🎙️ Dive into all things local sports with Thrift Barringer and Richard Holdridge as they break down the latest action from around the Chattahoochee Valley! 🏀🔥
🎉 Special Guests:
✨ Jalen Butler – Newly appointed Head Basketball Coach at Lurleen B. Wallace
✨ Matt Houser – Head Coach of Columbus State Women’s Basketball
Don’t miss the insights, stories, and sports talk you won’t get anywhere else! 💬📣 #LocalSports #ChattValleySports #BasketballTalk #ColumbusGA
georgia Alabama Sports Live will be your go-to for all your favorite high school and collegiate games this fall From the Carver Tigers to the Columbus Blue Devils the Harris County Tigers and North Side Patriots the Glenwood Gator and Calvary Christian Knights the Pachelli Vikings and Brookstone Cougars to the Smith Station Panthers and Russell County Warriors from CVCC Pirates basketball and baseball and every tournament from here to Mon We are the number one destination for anything happening in East Alabama and West Central Georgia Be sure to like and follow us on YouTube and Facebook and stay tuned for even more amazing ways we will be bringing Georgia Sports Live to you this upcoming season We can’t wait to come see you next [Music] Heat [Music] up here [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] What is going on everyone thinger here Richard Holdridge Georgia Alabama Sports Live baby And we’re back I’m refreshed I’m sun-kissed I’m excited And we are here on this glorious Tuesday night Big Rich what’s up man it was a turn and burn of unlike any turn and burn man But you were here for a few days Reset Now you got to finish out your time with your milli obligation and then next week you’re back full swing with George Alabama Sports Live Third time’s a charm Having to do a turn and burn I got to spend time with the family got to enjoy Father’s Day called some summer league games and uh I even got to be on Sports Visions with you and DJ last couple of days So uh yeah but I’m back at Fort Stewart now Uh yeah paid no attention to the virtual background of Columbus That’s not where I’m at right now Yeah no doubt man And uh we appreciate you tuning in as always Thank y’all so much for having joined us We hope you had a fantastic Father’s Day weekend We hope everybody enjoyed that Monday watching the NBA finals and we got a ton we’re going to be getting into here this evening We’re going to be talking what we’ve had on the docket this week in terms of high schools coverage in sports We talk Columbus United We’ll hit on also some clingstones We’ll do some unsolicited hot take Richard NBA Finals edition with some Braavos and anything else that we can think of before we hightail it out of out of here And we’ll talk about what we got coming up this week But we also will have a special guest joining us here in literally two minutes He was supposed to join us a couple minutes ago but uh because of me a little bit of delay on what we were supposed to start but we’re here and we’re going to have on Jaylen Butler six year uh he has been the assistant coach the lead assistant for coach Robert Moore and Columbus State He was his defensive coordinator and huge part of Columbus State having one of their most winningest seasons in the history of their program that had you know they’ve had some historic coaches including the legendary Herbert Green He has now accepted a job to be the head coach at a junior college in Alabama But we’re going to have on Jaylen Butler to talk about this new experience talk about this endeavor and what it meant to uh be under coach Moore all these years And this is another assistant you remember uh one of those assistants Rich uh Richard was been it and he went on to do great things and uh and he’s had many guys that have been underneath him Coach Moore uh that have gone to the next level Um but I’m excited to talk to Jaylen Butler I know you are too Yeah he is going to be the new head coach at Loren B Wallace also known as LBW the LBW baby down in Andalusia And so and by the way uh we’ll probably see him on George Alabama Sports Live because they do play CBCC You hear that Coach Butler you’re going to be on prime time when we get that first season baby All right so let’s what we’re going to do I don’t want to keep him too long because he’s actually got to meet some of his players that he’s going to be coaching this upcoming year We’re going to take a quick break We gotta say shout out to our sponsors uh Glenn Smith Richard And when we come back we’re gonna have on the man himself Jaylen Butler We’re gonna find out everything we need to know about Jaylen Butler because I know many of y’all were like “Where’d he play high school where’d he go to college how’d he get into coaching?” All that’s coming up next here on the George Alabama Sports Live Show You’re watching right now the George Alabama Sports Live show that is presented by Glenn Smith Chevrolet and GMC Get ready to smile We’ll be right back after this Here they come Truck loans of fresh inventory to Glenn Smith GMC in Opaikica Choose from a huge selection of full-size GMC Sierras discounted up to 13250 off New GMC Terrains the popular SUV known for its safety technology and performance is discounted up to 7500 off Enjoy no payments until July People from all over the USA save at Lensmith GMZ in Opaikica Get ready to smile I always feel like going and fighting someone when I hear that every time that music comes on All right let’s stop holding him up He’s a busy guy and we appreciate him making time for us He is now the head coach of LBW Community College longtime assistant at Columbus State and a friend of mine Jaylen Butler thank you so much for making the time to join us here tonight I appreciate you guys for having me Yeah no doubt about it man And the first thing we’re going to do dude before we even talk about this new endeavor I would like for you to kind of give your background Where are you from where did you play ball and what led you to coaching and then ultimately to this opportunity So go start from the beginning and tell your story man I will it will be uninterrupted Floor is yours Appreciate you So I’m from Augusta Georgia Born and raised played my high school basketball at Curtis Baptist a private school in downtown Augusta Then I ended up playing my college basketball at Lraange College probably 30 40 minutes up the road Yep So all of my stops have all been in Georgia you know what I mean i was a guy in college I knew I wanted to coach You know one of my goals was to make it to play college basketball I checked off that box and I was a guy like man I know I’m not a pro I want to coach give back to guys some of the life lessons this basketball has taught me I kind of want to give it back And so I remember I started working with Hooping based out of Atlanta in Swany Sports Academy A lot of big tournaments were held there So man I got a chance to meet a lot of people network I actually was in Columbus before that I got connected with Cory Black right when I was still in college playing I came to some of his jo jamberees and kind of met some people A story that you might not know Let me hear it So when I was going into my senior year worked hard wanted a graduate assistant position so I can get my masters paid for and begin my career I got connected to Coach Moore because he was having a graduate assistant position open Wow And it just goes to show you the kind of guy he is He gave it to a