KENT, Ohio — Last spring, Monmouth University was searching for a playmaking guard.
Ginny Boggess and Geoff Lanier scoured the transfer portal and took a liking to a 5-foot-7 guard named Kendall Carruthers. But the duo received word that Carruthers wanted to play close to home, so they moved on.
Soon, Boggess was hired by the University of Toledo. She brought Lanier along as her top assistant, and as they assessed UT’s roster, it became apparent that acquiring a playmaking guard was at the top of the to-do list.
“So we went back through the database that we created for the portal,” Boggess said, “and [Lanier] said, ‘You know, that little guard from St. Francis?’ I was like, ‘Oh, man. She’s dynamite.’ He goes, ‘She’s from right here.’ I was like, ‘What?!’ And the rest is history.”
Almost a year later, Carruthers — a Toledo native who led Springfield to the regional final in 2023 — is one of the reasons why the Rockets didn’t experience diminished returns this season, despite losing the past two Mid-American Conference players of the year and welcoming an entirely new coaching staff.
She wasn’t at her best on Saturday, and it illustrated Carruthers’ impact. UT’s offense was out of sorts for long stretches in a 69-62 loss at Kent State, as Carruthers turned the ball over six times and was limited to single digits (eight points) for the first time in six games.
She’s averaging 11.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.0 steal per game.
“I just feel like each and every game I’m gaining more confidence,” Carruthers said. “And all my teammates are gaining more confidence in me to knock down the shots. I feel like it’s a great offense for me. We play fast. I’m just getting more comfortable with the offense and finding the spots where I can get my shots up.”
It should come as no surprise that a former All-Ohio honoree would matriculate to UT and be a force for the Rockets. Despite averaging more than 17 points, four rebounds, four assists, and three steals combined as a junior and senior for the Blue Devils, however, Carruthers’ journey to Toledo wasn’t as simple as taking McCord to Bancroft.
Division I college coaches thought she was too small, even the schools in her backyard. Keila Whittington was intrigued by the skilled, whipsmart guard, so the St. Francis (Pa.) coach made the five-hour drive from Loretto to Springfield High School to watch Carruthers in person.
What she witnessed was an 18-year-old girl dominating the Springfield boys’ basketball team using a men’s ball. That’s all Whittington needed to see.
“Kendall was lighting it up,” former Springfield coach Clifton Hodges said. “[Whittington] was sold on that, and she offered her right there on the spot.”
It was the only Division I scholarship offer Carruthers had, and she’s made the most of it. She was the Northeast Conference rookie of the year in 2023-24, a first-team All-NEC selection, and the conference player of the week six times, averaging 14.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and just under one steal per game.
Carruthers started all 30 games and ranked 14th among freshman nationwide in scoring. It wasn’t difficult to understand why Boggess and Lanier were intrigued.
“Losing Soph [Sophia Wiard] and Q [Quinesha Lockett] and having these great players that understood winning, that understood the MAC, that understood competing at a high level, that understood how to guard, we knew that we needed some scoring,” Boggess said.
“We didn’t have a single double-digit scorer returning, so we knew we needed somebody that was not going to come in here and step on everybody’s toes, which you can see her personality. She’s just such a lovable young lady, but we needed somebody that could come in and fill it up and also make plays for others. She also leads in our team in assists.”
Carruthers ranks first in assists, second in scoring, and third in steals, 3-point percentage, and minutes played. Her shooting percentages have improved dramatically this season — from 36 percent to 43 percent from the field and 31 percent to 38 percent from 3. And it didn’t happen by accident.
Improvement came through hours of extra shots. Persistence has long been part of her ability to function. In high school, Carruthers worked with Hodges for two hours after practice. She’s always been coachable, with an eye on winning.
“I knew what type of player I wanted to be, and I knew it was going to take a lot of hard work,” Carruthers said.
Every game, she has the name of her school and her city splashed across her chest. This season’s roster has a decidedly local flavor, with Carruthers, Sammi Mikonowicz (Rossford), Destiny Robinson (Fremont Ross), and Kendall Braden (Toledo Christian). And Boggess wants to keep it that way.
The blueprint for success at UT is written in permanent ink. The Rockets not only win, the fan support is better than most power conference programs. On a random snowy Wednesday in February, there will be more than 4,000 people at Savage Arena to see Toledo play Northern Illinois. For current high school players and young kids, the 2024-25 Rockets are proof that you can stay home to achieve your dreams.
“I think it absolutely reestablishes that relationship between the city of Toledo and the Toledo women’s basketball team,” Boggess said. “They love playing in front of their families. They love playing in front of this home crowd. Sammi Mikonowicz, the mayor getting the loudest cheer on senior night, we want to keep that rolling.
“I hope it reestablishes in this new regime with me as a leader our commitment to keeping the best local players home. We want them to play in front of our fans and our city and for this university.”
And Boggess will uncover every stone to find them. She knows a winner when she sees one.
“We would not be the team that we are without [Carruthers],” Boggess said. “We would still be a good team. But we would not be the team that we are without her. She’s a very important piece.”
First Published March 9, 2025, 12:10 a.m.
