With 800 career points, one big decision

It was never about the numbers for Katie Kempter, just the bottom line.

As an aspiring business student, and a heck of a high school basketball player, Kempter has reached a fork in the road when it comes to her future. The Bishop Eustace Preparatory School senior certainly has what it takes to play hoops at the next level at a smaller college, but her academics will likely lead her to a larger school. It’s put a lot of pressure on Kempter, deciding which path to follow.

“As of right now, I’m not planning on playing basketball in college,” said Kempter, a four-year starter at Bishop Eustace. “But I’m having a lot of fun playing this year, and a lot of people keep asking me where I’m going and people are telling me I definitely should (play). It’s making me think about it more.”

Oddly enough, she’s seen, or at least heard about how both situations have played out from her immediate family. Her father, Joe Kempter played high school hoops in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, as a teenager but chose to end his basketball career and to go to Penn State University to earn his degree. Her brother, Matthew, was a standout 2019 grad from Bishop Eustace and went the opposite route, opting to play at Division 3 Muhlenberg College. One number did remain important as Katie wears 14 on her uniform, just like her father and brother did in high school, as she looks to both family members for advice.

“They actually had to make the same decision that I’m making right now,” Katie said. “My dad could have played basketball at a smaller school but wanted to go to the big school. And it’s funny because me and my dad are very similar. And now it looks like we’re making the same decision.”

Dad wasn’t the one pushing Katie in her current direction. He left it up to the one in charge — Katie.

“He wants me to play a lot,” she said. “But he said he can’t judge me for making the same decision he did. He understands why, and he just wants me to be happy.”

As far as basketball and leadership goes, the only one losing out is a prospective future team. Kempter has made a gigantic impact on the Crusaders’ program over the last four years, which has compiled three consecutive 20-win campaigns leading up to the current 15-game shortened season, in which Bishop Eustace was an impressive 8-2 through Feb. 22. After eight seniors graduated last year, Kempter was called upon to increase her role with a young team surrounding her.

“I told her in the offseason that I needed her to really step up and be another coach on the court,” Bishop Eustace coach John Considine said. “She’s done a great job of that so far and it’s definitely a little out of her comfort zone, but she’s gotten better each week doing it. And she says things in the right tone to her teammates.”

And the numbers never mattered. With more than 800 career points to her credit, Kempter would have easily been a 1,000-point scorer under normal circumstances. Last year, she lost five games while recovering from mononucleosis, and the pandemic stripped her and the rest of New Jersey basketball of half a season in 2021.

“It doesn’t really upset me to not reach 1,000 points,” Kempter said. “I never really cared about it that much. If I was fully there last year, I probably could have gotten it this year, but with two weird seasons, it was kind of hard.”

Even with the missed time, Kempter could have tried to reach the grand milestone. Instead, she took more of a leadership role and switched to point guard at the request of her coach. It made the team better by leaps and bounds and set the Crusaders up for the future. It was all about the bottom line for Kempter.

“She’s an unselfish player,” Considine said. “If she wanted to, she could go out and take more shots than she’s getting. She’s really doing a great job getting the other girls involved, who are inexperienced at the varsity level. She’s just really stepped up and become a great leader.”