former player and I ended up at Armstrong and Savannah in the Peach Belt Gotcha But everything kind of came full circle Obviously I came back to Columbus but I did two years at Armstrong and Savannah They were in the Peach Belt then they merged with Georgia Southern I did two years at Georgia Southwestern and America’s Georgia And then I’ve been Coach Moore’s assistant for six years Wow Richard Richard There we go Yeah it it’s been full circle for you coach to just have the connections that you’ve had over the years and to just to be under coach Robert Mo What what was the one thing that that you took away from his coaching style that you can apply to uh when you start at LBW first off I’m forever grateful for him taking a chance on me And to be honest I always tell him because sometimes he’s like “Man why is this guy calling me for advice why this guy call?” Like man I don’t think he realizes at time who he is in the grand scheme of the coaching world You know what I mean it says a lot about a guy You at the same school for 15 years right how many How many coaches can say that that means you you winning you’re doing right by kids and you’re doing right by the community So I just learned more so than coaching I learned how to run a program how to be a CEO I always tell him obviously he’s a good coach right he’s been coach of the year won a lot of games been to the NCA tournament but I always tell him he’s a better CEO than he is a basketball coach He always tells me like when you become a a head coach your scope is way more than coaching and recruiting and and calling plays So he kind of prepared me for all that No doubt man And I think that’s awesome to be able to hear what his impact Obviously a lot of my friends played for him that uh from Christopher Horton to Carl Ivy to Cam Baker I mean a lot of my best friends Marcus Dixon came through that program I I know what he means to them what he’s meant to this university but I want you to talk about your relationship with those players man because you recruited a lot of these guys You’re always in the gym at CBCC or at a high school near us when we’re going to broadcast You’re looking at the top talent You had established relationship with these guys What was that like and is that something you are going to miss as you move on for this new opportunity with LBW i am for sure Obviously before I got to coach more I’ve been a college coach for four years and just honing my eye for talent you know finding the guys that he likes that fits his system It’s funny it was tricky So our first recruiting class together was actually co So when I got the job here in the summer of 19 he already had the team together So we had a bunch of seniors lost in the Peace Bell Championship game And so we had to do our first class together Wow Social distance Like I’m I’m I’m sending I’m sending them names We bouncing stuff off each other And I’m trying to figure out what he likes what he doesn’t like You don’t really get a chance to see guys in person right no campus visits And so just over the years man obviously building those relationships finding the guys that that that fits what he’s looking for and really one thing about him man he can he he does a great job of just eyeballing not just talent but like mentality like ah I don’t know if this kid love it This kid academically it’s gonna be a struggle This kid even though you don’t see it right now he works so hard or he has no choice but to be good So just those little nuances and I always joke with him My my least favorite thing but it’s a good thing about him is he’s normally right You know what I mean thing about him he might be right before you’re ready to admit it Hey you know he he he’s a little early but he he he’s rarely wrong when he when he when he feels things and he evaluates things So just learning learning from him man is has been a blessing Well Jaylen I do want to ask why LBW i feel like you’ve probably had some other joges come calling your name top assistant jobs Why did you decide this was the right opportunity to take on and be the head coach of well you kind of mentioned it earlier Obviously having C CVCC in town that’s a league I watch at least one game a week right maybe two you know if it’s a a delay or a cancellation a makeup game sometimes three games a week It’s a league I I I’ve grown to love and I have a high respect for And also some of our best players played in Alabama Jo Landris Horton Hunter Preston right nelson Haskin Wisdom Ubo to to kind of to kind of name a few I know I’m missing some guys but Alabama Jo has been really really good even before I got here right you know Ant Moore Learius Jones so many guys have played in Alabama JO and it’s just a league I respect and I think it’s just a great opportunity to go to Andalusia and actually Landress Horton actually played at LBW Wow You know so I talked to him and and you know he told me everything about it and I just thought it was a fit for me Coach the Alabama Community College Conference I not only CBCC LBW you got Southern Union that’s also close by over in Wadley Uh lot of great talent in in this state in Alabama Uh but what what has intrigued you the most about uh the campus of LBW i mean you’ve been there before right coach i mean I have Okay that’s awesome So what what’s the vibe like as far as the resources and and just the the the student athletes and just just the setting the small town setting over in Andalusia what’s that like for you coach so I’ve been down there obviously twice in the interview process and I went down once as as head coach and I actually be traveling down there tomorrow But man very welcoming you know southern prime southern hospitality And also you can just tell that they want to get the basketball program rolling You know I appreciate pres Dr Kelly and the committee for believing in me Awesome I just I just think we can do some really good things down there You know Jaylen now that you’re going to be moving away from CSU and you’re taking on this endeavor now at LBW uh what are some things you’re going to miss here about the city of Columbus did you like living here was it something you gonna going to come back and check on everyone here in Columbus because I know you’re not from here but what is this place going to mean to you as you move on now to Andalusia i mean it’s gonna mean a lot to me So obviously after leaving Augusta and mind you Augusta and Columbus are very similar to each other you know military bases downtown So this is where I’ve lived for over half of my non college adult life you know what I mean grew up you know what I’m saying learned a lot Some really good experiences here So I mean Columbus will always have my heart And I told Coach Moore you know even though I’m moving I’m I’m a cougar for life Jaylen what is a a coach Butler team at LBW going to look like is it going to be fastpaced are we defense hardnosed what What’s your culture and your expectations for your team going to look like as you head into year one i would say first and foremost I know you mentioned me being defensive coordinator Definitely defensive minded right you know tough disciplined and offensively obviously everybody says fast pace but I’m big on sharing the basketball you know what I mean playing playing playing the right way playing off two feet sharing the basketball And I’m still I’m still working on some of that as I as I uh finish up my