Monday, May 2, 2016

Don Coleman makes stop in Augusta before heading to California

This is episode one of Dhrmaine Bradley's "More than the Masters" podcast.



One year ago Don Coleman's future was not nearly as certain as today. Butler's all time leading scorer and soon to be sophomore guard at the University of California had suddenly changed his original plan to attend Florida Atlantic University, where he would have played under head coach Mike Curry, Augusta's most accomplished basketball figure, a former NBA player and head coach who starred at Georgia Southern and Glenn Hills.
Coleman: Butler's all time scoring leader

Many wondered why the detour. Don was quiet. The only thing I saw or heard came from his biggest fan, his brother Dhrmaine Bradley, who posted a couple short videos of the sharp shooter working out alone here and eventually at Lawson State, the junior college in Alabama he attended and averaged 20 points, 6 assists, and 4 rebounds, making first team all conference as a freshman.

Don let his game do his talking these past 12 months. He led Lawson State to a 17-11 record and actually posted more impressive statistics as a college freshman than as a high school senior. Before the season ended it became clear he would sign with California, reporting June 23 - after a quick stop in Augusta - as a sophomore who will play immediately. Not bad for a guy who I thought shouldn't have turned down the scholarship offer he got from Augusta University in June!

During his quick break, Coleman became his brother Dhrmaine's first interviewee for his new podcast, "More than the Masters." I pasted the episode at the top. This is certainly my favorite ever interview from Don. The chemistry between brothers is fun. And unlike traditional newspaper and television news interviews, Coleman is able to explain his thoughts more completely.
Set Butler's single game scoring record

Here are two quick notes I made while listening to the discussion:

1) There is no bigger fan of Don than Dhrmaine. And his behind the scenes knowledge of Don's path is interesting. Dhrmaine gets Don to talk about his "scoring machine" days at Butler, his feelings after decommitting from Florida Atlantic and choosing Lawson State, and even his making a bunch of shots in pickup games during his recent visit to Cal.

2) Don gives us a window into what it's like being somewhat of a local celebrity (my words, not his) and a teenager at the same time. He says he felt like people labeled him the "bad guy" in high school because he played at Butler and that if he'd played at Laney he may have been thought of more as the "good guy." And Dhrmaine even mentioned the lower "number of shares and likes" from the social media posts that announced Don's decision to go to Lawson State compared to the announcements about Florida Atlantic.
First team all conference; single game scoring (46) record holder* 

And if you want to learn a ton more about Coleman, here are some of the most popular posts featuring Don from AugBball.com over the past five years:


Friday, December 18, 2015


Ashley Brown brings us up to speed with two of Augusta's most explosive scorers


Monday, December 1, 2014


Don Coleman: A Timeline


Tuesday, August 27, 2013


Coleman Measures Up Nicely


Thursday, January 24, 2013


Butler's Coleman Does it Again!


Monday, August 15, 2011


Highlights - Freshman Guard


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