The Best Guard You Haven’t Heard Of: CGTC sophomore Michael Laster is the complete package and Division I programs know it

The

first near triple-double -he missed by an assist- came during the fifth game of

the season. Central Georgia Technical College sophomore guard Michael Laster

got to chance to finally play against the Chattahoochee Valley Community

College Pirates. Last season as a freshman, new to Georgia, new to junior

college basketball, Laster was admittedly in head coach Reco Dawson’s doghouse and

didn’t play many minutes against the Pirates. This season was an entirely

different story for both Laster and his time on the court against Chattahoochee

in Phenix City, Alabama. The two teams play twice a season, but Laster wanted a

piece of this team on the road and on November 18 he got that and more. Much

more. “I was really looking forward to that game,” said Laster by phone on

Wednesday. “I was really locked in because the fans here got on me last time we

were here so I came out aggressive and we came away with the one-point

victory.” Laster finished the game with 18 points, 10 rebounds and nine

assists, four steals. The Titans finished with the victory. Laster is averaging

18.4 points, eight rebounds and a little over four assists per game this season,

all team highs and career highs for the Brooklyn, New York native. The

doghouse, that’s long gone, Laster is in the driver’s seat at Central Georgia

Tech and his relationship with Dawson is light years from what is once was.

“Over the summer Mike came to me and said he wanted to play more and wanted to

play on the next level and I told him he would have to improve in every

category,” said Dawson, who has coached on the Division II level and has sent a

number of his former players to the Division I level. “The next step was to be

more consistent and become an all-around player and that is what he has done.”

“Michael has

improved tremendously,” says Titans assistant coach Byron Mincey. “From year

one to year two, mentally has grown a lot too. He has upped his game with his

rebounding ability and that brings something different to his game.”

Laster, who

Dawson calls “a tough kid”, is having a good year off the court as well. He

recently earned a 3.8 fall semester GPA and is on track to receive his associate’s

degree in Interdisciplinary Studies. “Mike understands what we’re trying to get

accomplished and he goes out there and gets it done,” added Mincey.

On December 9

in a 20-point win by the Titans Last displayed more of his now more versatile

game with 19 points on 6-14 shooting with eight rebounds, six assists and two

steals. Looks like Dawson has no problem playing his most experienced player

these days. “Last year I was rough at times but I never gave up and I trusted

coach [Dawson] and what he was telling me,” said Laster. “He told me to be a

more complete player and that’s what I try to do every night.”

Asked what his

mission as a basketball player was for his time in Warner Robins and at Central

Georgia Tech, Laster didn’t hesitate to list some lofty goals. “I’m trying to

be a JUCO (junior college) all-american, I want to win the conference player of

the year, lead the conference in scoring and rebounding,” he said all in one

breath. “I have a lot of goals this year.” The high level of play being

displayed by Laster has gotten the attention of some Division I programs from

as far as Indiana. “I want to go somewhere I can play,” said Laster of the

interest from Alabama State University, Grambling State University, Florida

A&M, Illinois State and Presbyterian College to name a few. The native New

Yorker is getting use to playing and attending school away from home. “I like

it down here,” says Laster of middle Georgia, “it’s nice and calm. I’m focussed

more here.”

The Titans are

playing their final pre-conference game in Warner Robins on Saturday afternoon

against the Action Sports Academy and laster is looking to keep adding to his

numbers; the most important one being the win column. “I’m a combo guard, if my

coach needs me to score I can score. If he needs me to get other players

involved I can do that too,” said Laster. I’m not sure the Chattahoochee Valley

Community College Pirates fans can stand much more than they got last month.

Lesson to all

the other opposing fans of the GCAA teams on the Titans upcoming schedule: Be

careful who you boo.

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