recruiting class But I’m big on guys doing your job You know what I’m saying being where you supposed being where you supposed to be doing things right being on time and doing everything that’s asked of you What is it going to be um these next couple weeks what’s it going to be like are you already reaching out to players have you already kind of gotten a mindset on staff like what’s what’s the timeline like now as you head into the summer and get ready for next year it’s always just a lot you know it’s just a lot right i mean it’s something new every day man and obviously still being Columbus some kind of going back and forth finding a place to stay having workouts finishing my recruiting class kind of getting a lay lay of land and obviously you know still helping Columbus State make sure everything’s good to go for next year But I mean to be honest with you it’s it’s something new every day So you know I make my list and check off the things that I complete and get back to the rest of it tomorrow Well man I appreciate you joining us here tonight Uh everyone that I know we really didn’t get to talk a lot man Um but from everyone I know and all your former players everyone spoke highly of you man I thought what I saw from Columbus State last year defensively uh was unbelievable And I think you’re going to do great at LBW So we look forward to broadcasting some games man when you come play CVCC next year dude No I I appreciate you And I all I ask is be be neutral Hey listen be be neutral For sure Going to do that Jaylen And listen you can always use George Alabama Sports Live as a recruiting tool Last question before we let you go that I’m going to let you have your little recruiting pitch right now to all those players in the area about what it would be like to come and play for you at LBW maybe in the near future Well before I go there man I want to say thank you to you guys You might not hear it a lot but the community appreciates everything you do for the Bos City you know team camps showcases games some road games you know it’s probably underappreciated but I I I I appreciate you guys and I know the community does as well Thanks man But guys looking at LBW you know if you want to come if you want to come be coached hard loved on and opportunity to reach your dreams come to Andalia Alabama I love it man Jaylen thank you so much Shoot and look forward to talking to you real soon You can always hit me up anytime man Appreciate you Appreciate it coach Jaylen Butler gonna be the new head coach of LBW We’re going to take a quick break When we come back we got more here on the George Alabama Sports Live show You’re watching right now the George Alabama Sports Live show that is presented by Glenn Smith Chevrolet and GMC Get ready to smile We’ll be right back after this I’m always on the go But with the Kinetic Credit Union app Kinetic is always with me The Kinetic Mobile app is virtual banking at its best With the Kinetic mobile app I can easily send and receive money make a deposit pay some bills and I can even open up a new account all from my phone And I can monitor all my accounts in one place all on the go The Kinetic Mobile app Energized banking at its best Kinetic Credit Union The energy for your dreams Welcome to the Campus Academy Private School where every student is celebrated for their individuality With personalized curriculum students unlock their potential growing into confident learners At the campus academy we give teachers the freedom to create dynamic classrooms where every student’s voice is heard Discover the difference Enroll your child today and watch them thrive You’re watching right now the George Alabama Sports Live Show that is presented by Glenn Smith Chevrolet and GMC Get ready to smile We’ll be right back after this Even though I’m away at college Kinetic Credit Union is still the best way for me to stay connected here and at home With the Kinetic mobile app I have control of my accounts wherever I go I can easily transfer money between internal and external accounts get money faster by setting up recurring transfers and I can find the nearest ATM or branch right from my phone Plus I can add my Kinetic cards to my phone’s digital wallet and enjoy quick secure contactless payments By the way Mom I need some more money Kinetic Credit Union The energy for your dreams Welcome back everyone We’re going to try it one more time Hear me now Rich yes I can hear you I don’t know what what’s happening right there but listen It’s storming where you’re at It’s storming where I’m at We can’t get the internet right I was basically asking what you think about that Jaylen Butler interview and how awesome is it that another assistant is going to be going on to the the next level under the tutelage of Robert Boore Yeah it was fantastic Great interview He’s going to do great at LBW Cannot wait to get him on George Alabama Sports Live Rich let’s go ahead and get into what we did yesterday and I’m gonna let you talk about it We were live from the George William Swoosh League and uh we it was at Shaw and Jordan Uh we were able to get four games and I’ll let you talk I’ll start with the first one Shaw and Calvary really competitive game Both teams missing their best players Calvary Cam Shakespeare and Dylan Host out with injuries and Shaw lost their best player Alonzo Tally four minutes into the game But we still learned that both these teams are going to be scrappy They got young but good talent And I think coach Horton and coach Gordon are two of the best young coaches we have in our area But for the rest of the day and piggy back off that game if you will Richard on the George Williams swoosh lead we were at Yeah it was a good comeback by Shaw Calvary had about an eight-point lead Uh Shaw came back I mean like you mentioned Alenzo Tally gets injured in the beginning of the game Uh but I was impressed with both teams Calvary did turn around and play Terrell County and they were able to get the win there And then uh I packed up everything and I headed to Jordan and Carver which was supposed to start at seven You know they start these games early They don’t they don’t wait for the time if that first game gets done quickly Remember they got 20 minute halves So they they kind of got some wiggle room Uh that game was already started at 6:30 uh went ahead and and live streamed the second half and Carver is just as good as advertised They’re gonna Oh yeah They’re going to be dominant Even though they they lost Tony McGomery their leading scoreer I I think that Tobias Tolbert is is ready to to to play at the next level He’s going to get some college offers Uh TJ Woodson is only going to get better He’s going to be a sophomore And the really the story was Champ Simpson taking on his former team Uh remember Champ Simpson a couple years ago was a rotational player for Carver who averaged 10 points a game So and you know this is the region player of the year for Choco that helped lead the Choco Panthers to the second round of the playoffs where he averaged over 20 points a game and I think that Champ is gonna have a fantastic season I agree I completely agree with that Absolutely And then they turned around Probably the game of the night was Cho and Russell County which was going back and forth Lee changes Cho is down by four Champ Simpson hits a three They get the ball back He he shoots two free throws with 10 seconds left to go Cho’s got a