"Superman" Sherrill comes through in the clutch... again!

Senior Devonte Thomas has scored
16 ppg during the past six games

I have written about GRU's Keshun Sherrill's amazing statistics and late game heroics.  Eighteen days after overcoming problems at the free throw line and putting the Jaguars on his back to earn a key victory on the road at then undefeated Lander, Sherrill did it again Wednesday.  Seconds after 12th ranked UNC Pembroke had taken its first lead of the game, Sherrill splashed a three from the left corner to put the Jags ahead.  And with the game tied on the final possession, he calmly dribbled the game clock near zero, attacked the paint, drew contact, and drilled the game deciding free throws to give the GRU its fifth conference win in six tries, a streak that began at Lander on January 10th.  And to give this timeline its proper due, I should add that in the middle of this impressive run was a Jaguars' win at Young Harris fueled by two Sherrill bombs in the final 2 minutes that helped coach Dip Metress's squad overcome a 5 point deficit.  Eighteen days and three instances of heroics later, is there any question why I after the Lander win I called Sherrill "Superman?"

I also call him the best college guard within a 150 mile radius of our area.  I've been in my fair share of gyms and I'm quite familiar with this region's basketball scene.  I don't know of an SEC, ACC, mid major or low major division 1 or 2 guard I would be more worried about coaching against than Sherrill.  He is a pure shooter with exceptional athleticism and basketball smarts.  And to steal a term once used by Allen Iverson to describe Kobe Bryant, Sherrill is an assassin in the game's deciding moments.

During GRU's recent run, which has allowed the Jags to claim the second slot in the Peach Belt's East Division, Sherrill has had reliable help from seniors Devon Wright-Nelson and Devonte Thomas, who have averaged 19 and 16 points, respectively, over the period.  Wright-Nelson's figure excludes GRU's win over Pembroke because the versatile leader left the game early with an injury.

As promised in the video above, here is a link to the special video I made after GRU's

win over Lander.

That injury and the overall depth and competitiveness of the league will make GRU's game Saturday at Clayton State even more challenging.  Both teams sport 7-4 records and both teams are looking to gain ground on conference leaders Columbus State (10-1), Montevallo (10-1), and Pembroke (8-3).  I can only imagine the anxiety and emotional swings coach Metress, his staff, and his players have experienced these past eighteen days.  But I'll say I am lucky to have been able to watch Sherrill's heroics from the stands and through the computer screen.  And I look forward to watching the Jags' February sprint to the regular season Peach Belt conference finish line.