Men’s Basketball to Feature Athletic Frontcourt with Returning All-American

The Georgia Gwinnett College men’s basketball team will feature one of the nation’s most athletic frontcourts this upcoming season, with a returning NAIA All-American and sophomore post player leading the charge.

That talent will strive to build upon an inaugural 2025-26 season in which the Grizzlies won 25 games, earned a national ranking in the weekly poll, and participated in the NAIA national tournament.

GGCAthletics.com concludes its preseason position previews of winter sport teams by highlighting the men’s basketball squad’s wings and post players – a deep, experienced and talented group.

Senior Devontre Chaney is just one of three returning NAIA All-Americans for this season. The 6-foot-5 wing is a versatile and valuable lineup piece for Head Coach Chase Teichmann after leading the Grizzlies last season in scoring (15.2 points per game), rebounding (9.4 boards per contest), assists (123), and steals (49).

Chaney also made 56.7 percent of his field goals and made 26 3-point field goals. The Lake Wales, Florida, native can play all five positions depending upon how Teichmann wants to utilize him and other players in the team’s offensive and defensive systems.

Sophomore Patrick Johnson has grown to 6-foot-9 and added physicality by hitting the weight room during the offseason – in hopes of becoming a team threat in the paint on offense and defense. He appeared in all 32 games, with four starts, and averaged 9.3 points and 6.9 rebounds per contest in his first collegiate season. Johnson made 66.7 percent of his field goals and had 10 blocked shots.

“Patrick has put on good weight during the offseason and he’s freakishly athletic. He averaged nine points and seven rebounds while playing just 17 minutes a game as a freshman. His minutes are going to increase this year. The sky is the limit for him and we’re excited to see what he can do for us,” said Teichmann.

Amari Morgan is another sophomore looking to increase his production after scoring 7.9 points and shooting 56.3 percent from the field across 27 games last winter. The wing player had 10 double-figure scoring performances, with 16 points coming in home triumphs against Paine College (Georgia) and Fisher College (Massachusetts).

“We’re looking for Amari to take a jump up in production after another season with us,” noted Teichmann, noting that Morgan is another GGC player who hit the weight room during the off-season to be better prepared for the upcoming season. “With Amari, Patrick and Devontre we’re fortunate to have one of the biggest and most athletic frontcourts in the country. Some other teams might be taller or thicker, but you’d be hard pressed to find our combination of size, athleticism and skill.”

Newcomers looking to compete for playing time on the front lines are senior Josh Ray, junior Colton Wilbanks, sophomore Christian Eziakor, and freshman Bryce Dawson. They have brought experience after playing in the NCAA Division II and Division III collegiate ranks.

Ray, a 6-foot-7 forward, was a member of a conference championship team at Division II’s University of California of Pennsylvania. He played locally at Grayson High School (Georgia).

Wilbanks was the Region 4A Player of the Year at Chestatee High School (Georgia) before attending Division II’s Shorter University (Georgia) and Motlow State Community College (Tennessee).

Eziakor arrives to Lawrenceville from Division III’s Rochester Institute of Technology (New York) after playing locally at Dacula High School (Georgia). 

Dawson attended Division II’s Missouri Western State University and Clayton State University (Georgia).

Georgia Gwinnett College is scheduled to begin the 2026-27 season with four straight home games in the Convocation Center. The season-opener is against Columbia International University (South Carolina) on Thursday, October 22, beginning at 7:30 p.m.