Phoenixville Basketball Standout Commits To NCAA: Report

PHOENIXVILLE, PA -- A Phoenixville basketball standout has committed to Kutztown University, a Division II NCAA school in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC).

Christian Kelly, 6 foot 4 and 180 pounds, has had a huge impact on the team since his emergence in 2014, the City of Basketball Love reports:

The Phantoms, who were 15-24 in PAC-10 play from 2011-2014, had just found a generational talent that would transcend the Phoenixville basketball community.

Kelly, who spent his first two years developing his game within the Phantoms program, led Phoenixville to a 23-3 conference record in his final two seasons, winning the PAC-10 Player of the Year in 2014-2015 and leading the league with 24.8 points per game this season.

Now that Kelly has officially committed to play Division II basketball at Kutztown, a decision he made on Saturday, he leaves behind a void in the community that will be difficult to replace.

“I can’t say enough good things about Christian,” Phoenixville head coach Eric Burnett said. “He’s a player that everyone loves and respects, not just because of basketball, but because of the kind of kid that he is.”

Kelly finished as the second all-time leading scorer in Phoenixville history, with 1,310 points. That's only 65 points behind all time leader, Mike Gary.

Kutztown is one of the better Division II basketball schools in the region. They advanced to the Sweet 16 in the D2 Tournament before falling to West Liberty.