Grace Academy’s Patrick Shaughnessy had his pick of basketball scholarship offers from 10 NCAA Division I colleges.

After the 6-foot-9 senior visited Charleston Southern University, he knew which one he would choose. Shaughnessy marked his signing with the South Carolina school in a ceremony Thursday morning at Grace.

“I visited a lot of schools and talked to a lot of coaches,” he said. “It was a really time-consuming process, but I made my decision about a month and a half ago. When I visited there, I felt like it was the perfect fit.”

When Shaughnessy selected Charleston Southern out of a group of schools including Tennessee Tech, Eastern Kentucky, Murray State and UNC Greensboro, he became the second D-I signee in Grace boys’ basketball history. He’ll spend part of his college career competing against the first, since Golden Eagles graduate Carter McMasters is a freshman at Liberty University, which plays in the Big South Conference with the Buccaneers.

“I talked to Carter about that,” Shaughnessy said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun. I think a lot of people from Chattanooga will come out for that game.”

Shaughnessy struggled with injuries for much of his junior season but came on strong at the end of last year to average 16 points and 10 rebounds in Grace’s final 11 regular-season games. Golden Eagles coach Jon Mattheiss said he has the potential to make even more of an impact this season.

“We’re extremely proud of Patrick,” Mattheiss said. “He’s one of the hardest workers we’ve ever had play for us. He has great character, and his skill level has continued to improve year after year. We’re excited about his senior year. We’re expecting great things out of him from the post position.”

While Shaughnessy believes his height will help him succeed as a Division I player, he plans to focus on adding muscle and increasing his strength and speed before beginning his college career with the Buccaneers.

“Right now they’re smaller compared to other teams, so I think I’ll have the opportunity to play right away,” Shaughnessy said. “They’ve gotten better every year, and I’m looking forward to playing a role in helping them improve.

“I know I have a lot of work to do to be able to contribute in college. I just thank God for the opportunity to fulfill my dream of playing college basketball.”

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