Cole Phillips wouldn’t change a thing about his senior year at Legacy Christian Academy.

LCA’s talented captain of the boys’ basketball team led the program to new heights while stacking up an impressive list of individual accomplishments topped off with the highest honor possible – being named the Kentucky Christian Athletic Association Mr. Basketball for the 2024-25 season.

“It’s been life-changing,” Phillips said. “I never imagined what I was able to do this year was ever a possibility. So just to be able to do that and to be able to accomplish that, it’s just unbelievable. I love this team. This is my favorite group of guys that I’ve ever played with. I love this team to death and I’d do anything for them. They believed in me from Day 1 – new team, I got named captain and they believed in me and my ability to lead.”

Now Phillips has set his sights on a new team – on Tuesday in front of friends and family at LCA, he made his commitment official during a signing ceremony to attend Brescia University and continue his basketball career.

The 6-foot-3 Phillips has been a mainstay for the Eagles, but this final season was a special one. In addition to the KCAA Mr. Basketball honor after averaging 29 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 4.9 steals per game, Phillips led the Eagles back to the KCAA state tournament a season after LCA won the state championship.

“My senior year was incredible,” Phillips said. “Last year, coming off a state title run, you have a target on your back. Everybody wants to beat you. We had some new faces, a lot of questions to be answered. But everybody was locked in. Everybody knew the one goal and every day we came in here and we worked for it.”

LCA won 30 games, claimed the season-opening KCAA Tip-Off Tournament (Philips was named MVP), earned all-regional tournament honors and all-state accolades during a season in which he eclipsed the 1,000-point scoring mark (he finished with nearly 1,400 points).

Phillips, who holds LCA’s single-game scoring record of 51 points as well as made 3-pointers in a game (eight) said Brescia sees him as a combo guard capable of scoring from all levels.

The Bearcats, members of the NAIA-level River State Conference, are coming off a 9-17 season under first-year head coach Matt Karn. Brescia won its first RSC tournament game in a decade this past season.

“He built a relationship with me from Day 1, and then coach (Eli) Hays I’ve known since I was 12, and those two are two of the best people that you’ll meet. Coach Karn is a basketball junkie. He’s a genius and to be able to play for him, that’s an incredible opportunity.”

For Phillips, Tuesday was another special day in a senior year absolutely filled with them.

“It feels great,” Phillips said. “This has been a life-long dream of mine. It’s something that everybody dreams of that plays a sport growing up and not many get the opportunity, so to be able to have that opportunity and be able to have a day like this to sign and go play at the next level is truly special.”