Morgan County Pre-Season Team Preview

Morgan County players (from left to right) SO Tookie Brown, JR CJ Thurman, JR Davon Gibbs

Morgan County high school is coming off a 25 win 2011-12 season in which they made it to the Elite 8. That was a remarkable turnaround for a program that had won only 11 games the previous year, a 14 win improvement that was one of the best in the entire state.  What makes it even more impressive is that they were able to do so while leaning heavily on two sophomores and a freshman.  Head Coach Charlemagne Gibbons, who doubles up as the head coach for the Morgan County girls team as well, knows there is tremendous optimism in Madison, GA coming into this season.

Tookie Brown created a lot of buzz last year as a freshman averaging 18.5ppg, 4apg, and 4rpg. He is joined in the backcourt by junior Davon Gibbs (10ppg, 3apg). Patrolling the paint is junior big man, 6'8 CJ Thurman who tallied a double-double avg last year with 14ppg, 13rpg.  Gibbons is pleased with the leadership of Gibbs and Brown. He feels Thurman is "really coming along. His attention to detail is better and a lot of that is maturity and practice habits are as good since he's been here."

Gibbons is excited about returning his core group of players. "We bring everybody back which is always a good thing. We are still real young [but] we got some experience from last year and I hope it pays off," Gibbons says.  The Bulldogs will throw another young player into the fire this year in freshman Jalen Ingram who Gibbons thinks "could be special. He has a lot of tools. Looks really good for a 2016 guy."  Morgan County got a transfer right at the beginning of the school year with Josh Sallette of Macon, GA moving in. He will bring some size inside to help compliment Thurman and take some pressure off him.

Coach Gibbons knows that teams will be more prepared for them this year with more of a target on their backs.  He knows they will have to do a better job attacking half-court zone defenses as they begin seeing more teams pack it in on them later in the year last season.  Gibbons is confident that this group is ready for the challenge and are prepared.  He believes "Defensively, we can be pretty good. We have to keep 'em off the backboard - no second shots. We have to have a good balance going inside and out." The Elite 8 loss to eventual champ Laney HS was something the players carried into the off-season and understanding the need to work hard to play for it all. "This group has worked harder in the off-season than any other group I've ever had," Gibbons firmly states.

Morgan County may be young, but they have talent that few in class 3A posses.  As legendary coach John Wooden once said, "I'd rather have a lot of talent and a little experience than a lot of experience and a little talent."  Thanks to last year, Morgan County's talent now has some experience.

Morgan County will tip-off their season on this Saturday at Berkmar at 4:00pm.  They will also be participating in the GACS showcase sponsored by Blue Collar Basketball on Dec.15 playing host team GAC in the 7:00pm game slot.