VALDOSTA — On April 16, the Lowndes Vikings boys basketball team hosted the Rebound Ministries Unsigned Senior Basketball Showcase.
The showcase, which featured 30 players across four different states, participated in numerous drills. These drills ranged from basketball warmup exercises to brief 5-on-5 games as college coaches looked on for potential additions to their respective teams.
Lowndes High boys basketball head coach Reshon Benjamin believes that showcases such as these are vital for players in South Georgia and the surrounding area.
“I think it’s major for high school athletes and more importantly for South Georgia,” Benjamin said. “Sometimes, South Georgia gets a bad rap for just being known for some of the other predominant sports — football, sometimes baseball. To have a situation like this where after your season, you can come in and, in a one-stop shop, play in front of 20 to 25 coaches, it’s amazing. I don’t think many people are around here doing things like this. Some people hold showcases, but you don’t see it to this magnitude, so this is amazing.”
The showcase is still fairly new, with this only being the fifth time the showcase has been held, according to Benjamin. It was all started by Buster Montgomery of Rebound Ministries, an organization that strives to help players achieve their collegiate goals by giving them chances to showcase their talents.
The event has been held in different locations throughout its history. In 2023, Valdosta High School hosted the event.
Montgomery credited both Benjamin and Valdosta boys basketball coach James Lee for their contributions to make this event possible.
“We are so fortunate to be able to host these events at schools like Lowndes High School,” Montgomery said. “The facilities here are top notch. Last year, we hosted at Valdosta High and it was tremendous as well. When you have coaches like Coach Benjamin and Coach Lee that not only welcome hosting this event but help take responsibility in making it as nice as possible, it really makes a difference for these athletes and college coaches.”
The showcase has been fairly successful for players despite it still being a relatively new event, according to Benjamin.
“We started doing this about four or five years ago,” Benjamin said. “I can remember the first time seeing it, I think there were about nine or ten kids who got offered scholarships just based off that particular night that they played. The opportunity doesn’t get no greater than this. To be able to get the chance to play in coaches like this and get the chance to get a college scholarship, it can be life-changing.”