GCAA JUCO heads into Jamboree

GCAA JUCO heads into Jamboree

By Robert Alfonso Jr. 

Americus, GA – The start of the Junior College season is less than a month away. Every teams goal is to capture a national championship.

Two- year programs want to showcase their skills to four-year coaches as the goal is to always make it to Hutchinson, Kansas. Players also want to be seen by four-year programs, which is why the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association held its annual JUCO Peach Show with the host being South Georgia Tech in early September.

The Hanger held the NJCAA GCAA Region 17 held the modified practice in front of some four-year programs from around the Southeast. This is a prelude to watch players before many partake in a handful of jamborees before the season officially tips off for many the first week of October, which includes the Corry Black Classic Jamboree, at Lakepoint Sports.

This nine-team league is a one bid league to the annual NJCAA men’s national championship in March. Last season, South Georgia State won the regular season and conference tournament before being eliminated in the first-round by Angelina State.

Which of these programs will emerge as the leagues lone representative this March?

Rosters were filled with notable names from within Georgia and others garnering plenty of attention from college programs.

Andrew College head coach Brian Skortz has a roster looking to get double-digit wins this season. He has a good mix of returning players like Devin Moise and talented young ones like Xavier Burks.

Moise played 27 games where he averaged 5.0 points per game and 1 rebound in nine minutes a game. The former McEachern High product is a 6’7 power forward rebounder with a good touch from outside of the paint. He is a solid operator around the basket with good hands.

A new face on the Tigers roster is Xavier Burks. The 6’4 combo guard, from Thomasville, GA,  is impressive for a freshman. He looked comfortable on the floor with the older players and will crack Andrew’s lineup or rotation regularly. His feel for the game had college programs circling his name. He can see the floor and score the ball consistently from the mid-range but has the range from beyond the three-point line. 

Koby Johnson is easily the most athletic player on the Tigers roster. He may be one of the top-5 athletes in the league, and he is not five. When you see the 6-foot guard, from Alabama, he jumps out at you. He is strong with a solid lower base and long arms. Johnson’s ability to play above the rim is astonishing in the open floor. This two-foot jumper finishes with power and finesse. Look for him to give the Tigers a shot of energy.

Jasiyah Suber is a relentless on-ball defender. The Calhoun High product scores well in the lane. Look for this sophomore to make a bigger offensive contribution this season. Mantrel Mosely is a 6’5 forward with a strong knack for rebounding the ball. The more you watched the Thomas County Central High product, he was always cradling rebounds from all different areas. This is the type of glue player the Tigers need.

Andrew’s finished on a six-game losing streak before being eliminated by South Georgia State in the first round of the GCAA tournament. 

Gordon State College roster is two-deep at every position. Head coach Greg Schiefen will have the flexibility to put out various lineups on the floor at any given night. A staple in to the roster will be Christian Burnett.

The 6’4 shooting guard was a member of the All-GCAA first team, while also being named to the all-freshman and all-tournament teams, respectively. Coaches around the league named him to the preseason All-GCAA team. After watching him play it was easy to see why Burnett was selected to the team.

Burnett can handle the ball against pressure and is capable of creating for himself. He can shoot the ball efficiently from all areas of the floor. His length and lateral quickness made him a menace on the perimeter. He showed this defensive grit after a minor injury and played through the pain. Burnett has garnered plenty of attention from a number of Division I programs. 

A good backcourt mate for Burnett is transfer Jase McCullough. The 6’4 point guard showed he was more than capable of running the Highlanders offense. He found teammates and in tight spots and never looked rattled handle the ball. The former Pebblebrook High product is a physical player who has the smoothness and finesse to get into the lane. This is where he can score through contact or found teammates in ideal scoring position.

Donovan Hand is a name many in the Peach State know. He is a 6’8 forward with high major athleticism was named to the leagues preseason team. Hand is always around the basket rebounding the ball outside of his area. He gives the Highlanders the interior presence it will need on the season. The GCAA named him to the preseason All-tournament team.

Messiah Graham is one of the more intriguing freshman in the league. He is a 6’7 small forward who is get comfortable with the speed and physicality of the college game. Running the floor and nailing jumpers fits into exactly what the Highlanders want to do on both ends of the floor. This Atlanta native will content for a spot on the All-Freshman roster by seasons end. 

Chauncey “CJ” Williams is a 6’8 wing, from Westside Macon. The sophomore made plays in large part with is athleticism on either end. He plays above the rim but is capable of shooting the shot jumper to keep opponents at bay. 

South Georgia State are the defending champions, which returns eight players from last years team. Some pieces Trevian Callaway, Matt Roberts, Dawson Eaton, Reggie White, and Jarvis Weaver Jr. 

