Kristen Killoran- Maple Valley

[sportfan2007]

I heard she was offered and accepted a full ride for track at NDSU

[Nodak Guy]

I would think it would be track. I don't think she is fundamentally sound enough in either VB or BB to play at a high level of collegiate sports in either one of those. But she will be a beast in track and field!

[morethanagame]

Killoran would be a standout player on any team in the state no matter what class. Her athleticism and work ethic are 2nd to none on the court. Ya she does get a lot of layups off of steals. How can you hold that against her? All good players find a way to score easy points. I have seen teams play a soft zone on her and let her shoot outside and she still gets to the basket at will. She is not a good 3 point shooter but if you leave her open from 15ft she is pretty good. I wasn't at the Valley City game last night but I heard that they played a little zone. So much for holding her to under 10 by playing a zone. Her two 42 pt explosions this year have came against weaker competition but last year she always seemed to score over 20 against good teams. The only way I can think of to lock her down is don't turn the ball over against their press. I would have to say if she keeps this up all year she will have EARNED a shot at being a Miss basketball candidate.

Key words "they played a LITTLE zone". There is a difference between playing a little zone and playing all zone. It also depends on how the team plays zone....there are many teams out there who aren't smart enough or don't have enough practice playing zone. I know of a few teams that can freeze Killoran on a zone. And by all means I am not taking anything away from Killoran on this. She is an amazing player who deserves every point that she scores.

[ClassBEast]

Killoran’s conundrum
Mike McFeely,
Published Friday, January 11, 2008

This was Kristen Killoran’s predicament, if you can call it that: Basketball is her first love, but track is where her future lies.

“Basketball is definitely my favorite. I would much rather go shoot baskets than run around the block. But at the college level, it’s obviously smarter to run track,” Killoran said. “It’s where I can excel.”

Killoran is a senior for Maple Valley’s girls basketball team, which visited Northern Cass on Thursday night for a big District 2 game. She can definitely play basketball, as witnessed by the 28.6 points Killoran was averaging per game prior to the matchup against the Jaguars. She’s already scored 42 points in a game twice this season – getting 30 in the first half against North Sargent and 26 in the second half against Valley City.

Killoran’s ability to eat up North Dakota Class B competition with superior athletic skills – she was an all-state choice in volleyball in the fall – earned her attention from the basketball programs at the University of Mary, Valley City State, Macalester, St. Catherine and other similarly small schools.

That sort of recruitment is impressive for any area high school athlete. The notice Killoran’s received for her track skills, however, puts her in a class by herself.

After long jumping 19 feet, 8 inches last spring at a meet at Concordia, eighth best in the country among high school girls last year, Killoran put herself on the national recruiting map. Texas Christian contacted her, as did Florida, Kansas and Air Force. Closer to home, North Dakota State and Minnesota are the serious suitors.

Killoran was the Class B triple jump champion as a sophomore (second as a junior) and won the long jump as a junior (runner up as a sophomore).

She also won the 300-meter hurdles last spring. She will compete in the long jump and triple jump in college.

The phrase “close to home” is important. Killoran has narrowed her choices to the Bison and Gophers. She’ll make a decision shortly after the basketball season ends.

“Staying close to home, not getting too far away is something that matters,” Killoran said. “I want my parents to see the meets, too.”

Ron and Patti Killoran live in Tower City and farm in western Cass County. That small-town, thoroughly rural family life might give NDSU the recruiting edge.

“We were in the Cities last weekend for my cousin’s wedding and my aunt and uncle’s Denali got broken into,” Killoran said. “There were like four cars that were broken into. We had to hide everything in our vehicles. That kind of scared me away from the Cities. It’s such a big city, I don’t know anybody. It’s kind of scary. But then again, you’re supposed to get out and go new places in college, right?”

In truth, where Killoran ends up for college will depend on the offer Gophers coach Matt Bingle makes. Bison coach Ryun Godfrey has already offered a full ride. If Bingle matches that offer, it will make Killoran think. Hard.

“If Minnesota does, too, that’d be a tough choice. They’re in the Big Ten and they’re good. They are the Big Ten indoor champions. But if they don’t, it’d be hard to say no to NDSU,” Killoran said. “I definitely love NDSU.”

Killoran has not yet made her official visit to Minnesota. She’ll do that after the basketball season.
Until then, there is more basketball to play. Northern Cass beat Maple Valley 73-70 in overtime Thursday, rescuing themselves after letting a nine-point lead slip away in the final few minutes. The Jaguars’ Brittany Olson was the game’s leading scorer with 26 points.

Killoran’s quickness and leaping ability led to several steals, including a signature play in the final two minutes. Killoran stole the ball from Olson, dribbled the length of the court, split two defenders and scored a left-handed layup to make it 61-56.

Killoran, limping on a wrapped left knee, finished with 25 points. She had 12 at the end of three quarters.
“I was happy with the way we handled her in the first half. We held her to 10 points,” said Northern Cass coach Jodi Zieske. “I was disappointed in the second half. We let her do some things defensively and dribble to the basket. But she is athletic and she can jump. She’ll do that.”

Killoran is not a refined basketball player. Despite working last summer on her jump shot, she did not score a basket outside the lane against Northern Cass. Her athleticism, though, is unmatched on the court.

“There might be players who are better shooters, better overall basketball players,” Maple Valley coach Jim McDaniel said. “But when you’re talking all-around athletes, with her speed, getting up and down the court, her jumping ability, there might not be anybody in the state who is better. She is an athlete.”

Such is Killoran’s predicament. She’s merely very good, not excellent, at the sport she prefers.

[sportsfan01]

Had the pleasure of watching Maple Valley's Kristen Killoran play basketball Thursday when her team traveled to Northern Cass. You can read my column on the topic by clicking here.( http://www.in-forum.com/articles/index. ... %20McFeely) Killoran is a tremendous athlete, probably the best all-around female athlete in North Dakota high school sports this year. Her favorite sport is basketball and she says she held out hope that her scholarship offers in that sport would get better (i.e., Division I). They didn't (D2 and NAIA), so she'll run track in college (full ride offer from NDSU, likely to get same from MInnesota). Killoran is not well-rounded in basketball, as she fully admits. She simply is so much better athletically than every other girl on the court that she gets to the hoop whenever she wants. Almost all of her points are in the lane, often off steals. But ... if you are Amy Ruley, why not offer her a scholarship? Killoran is a better athlete than anybody NDSU has now and maybe you can develop Killoran to the point that she can be a Division I basketball player. She's a local talent, wants to stay close to home, wants to play basketball. Why not take a flyer?

http://www.areavoices.com/mcfeely/
McFeely State of Mind

[bball_fan71]

I think Killoran would be stupid not to take an opportunity to run track at Minn