one-point lead Russell County ends up uh getting foul shots and they end up winning the game But uh both teams played fantastic What a great event the George Williams swoosh summer league at two different it’s a crime prevention program to get kids off the street into the gym and they’re getting better Richard So that I’m glad you said that I’m glad you were there Thank you for doing that Um and I’m glad we were able to showcase now I think I did nine games at CSU I did another We mean you did another four at Jordan Four more now at Shaw excuse me and Jordan today That’s uh Rich that’s 17 summer league games we’ve done already At Harris County and Hardway 18 And then add on that we’re going to be at the CSU girls team camp to uh Thursday as well and getting some teams So Richard we’re going to have uh over 25 summer league basketball games we did in the month of June Then we got the seven on seven plus to tomorrow we’ll be dropping at night Guess what Rich sitting with an athletic director state of the programs is back It’s back and it’s going to be at a Shelly Cannot wait for that man It’s going to be a lot of fun 100 p.m is the time that I’ll be doing the interview Obviously won’t drop till later on that night but we’ll be at the back center and we’ll be talking about the incredible year for Pelli Athletics What a way to start I think they deserve it Rich They made the playoffs in football uh baseball They won a state championship in esports volleyball girls and boys soccer and basketball They were competitive in track and field wrestling at individual state champions What a year for Pachelli What a year for Calvin Thomas And I think it’s going to be awesome that we’ll be able to kick it off with them Yeah I think it’s great that we’re going to be able to showcase all the sports for all these schools the 16 schools that we cover And uh who knows we might even uh add a couple of schools as well as uh you know we do have some schools in the surrounding areas of the Chattahuchi Valley just on the outskirts of the Tri City area but I’m thinking that this year is going to be even better than the year we had last year I cannot believe this is the third season that we have had sitting with an athletics sitting down with an athletics director state of the program And uh I can’t wait I know that uh I’m going to be uh talking to some ads and some schools as well uh when I get back into town And uh yeah let’s let’s keep going because this this is uh incredible Uh I was actually was going back into the archives and watching some of the episodes from last season uh just to to get get that fresh on my mind so we can get ready for uh talking with some ads I think that’s going to be awesome man and I I think uh we’ll be it’d be incredible um to be able to talk to them So I can’t wait to do that Richard And then also we got um coming up later this week CSU team camp Um and I can’t wait for that Um and I’m trying to get on Matt Howser the head coach of CSU I know it’s last minute Um and I’m Let me send this text real quick Richard Sorry again This is terrible radio but trying to get uh coach Hower to hop on with us Richard and you know what these team camps mean for these players as you saw it last year right yeah absolutely U these team camps at CSU Coach Hower does a great job uh with the team camp for uh the the CSU Lady Cougars And it’s it’s one of those where you got two different sessions You could pay for half a day or the full day and and the full day includes swimming So that’s that’s that’s pretty cool that you know if you you want to keep your if if your child loves basketball and you want to keep them occupied uh for the summer during the week uh that’s a great opportunity to do the the full session You could you could still do the half session and still get a good uh you know basketball camp the fundamentals of basketball That’s very important I knew when I went to basketball camp when I was in junior high it had a huge impact on my life because before I went to this basketball camp I I couldn’t play basketball to save my life And then that basketball t camp taught me how to shoot the ball like how to palm the the basketball and put it in the goal how to dribble that we did dribbling skills We And you know a lot of these high schools are doing these camps I know Glennwood Desy Purdue did his Absolutely I know that um several of the other ones are going to be doing theirs CSU night is only gonna have their individual camp for the kids as well And we are going to have Coach Hower joining us here um in just a little bit So we’ll have him on to talk about uh those team camps Um also tomorrow night we will be live doing a special uh show talking about the future of what’s coming up on George Alabama Sports Live So I can’t wait for that And also on sitting with an athletic director state of the programs couple things We’re going to be finally sitting down with Smith Station and hopefully sitting down with Central So we’ll be knocking those out of the park Glad they’re going to be adding in to our our state of the program We’re going to be sitting down with the new AD at CSU as well So looking forward to that Sitting down with CBCC’s um AD as well So I’m glad we’re adding on some of the professional I mean excuse me some of the college teams And speaking of colleges we’re going to join us one of the best college mind basketball minds in the nation He is the head women’s coach at CSU Matt Howser Coach how are you doing thank you so much for joining us here last minute man Yeah no problem Great to be here again Thank you for having me All right coach We’re going to talk about the what you know recapping the past season talk about what you got coming up here in the future But before that I want to go ahead and get into it this team camp I was there last week for Robert Moore and this was an awesome opportunity for get live action for these high school kids you know from playing from freshman sophomores They’re they’re unloading their whole bench to see what they got for the upcoming year but it’s also a recruiting tool to showcase your beautiful campus What’s the reason behind you wanting to do a two-day team camp as well this upcoming week um well for the parents and kids who don’t understand um as soon as you come down to Columbus State’s campus we’re allowed to talk to you recruit you um personally And when you’re off our campus we are not allowed to talk to you um when you’re playing for a club team high school Um the only time that we can actually talk with you all depend upon what year you are is either over the phone uh video conference like you know through our FaceTime and our phone or when you touch down on our campus either an official visit unofficial visit or for our team camp or elite camp So when we have these team camps this is just an amazing time for us to uh get to know Georgia more Um to allow Georgia Alabama bordering states to get into our campus to walk around to see our facilities Um to get an idea of how amazing Columbus State is um and what facilities we have and kind of get an idea of like what it would be like to come and be a student at Columbus State University So it’s just a like a win-win across the board And like a couple years ago three years ago we had Union Grove playing in our gym And I offered um our now post player Nadia Williams who um is just going to be a terror But she was just amazing watching her on our