Independence senior Corey Shumate may hit the boxing circuit one day or even become a professional putt-putt star.
For now however, Mr. Double-Double will stick to basketball court and for good reason.
Last week in front of family, teammates, coaches and friends, Shumate signed a National Letter of Intent to play basketball for Concord University.
“This is a weird feeling. I have been hoping for this day for quite awhile,” Shumate said. “This has been one of my goals since childhood, so I am really excited. There were some patches where I wasn’t sure this day would come, but the past couple of years I really thought it would happen.”
Shumate was not a flashy player whose statistics might jump out at you, but he was definitely a blue-collar grinder that was going to give his team doubles figures in points and rebounds almost every night.
“Corey is a great kid first of all. He is great to be in the gym with and he has a great work ethic,” Independence head coach Shawn Jenkins said. “He is always there and will do anything that you ask him to do. He played the five-spot for us and was always ready to go. He is an unsung kid that did his absolute best. He was a coaches dream.”
This past season Shumate was needed in the post for the Patriots where he thrived, but it also hid some of his true talent. Jenkins believes with a little work that Shumate will adjust nicely to the college game.
“He is strong, physical and not afraid to get in there and get after it, but when you look at the next level, some teams have guards his size,” Jenkins said. “For him, he will need to work on his outside jump shot. I have talked to Corey and his dad about that. He handles the ball really well and could have been our best ball-handlers this year.”
Although Shumate had a solid season on the hardwood, it was a trip out of state that got the ball rolling towards Athens.
“I knew this season was kind of a make or break season. With it being my senior year, I wanted to go out with a bang,” Shumate said. “I went to a camp down in Virginia and there were several coaches in attendance. Afterwards they invited me to an unsigned senior camp (at Concord).”
“I went to the camp and a little time after that, they sent me an offer,” Shumate went on to say.
“I always wanted to go to Concord and if I hadn’t played basketball, I was probably going there anyway. It is close to home and I know a lot of people going down there.”
Shumate said he would study biology and later work to be a physician’s assistant, but did admit that boxing still has his attention somewhat.
The boxing interest runs in the family being related to accomplished boxers Butch and Hope McNeely.
“I have taken a break on boxing for now, but I did it for a solid year-and-a-half maybe. Butch and Hope got me into it. I think I did alright and it’s something that is fun and I enjoy doing,” Shumate said. “I have sparred for a long time, but I haven’t had an official match. I always want to stay in shape and boxing definitely something to keep you in shape.”
While the putt-putt tour might not be a lucrative option, Shumate does have some golf prowess in his DNA. His dad, Kelly Shumate is the Golf Course Superintendent at The Greenbrier and a successful player in his own right.
The younger Shumate said golf might not be his best sport, but he can yield the blade pretty well.
“I tried to get in to golf, but I get mad too easy,” Shumate said, laughing. “I can beat him at putt-putt because he is not a good putter, but he can get me everywhere else.”
While he may dabble in the other sports, clearly Shumate is fully committed to basketball and just as he did in high school, he is willing to do whatever it takes to succeed.
“I definitely have to get in better shape and put on a few pounds of muscle. Then I need to find my role on the team,” Shumate said. “There is always something that needs to be filled. I am willing to put in the time too. I had to wait my time in high school, so I can do it again.”
