Basketball star Maddyn Greenway, daughter of ex-Vikings linebacker Chad, commits to Kentucky

Maddyn Greenway decided to don blue.

In a surprising announcement Saturday, the Providence Academy junior selected Kentucky as her college basketball destination, picking the Wildcats over Duke, Clemson, Iowa, Stanford, and UCLA — her other five finalists pared down from 40 offers.

“I’m so excited to be going to Kentucky,” Greenway said. “There were so many positives to every one of the schools. I now have one school that I can fully support.”

A 5-foot-8 point guard, Greenway is the state’s highest-rated recruit and 18th-ranked recruit in the nation for the Class of 2026, according to ESPN.

Most people were expecting Greenway to select Iowa as her future stop. Her father, Chad, played for the Vikings after an outstanding career with the Hawkeyes, and her mother, Jenni, ran track at Iowa.

“I have always been a Hawkeye fan,” Maddyn Greenway said. “My decision was probably a little hard on my dad. Both of my parents have been very supportive. They never put any pressure on me where to go.”

Greenway took an official visit to Kentucky three weeks ago.

“Once I visited the school I loved it,” Greenway said. “I told my parents the first day, ‘I’m going here.’ I couldn’t envision myself telling Coach [Kenny] Brooks, ‘No.’ ”

The Wildcats are off to a 3-0 start in their first season under Brooks. They are ranked 20th in the Associated Press poll and play state rival Louisville on Saturday.

“Coach Brooks was one of the first to recruit me when he was at Virginia Tech,” Greenway said. “I built a great relationship with him. I trust him and his staff so much.”

Greenway and Brooks “rarely talk basketball,” Greenway said. When they did, the speedy point guard was sold on the home of thoroughbreds.

“He told me I was his ‘plan A,’ ” Greenway said. “He wants me to play fast just like I am now.”

Brooks guided Virginia Tech to the Final Four in 2023. He led the Hokies to four consecutive NCAA tournament appearances in eight seasons with them. He owns a career record of 520-204, after starting his career with a 14-year stint at James Madison.

“A few years back we were watching a Virginia Tech game and we really fell in love with the way point guard [Georgia Amoore] was playing,” Providence Academy coach Conner Goetz said. “We talked about how they have similar play styles and the relationship that he has with his point guards. Once Coach Brooks took the job at Kentucky, it seemed like a whole new world of possibilities opened up.”

Greenway has been the guiding force of Providence Academy’s three consecutive Class 2A state championships. The Lions have compiled a 109-12 record since she joined the starting lineup as a seventh-grader. She averaged 34.3 points per game as a sophomore, her second consecutive year eclipsing 30 points.

Greenway became the second-fastest player in state history to reach 3,000 career points, passing the milestone in February.

“Maddyn has elite athleticism and shot creation ability,” Goetz said. “She processes the game at a speed not many ever have.”

A three-sport athlete, Greenway also excels in soccer and track and has won state titles in each. She netted 42 goals during the Lions’ state soccer championship run in Class 1A earlier this fall. Greenway won the Class 2A 300-meter hurdles with a time of 43.94 seconds last spring.

“Her college choice could not be a more perfect fit,” Goetz said. “For those who know Coach Brooks and his ability to develop point guards they can see that this is a match made in heaven.”