court but I was able to talk to her and her coach and her family and everything and it was just Yeah it was just great to watch Coach talk about the some of the things that uh go into uh putting on this camp What are some of the things that they can take away from the camp and that they can learn from and what what’s the overall result a after the end of the camp well I think the like you said the good thing is this is you know typically when I was a high school coach you know June is typically for high school you know coaches to get to see their new incoming kids Um what their system is going to look like Um just to see the lay of the land Uh it’s really really great to see what my kids can do this time in June Um ones who are sitting the bench but now are going to play a more important role um and uh just to kind of get an idea before we start you know come September October and November So that is the most important thing for you know a coach to just get to see what their kids can do The next part about this is not a lot of you know times a high school team gets to play you know on an actual college court So now you get a little bigger of a court um see how conditioned your kids are you know and to kind of see a different look So we have an arena So typically in high schools you have drop down baskets and everything These are actual arena baskets to where you have distance behind and all this kind of stuff So for the ones who are trying to make a state run you know things like that like last season or the past couple years uh thrift you know we’ve hosted those state championships in um Columbus State So you kind of always want to like get your players and yourself as a coach an idea of what that next step is going to look like If you’re thinking in the back of your head we want to make a run like that to play an arena style just to see how I’m shooting you know what are we looking like you know how’s it you know looking on the space um are my you know players dying out a little bit more Um so it’s a lot of fun during that time to play at a you know university um you know arena So that’s what’s fun But you know going into it um we want to recruit Georgia immensely and we’ve talked about this before I I am a firm believer you can win a national championship um with you know all Georgia kids I mean there’s so much talent here in this state And um for them to be able to know that this is in their backyard always this is something that they always can rely on Um we take care of the coaches We have a hospitality room a lot of you know tournaments you know host the coaches and take care of the coaches which is I’m a firm believer of that because I love you know getting taken care of you know when we you know make the effort to come down and everything And so it’s just one of those things where we try to make it as easy as possible for everybody to come play a good game meet everybody and kind of enjoy these two days here at Columbus State You got many local teams are going to be playing in it I don’t know how many teams total coach but it looks like a ton And then before you say how many teams I did want to add on to that question The addition of the JV and middle school I know Robert did this too and you’re going to be playing at the top courts in the Lumpin Center Why did you want to do the JV and middle school as well for these camps yeah Well we’ve always been doing JV Middle School because I was a firm believer you know Yeah it’s great to have the varsity teams but the JV girls you know Frostoff Middle School they’re all trying to get some extra reps in as well So I’m a firm believer like especially if I’m a coach and I’m bringing my varsity and I can bring my JV to the same institution and they’re right here So if we have coaches that might coach multiple teams at the same time and you can you know go from like the Reno cord upstairs to the next hour It’s very convenient It’s very easy So I mean I I just knew when I was doing that back then it was just so amazing to have a place where it could you know help us out You know what I’m saying not only for my varsity but for my JV and possible middle school So um so we open the doors towards you know any JV or middle school that wants to come in and get some good games in So and what’s even funnier about that is our local uh middle school team Fort who played in the state championship for you know I mean sorry the city championship and everything for middle schools um the the Fort Middle School coach is able to play JV teams to elevate her middle school program and to compete So it’s just kind of like this win-win situation for everybody Get some great competition in and then they get to watch their varsity team support their varsity Their varsity gets to support their middle school and JV So I think it’s a great building of like chemistry and culture across the board at some place where everybody’s just really close and they can be eyeing each other and supporting each other all at the same time Coach not only do you have the team camp this week but next week you got the girls and boys basketball camp where you have two options The half day or the full day working on skills and drills and it’s it’s available to boys and girls Uh you pay for a full day and you also get lunch included and also swimming Just talk about the success of the girls and boys basketball camp that’s going to be held next week Yeah So I mean like Thrifter was asking how many teams I think this is the biggest you know team camp we’ve ever had and going into next week this is the most kids we’ve had So I think we’re already at like 70 to almost 75 kids coming to our kids camp next week So I think what’s happening here is what we want to do is build that basketball culture around here where you have the wood um you know you know Woodruff soccer complex you know you got Northern Baseball you got all these complexes around the city of Columbus and everything for all these different sports but there has not been a basketball facility for the city or for the area where they can come in and you know start young you know build and everything So what I’m trying to do as most as possible is just kind of give guidance to any kid that just is trying to you know start playing basketball learn this game Where do we go for training where do we go for club where do we go for you know wreck what can we do because when we came in here my kids were trying to you know you know start their basketball And we had no idea There was just nothing out there that was you know very very informative to kind of like guide those young parents and those kids into where we go So it’s not so important as in yes the camp the kids camp is absolutely amazing the full day we have them in the pool you know they get the cafeteria they absolutely love that but the most important thing after that camp is over we have all the parents emails so going forward now there’s a constant information outlet that goes to all the parents saying okay here’s tryyous at the YMCA here’s tryyous for um what we say Carl Ivy’s you know basketball league over at Brookstone here’s the club tryyouts Here’s you know trainers Some of my coaches will train kids You know there’s all now this information that goes out to them yearly constantly So I think that’s why this little kids camp is building up the way it is because they have been led and informed throughout the year So now