Former Bradwell Institute basketball standout Robert Campbell is headed to the Armstrong Atlantic State University Hall of Fame.
The latest class was announced Dec. 10 and Campbell said it took him by suprirse.
"I was in shock," he said, when he learned he was being inducted. "This was the first class they had in years. So for them to start it back up and for me to be one of the first inductees after the hiatus is an honor. I’m very honored that they even thought of me to place me in the category for the hall of fame."
A native of Hinesville, Campbell played guard from 1997-2001 at Armstrong and was a two-time Peach Belt Conference Player of the Year for the Pirate basketball team. He finished his four-year career ranked second all-time in NCAA Division II history with 357 steals. Campbell also earned NCAA Division II All-America honors as a junior and senior and ranks third on the Armstrong all-time scoring list with 1,537 points, behind only fellow Armstrong Athletic Hall of Famers Sam Berry and Ike Williams.
Campbell attended BI from 1993 to 1997 and played four years of basketball under then-varsity coach David Jones. In his senior season he averaged 19 points, five rebounds and three assists per game. He was first team All-Region in the 1996-97 school year and was a Savannah Morning News Player of the Week during his senior year.
Campbell said his most memorable moment as a Tiger was when they beat Savannah High and made it to the region semi-finals his senior year.
Campbell received a full scholarship to play for AASU and his fondest memory as a Pirate is of winning the conference championship his senior year.
"And we made it to the national tournament," he said.
The AASU Hall of Fame selection committee chose eight inductees and one service citation award winner for the first class to be honored since 2004.
"The hall of fame represents the opportunity to recognize and honor those who have achieved at the highest level and contributed to the development of our Athletic Department," Armstrong Director of Athletics Andy Carter said in a press release posted on the University’s website. "We have been very fortunate to have had a number of outstanding student-athletes and unselfish community professionals over the years who are deserving of this recognition. The committee has done an outstanding job in their selection and I am proud to be part of the induction of this group."
The 2010-11 class also includes baseball player Calvain Culberson, womens volleyball players Erin Melius and Traci Knuth, womens tennis players Zsofia Golopencza and Michaela Kratochvilova, womens fastpitch softball player Tesh Wiewel and mens golfer Thomas Whittaker. Long-time baseball assistant coach Tommy Thomson also received a service citation award.
The 2010-11 class will be inducted April 9, at the Armstrong Atlantic State University Athletic Hall of Fame induction banquet at the AASU’s union ballroom.