For Richmond Hill High School senior Charmia Graham, the next level is right down the road.
The 6-foot-1 post player signed a letter of intent Wednesday to play basketball at Savannah State University, where her former coach expects her to make an impact on and off the court.
“Charmia is one of the most well rounded student-athletes I have had the pleasure to coach,” said former RHHS girls’ basketball coach Elizabeth Bennett. “She succeeds in the classroom, as a school leader and on the court. She is passionate about the game. Her passion and versatility as a person will help her succeed at Savannah State.”
Graham, who hails from Richmond Hill, said her favorite quote is “Basketball is like photography. If you don’t focus, all you have is the negative.”
She plans to major in civil engineering and wants to work in management in construction and design. She had offers from Lander (S.C.) College, East Georgia College and Gordon State but decided to stick close to home.
The daughter of Charlene Boles of Richmond Hill and Antonio Graham of Savannah, Graham thanked assistant coach Angie Hummeldorf and school counselors Linda Dugan and Thomas Swinford “and many others” for their support in high school.
But if she has a basketball role model, it might be Candace Parker of the Los Angeles Sparks. Yet she was inspired to play basketball just by “being around a family of athletes,” she said. “It’s truly a personal passion.”
Graham didn’t play much her senior season due to a knee injury, but as a junior she played well enough to earn Region 2-AAAAA honorable mention while helping the Lady Wildcats to a program-best 24-3 record, a region title and a state playoff berth.
Bennett said Graham can be a force on the court “because she can run the floor like a guard, but at 6-foot-1 she is unstoppable down low.”