Middle Georgia Technical College

Middle Georgia Technical basketball making noise

By Matthew Brown

Journal Sports Write

mbrown@sunmulti.com

It's a season of transition for the still fledgling Middle Georgia Technical College basketball program.

In 2011, the Titans men's team under head coach Bobby Brown won the Technical College System of Georgia Athletic Association tournament championship. Some of the competitors from that league joined Middle Georgia Technical in jumping into the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association as a Division III team for the current 2011-12 campaign.

Those Titans stand at 9-9 playing both conference foes and teams with long histories in Division I junior college basketball. There hasn't been a game for Brown's club since Dec. 17, an 82-56 win against Oxford College of Emory. The Titans have from this weekend to Saturday, Jan. 14, to get back in playing shape for a big conference tilt with Georgia Northwestern Technical, the same school MGTC knocked off in the TCSGAA finals last March in Chattanooga, Tenn.

"We've actually defeated five Division I JUCOs," said Brown. "It's put us on the list … shocked some people. It's not common that Division III schools defeat Division I schools.

"As far as conference-wise, we've been doing very well, undefeated so far. But we weren't predicted to win it. When they did preseason predictions, they had us finishing third. It is kind of a shock for us to be where we're at right now."

Only four Titan players returned from the 10-11 squad. The newcomers hail from such towns as Albany, Carrollton and Brunswick. That Brunswick player – a graduate of Glynn Academy – is 6-7 Dwayne Bryant. Brown said he just happened to find Bryant on the MGTC campus.

Javarus Mallard, from Twiggs County High School, has been both the conference's leader and No. 2 man in scoring all season. Mallard's numbers also put him in the top 20 nationally. A deadly 3-point shooter, Brown said Mallard made six shots from outside the arc when the Titans scored one of those Division I upsets, 95-90 in overtime over East Georgia College.

"We have three guys who are in the top five in the conference in rebounding," said Brown. "They are all averaging about eight rebounds a game. We even have a guy who is a ‘human highlight reel.' He gets the crowd in it with his dunks. He is (6-5) Jeffery Gulley from Carrollton High School."

As far as signature games go, Middle Georgia Technical went to Chattahoochee Valley Community College in Alabama Nov. 30. The final score was a 67-66 win for the Titans.

"We won that game at the buzzer," said Brown. "We ran a set play, and Gulley hit the winner."

Going back to the East Georgia win, which was on Nov. 10, one of Mallard's 3-pointers came at the regulation buzzer to send the contest into overtime. Brown only had six players at his disposal due to injury issues. It was the first win of the season and came after a 20-point setback against another Alabama school, Southern Union State.

East Georgia defeated MGTC in the rematch Nov. 22 94-87. The Titans are 0-2 against Div. 1 South Georgia Technical College in Americus, but one of those losses was in overtime, 71-68, on Dec. 9. In the first meeting with Georgia Northwestern Tech, which took place in Rome on Dec. 10, the Titans won 68-64.

"They are serious about it," said Brown. "We are getting a lot of four-year colleges and universities looking at our players. We are looking forward to the future of our program, building it into a powerhouse in the state."

And Brown wants to do it from the talent pool in middle Georgia. He is actively recruiting players in the Houston County schools.

"I hope they will consider staying here at home," said Brown. "We really need to boost up our fan base. One way is to recruit kids locally."

In the Titans' brief history, all ‘home' games took place at Ft. Valley State University. That will change next season as a new multi-purpose facility is under construction, and it will include a basketball gym.

"We are very excited about that," said Brown, who is also using Mossy Creek Middle School for practice. "There will be classrooms in the facility, some exercise areas and weight rooms. We hope to have (the community) come out to a lot of games and see us play."

Until then, that Jan. 14 men's and women's doubleheader with Georgia Northwestern Tech will begin at 2 p.m. at Ft. Valley State. The conference tournament is at Oxford March 1-3.

There is a MGTC women's basketball program also in the infant stages under coach Lawanda Shelley-Brown. This is the Lady Titans' second season, and Brown also looks towards the future while adjusting to the new level of competition.

Brown finished the first portion of the season with eight players, and she is waiting to see who will be eligible for the final six games.

"We're hoping everything works out for the better," she said. "Compared to last season, so far it hasn't been decent. Not making excuses, but most of the games we've played have been against Division I schools. They are supposed to have the better talent.

"One thing I can say is even though we lost those games, it wasn't by any major margin. It shows we can compete with any of the top notch schools out there."

Brown said it's been hard to recruit the local student-athletes because most of them don't want to stay at home. Her plan, then, is to go to the smaller surrounding counties that has the talent but gets overlooked just because of their location.

"I think (the new facility) will be a great boost to the recruitment process," said Brown. "With having our own on-site facility, we can practice whenever we want to. It will give players the incentive to work outside of practice. They will have 24-hour access."

Brown comes to the MGTC program with a bachelor's degree from Cleveland State in Ohio and a master's from Georgia College & State University.