Hampton senior Kinzey Hill has been playing basketball since the first grade.
And after Friday, it seems the Lady Bulldog will continue to ball on into her college years.
Hill, in front of friends and family inside the Hampton High School library, signed her name with Johnson University, where she will play basketball for the Lady Royals.
For Hill, signing her letter of intent marked a dream come true.
“I have always loved ball, and ever since I was little I have wanted to play in college,” said Hill. “The dream is coming true, and it’s awesome.”
After visiting, Johnson University, which is located in Knoxville, Hill said she knew it was the place she wanted to go.
“It’s a Christian school, and it seemed to hold a lot of the same values that I hold,” said Hill. “I just loved it as soon as I went there. It was meant to be it seems.”
During her time competing for the Lady Bulldogs, Hill helped Hampton stay dangerous from the outside as she shot consistently from the 3-point line. As a good ball handler, Hill also had the ability to pose a threat inside as she drove the lane for inside shots.
“She is just a wonderful kid,” said Hampton head coach Bud Hazelwood who was on hand during Friday’s signing. “She has a great work ethic. She never wants to disappoint anybody. She is a good shooter, and she stays in the gym.”
Also in attendance during Friday’s signing was Johnson University head women’s basketball coach Ashley Davis who is in her second season with the Lady Royals.
“We found Kinzey on our recruiting site,” said Davis. “We made it out back in December to watch a game. We looked at her stats, and she is a great shooter. She has a great family, and we felt like she was going to be a good fit.”
Hill and Lady Bulldogs made it to the first round of the Region 1-A Tournament this past season. In 2016-17, Hampton fought its way into the TSSAA Class A State Semifinals.
“It has been the best four years,” said Hill. “This year ended a little sooner than I wished, but you know, I got to go to state my junior year.”
While at Johnson Universtiy, Hill said she plans to study either business or sports marketing.