Men's Basketball
WGTC Men's Basketball Tryouts |
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Dates: |
April 7 |
11 am - 2 pm |
Open Gym Workout |
April 21 |
11 am - 2 pm |
Open Tryout |
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May 5 |
11 am - 2 pm |
Open Gym Workout |
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May 19 |
11 am - 2 pm |
Open Gym Workout |
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June 2 |
11 am - 2 pm |
Open Tryout |
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Location: |
East Carrollton Rec Center (410 Northlake Drive, Carrollton GA) |
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For more information, contact head coach Niki Okolovitch at okolovitch76@yahoo.com. |
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Golden Knights Men's Basketball Preview: Knights Add Talent and Depth as They Jump Into Tough NJCAA Region 17 Play
Posted: November 7, 2011
CONTACT: Aaron Sones, Sports Information Coordinator (770-328-6181)
Niki Okolovitch returns for his second season and will lead the Golden Knights men’s basketball team into their first season of Division III NJCAA basketball competition. The Knights look to build on the success of last season, which saw a school-record 11 wins and a trip to the TSGAA championship game.
The Knights have a balanced schedule with a mix of Division I junior colleges, four-year school JV teams, and a tough Region 17 conference schedule.
“At this point we just want to be able to compete with the scholarship schools,” Okolovitch says. “If we can find a way to beat one that would be a huge accomplishment, but our goal is to use those games to get better for the all-important conference schedule.”
That conference schedule will include four other teams: Georgia Northwestern, Middle Georgia Tech, South Crescent Tech, and Oxford-Emory.
“The region is wide open right now. All the schools have brought in good recruiting classes and anybody can beat anybody,” Okolovitch said.
If West Georgia Tech wins the region tournament, they will have an opportunity to move on and play in the national tournament which is held in New York.
The Golden Knights return three starters and add several key newcomers.
“We don’t have overwhelming size, but we more than make up for it in speed and skill at every position,” Okolovitch said.
The frontcourt will be led by a quartet of players: Demontray McCormick, Steve Lominy, Byron Williams, and Chris West.
The 6-5 McCormick is a transfer from Jones Junior college in Mississippi and was a highly-regarded player out of Biloxi high school (rated as a Top-20 player in the state in 2009). According to Okolovitch, McCormick can score from anywhere on the court and will prove to be a tough matchup for the opposition.
Lominy is a 6-5 forward who started every game last season for the Golden Knights, averaging nine points, seven rebounds, three assists, and two steals per game.
Williams, a 6-7 sophomore, returns after averaging 18 points and 12 rebounds per game last season, earning him First Team All-Conference and All-Tournament honors.
West, at 6-5, is an athletic player who is extremely active and averaged nearly four blocks per game in high School.
Okolovitch said that Coby Moore, from Sandy Creek High School (11.5 ppg, 5 rpg), will add depth to the frontcourt.
The big upgrade for the Golden Knights will come at point guard.
“Last year we had a lot of good guards, but none of them was a pure point guard and it hurt us in many end-of-game situations,” Okolovitch said. “One of our main areas of concentration this off-season was to bring in quality point guards, and I think we’ve done that.”
Okolovitch brought in five point guards that will compete for playing time.
Sharod Drayton was an all-area performer for Villa Rica High School last year, helping lead them to 25 wins and a quarterfinal trip to the playoffs while averaging 18 points and six assists per game.
Randazzero Chaney prepped at Lagrange High School and went 31-1 as a senior with the lone loss coming in the state championship game. He spent last year at Sound Doctrine prep averaging 15 points and four assists.
Tory White (20 ppg and 5 apg at Steward County High School) and Victor Wynn (9 ppg and 5 apg at East Paulding High School) provide quickness and experience. Da’keas Wright (Chapel Hill High School) will make an impact with his combination of speed and shot making ability.
Returning sophomore Demario McMath (5 ppg, 3 apg and 3 spg) will provide toughness on defense and an improved offensive game. Blair Austin (19.5 ppg at Brookwood High School) will see action at multiple positions and adds athleticism and the ability to get easy baskets to the lineup.
“Our goal is to win a region championship, but that’s a long way away and anything can happen between now and then,” Okolovitch said. “We hope to continue to make strides as a program and to improve everyday as a team. I like this team, and I love the fact that we have an opportunity, I believe, to do some great things this season.”
The Men’s Golden Knights Basketball team was one of the first sports considered when Athletics was born at
West Georgia Technical College in 2007. The program is continuously growing and requires committed students
who are passionate about basketball. Tryouts are typically held in the Summer Quarter.
Interested in Student Athletics?? Fill out the Interest Form/Questionnaire today! Your name will be added to the
contact list of prospective student athletes and to receive email updates.
For more information, contact Walter Dunson – walter.dunson@westgatech.edu or 770-537-6049.