Former Athens star has MTSU off to hot start

Published 9:41 am Monday, December 5, 2016

Those that watched former Athens star Giddy Potts become a household name by helping his team knock off second-seeded Michigan State in the NCAA Tournament in March should know the junior guard is not a one-hit wonder.

In fact, he’s just getting started.

Or so it would seem after a blistering start to the season from Potts and Middle Tennessee State, which improved to 7-1 after beating Ole Miss Wednesday. It’s the team’s best start in five years.

In the win over Ole Miss in Oxford, Potts scored a game-high 20 points to lead the team to its second win against an SEC in opponent in as many years. Over Thanksgiving MTSU won the Challenge in Music City Tournament and have now set a school record for wins in the month of November.

And Potts has picked up right where he left off, averaging 15 points and five rebounds per game.

“He’s really developed and matured just the three years he’s been in college,” said Athens head coach Stace Tedford. “He’s a lot more confident in handling the ball. They are playing him in the point guard slot and teams are focusing on him. When no one wants you to touch the ball at that level, that’s a pretty big thing.”

Although he made headlines in the 2016 NCAA Tournament, Potts was well-known by C-USA coaches before March Madness ever started. He led the team with 14.9 points per game and averaged 5.4 rebounds per game.

What makes him stand out most is his sharp-shooting ability. Potts led the country in 3-point field goal percentage at a school record 50.6 percent, making 79-of-156 shots from beyond the arc. His 79 made 3-pointers during his sophomore season are second all-time in a single season at MTSU.

Playing against Player of the Year finalist Denzell Valentine of Michigan State, Potts scored 19 points, grabbed five boards and swiped a pair of steals to help MTSU pull off one the biggest upsets in NCAA history.

Despite all that, Tedford thinks, the best is yet to come from the Athens alum.

“He has been consistent,” said Tedford. “He is taking the season he had last year and is improving on that. His basketball IQ has increased. He always finds a way to improve his game.”

As a freshman, Potts became a regular starter and was one of the team’s top scoring threats. He averaged 17.6 minutes and seven points per game in 31 games on his way to making the C-USA All-Freshman team.

Potts started at Athens from 2010-14 and was a first-team All-State selection his senior year as well as a Mr. Basketball finalist.