So, how did Kamryn Kitchen spend her summer?
She spent a lot of time in the gym, working on her game. But she found time to hang out with friends, do a little traveling, and play some one-on-one with Steph Curry.
“That happened at camp,” Kitchen said, recalling her time at Curry’s camp in California. “I guess it was a busy offseason.”
Kitchen’s one-on-one drill with the Golden State Warriors’ star got plenty of attention on social media, but Kitchen isn’t left wanting for attention.
A 5-9 junior guard, she is a four-star recruit, with nearly two dozen offers and undoubtedly more on the way.
The college stuff is all in the future. Right now, Kitchen said, she is concentrating on her role as shooting guard on an Independence High team that has big aspirations this season after a 25-4 campaign in 2022-23.
Patriots improved?
“I’m really excited about what we can do this season,” said Kitchen, who averaged 13.8 points and 3.3 assists per game as a sophomore.
“Everyone on our roster spends every practice trying to get better,” she said. “Everyone wants to learn, to improve.”
Kitchen said she thinks the Patriots will be even better this season.
“We’ve got our point guard back,” she said, referring to senior Kaylee Carson, who missed last season with an ACL injury. “She’s been working hard, and having her will make a big difference.”
With Carson, an East Tennessee commit, returning to point guard, Kitchen can concentrate more on providing the offense for Independence.
She prepared for that role in the offseason by attending Curry’s camp and another in Florida, by shooting in the gym, and by watching a lot of film.
“I know I can shoot,” Kitchen said. “When I get to the mid-range spot, I get my shot off quickly.”
That didn’t stop her from spending a lot of offseason time on shooting. Kitchen said she worked on longer-range shots and by developing more of those special spots on the floor where her shot seems to make a beeline for the basket.
She also spent a lot of time on defense.
“I worked a lot on that,” she said. “That’s where I watched a lot of film and did quite a bit of practicing.”
She gets no breaks
To make a deep run into the playoffs, Kitchen and the Patriots will have to overcome some rugged defensive teams. To help prepare for that, Kitchen often practices against coach Lauren Galvani’s husband, James, a former soccer standout at Lees-McRae College.
“He plays defense, and I try to get my shot off,” Kitchen said.
Does he take it easy on you?
“Not at all,” Kitchen said with a laugh. “I don’t get a break.”
She said Independence will be an entertaining team to watch this season.
“We play really quick, and we like to get everyone involved,” she said. “We have a lot of guards, we rotate well, and I think we shoot the ‘3’ well.”
Basketball wasn’t always Kitchen’s first sport.
“I played soccer,” she said. “I liked it, and I think I was pretty good. But by the time I got to 10th grade, I’d fallen in love with basketball.”
College coaches seem to love Kam Kitchen’s game.
She has offers from schools such as Virginia, Clemson, Kentucky, Louisville, Illinois, UCF, Charlotte, and plenty more.
Kitchen said making a college decision can wait. For now, she’s focused on the Patriots going farther than last year, when they fell to eventual state runner-up Lake Norman in the third round of the 4A playoffs.
“I think we’re a better team this year,” she said. “I can’t wait.”
Steve Lyttle on Twitter: @slyttle
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