Camryn Kitchen is a four-star prospect in the 2025 class. Virginia He will be reclassified to the 2024 class.
The 5-foot-9 guard from Charlotte, North Carolina, chose the University of Virginia. Illinois, Louisville, Marquette, Virginia Tech and Pennsylvania State UniversityUpon arriving on campus after reclassifying, Kitchen will redshirt his freshman season.
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“I've been reclassified and will be enrolling at the beginning of August, which means I'm now in the class of 2024,” she explained. “I'm grateful for this opportunity. It's really great that they invested their time and money in me as an athlete, bringing me on campus early and helping me with training, developing as an athlete and getting acclimated to the culture.”
Kitchen told 247Sports that he had always wanted to join the Cavaliers and Virginia was always high on his list of options.
“Consciously, I think I've known for a long time that I wanted to go to Virginia,” she said. “I think it was a month ago, but when I was on official visits and thinking about other schools, I always kept coming back to Virginia. My heart was all back to Virginia. It was always in my heart to be a member of the Cavaliers. I felt like God was leading me to the University of Virginia and the great people there. I'm glad I chose the University of Virginia. I feel like it's the best school and the best opportunity for me.”
Kitchen detailed her relationship with the University of Virginia staff and how her recruitment went beyond just her performance on the court.
“When they first started recruiting me, something about them was the catalyst,” she said. “I've been to the campus four or five times now and they just build a relationship with you. It's bigger than basketball. Most of the time we talk on the phone. Of course it's about basketball, but it's also about my family, friends and life. When it comes to choosing a school, it's not just about what they do on the court, it's about what they do off the court. When you see them on social media and what they're doing, they're very family oriented and I love that because family is very important to me. They do a lot of team bonding activities off the court as well. That's been really great for me. Investing in Virginia was the best choice. With the players they have now and the players we'll have, we're going to be a good team. They proved that last year by beating some really good teams and if they keep doing that, there's no stopping us.”
The Cavaliers' program also convinced Kitchens to arrive on campus early to improve his skills for next season.
“I'm redshirting this season so I'll play next year, but coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton has emphasized to me how much of an impact I can make as a shooter,” she said. “They see me as a shooter as well. Going there will help me develop even more as a guard and get downhill and in the mid-range. They're going to develop me at the next level and I can't wait.”
Although the Cavaliers finished 16-16 and missed the NCAA Tournament, Kitchen is optimistic about his team's future.
“They have a lot of young players with Kimora (Johnson), Paris (Clark) and Olivia (McGehee),” she said. “They lost some big guys, but they're a very young team and I think they're absorbing a lot. I don't know them that well, but from watching games on TV and being on campus, I think they just want to learn and get better. Last year, they lost some games they shouldn't have lost, but they also beat some really good teams. I think that comes from growth and consistency.”
