Commitment Report: Kaylee Nelson (2019)

It seems funny to be reporting that Kaylee Nelson will be playing college ball at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. Not that it’s a surprise or anything. Nelson had D1 as well as D2 offers and has always been regarded as a player with the chops to play at the next level. But, because she’s already been in the spotlight for so long, it is a surprise to stop and think and to recall that she’s still got 2 more years to play at Roseville high school.

Part of the difficulty drawing a bead on Kaylee Nelson is her almost lost sophomore year last year. She missed the first two-thirds of the season with a knee injury, and when she came back her scoring average dropped from 7 ppg her freshman year to 5 ppg as a 10th grader. And, then there’s the fact that she’s always been in a supporting role—for Kaia Porter and Jolisa Ross at Roseville, and for Taylie Scott and others with the Crossfire Theisen.

Kaylee describes herself as a pass-first combo guard who loves to play defense, and therein lies her appeal. She hasn’t scored a ton herself? No problem. She hasn’t been the star? No problem because she has helped players like Porter and Scott to grab the spotlight and to become star players themselves. More to the point, her team wins.

She’s the glue, the little things, the intangibles, she’s a winner, and that’s why she’s got a place in UMD’s future.

Now, it’s true that this coming winter at Roseville, more is expected of Kaylee. With Porter and Ross and 2 other guards graduated, Kaylee will in fact occupy the spotlight, though you can be sure that she’ll be sharing it with Jada Hood, Jayda Johnston and others. And I don’t know whether she’ll score a ton—well, maybe coach Crosby knows, maybe he’s got it mapped out, maybe Kaylee knows. But, I don’t know. I figure, if Roseville needs Kaylee to score, she’ll score. If they need other things, she’ll do other things. But, nobody thinks Kaylee is not ready to be a star player. So, let’s meet her.

Kaylee, when did you start playing basketball? Who got you started and how?

I started playing basketball when I was in kindergarten. My older sister was a basketball player so I wanted to be like her. Roseville has a program called Li’l Hoopers which was my first team.

When did you first realize that you might be pretty good at it? What were the circumstances?

I probably started to realize I was able to compete with some of the better players during travel basketball. In my 6th and 7th grade years, it seemed like we played the same top teams each weekend which included players from Wayzata, Forest Lake, Eastview, Centennial, Stillwater, etc. After my 6th grade travel season, I joined Crossfire Theisen and faced top players each night in practice and games.

How do you describe your game? What are the things you do best to help your teams win?

I take great pride in my defense and love getting the chance to guard the other team’s top scorers. On offense, I tend to be a pass first combo guard, capable of playing the 1 or 2. I see the floor, looking to find open players, keeping everyone involved. I also make good decisions and take care of the ball, limiting my turnovers. My shooting has improved, but I score most of my points by attacking and finishing at the rim. Lastly, basketball is a team sport and I embrace the role of helping my team succeed.

What are the things you're working on to get better at?

Like most players, I need to keep practicing my offensive skills. I certainly need to improve my midrange, pull-up game and continue to improve my ball handling. I also need to get to the weight room and increase my overall strength.

How would you compare high school ball versus summer ball? What do you like about each?

Roseville and Crossfire play very different styles of basketball on both sides of the ball. At Crossfire, we use a variety of full court and half court defensive schemes and try to play at a fast pace. Transition baskets are a big part of the Crossfire offense. At Roseville, we play tough, half court, man to man defense, no gimmicks. On offense, Roseville tends to focus more on half court sets. We slow the pace, making several passes before looking for a high percentage shot. I like that both programs have highly competitive and intense practices and both programs purposefully schedule tough competition.

Describe your recruiting process with UMD. What do you like about UMD? What finally influenced you to commit to UMD?

Over the past year, I visited several D1 and D2 colleges but felt UMD was the best fit for me. After attending the UMD camp, I toured the campus and met with the coaches. They did a great job describing their program and highlighting everything UMD has to offer. We kept in contact all summer. I really connected with the coaches and I like the direction Coach Pearson and Coach F (NOTE: that would be assistant coach Jenna Freudenburg) are taking the program. I also like the size of the campus and feel UMD has everything I need to be academically successful.

Who are you going to be playing with next summer?

At the moment, I am not planning to join an AAU team for next season. I plan to train with a couple of offensive skill coaches to improve my ball handling and focus on different parts of my game. I will also work out with the Roseville team and coaching staff. And lastly, I plan to spend a lot of time in the weight room doing various strength training and agility training routines.

What are your goals both personal and team this winter at Roseville?

Personally I want to stay healthy and stay on the court. My goal is to work hard and improve in each and every practice. I will bring my best effort at every game and do the little things to help our team win. At Roseville, our goal is to win the tough Suburban East Conference and make it to the State Tournament.

What advice would you give to younger girls who are just getting started and who think they might want to play basketball at the next level?

Believe in yourself and put in the necessary work to improve your physical strength and skills. Work hard on both ends of the court because you impact the game and can be noticed for your offense and defense. Make it a passion.