Isaac McElroy signs his letter of intent to continue his basketball career at Pellissippi State. (Photo Courtesy of David Smith)
McElroy was a driving force for the Champions, making a living in the paint for Cascade. (Post Photo by Chris Siers)
By CHRIS SIERS
csiers@bedfordcountypost.com
Issac McElroy has dreamed of playing basketball for years.
Ever since he got his start playing when he was six, he had his sights set on playing college ball.
That dream has become a reality as he recently signed his letter of intent to continue his basketball career at Pellissippi State in Knoxville.
“It meant a lot to me personally to sign in front of my family, because for me as a kid one of the things I dreamed of was signing the line to play college basketball,” he said.
When it came time to decide a college to pursue, a familiarity with Pellissippi State helped guide McElroy in making his decision.
“Deciding on Pellissippi was not a very difficult choice as I had been on campus before, and lived 20 minutes away for 15 years of my life,” he said.
“There where a couple of other schools, with one of them being out of state and one in state other than Pellissippi.
“I was told by my AAU coach that I should be getting a call or text soon, and after a day, I received a text from coach (Darrian) Jones and we talked texted back and forth about basketball and the school. After about two weeks I went over for a visit and we talked for over an hour about basketball and our journeys.”
During his high school years at Cascade, McElroy was a mainstay in the paint and made his presence felt on both ends of the court.
“We have discussed my role and I’m excited. At the end of the day all I care about is winning, and if that means me taking less shots and more focus on defense then I will gladly take on that role,” he said.
McElroy will have to earn his spot once he joins the team.
“I wont just come in and start, with this being a first year basketball program I will have to come in earn my spot,” he added.
Since the age of six, McElroy has been playing and he got his start through his dad.
“I really got into basketball through my dad as I played most sports as a kid, but just hearing him talk about basketball wanted me to play it more. I started playing basketball when I was six, as I start playing recreation leagues up until eighth (grade) as that was the first school team I made at Maryville Junior High School.”
While he was part of plenty memorable games, during his sophomore year with the Champions, winning a district championship stood out as one of his favorites throughout his career.
“My favorite basketball memory would definitely have to be my sophomore year when we won the district championship as it was the first time I had felt accomplished with a team in basketball,” he said.
McElroy has a chance to create more memories at Pellissippi State, which will debut its men’s basketball program this year.
While he’s still several months from beginning his freshman year, McElroy hasn’t decided on a career path just yet, but hopes to pursue a degree that will allow him to continue around basketball.
“I haven’t unfortunately decided what I am going to study yet, but I do know I want to stay in the realm of basketball somehow,” he said.
Pellissippi State will begin its basketball program this fall and will participate in the TCCAA.
