The Eagles didn’t have to go far to find the newest member of their 2020 basketball recruiting class. Slater High’s Aden Campbell announced his commitment to Central Methodist on April 6. He chose Eagle basketball over football offers from CMU and the University of Saint Mary.

“We are very excited to have Aden join our CMU Basketball Eagle family,” said Central Methodist head coach Jeff Sherman.

“It is always a priority to attract good local talent to our program and Aden is the ultimate teammate. He works very hard and plays for his teammates which has helped their program become one of the top schools in Mid-Missouri.”

Slater earned a share of the Central Activities Conference championship this year with a 22-3 season and a 9-1 record in conference play. Campbell, along with fellow all-conference first-teamers Chandler and Keegan Zdybel, led the Wildcats to back-to-back district titles in 2018 and 2019. Campbell averaged almost 13 points per game along with 2.5 steals per contest.

“He is a good floor leader and excellent scorer which will prove to be beneficial next season,” Sherman said.

“It will be exciting to watch his progress as he continues to gain strength and experience and take his game to the next level which a small number of seniors have the opportunity to do.”

Campbell is expected to begin his freshman year with CMU’s varsity reserve program, which was one of the draws to Central Methodist.

“I really like that they have a varsity reserve team because that means that I will be able to see the court my freshmen year,” Campbell said. “Which will give me a chance to really work hard and hopefully prove myself good enough to see some varsity time.”

Campbell explained that he heard great things about Central Methodist from alumni, including his superintendent Debbie Gonzalez, his head basketball coach Dillon Yung, and his mother.

“So when I toured campus I fell in love with it as well,” he said. “I like the size, the people, and the athletic aspect of it as well.”

Campbell began communicating with CMU assistant coach Jay Jones after his visit.

“He has really helped me understand what it is going to be like next year and how my student life is going to go while playing ball,” Campbell said. “I’m super grateful for him and for how helpful he has been.

“I felt like CMU was a perfect fit, and I’m really excited to be an Eagle.”

Coach Sherman also sees a good match with the Central Methodist program and Campbell.

“He will be surrounded by an outstanding coaching staff and teammates that will help encourage and push him to reach his full potential,” Sherman said.

“We just gained another winner in our basketball program and CMU community.”