Roberts, a 6-foot guard from Greenville, South Carolina, is a poised sharpshooter. He extends the floor in an assortment of ways. When he’s on the ball Roberts is a solid facilitator and a relentless defender. Being able to shoot the ball with range is a tremendous asset for the Hawks. 

Getting open shots will come because of Callaway. The Hawks point guard, who transferred from Tyler Junior College, gets two-feet into the lane and threads passes through tight spots. He has the ball on a string. His basketball IQ and feel for the game is an extension of its head coach. 

White is the defensive disturber. He is long and wiry built to play on and off the ball. His explosiveness gives him an advantage over other defenders.

Weaver is a name few people in the state may recognize. He is a 6’3 guard is a Swiss army knife. The Chestatee High graduate is a tremendous defender with a high motor. His game is one where he does not need the ball to be effective. Look for him to make a key contributor in the Hawks season. Eaton is a returning forward with an array of skills. He is 6’8, who stretches the floor with his jumper, while also being able to protect the rim whenever necessary.

Leading the Hawks is head coach Cory Baldwin, who is entering his 17th year in Waycross. He has had the program ascending with the winningest record (145-45) in the state since 2019 to present among all levels NJCAA, NCAA I, II, III, and NAIA. This will be his 20th season as a head coach and 27th year in the college game.

Georgia Highlands College is in a rebuilding year. The Chargers have hired Reco Dawson to help the program move forward. He returns to the state after being at Shelton State for several seasons. Dawson has rebuilt and achieved tremendous success in Georgia with stops as a head coach at Central Georgia Tech.

He is starting from the ground up with GHC. The rosters top names are Malik Lovett, Josh Bryant, and Brayden Smith. Lovett is a 6’6 wing with smooth guard level skills. He handled the ball through the practice and skill sessions, while knocking down consistent jumpers. Bryant is a 6’7 forward with excellent athleticism. The Lake Land College transfer brings a level of excitement to a roster that will need a jump. Smith is this teams floor general, who transferred from the Citadel. The Augusta Christian product is strong with an explosive first-step. He brings the Chargers experience, who can run any offense. Dawson will lean heavily on these guys experience as the program looks to get back on track.

South Georgia Tech, which hosted the event, has been the talk among the coaches in the league. The Jets roster is filled with impressive size and athleticism.

They have the best college prospect on the floor in Matt Mbole. He is a 6’11 grown man and it was evident dunking anything in the paint. His presence inside deterred teammates from looking to attack. If they did get in Mbole deflected or blocked shots. Not everything he does is about power and strength, He can also shoot the ball and stretch the defense. The coaches selected him to the Pre-season All-GCAA team. He also has numerous Division I offers and will continue to get them as more programs get to see him. However, he isn’t the only Jets player will be intrigued with this season.

Mbole is anchored by Guillaume Schoentgen. The 6’9 forward, from Belgium, is a stretch forward with an excellent touch. His European style of play where he knocked down shots consistently from beyond the arc. Schoentgen’s game is physical inside and has the size to punish opponents. He is a rebounder and has a good feel for the game. Look for him to get more open looks on the year with the Jets depth.

Frankie Raines Jr will help open the offense for the Jets. The 6-foot guard has a good knack for scoring the ball. He shot the ball well during the open practice and was not rattled. Look for him to crack the rotation of steady action this season. Reggie Cleveland is a new face to watch. The Florida native is a 6’7 wing impressed with the confidence, athleticism, and skillset. He adds to the Jets depth and size. One of the freakiest athletes on the Jets roster is Not Istrefi. At 6’5, this wing finishes above the rim and flourishes in the open floor. The native of England knocked down mid-range jumpers consistently. Another freshman to watch is Jeremy Nixon, a 6’6 wing, handled the ball well in the open court and demonstrated he is ready to play collegiate basketball. 

As this group blends and meshes together look for the Jets to take flight.

East Georgia State College is known as a program that will scratch, claw, and will its way to victories. This team will not be any different.

These Bobcats are led by some experience players and size. They have 6’11 Chibueze Iroajanma, 6’8 Evan Daniel, and 6’7 Alki King, who were not able to attend the practice due to being ill. Add those not in attendance was 6’4 Josh Lamfels, and 6’3 Henry Herman. All these players are expected to have big roles for the Bobcats this season. 

After watching the players who were able to play in front of the college coaches, it is easy to see why there is a buzz around the program.

