by the Vermillion Valley Conference, the Danville Commercial News and the News-Gazette for her astounding 2019-20 season.
After high school, Katelyn knew that basketball was a pursuit she wanted to continue. The decision to come to Murray State was primarily influenced by the coaches and players.
“The relationship I have with Coach Turner and the rest of the staff made it easy,” Young said.“They made it feel like home, like they’re good people. I really enjoyed the girls, I bonded with them. We had really good visits, so it was just a really good fit.”
It absolutely was a good fit, as Young has dominated two different conferences in her three years as a Racer. She has put up 1,686 points and brought down 757 rebounds in her three years of collegiate basketball.
In her freshman year, Young started in all 27 games that she played in. She averaged 14.1 points, 9.3 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game in that 2020-21 season. She finished seventh in scoring and first in rebounding in the Ohio Valley Conference that year.
Young came to Murray State’s campus amidst COVID-19, which made it difficult to get acclimated.
“It was an adjustment,” Young said. “First being a freshman and then having to deal with COVID, so my sophomore year was kind of just me actually getting to know real-life college.”
In her sophomore year, Young averaged 20.1 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2 assists. She led the OVC in scoring and rebounding in the 2020-21 season. Her scoring efforts led the Racers to be the highest scoring offense in the conference that year.
She earned the OVC Player of the Week award a record eight times, the 2020-21 OVC Player of the Year award and a first team All-OVC selection. She was named to the OVC Commissioner’s Honor Roll, OVC All-Tournament team and was the semi-finalist for the Becky-Hammond Mid-Major Player of the Year award. Katelyn earned First AP All-American that season as well. She is the first in school history to receive the award.
After Murray State switched to the Missouri Valley Conference, there were questions about how the step up in competition would impact the Racers. The change of conferences wasn’t a problem for Young, as she continued to put up very good numbers.
Last year, her junior season, Young averaged a MVC high of 21.3 points, the fourth most rebounds numbered at 7.8 and 2.2 assists a game. She was the runner-up for the MVC Player of the Year award and earned honorable mention in the MVC Women’s Basketball Scholar Athlete Team and first team All-MVC.
Although she was a top player in the conference, it wasn’t enough in the MVC Player of the Year voters’ eyes. She had a very good case for the award, and she plans on using it as fuel to motivate her as she enters her senior season.
“I think it’s kind of a chip on the shoulder to try to prove them wrong and show them what I can do,” Young said.
Heading into the second year of the MVC, the Racers have taken a new scheme. Murray State has adopted a more physical approach, focusing on getting up and down the court. Good transitions means more open looks, something Young can take advantage of.
As the Racers near the start of the season, Young has her eyes set on dominating the MVC. After a 15-16 overall record and a 7-13 conference record, there is room for improvement.
“I think we’re going to go out there and prove people wrong,” Young said. “We were ranked seventh in a preseason poll, so we kind of have a chip on our shoulder to prove people wrong and prove that we are different.”
In her final year as a Racer, Young is very close to becoming the fifth player in program history to eclipse the 2,000 point milestone. Young was named to the Becky Hammond Mid-Major Player of the Year watchlist heading into this season. She has dominated just about every court she has stepped foot on. If Young can continue to play the same way she has for the past five seasons, it should be a fun ride this year.
