Missouri State transfer Trinity hopes to bring enthusiasm and 'a lot of 3s' to Western basketball

Apr. 23—Coming out of Mill Valley High School, the chance to play Division I basketball was a dream come true for Trinity Knapp.

But it also provided challenges that hindered the experience, leaving her searching for more.

"I mean, it's really cool to be able to tell people like yeah I played division one basketball and it was really fun getting to travel all over. Missouri State has a lot of history with it with Jackie Stiles, and just to be able to like say I was a part of it was really cool," Knapp said. "At the same time I realized that's all really fun, really exciting to be part of, and at the same time the journey is just as important."

As her high school career finished, the Missouri State team she was preparing to join just finished a run to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament after a season spent in the top 25. That prompted Tennessee to hire away coach Kellie Harper, who recruited her, and left Knapp set to join a new team under a new coaching staff as the lone freshman recruit.

Two years later, the 6-foot, 2-inch sophomore's journey will reset as she joins Candi Whitaker and Missouri Western with three years of eligibility remaining.

"Now I'm more focused on the experiences, just getting better and being proud of my accomplishments and being proud of my teammates," Knapp said. "Just being excited every day to go get better is what I'm looking forward to."

The Shawnee, Kansas, native played in three games this past season before opting out of the remainder of the year. Missouri State lost in the Sweet 16 to eventual national champion Stanford.

Knapp saw action in nine games as a true freshman for the Bears during the 2019-20 season. She played 46 minutes and scored 24 points on 9-of-19 shooting and 4-of-10 shooting from 3-point range.

"Trinity brings great size and skill to the forward position for us," Whitaker said. "She has proven she can stretch the floor with her shooting ability as well as make plays in the paint. Trinity comes from a winning program at Missouri State and we are excited to see the impact she will make on this program on and off the court."

Her size and numbers as a senior who earned Class 6A all-state make it evident why her recruitment led her to Division I. She averaged 13 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.1 blocks and 1.1 steals per game as a senior while shooting 60 percent from the floor, including the ability to stretch out to the 3-point line with consistency.

"The girls are so nice. I really feel like I fit in with them and I feel like they all have positive attitudes. At the same time, (they are) really competitive people," Knapp said, adding her excitement to play under third-year head coach Candi Whitaker.

"Coach Whitaker has some really good philosophies, and I feel like I feel like I'm gonna become a better basketball player and a better person by playing here."

Returning just an hour from home with a roster that includes multiple players from the Kansas City area, Knapp didn't have to look far for input on the inner workings of the program. Knapp has known guard Brionna Budgetts for multiple years from playing against one another, and Knapp played in the same club organization with Camille Evans for multiple years, noting that she found comfort in talking with the standout freshman.

As is mandatory with any Whitaker recruit, Knapp says she prides herself on her defense, as evidenced by her high school numbers, and is excited to play in the zone defense concepts. Along with her infectious enthusiasm, Knapp hopes her offensive play style is one that benefits a Griffons team that struggled to score at times last season with a young nucleus.

"I love to shoot the 3. The trail 3 is like my favorite thing, and pick-and-pop, I just love the 3," Knapp said. "I love to push the ball, run in transition, but mostly shooting. I love shooting."

Knapp joins a group of incomers that includes four freshmen and fellow Northwest transfer Jaelyn Haggard. They merge with a roster that featured six freshmen and two transfers a year ago that played without first-team All-MIAA forward Corbyn Cunningham until the final week of the year.

With hope and promise to improve on a 6-16 showing from a year ago, Knapp hopes she brings a style that fans will enjoy.

A lot of enthusiasm. I love to shoot the 3, but I love to celebrate, especially on the bench," Knapp said. "I'm talking the entire game, encouraging my teammates and getting hyped. If there's a blocked shot or steal, I'm gonna be hyping up my teammates. I get really excited for game day.

"That's what (fans) should expect, and a lot of 3s, hopefully."

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Brandon Zenner can be reached at brandon.zenner@newspressnow.com. Follow him on Twitter: @NPNowZenner.