WSU rival gives Kansas Top 5 selection his 1st D-I offer, and 1st at Campus since 1984
Jumping from junior-college scholarships to Division I offers is sometimes the biggest hurdle to climb for high school student-athletes, especially for Haysville Campus basketball players.
Before Wednesday, no Campus High basketball player had earned a Division I scholarship since Ron Meyer went to Kansas State in 1984.
But a new mark has been set as the Colts’ junior standout, Sterling Gaston-Chapman, earned an offer from SMU, an American Athletic Conference rival of his hometown Wichita State Shockers.
His only other offer before Wednesday was from Hutchinson Community College.
“From the beginning of my junior year, people were saying, ‘You’re going to be the scoring leader; you’re going to be the best player at Campus,’“ he said. “I really just tried to wipe that out and keep grinding and stay focused.”
WSU hasn’t offered Gaston-Chapman a scholarship yet, but he said the Shockers are interested in the All-Metro and Top 5 selection. The Shockers are one of three AAC teams who are in on Gaston-Chapman, joining SMU and Tulsa, he said. He is also in talks with other Division II universities, he said.
“I’m excited to find the perfect school that fits me,” he said. “I want to be a puzzle piece that fits perfectly.”
Last season, Gaston-Chapman helped lead Campus to a 23-0 record and the school’s first boys basketball state semifinal since 1989. He averaged 17.7 points and has another season to go before entering college.
Gaston-Chapman’s season was cut short because of the spread of COVID-19. The coronavirus shut down all Kansas high school basketball state tournaments after the quarterfinals rounds. In the Colts’ quarterfinal, they beat Manhattan 66-50 and were set to play Blue Valley North (20-3) for the chance to compete for Campus’ first state title.
“It was really exciting to get that first D-I offer, but it really just made me hungry,” Gaston-Chapman said. “I just want more, so I got to keep working. ... Whatever accolades come, it’s a blessing, but I just got to get back to work.”