Wilcox County’s Nick Marshall compared to Charlie Ward, former NBA player and 1993 Heisman Trophy winner
The AJC will announce its All-State basketball teams on Sunday.
Anytime you talk about the best players in Georgia, Wilcox County superhero Nick Marshall has to be mentioned.
Everyone knows about the Nick the football player, who won Class A Player of the Year honors while leading Wilcox to the state championship.
Will next year be the last year that we'll see Nick Marshall (blue jersey) play football? He might be better in basketball (AJC file)
However, Nick first made a name for himself in basketball after leading his high school to the 2009 semifinals. He played AAU basketball last summer with the Georgia Blazers out of Columbus, earning his first college scholarship offers — again, in basketball.
What did Nick do this year in basketball? The 6-foot-3 junior guard led Wilcox again to the semifinals, averaging 27.5 points, including a 52-point performance in the playoff opener against Montgomery County.
“I’d say Nick is one of the best I’ve seen in high school basketball, and I’ve been around this business for 38 years,” Wilcox basketball coach George Kennedy said recently. “He just does some stuff that is God-given talent that you don’t see every day.”
Loading ...UGA is one of several colleges that has offered Marshall in both basketball and football. UGA coach Mark Richt and several assistants had the chance to observe Marshall late in the basketball season.
“What I was told is that (Richt) thinks Nick is really close to being a Charlie Ward-type player,” Wilcox football coach Mark Ledford said recently. “Coach Richt coached Ward at Florida State, and he sees Nick as being the same type of player. Nick is very athletic at quaterback, and also a great basketball player. Of course, Charlie played in the NBA.”
Charlie Ward, a native of Thomasville, was one of the greatest two-sport athletes from Georgia. He won the 1993 Heisman Trophy, and played 11 years in the NBA. Ward currently serves as head football coach at a Texas high school.
Who are the top five two-sport athletes (basketball and football only) in the history of Georgia’s high schools? Is Ward far and away No. 1? Does Marshall crack the top five yet (with one more year left in high school)? Please state your case and post below.
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67 comments Add your comment
Recruiting News 26Mar: Leather Helmet Blog
March 26th, 2010
4:02 am
[...] Nick Marshall = Charlie Ward? «What I was told is that (Richt) thinks Nick is really close to being a Charlie Ward-type player,» Wilcox football coach Mark Ledford said recently. «Coach Richt coached Ward at Florida State, and he sees Nick as being the same type of player. Nick is very athletic at quaterback, and also a great basketball player. Of course, Charlie played in the NBA.» Charlie Ward, a native of Thomasville, was one of the greatest two-sport athletes from Georgia. He won the 1993 Heisman Trophy, and played 11 years in the NBA. Ward currently serves as head football coach at a Texas high school. [...]
tville
March 26th, 2010
8:32 am
Charlie was one of the great pure point guards in both high school and college and a solid nba point guard for 11 years. Whats amazing is how he handled it physically going from football to basketball and of course took FSU along with Cassell, Sura, Edwards to the Elite 8 and a victory over Mourning and Georgetown. It is mind boggling that you can play football until January and switch to the most skilled position on the basketball court without the proper conditioning, etc and do it well. He put on a lot of weight and his physique in college wasnt great for basketball as he just didnt have time to work into shape.
You just wont see that done at that high a level in major college especially at quarterback/point guard many times in a lifetime.
Lastly, Charlie was all state in 3 sports in high school, one each season. Truly remarkable athlete.
thebull
March 26th, 2010
9:58 am
If we are talking about outstanding two-sport atheletes then we MUST include Quincey Carter (I know you mentioned him Todd). His off-field transgressions aside, (and my personal dislike of the guy) he was the best that I ever saw. He was a starting NFL quarterback that led his team to the playoffs. And, he was a 3rd round draft pick of the Chicago Cubs that threw the baseball consistantly in the mid 90s (topped out at 97-98). What killed him was that he just couldn’t hit at the pro level; well that, and the fact that he couldn’t stop sniffing cocaine….waste of God-given talent.
JustMyOpinion
March 26th, 2010
2:57 pm
@ thebull: I thought it was weed!!!!!!!
eagle
March 26th, 2010
3:32 pm
Chris Gardocki. All state punter/kicker in football and all state in soccer
West End
March 26th, 2010
4:09 pm
Anthony Flannigan – All State in football, basketball, and baseball, State Championships in both Football (1973) and Basketball (1973 & 1974! Was ahdead of his time at UGA. Dooley didn’t know how to use him. More versatile than Hines Ward.
skoalbucs
March 26th, 2010
7:58 pm
Jared Cook – North Gwinnett. Plays for Tennessee Titians now, and helped NG to the elite eight in basketball
GAHoopsFan
March 26th, 2010
8:07 pm
Too bad Nick Marshall showed his true character in the state final four basketball game in Macon with a technical foul after mouthing off to the ref for another bad foul…college coaches won’t like that attitude at all. Not to mention every other word out of his mouth was a curse word on the court. Got this straight from a cheerleader who was in the end zone and heard it all too many times. What a waste of what could be a “sports hero” of this generation…do they think acting like that is cool?
Recruiting Update 27Mar: Leather Helmet Blog
March 27th, 2010
4:02 am
[...] Nick Marshall = Charlie Ward? «What I was told is that (Richt) thinks Nick is really close to being a Charlie Ward-type player,» Wilcox football coach Mark Ledford said recently. «Coach Richt coached Ward at Florida State, and he sees Nick as being the same type of player. Nick is very athletic at quaterback, and also a great basketball player. Of course, Charlie played in the NBA.» Charlie Ward, a native of Thomasville, was one of the greatest two-sport athletes from Georgia. He won the 1993 Heisman Trophy, and played 11 years in the NBA. Ward currently serves as head football coach at a Texas high school. [...]
Jon Gloer
March 27th, 2010
6:14 am
Robert Haygood,Russel High…Best ever…
verifacts
March 27th, 2010
9:56 am
Walt Frazier better known as Clyde from D.T.Howard High who played point guard for the New York.
Shawn
March 27th, 2010
10:37 am
Frank Thomas, Columbus High School.
Big-Man
March 29th, 2010
12:41 pm
Did someone really say Earl Carruthers??? He is NOT mention worthy. I knew Earl in high school and he was NOT near top 5 level.
ASHELY
March 30th, 2010
12:09 pm
Robert Edwards
big ken
April 3rd, 2010
7:16 pm
roy norman lincoln co high school allstate football,basketball made plays at shortstop in highschool that ozzie newsome made in mlb
keith
April 10th, 2010
11:15 am
Top 5 is: 1. Charlie Ward
2.Fred Gibson
3.Terrence Edwards
4. Jamie White
5. Champ Bailey
Christian LeMay Might be More Likely to Play for the Georgia Bulldogs in the Wake of Zach Mettenberger’s Departure, but Don’t Forget About Nick Marshall « MrSEC.com
April 20th, 2010
10:22 pm
[...] forget about Wilcox County quarterback Nick Marshall, the Charlie Ward-like two-sport phenom whose cousin, Lonnie Outlaw, inked an eleventh-hour letter of intent to play for the ‘Dawgs on [...]