AHOSKIE – One young man now has the opportunity that most only dream of but few achieve.

On Wednesday, Terrill Holley, 20, of Colerain, signed a letter of intent to play basketball at Campbellsville University in Kentucky.

Holley just finished two years of higher education and playing basketball at Roanoke-Chowan Community College, and now is set to continue along that path at a four-year school.

He graduated from Bertie High School in 2005.

What’s more, Holley was selected as the recipient of a full athletic scholarship to Campbellsville, a NCAA Division I college.

RCCC, a member of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), has had a men’s basketball team since the early 1980’s.

The school joined the NJCAA in Region 10 two years ago.

According to RCCC Coach and Athletic Director Burnell Hills, Holley is the first athlete from RCCC to ever continue to play at a four-year college level.

&uot;We’re excited, and all the guys on the team last season are very happy for him (Holley); he’s going to be representing us,&uot; Hills stated.

He continued, &uot;Terrill has been a leader on our team; he was one of the captains for the last two seasons.

He played for me and never gave me any problems; he was the first guy to practice and the last one to leave so he’s definitely committed to the program.&uot;

Holley, who has been playing basketball since he was five or six years old, said he was also excited about the opportunity to become a Campbellsville Tiger and continue playing the sport he so loves.

&uot;It will be a new experience, a new beginning.

My parents are happy and my coaches too and they are all so supportive,&uot; he stated.

Holley dreams of one day playing professional basketball, but is also majoring in sports management and minoring in business, in case that doesn’t work out.

&uot;I hope to get better and make it to the next level, the NBA, but I’m also working on my degree to have that to fall back on just in case,&uot; he noted.

Hills was confident that Holley has the ability to do just that.

&uot;There is no doubt that he can play basketball… he has the skills to play on the next level, but that depends on him and how he does.

Campbellsville has a good program; they have had people to be drafted to play in the NBA and overseas… if Terrill does well there is no doubt in my mind that he will get that opportunity too,&uot; Hills stated.

A shooting guard, Holley averaged 21.5 points per game during his two years at RCCC, and was the first player there to ever score over 1,000 points total during two seasons.

&uot;He was the leading scorer here both years and the 17th leading scorer in the whole nation in the NJCAA,&uot; revealed Hills.

Holley was also the number one steal leader in the nation, with an average of five per game.

He averaged six assists per game as well; all those things combined earned him an Honorable Mention All Conference in the NJCAA Region 10.

Speaking of Holley, Hills remarked, &uot;He’s a unique young man… he had to play 40 minutes every game.

He was our answer in RCCC basketball… when he played well we won; when he didn’t we lost.&uot;

Hills added, &uot;His leaving will be a big hole in our program.

We will always remember him; it’s definitely a huge blow to not have him here next year.&uot;

Campbellsville was not the only school to be interested in having Holley play for their team.

According to Hills, a total of seven schools made contact with him, including three in the same conference as Campbellsville – all of which went to the national championship tournament last year.

However, Holley chose the Tigers, a school that has gone to the national championship tournament for the last four years and made the Final Four last season.

Hill said he thought it was a good fit.

&uot;Terrill will fit in there well.

They’re an up-tempo team; they like to run and press and shoot the ball, and they averaged 100 points per game last year,&uot; he noted.

Holley, who will enter Campbellsville as a junior, has two years of eligibility left to play basketball.

He must maintain a high GPA in order to keep his scholarship.

Holley has one older brother who graduated from Bertie High School in 2004.

He is the son of Neal and Linda Holley of Colerain.