Men’s Basketball Excited About Guard Play for Historic 2025-26 Season

Winning basketball at all competitive levels may have once centered on the play of big men, but the recent shift toward sharpshooting and aggressive guards being a key to success has filtered down to Georgia Gwinnett College’s inaugural men’s basketball team.

Head Coach Chase Teichmann is blessed to have multiple backcourt players who can stretch the floor and make shots from the deep corner, wings, midrange, and beyond the 3-point field goal line.

As the Grizzlies prepare to tip off their historic season on October 23, GGCAthletics.com begins its preseason position preview series of their year’s team by examining its ball handlers and shooters.

Seniors Anthony Bittar and Deonte’ Martinez came with Teichmann from Florida College, helping the Falcons win Continental Athletic Conference titles and advance in the NAIA national tournament.

Bittar was a first-team All-CAC selection in 2022-23 after averaging 12 points, five rebounds and six assists a game. He then spent the next season at NCAA Division I Southeastern Louisiana University. 

Martinez averaged 10 points and four assists per contest for the Falcons during the 2023-24 season. He also made 48 percent of his field goals, including a strong 43-percent clip from behind the 3-point arc.

“They (Anthony and Deonte’) will be running the show for us and will play together. Anthony is a bigger body guy (6-foot-4) so he can play off the ball and guard guys off the ball. Deonte really pushes the pace,” noted Teichmann. “Both are familiar with me and what we’re trying to do. They are seniors who should play good minutes for us. We’re excited about that.”

Meanwhile, junior transfers Brasen James and Jahiem Berry are also ball-handling options for the Grizzlies this winter. James is coming off a strong campaign at Reinhardt University (Georgia), with the 6-foot-3 guard averaging 14.4 points and 4.8 rebounds a game. Berry played at Cumberland University (Tennessee) before transferring Roane State Community College (Tennessee), where he connected on 45.4 percent of his 3-point field goal attempts and averaged 17 points per contest. He made a conference-best 104 3-pointers.

“Brasen is crazy athletic, at 6-foot-3, and probably our best on-ball defender. He’s a good 3-point shooter. Jaheim is an elite 3-point shooter, very smooth and not a bad athlete. Jaheim really spaces the floor really well for us and the guys love playing with him,” said Teichmann.

Adding depth to the guard position are senior Manny Montgomery and freshmen Marc Chavenet and Mario Hill Jr.

GGC is scheduled to open the 2025-26 campaign at home against Spartanburg Methodist College (South Carolina) on October 23 at The Convocation Center.