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November 23, 2009

FVSU Washington’s choice

Small town a plus

By Adam Krohn

Markisha Washington has grown up in a small town — and now she’s decided to continue her education and basketball career in a small town.

On Monday, Washington, a senior standout at Dalton High, signed a letter of intent to attend Fort Valley State University on a basketball scholarship. She said what most drew her to the school, located just north of Macon, was its atmosphere.

“I visited the campuses and loved it,” the 5-foot-10-inch guard/forward. “It’s a small town where everyone knows each other and I like that, because it’s like family.”

Washington — a two-time Daily Citizen All-Area Team honorable mention — said other schools were in the mix, like Mississippi State, but the Bulldogs never made an offer. After her AAU coach put her in contact with FVSU coach Lonnie Bartley earlier this year, a workout was arranged for Washington in July. She played with other recruits in a tournament and fit right in with what Bartley wanted for his system.

“It went well, in my opinion,” Washington said. “(Bartley) told me what I needed to work on and what he expected of me. He said I can fit in with the team and fill a slot. He wants me to shoot more, but he mainly wants defense from me. He mainly wants steals and assists from me.”

Dalton coach Jeff McKinney said Washington is ready to take her game to the next level.

“Without a doubt,” he said. “Her strength is that she’s unselfish. She’s also real strong and physical, which fits her in with any college. If she wasn’t so unselfish, she could score 20 points a night, but she doesn’t care about that. She just does whatever it takes to win. I see her having a lot of success.”

FVSU is an NCAA Division II school and the Lady Wildcats compete in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Last season, they finished 26-5 and were a perfect 22-0 in SIAC play. After winning the conference tournament, they were eliminated by Ouachita Baptist in the first round of the NCAA Division II South Regionals.

Bartley is in his 26th season as coach of the Lady Wildcats and has 546 career wins. He is also the school’s athletic director.

Washington said she’s looking forward to the opportunity of playing in college because she’s not ready to walk away from the game.

“I don’t really want basketball to end at (the high school) level,” she said. “It’s just now getting fun. I’m going to miss the girls I’ve been playing with and I was hoping I would get to play with someone from high school. But I’m looking at this as a chance to meet new people.”

Washington has already met most of her teammates and said they made her feel comfortable. She’ll be living in dorms her freshman season, most likely with fellow teammates. She plans on majoring in education in hopes of one day becoming an elementary school teacher.

“I love kids and my family is big on gatherings,” she said. “And I love my little cousins, they’re my heart and soul. One of the players there majored in education and she encouraged me to do that, too. I think it’s a good field.”

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