Story By Jason Bowen
Pisgah girls basketball standout Campbell Barron was working through interest from several college basketball programs when former North Sand Mountain and Sewanee men’s basketball player Russ Marr offered her some advice.
“Russ told me I needed to go to (Sewanee’s) basketball camp,” Barron said. “I didn’t really know about it because at the time there were two places I really liked. He was like ‘go, you’ll fall in love with it.’”
Barron ultimately took the advice of Marr, who became Sewanee’s all-time leading scorer and is now playing professionally, and it changed the recruiting process for her.
“Russ was right,” she said. “I went there and I just knew.”
Barron committed to Sewanee back in September and recently signed with the Tigers during a signing ceremony at Pisgah High School. She chose Sewanee over interest from Samford, UNA, Jacksonville State, Chattanooga and Eastern Kentucky.
“The education, the people, the coaches, the basketball team,” said Barron, who is planning to major in Finance, “every thing there just made it the place I wanted to go.”
Barron is a five-year varsity basketball player at Pisgah and a two-time all-state performer who was also named the 2024-25 Class 2A Girls Basketball Player of the Year after helping the Eagles win the state championship. Barron is off to a strong start to her senior season as well, helping 2A No. 1-ranked Pisgah open the year 7-1. Barron has won two state titles during her high school career and is closing in on 2,000 career points. She has also been a key player for the Pisgah softball program which has posted third-place and runner-up finishes at state the past two seasons.
Pisgah girls basketball head coach Carey Ellison said Barron is an example of what can happen when talent meets “drive and determination.”
“Campbell is a great example of what it takes to get where you want to go,” Ellison said. “She made a tough choice. There were offers on the table that might’ve been more glamorous, but she’s wise and looking past basketball into her future, what’s going to make a difference in her life 10 years down the road, 20 years down the road. This choice is a perfect fit for her.”
Ellison said Barron has been a perfect fit for his program as well, adding he has enjoyed watching her develop both as a person and player throughout her varsity career.
“She’s had to work through a lot of different phases of being a high school player,” he said, “from being an eighth-grader that’s a spot player to being as she has the last several years, a key cog in what’s taking place on this team. Lots of bumps in the road between here and there, but I’ve always been proud of how she perseveres. She’s where she is because of the choices that she’s made. There’s no substitute for drive and determination.”
Barron will join a Sewanee program that is part NCAA Division III’s Southern Athletic Association. She said the Tigers style of play is an up-tempo one similar to Pisgah’s, adding the small school feel of the historic college located just one county over from Jackson County in southern Tennessee’s Franklin County has a similar feel.
“I just love Pisgah,” she said. “It’s been an amazing journey. I’ve gotten to experience so many great things. I’m excited to go play (collegiately) but I’m sad to leave here too. Hopefully we’ve got a long season left.”