it’s just kind of like you know like Jay and like you know soccer camp where everybody’s just used to hey we’ve know soccer we know where we’re going over the summertime So then that’s hopefully what we’re doing with the basketball side of it to where we know Coach Hower’s camp We’re all ready set you know we can do a half day or full day and especially as you guys know parents need that full day so they can get to work drop them off come back and for you know I’m saying a great time and they’re tired at the end of the week which all parents really really love 100% man And I remember sitting in your office when you first took over as the head man at CSU and this was kind of your dream then and now seeing it come into fruition off your hard work Um but a lot of that has to do with the fact that you also are winning man and sustaining success backtoback years You made the tournament dude It’s not easy making it and it’s definitely not easy continue doing that So how do you build off this momentum how do you go back where next year expectation every year is making the tournament well I think that’s what we talked about before It’s like I don’t want to just be a team that wins one year and then you’re back down the other year That’s not that’s a winning team but we want to be called a program So when you think of division one women’s basketball you think of Yukon you think of South Carolina you think of Notre Dame um Stanford etc So we want to be in that same context So what we are doing and what we’re building is when you think of division 2 women’s basketball you think Columbus State year in and year out So the standard is going to be the same So yes we lost Alana RS we lost Bland Snipes but again we reloaded because we have some of the top eight freshman in the state North Carolina Chicago that are coming in next year plus Nica Williams just transferred in Um she’s an absolute beast So she’ll have one more year She’ll kind of like replace that Breland Snipes length and you know athleticism Uh Courtney Nesbbit just transferred in from Lander Um and we have a possible two division one transfers on the fence right now to fill that last spot So we’re going to be back to where we were basically next year and beyond But I mean that goes back to like what you’re saying is players want to play in the system Players want to win and they want to keep going to the NCAA They want to play for championships And that’s what it is here at Columbus State It’s not just like you had a great year this year and then you’re back to like you know 14 and 16 next year and you’re hoping like two years down the road Like you said the system and the way that we play every single year is you know a loss is something that we don’t even think about So we were wanting to keep that standard and that’s what Columbus State basketball is about Coach you have several uh members of your coaching staff for this upcoming season We’re start with the grad assistant Haya Haywood Uh talk about her and also talk about your new assistant coach recruiting coordinator Jada Walton Yeah So you know with success you know comes departure as we always say in athletics So uh Luke just joined us in August and literally after we you know had a great season there it comes you know West Georgia division one you know swooped him up and you know that’s how it goes after you know the final four So um but it’s very very interesting Ha applied for the grad assistant last year but I actually needed more of a post coach than I needed at a guard coach at the time So when I got that position again going this year she reapplied which is absolutely amazing because Ha is absolutely an amazing coach for us because she comes from Glennville State who went to the Final Four the national championship year before Their old coach is Kim the head coach at Tennessee right now who went to Marshall and went to Tennessee So she plays exactly how we play So she is an an immensely insane fit for us especially training the guards on how to press how to get downhill how to keep that intense I mean she was averaging 18 points a game at 5’4 So it doesn’t matter about size it doesn’t matter about height and this is something that we want to preach is just how we use speed and how we use our tenacity and our energy and effort and what we call a relentless defense you know day in and day out And so adding her to our staff is just going to be crazy So um she’s going to be amazing going forward And then Jada Walton talk about you know getting lucky again If you guys know Jada Walton’s history she’s from Southwest And when I say Southwest Dab she’s from Southwest when they were the Southwest DAB So she went to Texas A&M played with Kennedy Carter then went to Texas Tech and then transferred to Troy and then she started her coaching career and she’s always been wanting to get back to Georgia So we couldn’t I mean it’s just like amazing how like I was really lucky with Luke but you know as one door closes the other one opens right so Luke left got a great job with our success but now Jada’s coming back to Georgia and she’s going to recruit Georgia She knows Georgia Everybody knows this you know young woman and she’s already started off with the races you know getting on the phones getting with these kids that we’re recruiting and all the players are super super excited about having someone with that type of presence and national recognition and you know that type of dominance at that position giving back now to Columbus State and to um you know all the players So I I can’t I you know and with Veronica returning Veronica was absolutely amazing this year and um she’s been doing great with the post So just these three going forward is going to help so much of us getting even more in that direction of getting to that final four in that national championship game We’re talking with co head coach of the Columbus State women’s team basketball team coach Matt Howser coach Now for everyone that wants to come and watch how much it costs to come and just watch these games as they go on all day no I think that’s the other thing with our team camp that we’ll never charge at the door This is something that we want the community to be a part of Um this is something that you know if you have a Wednesday or Thursday a couple hours to come see some really really good high school teams And especially for the parents of these teams that want to watch their kids I mean these guys charging at the door $20 I mean you could you don’t even go to a Kingstone game for $20 anymore I mean it’s like it’s getting to the point of like this is not so much about money to me as more about recruiting and also building that community of like when Columbus State plays we want to come support Columbus State women’s basketball We want to watch that team get to know those players because our players are working the shot clocks They’re out there refing They’re at the concession stand There’s a reason for that And especially we were talking about the kids camp They’re working the kids camp They’re around the kids This is part about building that community So now they have that kind of like man I want to play like Lataya I want to be like Nica I want to play like Haya So these are the ones that we want to just be around the community So we will never charge the door This is free Come down and watch some great great basketball And it’s going to be happening at Woodruff