Three central Kentucky hoopsters make college choices known

Carter Hendricksen, a basketball senior at Lexington Christian, committed to North Florida over the weekend. The 6-foot-8 forward averaged 15.3 points and 8.1 rebounds — both team highs — for the Eagles as a junior. LCA went 23-9 last season and won its first 43rd District championship with a 58-36 victory over Lexington Catholic in the finals; Hendricksen had 21 points and 15 rebounds in that contest.

North Florida was Hendricksen’s only offer from a Division I program. Bellarmine University, Georgetown College and Embry-Riddle had also offered him, and his decision ultimately came down between the Ospreys, who made their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 2015, and Bellarmine, which won a Division II title in 2011.

“It was just the right place to chase my dreams,” Hendricksen wrote in a Twitter message to the Herald-Leader. “Bellarmine was a tough place to pass up because of their success and great coaches, but UNF was the best fit for me.”

He fell in love with North Florida following a visit over Labor Day weekend.

“Coach (Matthew) Driscoll and his assistants were great and made me feel at home,” Hendricksen wrote.

▪  Bellarmine didn’t come up empty-handed over the weekend. Cobe Penny, a senior guard at Anderson County, committed to the Knights on Saturday. Penny averaged 23 points and 6.7 rebounds and shot 40.8 percent from three-point range for the Bearcats, who went 21-12 and lost by one point in the 8th Region finals last season.

▪  Mercer County senior Emma Davis, who averaged 8.5 points and 3.4 rebounds for the defending girls’ Sweet Sixteen champions as a junior, committed to Tennessee-Martin on Wednesday.

This story was originally published September 28, 2017 at 7:14 PM with the headline "Three central Kentucky hoopsters make college choices known."