VINCENT - There's no doubt where Warren High School senior Austin Cunningham's priorities lie when it came time to decide where he wanted to take his basketball skills to the next level.
His priorities weren't with the biggest and best program, or the fanciest school out there.
Instead, they were family and getting a quality education paid for.
"My family is my number one priority and if they can be there (to watch me play) that would be awesome," Cunningham said.
So, with his family in mind, Cunningham became the newest member of the Ohio Valley University Fighting Scots basketball team as he signed his National Letter of Intent to play hoops for the NCAA Division II school located in Vienna, W.Va at Warren High School Wednesday afternoon.
"I want to hopefully make an impact right when I get there," Cunningham said.
During his high school career with the Warriors, Cunningham was certainly an impact player.
This past winter during Cunningham's senior campaign he led the Warriors in scoring, assists and steals and was one of the team leaders in rebounding as well.
For the 2010-2011 campaign, Cunningham averaged 19.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 3.4 steals a contest while taking the Warriors to the district final, where they lost on a last second shot to the Chillicothe Cavaliers.
His efforts on the court earned Cunningham prestigious honors including third team All-Ohio as well as the District 13 Coaches Association Player of the Year, Southeast District first team and a trip to the North/South all-star game in Columbus.
"I'm glad to see him accomplish what he wanted to," said Warren boys' basketball coach Blane Maddox. "he gets to stay close and we get to go watch him play."
His skills also earned him a full ride and a chance to complete his college education without being in debt.
"Graduating with no debt at all is a nice thing to have," Cunningham said.
At OVU, Cunningham is expecting to be the impact player that he was with the Warriors, but exactly where he'll be making that impact he's a little unsure of.
That's because Cunningham has the skills to excel at either the one-guard or two-guard slots. During his junior campaign Cunningham played the two-guard, or shooting guard position. This past winter he moved to the one, or point guard.
"You can't teach the things he did. You either know it or you don't," Maddox said.
So with that kind of a skill set, whatever the Fighting Scots ask Cunningham to do, he's confident he can succeed in that role.
"I'm playing the one or two. it depends on where they need me," Cunningham explained.
"I can handle it (ball) well and if they need me to shoot, I can."
While he's no longer sporting the Warrior blue and white, those colors still have a place in Cunningham's heart and he's looking forward to the chance to represent his school and his home on the collegiate level.
"This community has done me well and I really appreciate that. They gave me a lot of things and I want to give back," Cunningham said.
