Tennessee Basketball: Local Athlete Lucas Campbell Living a Dream With Vols

Tennessee Basketball walk-on Lucas Campbell is living a dream playing with the Volunteers.

Many hometown athletes in Knoxville, Tennessee dream about running through the “Power T” whether inside Neyland Stadium or Thompson-Boling Arena.

Christian Academy of Knoxville graduate Lucas Campbell is currently getting to live out that dream as freshman walk-on with the men’s basketball team, even jumping over a few obstacles to get here.

Campbell was born in a basketball town in Evansville, Indiana, but relocated at a young age through his father’s work, and is “Tennessee raised.” His love for sports, and particularly basketball, started around eight years old.

“I just started playing it, and I loved it,” said Campbell. “Eventually, I realized how much I started progressing and how comfortable I was with it, and just went from there.”

He went from there to CAK where he eventually became a three-year-starter on the high school varsity team. In his senior season he averaged 18 points and 7 rebounds a game, leading CAK to a district 4-AA championship. Campbell says that his time in high school was “vital,” and owes almost everything to his former coach Shane Wells.

“He never slacked off on us,” said Campbell, “and that’s the only reason I’m here today, because he wanted me to reach my full potential.”

Coach Wells says that Tennessee is getting more than just your average walk-on.

“They’re getting a high character kid; that’s number one,” said Wells. “I think they’re getting more than what you will find in most in most walk-ons, Lucas is a Division I athlete.”

Lucas Campbell is not just a basketball player; he is an athlete in the truest sense of the word. In fact, he was literally clearing obstacles as a high jumper to get his chance to be at the University of Tennessee.

“When I was in high school I wanted to play at UT, but I didn’t get an offer” said Campbell. “I thought about trying to walk-on, but I started track my senior year.”

Campbell participated in the long and high jump in his final year at CAK, after only one season and a Class A-AA East Sectional win in both events, he earned a preferred walk-on spot with the track and field team at Tennessee.

“It was good, it was fun, I loved track” said Campbell. “But basketball has always been my passion.”

Then, through a phone call, Lucas got closer to the opportunity to make his passion and dream of playing basketball as a Volunteer become a reality, and that call came from his father.

“My dad calls me, he asked me if I was interested in playing on the team; he was wondering if I still had that passion,” said Campbell. “I was like ‘heck yeah I’d love to.’”

Lucas and his father heard about the opportunity from a good friend, one that happened to also be a friend of head coach Rick Barnes.

“Me and Coach Barnes had a mutual friend who brought it up to me that coach Barnes was looking for a walk-on spot,” said Campbell. “He (Barnes) was talking about how he was looking for a high energy player, and that’s what I was.”

After seeing film, Campbell says that it was enough for Barnes to bring him on to fill the role. It’s a role where the freshman will be asked to do just as much as the scholarship players on the team during practice. He believes that it is his job to bring energy, make sure his teammates are prepared for games, and to always be ready.

The big question with a walk-on like Lucas is always, “Will he get a chance to play?” It’s not often that a walk-on gets that chance right away in Division I basketball. Campbell knows that it will take a lot of hard work, and keeping a level head.

“I just got to keep working, the goal is to let it play out; never try to force something and not be entitled to anything” said Campbell. “Just come in here like I’m supposed to and things will work out for the best.”

Only time will tell whether the CAK grad gets to expand on his dream of hearing his name called in the starting lineup in Thompson-Boling Arena, but he is still living in a dream nonetheless.

“This is a dream come true, I’ve had this dream since I was ten years old,” said Campbell. “Seeing them run out and having the lights off when they announce their names; I always imagined what it would be like to be a part of that, and it’s a dream come true, it’s been an amazing experience.”

Moving forward, his goal is to keep working. With the backing of former coaches, and the whole CAK community, Campbell has the support he needs to contribute to the orange and white. Coach Wells believes they got the right guy for the job.

“They’re getting a kid that’s going to be very good in school, he’s going to act right, do the right things, and he’s a really good athlete,” said Wells. “I think they’re getting a steal at the walk-on spot.”