Lumpin and all three court actually Yeah All three courts in Lumpin and at Woodruff Coach thank you so much for giving us your time here and I look forward to seeing you on Thursday and I’ll try to get another inerson interview with you at the team camp man Perfect Can’t wait to see you guys Great talking with you as always Yes sir Thank you That is coach Matt Howser and I’m telling you I’m super excited about his team man I’m He had a vision and the guy knows how to go through his vision and now you’re seeing the CSU women’s program reap the benefits and I promise you next year’s team may even be better than this year’s team And this year’s team is pretty dagum good man Uh so I’m excited about where women’s basketball is and a lot of it has to do with Matt Hower Richard take a quick break When we come back we’ll wrap it up with Unsolicit Eye Take here on George Alabama Sports Live Show You’re watching right now the George Alabama Sports Live show that is presented by Glenn Smith Chevrolet and GMC Get ready to smile We’ll be right back after this Here they come Truckloads of fresh inventory to Glenn Smith GMC in Opaikica Choose from a huge selection of full-size GMC Sierras discounted up to 13250 off New GMC Terrains the popular SUV known for its safety technology and performance is discounted up to 7500 off Enjoy No payments until July People from all over the USA Save at Lensmith GMZ in Opaikica Get ready to smile Hi my name is Griff Gordy and here at Gordy Iaka we have been serving the Bice City community for 17 years As a former state championship quarterback I love the fact that I can watch local high school athletics from the comfort of my own home So it was a no-brainer to support Georgia Sports Live and what they do for young athletes in our area And without business like yourself Gordy I Care none of our coverage would be possible to be able to cover these 16 different high schools the local colleges and professional teams So we’d like to say thank you to you Dr Griff Gordy and Gordy I Care for your support of Georgia Sports Live And you can make an appointment today at Gordy IARE with the number 3342915125 Keep supporting Gordy Care and keep watching George Alabama Sports Live Welcome back everyone here to the Georgia Sports Live show Uh we are here live and it’s unsolicited hot take time Big Rich has anybody seen Richie has anybody seen Richie who did Bobby Leau has Have you ever seen Out for Justice Steven Seagal in the 90s man uh when I was a kid I watched a lot of Steven Seagal movies and I I don’t remember seeing Out for Justice Uh I did Please watch it And now will you are Richie and Richie was the bad guy in that movie and he was taking he was taking down everyone He was so bad Richard that he just pulled a woman out of the her car in the middle of the street and just blasted her It was a really gruel scene And so now when I I I hear Richie or anybody say Richie the first thing I think of is that movie Out for Justice and Stephen Seagal who by the way was not the best human being that that’s ever been an actor or walked the face of the planet But unsolicited hot take and I do want to start first with the NBA Finals Tyrese is out This is done They weren’t going to beat him with him Now without him it’s always happens I saw Colin Coward say this When you have an elite defense an all-time defense going against a really good fast-paced offense the defense usually wins And you’re seeing that here What a performance by Jaylen Williams At the beginning of the postseason I said I wasn’t a believer in the OKC because I didn’t know who that number two guy was Jay’s gonna get his but when all else fails and and crap hits against the fan Richard who’s gonna get you a bucket and I didn’t know if I could believe in Jaylen And then to be honest in that Denver series he only put up 17 a game And I still thought this is why I can’t believe in the Thunder because who else other than Shay and their defense but what if those two things are not are coinciding what if the defense is not great and Shay is or Shay’s great or vice versa you’re going to need more than one player and Jaylen putting up 40 last night averaging 25 He has put on that Dwayne Wade in 2011 2012 with the against the Thunder when LeBron was fantastic but Dwayne Wade put up 25 a game and he was great and helped lead the Heat to a championship Kobe Bryant was shack during those years Richard I know you remember them This is what I’m seeing from Jaylen Williams And guys he’s only 23 I think the Thunder winning the championship I think it’s over after Thursday I don’t see a hamstring That’s something that nags for weeks on end I don’t think Tyrese is going to be healthy enough against this athletic defensive prowess of OKC He’s not going to get past him It’s over I I wanted it to go to seven but the hamstring injury with Tyresese Hallebertton it kind of reminds me of that hamstring injury with Kevin Durant in the 2019 NBA Finals Uh which by the way I I know that the big what if like what if Tyres Hallebertton was healthy can Indiana win the championship uh but it’s not going to matter because this is going to be Oklahoma City’s championship which can prove you can do very well in the regular season Win 68 games and have a great regular season and still win the championship in the unconventional way The OKC is not known as a team that’s had history of winning championships This would be their first Say what you want They’re not the Seattle SuperSonics You got to treat them like they’re a brand new team I know that I know that Sonics fans are going to claim this championship I know some Thunder fan are like “Well this is our first championship since 1979.” Well yeah because the Seattle SuperSonics won the championship in 197 You don’t get to claim that You shouldn’t either when they were in Minneapolis and won five Richard you shouldn’t I I do want to say I I I love Jaylen Williams out of Santa Clara and you know he keeps improving every year an allstar a third third team NBA uh all defense what a complimentary uh superstar to Shay Gilgus Alexander and and this is exactly he’s got his running mate I I actually I was a little skeptic I was like yeah well Chad Homegrren he was drafted number two overall He was injured for an entire year I thought maybe Chad Homegrren would be just that physical specimen that could pretty much do anything you know at over seven foot and got got ball handling skills but you know he’s a very complimented piece I think he’d be a great three Uh Lou Dort who’s really been their defensive specialist kind of like reminds me of Bruce Bowen reminds me of Tony Allen when he when he played on that championship Celtics team in 2008 That’s what I’m saying Their defense is unbelievable Richard And if Pacers were gonna win And if they were going to win the Pacers they needed to win game four and they blew it And since now with Tyrese being injured the series is over Sticking with the NBA Desmond Bane to the Thunder Magic I think it’s a home run uh addition for them The guy can shoot playmake and they need shooting desperately That’s for Paulo Vancrow Um Desmond Bane Jaylen Suggs and France Vagner Yeah the Eastern Conference that’s going to be up for grabs with Tatum potentially not playing at all next year because of the Keelles injury Richard he could not be returning at all Maybe not even for the playoffs they’re thinking So the East is up for grabs Who know