Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Perseverance key for Kinney in college hoops career
VAN BUREN — Jamilyn Kinney put on her first shooting exhibition during a family vacation to Branson.
“The first time I thought she had a knack for shooting the basketball we were in Branson, Missouri, and we were at one of the little arcade games,” said Michael Kinney, Jamilyn’s dad and current girls coach at Van Buren. “Her mamaw took her over there, and she started shooting on one of those little miniature basketball games. One after another they were going in. She kept wanting to play, and her mamaw kept putting quarters in.” Jamilyn soon drew a crowd. “Before we left, there was a room full of older people standing around watching this toothless 4-year-old shooting the basketball,” Michael said. “It was amazing. That was the first time that I thought she could shoot it a little bit.”
Jamilyn wrapped up a brilliant collegiate career at the NCAA Tournament last month.
“Yes, it’s crazy to look back and reflect after these long four years playing ball,” Jamilyn said. “I wouldn’t have imagined the possibilities and opportunities I’ve gotten from the game especially going away from home seven hours, just stuff that I won’t forget being a part of.”
Jamilyn started 82 games in her last three years of her career at Belmont University. She also played in all 33 games as a freshman, which she didn’t expect that early in her collegiate career.
“Honestly, no,” Jamilyn said. “There was a point guard there that was really, really good when I got there. I knew I was going to have to wait my turn a little bit. Getting to play against her helped me be the player that I am today. I look back and can’t believe I was part of a program like that and contributed that much.”
Jamilyn tutored under guard Darby Maggard, who became the school’s leading scorer at the Division I level and was the 2019 Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year.
“You have to wait for your turn,” Kinney said. “You work hard every single day and prepare for that moment.”
That season, Belmont lost 74-52 to South Carolina in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
With Kinney in the starting lineup, Belmont made two NCAA tournament appearances and was 66-23 over the next three seasons. The progress from not earning an NCAA berth in Kinney’s sophomore season to beating Gonzaga in the first round for the school’s first-ever NCAA win and losing to Indiana in the second round as a junior to beating Oregon in the first round in double overtime and suffering a heart-breaking loss to Tennessee, 70-67, in the second round.
“That’s something that ever since I was little I dreamed of playing on a stage like that,” Jamilyn said. “I knew Belmont would give me that opportunity. Now, I didn’t think it would be three out of the four years, but it’s a special place for sure.”
Bart Brooks took over the Belmont program in 2017 and kept up the recruitment, which started with the previous staff.
“It’s cool to see where the program has come from,” Kinney said. “Bart’s done a really good job of allowing us to do that and be a part of that stage where we can compete with those bigger schools.”
Kinney was a prolific scorer at Van Buren, finishing behind only all-time leading scorer Dayna Schultz with 1,470 points all while playing in the state’s largest classification.
“I think being a part of 7A which was one of the toughest conferences and playing against those Fayetteville’s, Bentonville’s, Conway’s, all those bigger schools that had Division I players on their rosters helped me in college,” Jamilyn said. “I got to play against that level of competition early on. It helped me further on.”
As a freshman, she helped Van Buren to a first-round win over Fort Smith Southside before falling to Bentonville in the state tournament.
As a sophomore, Kinney led Van Buren to a first-round win over Rogers before losing to Fort Smith Northside in the state tournament.
It was Jamilyn’s junior season that Michael, an assistant coach under Chris Bryant, realized that maybe the skinny 5-6 guard could play at a high level in college.
Kinney led Van Buren to the championship game of the Tournament of Champions in Fort Smith against nationally ranked Hamilton Heights Christian Academy of Tennessee.
“All of their players were high Division I players,” Michael said. “We were right there. The college coach that recruited her, Cam Newbauer, he called Chris and told him this team is for real, and we just need to go out there and have fun.”
Hamilton Heights narrowly won, 50-43.
“You see her going against those big-time players, and she’s holding her own,” Michael said. “The size, I always questioned. Everything you look at is size, size, size, athleticism, athleticism. She has had to overcome bad genes from me and her mom.”
Kinney led the Lady Pointers to a 43-37 overtime win over Northside in the second round of the state tournament before scoring 22 points in a 45-38 loss to North Little Rock in the semifinals. Kinney hit two free throws with 6:04 left that had Van Buren within, 35-34.
“She wanted to play college basketball,” Michael said. ”I don’t think either one of us thought that she could play to this extent. I thought maybe she could play Division II somewhere and be a pretty good player. Division I, I really didn’t know about. Everybody talks about size in Division I. Once we got into 7A and played against North Little Rock, Conway, Northside, Bentonville, Fayetteville, some good schools. Every game we played and the other team had their best player guarding her. She handled her own. Her junior year, I thought she could play on the next level.”
She started scoring from the beginning of her senior season with 30 points in a 6232 win over Paragould in the second game of the season.
In a 37-34 win over Bentonville during the 7A-West season, Kinney scored all 19 of Van Buren’s second-half points with five 3-pointers.
In a 61-32 win over Springdale Har-Ber, Kinney drilled five 3-pointers in the third quarter to wipe out a 19-15 halftime deficit.
In the state tournament, Kinney again led Van Buren to a first-round win in the state tournament over Bryant before a loss to Conway.
At college, though, Jamilyn did have to make the transition from scorer to more of a role player.
“At the start, it was a little bit difficult,” Jamilyn said. “I was used to having the ball in my hands all the time and shooting whenever I wanted, and doing whatever I wanted. You get at that level, there are other players that are just as good or better than you. You have to adjust to that role especially if you want to contribute to the success of the team.”
Jamilyn also experienced the usual freshman homesickness with Nashville seven hours from home, but had the strong family support at home from Michael, mom Shelly and older brother Dylan, who’s been an assistant coach at Pea Ridge for three years, as well as at the collegiate level.
“That was huge,” Jamilyn said. “I had my moments my freshman year where I contemplated coming back home. With parents and the coaches there, they’re always checking on us mentally and physically. Coach Bart was a blessing and playing for that man I don’t know if I would have stuck it out if we wouldn’t have had that coaching staff and the support of my parents.”
Of course, breaking the commitment of a letter of intent wasn’t a choice that was going to be taken lightly at home.
“There were many phone calls that semester,” Jamilyn said. “I was always taught that we’re going to finish what we start and that my word means a lot. It was one of those things that you’re going to stick it out. At the end the year, if it’s something I want then we’ll revisit it. They made me stick it out and I’m glad they did.”
Kinney could have accepted a fifth season to play college basketball granted by the NCAA due to last year’s Covid restrictions.
“I’m not,” Jamilyn said. “I’m ready to start coaching and teaching.”
Kinney will graduate in two weeks with a degree in sports administration and a minor in strength and conditioning. She is currently working on her teaching certificate.
“I’m wanting to coach high school girls basketball preferably in Arkansas somewhere,” Jamilyn said. “I’m waiting for that opportunity. It’s something that runs in the family. I want to be around basketball but on the sidelines instead of playing.”