Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Potts still improving after statistical championship
8/11/2016 8:56:00 AM | Men's Basketball
When basketball players have strong freshman campaigns, the mythical fear is that they will decline in their sophomore season, falling victim to the dreaded "sophomore slump."
In Middle Tennessee guard Giddy Potts' case, he proved that fear isn't always warranted.
The 6-foot-2, 220-pound Athens, Ala., product followed a freshman year in which he was named to the Conference USA All-Freshman team by leading the nation in three-point shooting percentage and scoring a team-high 14.9 points per game as a sophomore.
While his school-record 50.6 3-point percentage (he made 79 threes, good for second all-time at MT) last season was a big increase over the 37.7 percent he shot the year before, the raise in makes wasn't necessarily a product of something Potts changed in his game.
"I just came out and shot the ball like I'm supposed to and did what I was supposed to do, and all of a sudden I became the top three-point shooter in the nation," he said. "I don't think about it that much – I just try to get better and make shots. It's special to be there, but I really don't think about it that much."
Potts credited his shooting touch and overall offensive game to being a gym junkie.
"I put up a lot of shots in the summer, then when we came to school it was after practice," he said. "People really don't know, but that's when you get your shot better – staying in there after practice longer and working on stuff and getting open shots."
Not only is he a lethal three-point shooter, but Potts also has never shown a fear of mixing things up down low with big guys sometimes half a foot taller than he is. Even in high school he showed that physical nature, averaging eight rebounds a game as a high school senior.
Last season, he led all MT guards with 5.4 boards per game, good for third overall on the team.
"You just have to be physical," Potts said. "I go up and think I'm going to get every ball that comes off the rim."
Potts' road from a young high schooler to being the statistical national champion last season wasn't always the smoothest. He said he didn't even consider playing in college until his junior year of high school, and it wasn't until his Athens High School team beat three-time defending state champion Wenonah in the state playoffs his senior year when MT offered him a scholarship. Potts scored 32 of his team's 76 points in that game.
"I really wasn't considering myself going to college until my junior year in high school," he said. "My mom was telling me I was good enough, but I really didn't focus on basketball that much.
"Once I knew I was pretty decent in basketball, I kept working on it and stayed on the gun in high school and my high school coach [Stace Tedford] helped me go to a lot of camps and stuff like that. I really just worked on my game and got better as the years went on."
Now with his national-leading and MT record-setting sophomore season in the rear view mirror, Potts is gearing up for his junior campaign. And, as usual, you can find him oftentimes in the gym, working on his game, so he can focus on performing on the court the way he said he's supposed to.
"My threes aren't going to change, but I'm getting better as the year goes on. I just want to get in the paint, maybe dunk on a couple of guys, rebound and defend."
In Middle Tennessee guard Giddy Potts' case, he proved that fear isn't always warranted.
The 6-foot-2, 220-pound Athens, Ala., product followed a freshman year in which he was named to the Conference USA All-Freshman team by leading the nation in three-point shooting percentage and scoring a team-high 14.9 points per game as a sophomore.
While his school-record 50.6 3-point percentage (he made 79 threes, good for second all-time at MT) last season was a big increase over the 37.7 percent he shot the year before, the raise in makes wasn't necessarily a product of something Potts changed in his game.
"I just came out and shot the ball like I'm supposed to and did what I was supposed to do, and all of a sudden I became the top three-point shooter in the nation," he said. "I don't think about it that much – I just try to get better and make shots. It's special to be there, but I really don't think about it that much."
Potts credited his shooting touch and overall offensive game to being a gym junkie.
"I put up a lot of shots in the summer, then when we came to school it was after practice," he said. "People really don't know, but that's when you get your shot better – staying in there after practice longer and working on stuff and getting open shots."
Not only is he a lethal three-point shooter, but Potts also has never shown a fear of mixing things up down low with big guys sometimes half a foot taller than he is. Even in high school he showed that physical nature, averaging eight rebounds a game as a high school senior.
Last season, he led all MT guards with 5.4 boards per game, good for third overall on the team.
"You just have to be physical," Potts said. "I go up and think I'm going to get every ball that comes off the rim."
Potts' road from a young high schooler to being the statistical national champion last season wasn't always the smoothest. He said he didn't even consider playing in college until his junior year of high school, and it wasn't until his Athens High School team beat three-time defending state champion Wenonah in the state playoffs his senior year when MT offered him a scholarship. Potts scored 32 of his team's 76 points in that game.
"I really wasn't considering myself going to college until my junior year in high school," he said. "My mom was telling me I was good enough, but I really didn't focus on basketball that much.
"Once I knew I was pretty decent in basketball, I kept working on it and stayed on the gun in high school and my high school coach [Stace Tedford] helped me go to a lot of camps and stuff like that. I really just worked on my game and got better as the years went on."
Now with his national-leading and MT record-setting sophomore season in the rear view mirror, Potts is gearing up for his junior campaign. And, as usual, you can find him oftentimes in the gym, working on his game, so he can focus on performing on the court the way he said he's supposed to.
"My threes aren't going to change, but I'm getting better as the year goes on. I just want to get in the paint, maybe dunk on a couple of guys, rebound and defend."
Players Mentioned
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