MATTHEW BROWN: Some great accomplishments, some strange

Published 5:55 pm Friday, February 14, 2025

Congratulations go out to Georgia College & State University’s women’s basketball senior Jada Warren for her career milestones in rebounding set in the win over Flagler College Feb. 8 at The Centennial Center. As the season draws closer to the end, be on the lookout for a special interview story with Warren in a future edition of The Union-Recorder.

Here is the question I am posing, hoping perhaps some with greater knowledge of the history of Georgia College athletics can provide an answer.

Warren is the NCAA Division II leader for women’s basketball in rebounding average at 14 per game after last Saturday’s game. She has a great chance to hold on to that lead, number two in the nation being 1.4 behind her.

If that is the case, will that make her the first in school history to lead the nation in a major ‘triple crown’ category for a season? There have been some great baseball and softball players in the school’s athletic Hall of Fame, but any leaders on a national scale?

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It bears repeating, even if that’s something I don’t like to do often in opinion pieces. But under the category of ‘That’s what it’s all about,’ I was again hit by the warm and fuzzy feeling that is supposed to be the purpose of National Signing Day for high school football players.

We have two of them now, one in December for the 5-stars and those who keep track commitment by commitment of their favorite big program. If being No. 1 in the recruiting class ranking is so important, that’s your Christmas cheer.

But in February, we still see deserving youngsters go where the TV cameras aren’t likely following. They will be playing on Saturdays just like the SEC, but with bottom-of-the-page recognition. The Baldwin High Braves moving on to the next level were just as excited about these opportunities, as were those in the Fine Arts Auditorium.

It was their day, not superfan’s day.

It was also about atmosphere, a feeling of home for these players. Whereas for the 5-star, home is where the green is.

Who knows what they will achieve at these schools.

No matter where you go to follow high school football in the state of Georgia, you will see certain schools pop up on the Signing Day table.

Take the University of the Cumberlands in Kentucky. I wish I could see an all-time roster for the past 25 years and check off those I covered. Maybe it would be enough to field a starting lineup.

Sure enough, here’s somebody from the Lake Country Area excelling for the Patriots in Williamsburg. Former Putnam County High Eagle Malik Thornton, who lined up alongside the Kilgore brothers who are now South Carolina Gamecocks, is a two-time All Mid-South Conference cornerback for Cumberlands and the MSC Defensive Freshman of the Year in 2022.

As a freshman, Thornton had four interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns. He became only the second player ever at Cumberlands to have two defensive touchdowns in a year. Thornton has 10 picks in three seasons (only one last year; they figured it best not to throw his way) to go with 11 breakups and 59 tackles in 28 games.

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This must be Bizzaro-world we are living in now. I just looked at the AP men’s Top 25 basketball poll and saw Auburn and Alabama at the top. Has that ever happened in that other sport they place religious status on?

Filling out the top five is Florida and Tennessee. And what is still the No. 1 topic of conversation on the programs in these parts?

I did catch one comment on how, yes, the Southeastern Conference is dominating the men’s rankings this season, but not one of them will win the national championship. You hear the same argument about SEC football. These teams are going bruise each other so much during the regular season that none will have anything left to win six in a row in March.

It’s also not in my nature to throw a lot of ‘Told you so’ comments out there. But I found it amusing when some got excited over Georgia men’s basketball victories over Kentucky and Oklahoma a month ago. Then what happened? Four losses in a row. Yes, you get slammed at Tennessee and Florida, but you can’t be the one to help Arkansas get out of its funk.

Yes, you get slammed at Alabama, but then come agonizingly close to an upset of the StarkDogs at home.

Here’s the number I leave you with on the Georgia basketball topic: 7. When these Bulldogs get to seven conference wins, I will get excited about their progress. That will surpass the SEC win totals of both last year and the year before. Tuesday’s slam job by Texas A&M didn’t create any confidence, and at 4-8 that leaves six remaining split between Stegeman and the road. Rematches with South Carolina, Florida and Auburn are in that six, so is a trip to Texas.

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Now, who can guess what the following words have in common: Gueye, Krejci, LeVert, Niang, Okongwu, Risacher.

You don’t have to think too long. These are last names of current players on the Atlanta Hawks, some added after the Feb. 6 trade deadline.

Let me highlight just one, Zaccharie Risacher. He’s the selection made with the historic first No. 1 overall Draft Lottery selection last summer. After Monday’s big win over Orlando, ZR is averaging 11.3 points and 3.4 rebounds per game (47 games). Don’t know if that is Rookie of the Year or even All-Rookie material, but the Hawks are still in their customary play-in spot in the Eastern Conference alongside Miami and Chicago.

Hey, at least they aren’t the superstar-laden 76ers, 13 games under .500 (but only a couple of games from a play-in spot, really?). At least they aren’t the Dallas Mavericks right now … I think the 9-win Washington Wizards are glad they aren’t the Mavs right now.

(If at all possible, give pet adoption a try through the Animal Rescue Foundation in Milledgeville. Donations of any kind are also in great need. ARF is the little red building at 711 S. Wilkinson St., and more information is available at animalrescuefoundation.org.)