Wednesday, Hampton senior Shyanne Tuelle did something that many Bulldogs haven’t done.
And that was to sign with an NCAA Division I program as she inked her name with Campbell University where she will play basketball for the Lady Camels.
The Lady Bulldog said she is proud of her accomplishment not just for the fact she gets to continue playing basketball but because she gets to represent small schools like Hampton at the D-I level.
“It’s big for me,” said Tuelle. “Hampton and some of the local schools that are little and are not like Elizabethton and Science Hill get looked over. There is a lot of talent in these small schools, but there get looked over.”
On hand during the signing, which was held in the Hampton High School library, was Hampton girls basketball coach Bud Hazelwood, who said that Tuelle’s signing was solely due her natural ability.
It’s huge,” said Hazelwood. “I wish I could say I had something to do with it, but you know, she came in as a freshman and was very talented. She has a ton of athletic ability and she will do well down there.
“The coaches are high on her, and they are tickled to death,” added Hazelwood.
During her junior campaign, Tuelle eclipsed the 1,000-point mark and was well on her to 1,500 points by the end of the 2016-17 season that saw the Lady Bulldogs make a run to the TSSAA Class AA state championship.
When asked what makes Tuelle’s basketball game so potent, Hazelwood said that it is the fact she can shoot from anywhere on the court.
“I call it the in-between game,” said Hazelwood. “Today’s game is layups or 3-point shots. She can do both of those, but she can also pull up and shoot that 12-footer that most kids can’t do. I think that is one of her biggest assets.”
According to Hazelwood, Tuelle is one of the types of players that doesn’t have to be forced onto the court for practice.
“She works very hard in practice,” said Hazelwood. “She comes up a lot on her own. Coach Jesse (James) lives right across the road here, and he leaves the keys out, and she comes and gets them and works out on her own. She’s played a lot of AAU. She is a super kid and a great student.”
Tuelle will be heading into her final season with the Lady Bulldogs, and she said that having her signing out of the way will help her focus on her senior campaign and her hopes of the Lady Bulldogs getting back to the state tournament.
“This gets rid a lot of pressure,” said Tuelle. “I get to go into this season without having to worry about all of these colleges. I can lay back and really focus on doing big things during the season and going back to state.”
Campbell is located in Buies Creek, North Carolina. The Lady Camels basketball team is coached by Ronny Fisher, who led Campbell University to a 21-11 overall record last season. The Lady Camels finished 13-5 in the Big South Conference in 2016-17.