Staff Writer: Madelyn Cherry
The Wingate men’s basketball team had an overall record this 2021-22 season of 21-8. Jarren Cottingham, a redshirt junior guard, contributed to the team’s season with 943 minutes of playing time, 469 points, and 84 assists. In previous years, Cottingham has received numerous titles that have contributed to his basketball career. Recently, Cottingham won the title of NABC 2nd team all-regional accolades and earned the first team all-SAC honor for the second straight year in the 2021-22 season.
In order to decide the title of the NABC 2nd team all-region accolades, coaches in the region vote and the amount of votes received for the players determine what team they fall on. “I guess they felt I was deserving of it and I am very appreciative of the award,” Cottingham said.
He says that what motivates him to reach these milestones in his career is the disrespect he receives from players from other schools. He says that it is his goal to always be the top-dog on the court against rival schools. Although he is thankful for all of the titles he has received,
“I am happy to be all-conference and all-region, but I am missing one thing and that is a championship. My career has a void without it. Once I win that championship I will feel complete,” Cottingham said.
For him to reach these goals and continue to receive these titles, Cottingham puts in hours of extra work. He spends much of his time in the gym and on the court but also makes sure to eat healthy foods and get a lot of sleep to keep his body healthy. He says “repetition is key,” and in order to master his craft, he works constantly on his game. Winning these titles does put some extra pressure on him to be excellent every game, but he believes that he thrives under pressure.
“I have no problem with putting more weight on my shoulders to get this program to where it needs to be. I just try to go out and play and help my team win games in any way,” Cottingham said.
Cottingham took a redshirt year which he believes helped him get to where he is today. His year off allowed him to focus on his game and his strength. He was able to put on weight and even grew taller. He believes that his redshirt year jump-started his next season. Which led him to win all-conference and all-regional this past season. Cottingham is preparing for his next season and hopes to win the championship title.
Wingate Triangle 