Many former local basketball players either are getting ready for Christmas break or are planning to travel during the holidays to play in basketball tournaments for their respective colleges.
Last month, the Courier had an update on a few former local players who are making headlines in college basketball. Here is an update on how a few of these athletes are doing at this point in the season.
Lamar Richardson — North Georgia
According to the Nighthawks’ website, the former Liberty County High School and current UNG senior guard has started eight games and is second on the team in scoring at 12.5 points per game. He also is averaging 2.2 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.2 steals per contest. The Night Hawks will take two weeks off for the holidays and return to the court at 3:30 p.m. Jan. 4 at Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville.
DJ Felder —Jacksonville State
Felder played at Bradwell for two years before transferring to First Presbyterian Christian Academy, where he helped the Highlanders win back-to-back state titles his junior and senior years. Felder played one year at St. Johns River State College before transferring to East Georgia State College his sophomore year. He took the team to its first state title in the program’s history.
Now in his junior year at Jacksonville State, Felder has started 12 games, averaging 21.5 minutes, 7.8 points and 4.8 rebounds per game.
Felder and the Gamecocks are traveling to the British Virgin Islands Tournament, where they will play Arkansas-Little Rock today and either Southern Miss or Coppin State on Saturday.
Jordan Johnson — Tennessee Tech
Johnson, who was Felder’s teammate during those state-title years at FPCA, went to East Georgia College for his freshman and sophomore years and led the National Junior College Athletic Association in 3-pointers made with 122, ranked seventh in the NJCAA and first on the team in 3-point percentage. Now a junior at Tennessee Tech, Johnson has played in 13 games with one start, averaging 12 minutes a game and 4.1 points per game.
The Golden Eagles were scheduled to host Hillsdale College on Thursday before going on break until Dec. 28, when they play at Utah Valley.
Jon Blair, Jalen Watson, Alex Reid and Jaquez Motley — East Georgia College
When the EGC basketball team was formed about four years ago, then-coach Neil Bailey met with former Coastal Crew Rebels coach Ernie Walthour to recruit local players. Bailey and Walthour quickly formed a bond, and EGC soon had a slew of players primarily from Hinesville and a few more from Statesboro, Savannah and Darien.
Bailey has since left EGC for a coaching career in Virginia, but interim coach Leroy Jordan still looks to Hinesville and the surrounding community for players, and his current squad has four former local men on the team.
Former Bradwell Institute player Jon Blair, a sophomore forward, leads the team in scoring with 16.1 points per game. Blair has started nine of 10 games, averaging 24.6 minutes per game and 6.5 rebounds per game.
Former Faith Baptist standout Jaquez Motley, a sophomore guard, is second with 11 points per game. He has started all 11 games as of Dec. 17, averaging 19.6 minutes and three rebounds per game.
Former BI Tiger Jalen Watson is averaging 5.2 points per game, while former Coastal Crew Rebel Alex Reid is averaging 2.9 points per game. Watson has started two games with 5.2 rebounds per game and 12 minutes per game, and Reid has played in nine games with 12.4 minutes per game with 1.2 rebounds.
The Bobcats are off until Dec. 29, when they travel to Panama City to play Northwest Florida State College at 3 p.m.