Josiah Shackelford '24 Recruiting Profile

**1st in scoring for 2020-2021 season with 151 points.

Coachable - Teachable - Trainable...and I play well with others. My 1st track coach, Coach Hoyt Thurman, used to use me as an example for all the other girls and boys in the program because I could listen and execute his instructions at the age of 7. I continued in track for four more years, consistently ranking better every year running the 100M & 200M against some of the fastest kids in the U.S.

The day I won my medal at ESPN Disney (7th place in 200M), I told my parents I wanted to play basketball. That year (6th grade), I tried out for basketball and made the team. I was the only 6th grader that started and pretty much stayed on the court unless we were crushing our competition. We were county champs when I played in 6th & 7th grade. And then COVID hit and everything shut down so I didn't get to play in 8th grade. I was fortunate that I still able to play/work-out intermittently at our local boys and girls club.

As soon as the work-outs started in 9^th grade, I was there. The freshman coach recommended that I work out with the JV team, so I did both for about 2 months. Fortunately, the JV coach saw something in me and I became the only freshman to make the cut. During the season, I was named Player of the Game (by the coach) four times. I loved the guys I played with because even though they called me a 'rookie' they always respected me as a player and leader.

There is no doubt in my mind that I want to play basketball in college. Aside from my talent, I have a drive to excel and succeed athletically and academically. I have gotten stronger and, mentally, feel that I read the court very well – an asset for any team. Looking forward to communicating with you.