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Two ABAC hoops players sign with 4-year schools

• Ex-Westover stars Brandon Shingles an De'Jon Everson will continue their basketball careers after two years with ABAC.

Scott Chancey

TIFTON — Former Westover High School and Abraham Baldwin stars Brandon Shingles and De’Jon Everson recently signed national letters-of-intent to continue their basketball careers. Shingles signed with Wingate (N.C.), and Everson inked with Trevecca Nazarene (Tenn.).

Shingles, who started this past season for ABAC at point guard, averaged 9.2 points, 6.5 assists and 5.8 rebounds. He was an integral part of coach Todd Sheppard’s team which finished the season ranked 11th in the NJCAA.

“I was considering NCAA Division I but I was one or two credits shy of that,” said Shingles, who will play for a Wingate team that reached the NCAA Division II Elite Eight last season. “To be honest, I didn’t really want to go that far from home, but it’s a great place to expand as a person and a basketball player and a great chance for exposure.”

The Memphis Grizzlies’ Junior Harrington played for Wingate, so that in itself is an incentive for Shingles to play there. He also considered playing at schools such as Morehouse, West Georgia and Albany State.

“He has unique abilities to penetrate and score, and even post and score,” Wingate coach Parker Laketa said of the 6-foot-1 Shingles. “We expect him to be the best point guard here since Junior Harrington.”

Looking back on his year at ABAC, a season in which the Stallions went 26-4, Shingles has nothing but fond memories.

“This helped me grow as a person,” he said. “I’ll miss all of my teammates, but when it comes down to it, even years down the road, we’ll still be teammates. A lot of people didn’t know about ABAC basketball, so I’m proud we just built a better bridge for the future players there.”

And of course, Sheppard —more than anyone — has fond memories of what Shingles meant to the Stallions “Brandon’s presence in our program has been a tremendous blessing,” Sheppard said. “He is a tremendous player and will continue to do great things on the basketball court. Brandon’s choice of ABAC two years ago signaled the beginning of a special time at ABAC.”

As for Everson, who played backup to Shingles, he also considered playing at schools such as Albany State and Morehouse. Last season, Everson averaged 4.5 points and just more than three assists while averaging 10-15 minutes.

“(Wingate) said I had good point-guard skills, just pushing the ball up the floor in transition,” said Everson, who played that same brand of basketball at Westover under coach Dallis Smith and under Sheppard at ABAC.

Although Everson also has the capacity to be a shooting guard, he said Trevecca Nazarene — an NAIA school — will play him at the No. 1 position because of his leadership abilities.

“De’Jon impressed me in the first five minutes after I met him and he has done nothing but improve on that impression since,” Sheppard said. “Trevecca is getting a leader and a player that knows how to win.”

Offense isn’t the only part of the sport in which Everson shines.

“I can also show intensity on defense,” he said. “From both my previous teams, I’ve learned the value of hard work and team work.”

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