By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Reid Jolly is looking forward to going to tryouts for the Kentucky All-Stars basketball team on Saturday and putting college recruiting out of his mind for a little while.
After exceptional seasons in both football and basketball, the Campbell County High School senior has received an interesting mix of recruiting offers and he’s having a hard time making a decision.
Reid Jolly
“It’s just draining me,” he said. “It’s pretty much all I can think about now.”
The 6-foot-5, 195-pound teen-ager said the NCAA Division I football programs at Kentucky and Cincinnati want to bring him in as a walk-on and give him an opportunity for a scholarship after his freshman year.
In basketball, Jolly received full scholarship offers from Malone and Christian Brothers, which both compete on the NCAA Division II level. He’s also being recruited by Thomas More, which is now offering full scholarships as a new member of the NAIA.
The day before John Brannen resigned as Northern Kentucky University’s head basketball coach, he asked Jolly to join that NCAA Division I team as a walk-on.
“I don’t know how that’s going to turn out now that he’s gone,” Jolly said of Brannen leaving to become the new head coach at the University of Cincinnati.
With all that swirling around in his mind, you can see why the Kentucky All-Stars tryout session on Saturday will provide a welcome respite for Jolly.
Reid Jolly averaged 22.5 points and 9.9 rebounds for the Camels his senior season. (Photo by Dale Dawn)
“It’s stressful,” he said. “At the end, it’s my decision. People tell me I should go different places, but it’s whatever makes me the happiest.”
Jolly said basketball has always been his favorite sport and he’s “leaning toward” playing that in college.
If he’s selected for the Kentucky All-Stars, he’ll finish his high school basketball career playing against Indiana’s top seniors on June 7 at Bellarmine University in Louisville and June 8 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Anyone who watched Jolly in the “Sweet 16” state basketball tournament last month knows why he received an invitation to the Kentucky All-Stars tryouts. He scored 60 points and grabbed 27 rebounds in three games to lead Campbell County to the semifinals for the first time in the program’s history.
He was named to the state all-tournament team and received the Ultimate Teammate Award that recognizes a player who does more than scoring to help his team win.
“I think some (college) teams would be happy if they could land him to play some basketball,” Campbell County coach Aric Russell said after the team’s season-ending loss. “He does so much, and for a kid his size and strength to be able to handle the ball and shoot it the way he does, there’s some teams missing out on him.”
Jolly ended up averaging 22.5 points and 9.9 rebounds in his senior season. He was named 10th Region Player of the Year and voted one of the top 10 players in Kentucky in statewide coaches polls for leading the Camels to a 31-5 record.
His football statistics were also impressive. He was the leading pass receiver in Northern Kentucky last fall with 921 yards on 63 receptions and nine touchdowns.
