Derrick Webb, Staff Writer
WAVERLY — Waverly senior Kami Knight has found her future home.
The Tigers’ 5-foot-9 forward announced her commitment to play basketball at Cincinnati Christian University, Monday night via Twitter.
This past season, Knight led Waverly to 13 wins while posting 11.1 points per game. In 23 games, Knight totaled 254 points, 106 rebounds, 21 assists, 33 steals and 17 blocks.
Next winter, she’ll trade her Tiger stripes for Eagle’s wings.
“I picked CCU because I love the small campus and I love how everyone knows each other,” Knight said. “It just feels just like home to me. The coaches made me feel very comfortable and this is the place I needed to be.”
Knight admits she struggled with the decision to leave home.
CREDIT: Derrick Webb/SOSA
But with a coaching staff led by head coach Markell Cox and a roster full of approachable, future teammates, Knight couldn’t resist the urge to continue her basketball career.
“The coaches have always been up front and honest, along with a few players that I met on my campus visit,” Knight said. “One player knew I was struggling with not wanting to leave home and she reached out to me personally and talked to me about it.”
Since the beginning of her freshman year, playing college basketball has been a goal of Knight’s. Cincinnati Christian recruited her heavily, making sure they kept in contact for quite some time.
Their persistence finally paid off.
“I am very excited to play at the next level, especially for the coaches at CCU, and to meet new teammates and grow with them on this adventure,” Knight said. “The coaches were very excited when I called them and told them I was committing. We’ve been communicating for awhile and it felt good to finally make it official.”
This past year, the Eagles finished at 14-16 overall, ending their season with an 88-71 loss to Indiana University East in the quarterfinals of the River States Conference Tournament.
Upon her arrival on campus, Knight should immediately get the chance to compete for as starting spot. In her pursuit of that position, she’ll have the lessons she’s learned with coach John Bonifield and the Tigers in her back pocket.
And, of course, there’s always things she can improve upon before the seasons starts.
“The things I improved upon the most this year was my patience and knowing when to attack the basket and when to shoot the ball. I can probably improve on a few things, like getting quicker and especially playing better defense,” Knight said, smiling. “I just love the game and have loved it since I was little.”
Knight will now have the chance to compete close to home against programs like Rio Grande, Wilberforce and Ohio Christian, among others. Her supporters will be there to cheer her on.
Without her family, coaches and teammates, she wouldn’t be in the position she is in the first place.
“My parents have supported me a lot and got me to where I am today. I couldn’t be more blessed,” Knight said. “My coaches from Waverly have meant a lot to me because they pushed me to be better and they’ve been there since day one. I have learned a lot from every one of my teammates that I have ever played with me. From being the youngest on the team to the oldest, they have all taught me different things.”