Pikeville Lady Panther basketball star Kyera Thornsbury announced her decision to accept a scholarship offer from Jacksonville State to continue her basketball career on Tuesday.
“I’m blessed and excited to announce that I’m committing to further my academic and athletic career at Jacksonville State,” announced Thornsbury. “I’m super excited to be on this journey with the amazing coaching staff. I promise to put my best foot forward always, and I can’t wait to see how far we go. I want to thank everyone that has helped me through this process. I want to thank my mom and dad for always pushing me to be the best person on and off the court. For the countless hours in the gym trying to help me achieve my goal. We are here guys. I want to that the rest of my family for always supporting my decisions, coming to my games and always being the loudest ones in the stands. I want to thank Coach Orem and Coach Campos for believing in me and pushing me to be the best version of myself.”
Thornsbuy, who also considered Murray State and Presbyterian said that she chose Jacksonville State because of the connection she felt with the school and coaching staff.
“I chose Jacksonville State because I felt like I was home when I went there for a camp,” explained Thornsbury. “That was the first time I met everyone on the coaching staff. We all just clicked. They were my first D1 offer as well. So they held a special place in my heart.”
Thornsbury, a junior, said that the transfer portal played a huge part in her decision to go ahead and accept Jacksonville State’s offer now.
“I went ahead and chose them because the transfer portal is a big problem with the 2024 class,” said Thornsbury. “I knew I wanted to play college ball. So, why wait on the what ifs when I have great colleges in front of me now? They (Jacksonville State) have always tried to stay in touch with me. I have a special bond with one of the coaches. I feel like I could talk to him about anything. I also knew I could help automatically when I got there, but I also know they will push me to be the best.”
Jacksonville State University is located in Jacksonville, Alabama. It is a member of the Atlantic Sun Conference. Currently, the women’s basketball team is 3-3 on the season. Last season, Jacksonville State was 24-8, finishing runners-up in the Atlantic Sun and earning a Women’s NIT bid.
Photo Courtesy of Scott Arthur
