By Gene Stanley/Sports Correspondent
Darius Bush possesses some really good assets, assets that have combined to hand the Etowah High senior a basketball scholarship at Gadsden State Community College.
Bush was in one of those quandaries that college coaches hate. GSCC men’s basketball coach Todd Ginn wanted to sign Bush but wasn’t sure if he had the room available.
That dilemma worked out when another player quit the team to pursue a job in nursing.
“I didn’t know how many scholarships we were actually going to have,” Ginn said. “So when one opened up, I jumped on it and signed (Darius).”
Bush also received an offer from Wallace State-Hanceville.
“I wanted to stay at home, for at least the next two years,” Bush said. “And I really like coach (Ginn) and I like the way they play. I don’t think I’ll have any problem fitting in.”
Ginn wholeheartedly concurred.
“I think that by Christmas, he’ll be in the best shape he’s ever been in and he’ll be an integral part of the team. “At Etowah, he was the best athlete on the court, but over here, he’s going to find some others who are just as talented as he is.
“(Darius) is the kind of player who will improve from facing those players, both in practice and in games. I know he won’t back down.”
Due to his work ethic, improvement is an area that Bush excels in. This past season, Bush was named to the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s Class 5A All-State second team after averaging 17 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and three steals.
“He played for me for two years,” Etowah boys basketball coach James Graves said. “In those two years, he never missed a practice or a workout. He was usually the first to arrive and the last to leave.”
Bush played mainly at the point guard position in high school, but both coaches agree that he has the size at 6’2 and strength to play bigger.
In fact, Ginn plans to fit Bush into the power forward, or 3, slot.
“In my system, that position needs a player who is a good, athletic defender and who can finish plays,” Ginn said. “At Etowah, Darius played in a press a good bit of the time. We run a 1-3-1 press, and for that, we needed a defender who can press, make passes and finish when it’s called for. Darius fits that to a T.”
Positions don’t matter much to Bush.
“I’ll play wherever they want me to,” he said. “I can play any position and (I) am ready to get it started.”