cleveland who knows what they’re going to do If they want to run it back they can And they won 64 games this past year Uh Philadelphia who knows what they’re going to do Uh they got the third pick and Paul Georgia they’re going to trade that and go get someone else I I think the Hawks are in the running That’s why I’m like the Eastern Conference is so up for grabs and the Western Conference loaded And if you’re any team like the Hawks or whoever I feel like you got to make a push this year with the Celtics losing Tatum This is the year it’s wide open The Pacers are going to be in the mix The 76ers going to be in the mix If I’m the Bucks I don’t know if I want to trade Giannis cuz I think I could run it back and be in the mix in what is a weak Eastern Conference So I think the Magic now put them in a place where they’re going to be a top three seed next year Here’s the question What does Giannis do what is Kevin Durant going to go i know he came out with his team’s Miami the Rockets and then the uh last team that I’m now I just the Spurs If I’m the Spurs I don’t know if I’m getting in bed with him but I understand why I wouldn’t want to trade the number two pick I would probably want to trade 14 which is the pick that the Hawks uh was supposed to be the Hawks pick Uh so I would give that up maybe Um cuz I know they’re really high on Dylan Harper and apparently a lot of people are with him and Fox and you could keep him and then add Durant and have Durant Fox Wimyama Harper next year would be an incredible uh lineup Uh by the way my girlfriend Nalie Vega is one of the people that just commented right now creeping in on the show Uh there’s always there’s that one person that’s is that person that’s featured on that campus academy commercial That’s the campus academy owner So yeah if you’re looking for a private school the campus academy but as I was saying Richard I think that um I’m interested to seeing how the uh July I think it’s first that is when NBA free agency uh comes on So I cannot wait uh for that to be able to happen man So I’m excited and can’t wait for that to go down Let’s talk college baseball Uh Big Rich Arkansas winning three-0 Louisville and Coastal Carolina are going to be playing um for the right to go to the championship If Arkansas holds on against UCLA they’ll play take on LSU for the right to play in the College World Series final I think the winner of Arkansas is going to be your national champion But hey Coastal Carolina’s been the hottest team in baseball right now I don’t think anyone can disagree with that Yeah no question about it I think that it’s it’s going to be Arkansas and Coastal Carolina in the college baseball final Arkansas who lost to Oregon State in in the in the championship have not won a College World Series You the SEC streak do does it continue or does Coastal Carolina win their f first since 2016 and think about a a small school like Coastal Carolina who’s in the Sunb Belt has a College World Series under their belt They’re kind of starting to become in that territory of Cal State Fullerton of uh you know a school is just known for baseball They’re going to start being known as a baseball school even though they’re pretty competitive in football You know Grayson McCall was a was a great quarterback and they were like competing uh for possibly getting in a new year six bowl a couple of years ago But I I tell you what I I’m very impressed with Arkansas and the no hitter I know they were playing Murray State It was a It was close to being a perfect game The Murray State batter just stood there and just let the the pitcher for Arkansas hit him which I Come on you got to get out of the way That’s That’s kind of Bush League You just broke up a perfect game But that’s neither here or there Uh I know I I can’t believe we’re talking college World Series I I I love college college baseball I I love watching the College World Series It is great Uh every team has a storyline You’ve got a team like you know I know Oregon State’s out but they have three College World Series titles UCLA recently won one LSU won one Remember with Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skins in 2023 Lot of great storylines for the for the college baseball scene Yeah I think it’s a great point Rich show I’m excited to see how that’s going to play out and uh we’re looking forward to what should be a fantastic um show Um so excited Big Rich is an understatement um for sure on that So glad that we’re able to make it happen and glad we’re able to get it going and and talk about this college baseball season uh as the College World Series is going to be ending here in just a little bit All right so we’re going to wrap it up because we got some more shows we’re going to be doing later on the week We got something special brewing also tomorrow night So make sure to tune in We got Sitting with an AD coming up in the near future We’re going to be at the team camp for CSU on uh Thursday A couple other Sitting with ADs dropping soon as well So Richard a lot happening We want to say thank y’all so much for watching And I’m going to end you with this The Braves are losing to the Mets right now I just don’t see it I think this team is done and I think we’re going to find out once we get swept by the Mets at home that uh we should just call it quits for this season What do you think Rich yeah I unless they do something drastic at the trade deadline I I think you need a punt on the season Uh I think that the East is just too good with the Phillies and the Mets and you’re about to face him in several serieses And even though I had high expectations I I knew that they had to have everything line up perfectly uh just the the amount of players that they have lost like a Danby Swanson a Freddy Freeman a Max Freed AJ Mentor Tyler Matsig you lost a lot of your key members of that 2021 World Series team and Alex Anthopoulos just doesn’t like to pay players I I I don’t get it I mean the Braves make enough revenue to have a payroll that rivals maybe the Cardinals Not quite the Dodgers and Yankees but the Cardinals and the Red Sox pay your players I think Max Freed should have got a big contract He’d be your ace right now and maybe the Braves are not in this hole that they’re currently in I think that’s a good point and we’ll see how it’s going to play out Thank y’all so much for watching We appreciate everyone that’s tuning in We’ll see you next time on the George Alabama Sports Live show One more thing Rich Yes Uh Caitlyn Clark returned and uh everybody’s watching again The ratings dipped They won again Uh they defeated the Connecticut Sun uh earlier today Uh she’s box office She’s moving the needle I I think that I I I’m actually comparing Caitlyn Clark to like Tiger Woods in golf or like Michael Jordan in the NBA That’s how that’s how big she is I mean she has completely moved the needle for the the average casual span No I think that’s a great point And I think what uh Jamal Hill said that Angel Reese is the Michael Jordan of women’s basketball That’s our response right there Thank you so much for watching We’re going to have more conversation and I’m a live show later on and we’ll be back uh doing shows two times a week starting next week from Richard I’m Thrift Thank you so much for watching See you next time Thank you for watching the Georgia Alabama Sports Live Show presented by Glenn Smith Chevrolet and GMC You’re ready to smile
