Gary Edwards Column 1/20/18

The Francis Marion University men’s basketball team has seven home games, including today’s contest against Flagler College, left this season. Time is running out for you to see a very special player.

Detrek Browning, a 6’0” senior guard from Columbia, South Carolina, is the Patriots’ all-time leading scorer with 1,986 points. A product of Irmo High School and legendary coach Tim Whipple, Browning leads the Patriots and the Peach Belt Conference in scoring this season with 25 points a game.

He is shooting .510 from the field, and .420 from the three-point line. Those numbers are unheard of for a guard. The rest of the Patriots are collectively shooting .437 from the field and .310 from behind the arc.

Despite being called on to score, Detrek is extremely unselfish with the basketball. He dishes out three assists a game and also chips in over four rebounds. He accounts for over 36% of the offense for the 10-5 Patriots.

This week, by scoring 41 points in a thrilling 106-104 double overtime victory over the Augusta Jaguars, he broke one of the longest-standing Patriot scoring records. The old record of 40 points was set by Hank Foster against Coker College way back on February 15, 1984.

In addition to having the highest scoring average in the Peach Belt Conference, he also has the highest grade point average on our team. He will graduate with honors this May with a degree in Psychology.

So if you can come to the Smith University Center on our campus at 3:30 p.m. today, you will see a guy who doesn’t look physically imposing. He is not the quickest guard out there, and certainly not the strongest.

But you will see an old-school basketball player who knows how to play and can shoot the lights out. In this age of style over substance, Detrek is substance. He is the rare player who can impose his will over any opponent.

And this old coach is going to miss him terribly when our season ends, and his college career comes to a close.

I hope you won’t miss the opportunity to watch Detrek while you can. Seven more games, seven chances to watch a little magic.