#SigningStories: Carly Keats

KYLIE MAGAR November 16, 2022

Carly Keats | G | 5-8 | Philadelphia, Miss. | Jones College

#SigningStories, as told by Arkansas women’s basketball head coach Mike Neighbors

Pauline love has quickly become one of the top recruiters in the country because of her ability to evaluate talent, tell our story and build relationships. Traditionally, we hear about a player from another or maybe we see them at an evaluation event. Sometimes it’s a prospect contacting us with interest in being a Razorback.

This success story may create a new category.

Due to Coach Love’s amazing playing career at Jones College, she was selected to their Hall of fame in the Class of 2022. As she began making plans to attend the ceremony, she reached out to current head coach Missy Bilderback. We had signed Alexis Tolefree, who had played for her at Jones, so we knew coach well and when she mentioned they had a game the day after the ceremony, Pauline stayed an extra day to see the game. Coach Bilderback had mentioned a current player she thought would fit into our locker room and fit our style.

She was right!

Coach Love returned to the office excited about Carly Keats. Her game was different than those on our current roster. Her game was different than the other prospects in our Class of 2023. After her official visit surrounding our Tulsa game, we learned she was the same as our team in her desire to be excellent, in her work ethic to be excellent and in her approach to be a great teammate.

Carly committed to be a Razorback as we were concluding our visit. We can’t wait for everyone to see for themselves what made her distinctive!

THE ACCOLADES:

• Played for head coach Jason Broom at Neshoba Central High School, leading the Rockets to a perfect 33-0 record and 5A State Championship in Mississippi
• As a senior in high school, averaged 14.2 points and four assists per game
• Averaged 13.9 points on 54 percent shooting and three assists per game during her junior year
• All-Region 3-5A selection and 2021 Clarion-Ledger Dandy Dozen selection
• Holds MS/AL record in 3-pointers made
• Made the NABI Finals with her team Native Soldiers
• At Jones, has played in four games with three starts to begin the season
• Averaging 11.8 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game for the JC Bobcats, while knocking down nine 3-pointers in the first four games