High-school heroes make the move to college teams
For two seasons, Eric Marshall and Matt Scott provided fans in Columbia County something they had not had very often in recent history: high school hoops played at the highest level.
Marshall was a star for the Greenbrier Wolfpack, while Scott was a record-breaking scorer for Lakeside.
The two hooked up in several exciting head-to-head match-ups, but more importantly they made their respective teams competitive with their CSRA foes.
Marshall was an All-State performer and McDonald's All-American nominee as a senior in 2002-03 for Greenbrier, averaging more than 26 points per game, with 11 rebounds and five assists per contest.
Scott finished his career following the 2003-04 season as the county's all-time scoring leader with more than 2,000 career points.
Marshall, despite heavy interest from some big programs late in the recruiting process, honored his early commitment to Wofford University in Spartanburg, S.C.
Scott took a Division I offer from Georgia Southern in Statesboro.
As the 2005-06 season approaches, both players have a reason to be excited.
Marshall enters his junior season at Wofford as the school's starting off-guard and is expected to provide plenty of scoring for the Terriers this season.
He came off the bench as a freshman in 2003-04, but even then his talent was easy to see.
He once poured in 25 second-half points (he had 27 points for the game) to lead his team to a come-from-behind victory over Southern Conference power The College of Charleston.
Last season, Marshall became a starter for Wofford and was one of the Terriers' most consistent performers. For the season he averaged 10.3 points per game and led the team in 3-point shooting, converting 42.5 percent from long range.
This season, Marshall is expected to be one of the top guards in the Southern Conference and has a chance to really be a special player for Wofford.
Wofford opens its season Nov. 12 against Farleigh Dickinson in the Guardian's Classic in Morgantown, W.Va. The Terriers also play one of the toughest schedules in the country, with games against big-time programs like Purdue, Clemson, South Carolina, Miami and Notre Dame.
It appeared that Scott would join Marshall in the Southern Conference when he signed with Georgia Southern. However, all that changed this summer.
Scott, who red-shirted last season for the Eagles, decided to leave the Georgia Southern program. He transferred to Augusta State this summer and should have an immediate impact for the Jaguars.
ASU plays in the competitive Peach Belt Conference, but Scott should have no trouble stepping in as a freshman.
He may not be a star right away, but I have a feeling that before his career is over at ASU he will be a major contributor.
The Jaguars have exhibition games with Georgia Tech (Nov. 6) and George Washington (Nov. 12) before opening their season at Paine College on Nov. 19.