There were always options to play college basketball for Brooklyn Bailey. She just wasn’t sure the desire was there to continue her career – until her senior season at Triton Central ended with a sectional loss to Eastern Hancock.
“When the season actually ended it finally set in,” said Bailey Tuesday afternoon while taking a break working at her church’s day care. “I knew I still wanted to play.”
Bailey already had some campus visits and was set to visit Indiana University Columbus, which will field a women’s basketball team for the first time later this year, when she got a call from new Kaskaskia College head coach Perry Michael.
“It was the night before my visit to IU Columbus that the Kaskaskia coach reached out,” she recalled. “He wanted me to come for a visit. I thought I really didn’t know about (Kaskaskia) and I liked IUC. Then I went to Kaskaskia and fell in love right there and then.”
Bailey, the reigning Shelby County Tournament Most Valuable Player, averaged 12.3 points and a team-high 7.6 rebounds per game for the Tigers, who finished 17-7 this past season.
“Kaskaskia College really stuck out to me … the atmosphere … the school reminded me a lot of Triton Central,” she said.
Just over three months after her final basketball game as a Tiger, Bailey committed to the junior college located in Centralia, Illinois. She will study Nursing and get her Associates Degree before determining if she wants to transfer to a four-year school to continue her education and basketball career.
Bailey was a force in the low post for Triton Central and that should continue at Kaskaskia where she believes she will be one of three dedicated low post players. There also may be more opportunities to work as a guard where her basketball fundamentals and game acumen could make her a mismatch problem for opposing teams.
“Our program at Triton Central helped me get ready for the college level,” said Bailey.
Bailey grew up around the Fairland basketball program after starting in Triton Youth Athletic Association games at the age of four. During her four-year varsity career, Bailey played in 88 games and averaged 8.8 points and 6.2 rebounds.
The Tigers went 74-21 over that four-year span and were a perfect 28-0 in Indiana Crossroads Conference games. Triton Central also won two sectional titles during Bailey’s career.
“I am ready to start a new chapter and be able to look back at my high school and say it was so good,” said Bailey, “but I am ready to start a new chapter.”
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