Jamarie Brown impressed throughout the entire practice. The South Carolina native is a 6’3 shooting guard with a confident trigger and range. He was consistent shooting from the right half of the floor, mixing it up with mid-range jumpers along with long distant threes. His ability to handle the ball also showed he is skilled enough to run the team making timely passes. 

Malik Hinton brings the electricity suited for East Georgia’s program. The Atlanta native is a shifty point guard controls the ball through traffic with ease and delivers accurate passes. He is the all-time leading scorer at Stone Mountain and his ability showed itself. His change of pace kept defenders off-balanced allowing for solid scoring opportunities.

Dakota Sellers was an intriguing player, who was named to the GCAA preseason team. The Division III transfer showed he has some tools. His athleticism and toughness was evident. He ran the floor delivering dunks or creative finishes. Sellers is long and wiry who rebounded well outside of his area. Khalid Racine showed off his skillset taking defenders off the dribble to the rim. The lefty, from Douglassville High, has a good stroke from the perimeter. He gives the Bobcats a consistent shooter.

Barring any health issues or injuries, East Georgia could make a deep run this season. 

Albany Tech has some tools on the roster who will be impactful on the season. The one who stood out the most was Travell Anderson, who has an old school style of game. There is no flash or finesse to it at all. He gets to the business and carves out space with his physical play. The Detroit native was one of the strongest players in the gym in the entire tour. Opponents were beating him to the glass on either end of the floor. If his hands got on the ball there was no getting it out. Any school looking for a no nonsense physical player will enjoy watching Anderson.

Tyler Husband, who was named to the Preseason All-GCAA team, showed off his athleticism playing above the rim on both ends of the floor. He was crafty with the ball while getting into the lane regularly. His ability to shot the ball consistently gives him the arsenal to be an intricate piece to the Titans offense. 

Brennan Wansley is an active combo guard from Buford. The Brevard College transfer is 6’4 who plays 94-feet of the floor with exuberant energy and athleticism. His defensive nose to the ball mindset disrupted things. He rebounds well for his position. Another valuable asset in having a player like him on the floor is his leadership. Wansley was always positive and kept the team together. 

Mansur McClain, from California, finished high school at Wheeler. He was a late pick up for Albany Tech and a possible steal. Many anticipated the 6’6 wing to be on a Division I roster. He is now with the Titans and was named to the Preseason All-GCAA team. His game showed why the coaches in the league named him to the team. McClain scores the ball with ease. He plays inside and out while also rebounding at a high level.

Central Georgia Tech was without one of the leagues best players Roosevelt Brown, who was out ill. He is sharpshooter and was named to the preseason All-GCAA team. While he has returned to the team since this showcase, Brown will garner plenty of attention because of his skillset.

The Titans entered the tour a little under the weather. They were missing a handful pf players due to an illness plaguing the campus. This put most of the campus on quarantine preventing the Titans from getting their practice jerseys.

Regardless of all these hurdles the roster still showed it has enough talent to make some noise in the conference. Deven Robinson was one tough player around the rim. The 6’5 lefty is a tactician around the basket. He is a tenacious rebounder who gives defenders matchup issues due to his length. Kaden Douglass is a smooth shooter at 6’3. His consistently high release allowed him to keep defenders off balance. Look for him to help Brown, a preseason All-GCAA selection, on the perimeter. Traveion Wheeler is a 6’8 power forward, who is a lethal rim protector. He is a quick jumper with impeccable timing and it has helped him dominate the glass on both ends of the floor. 

There is one person the Titans know will help add athleticism, skill, and toughness – Kazaies Hemphill. The South Carolina native is 6’10, who was out sick. He has given the Titans staff the confidence to say he will be a highly-sort after player before December. There is plenty of optimism in Macon with this Titans squad.

Southern Crescent Tech had the most intriguing new prospect of all the teams. His name is Magatte Niag. At 6’10, the Senegalese prospect has a well put together body with broad shoulders and muscles. He showed the desire to dunk every ball given to him in the post eating space and putting the maintenance department on notice they will need to tighten up the rims after every game. This freshman’s hands were like catchers mitts, whenever given the ball. Niag, however, is a gentle giant off the court interacting with teammates and scouts. 

Nicholas Stewart gives SCT experience. The sophomore averaged 19 points a game last season and is a big body guard. He gets paint touches and will play physical while also changing pace.

His backcourt mate is Jaquavious Peek. The 6’1 point guard is an energy giver. He is a vocal leader always putting guys in the right spot and encouraging them. His handle and shift change twisted defenders around, a number of directions but in front of him.

Justyce Sadler is a freshman who gives the Tigers another interior player. He is a raw 6’4 forward who will get on the floor rebounding the ball. Learning the college game will be a process but it needs to be a quick study for him.