by LARRY VAUGHT
She already had offers from Dayton, SMU, Virginia Tech, Northern Kentucky, Western Kentucky, Murray State, Bowling Green and Liberty.
She is a 6-foot guard who only turned 15 years old in April but has already been a three-year starter for John Hardin where her father, Jared, is the head coach. She averaged 27.2 points per game — fifth best in the state last year — as a freshman during the 2025-26 season along with 10.8 rebounds. She shot 53.8 percent overall from the field and 38 percent from 3. She also got to the foul line 198 times in 29 games.
McMurry’s most recent offer was from Kentucky and she said she felt “very blessed” to have an offer from coach Kenny Brooks based on his reputation for developing guards.
“Being able to be so close with Kentucky and have a great relationship with the coaching staff means a lot knowing they believe in my potential,” said McMurry. “Having people like them confident in me is so special.
“What coach Brooks has done with guards the last two years at Kentucky is very appealing. He’s a great coach and knows how to develop players and build a program. He also has a great relationship with his players and that’s big for me.”
McMurry went to Memorial Coliseum last season to watch Kentucky beat Oklahoma. She had a 43-point game against Washington County before the Kentucky visit and then 42 points against Moore two days after visiting UK. She’s been talking to Kentucky assistant coaches and the UK staff has watched her play AAU this summer.
“It’s all part of building a relationship,” McMurry said.
She considers herself a combo guard who can create off the dribble, bring the ball up the court if necessary, get inside and finish through contact, and rebound.
“I consider myself a very versatile player. I am a good three-level scorer. I am good at being strong and getting in the paint. I have worked on my midrange jumper and I really worked a lot on my 3-point accuracy last year and have been continuing to do that,” McMurry said.
In three years she has scored 1,845 points in 90 games — an average of 20.5 points per game. She also has amassed 700 rebounds, 329 assists, 264 steals and 60 blocked shots.
In 90 games, she’s been to the foul line 580 times and made 425, a 72 percent mark.
“I have always been very determined to stay aggressive and get downhill. Getting to the foul line comes with it when you go strong to the basket. My parents have both really emphasized that part of my game,” she said.
Her parents certainly know basketball. Her mother, Dana Schubeler McMurry, was Kentucky’s 1998 Gatorade Player of the Year who led Elizabethtown to the 1998 state championship. She played college basketball at Butler and Northern Kentucky.
McMurry’s father, Jared, played at Bellarmine University after graduating from Elizabethtown High School. He played professionally in Switzerland, Greece, Italy, China and Israel. He compiled a 163-57 record and won two 2-A state championships, four 17th District titles and two 5th Region championships in seven years as the boys basketball coach at John Hardin before resigning in 2021. He took over the girls program last year and his team went 19-10.
Charlotte McMurry’s sister, Caroline, is two years older and averaged 5.3 points and 5.0 rebounds per game last season.
“My sister and I have played together for a long time. She is not quite as serious about her basketball as me but I love playing with her,” Charlotte McMurry said. “My dad has poured a lot of time into me and mom is very helpful and supportive. Mom will work with me but I mainly work out with my dad. My cousin played at Charleston and overseas and her fiancee is a personal trainer so I lift with him. I will take a day off but I love the grind of being in the gym even though I know my body needs a break at times.”
McMurry notes that it can be a “blessing and a curse in the same week” having her dad as her head coach now. She likes being pushed but admits some days it can be “really hard” to handle.
“Those days mom will be the one pointing out the good things I did when dad is criticizing me,” she said. “But they make me who I am.”
Her summer plans include playing with her high school team in June and attending a team camp at Western Kentucky. John Hardin will also participate in the George Rogers Clark Invite. In July she will be back playing with her AAU team.
She knows recruiting might get a “bit overwhelming” but also understands the opportunities ahead of her.
“Every athlete wants this and it just makes me want to get better to get to where I want to be in a couple of years. I am never satisfied and always want to do more,” she said. “It’s just me playing a game I love and being the best player I can be. I don’t listen to the outside noise.”
The “noise” got louder locally with the Kentucky offer but she knows to keep her focus.
“My grandfather grew up in North Carolina and is a big North Carolina fan. I have talked to the North Carolina coaching staff but don’t have an offer yet,” she said. “I try not to be biased toward any team. I am open to any college. You never know who will be coaching where in two or three years. I just want to be able to go where there is a good family atmosphere, so I know to stay open minded about recruiting.”
