Goshen star Jimmy Kelly commits to West Point basketball program

Jimmy Kelly is taking a Goshen success story from Orange County to the national stage. The 6-foot-6 swingman verbally committed to Army West Point, a move that links one of Section 9’s most recognizable basketball names with the United States Military Academy and a future military commitment.

Kelly’s rise has been built on numbers that stand out anywhere in New York. He averaged 29 points and 10 rebounds this season while leading Goshen to the Section 9 Class AA boys basketball championship. His biggest night came Feb. 25, when he scored 65 points in Goshen’s 101-55 win over Port Jervis, a performance that also carried him to 1,000 career points and set a new Section 9 single-game record. The previous mark, 62 points, had stood since Alex Osowick of Port Jervis scored it in the 1957-58 season.

The Army commitment adds another layer to a career that already has local weight. Kelly said he made his decision about a week before the announcement, after staying in contact with Army head coach Kevin Kuwik and the Black Knights’ staff since attending an Army basketball camp about a year and a half ago. Kelly plans to attend the United States Military Academy Preparatory School, known as USMAPS, in the fall before starting at West Point the following year. West Point says the prep school provides academic, military and physical instruction in a moral-ethical environment to prepare cadet candidates for admission to the academy.

The path fits a player who has already had to fight through adversity. Kelly missed most of his sophomore and junior seasons because of a knee injury, and that lost time did not slow his finish at Goshen. He returned to become a two-time Section 9 first-team all-star and was projected as the Section 9 Player of the Year for 2026. Coach Sal D’Angelo has described Kelly as an ideal fit for Army, citing the discipline and resilience he showed in coming back from injury.

Kelly’s next stop makes this more than a recruiting note. Army’s roster already includes players who came through USMAPS, and Kuwik, named the Black Knights’ head coach on March 29, 2023, has built a program that uses the prep-school route to bridge talent and academy demands. For Goshen, it is a point of pride to see a hometown player move from a Section 9 title and a county scoring record to one of the country’s most selective institutions, where basketball and service will now move together.