Southeast JUCO Jamboree brings 24 women’s basketball teams to Albany

ALBANY — For one day, the Albany State West Campus Arena will become one of the busiest women’s basketball venues in the Southeast.

Twenty-four junior college programs from six states will gather Saturday for the Southeast JUCO Jamboree, an all-day showcase hosted by 1984 Olympic gold medalist Lea Henry and her husband, Greg Manning.

The event begins at 9 a.m. and features 36 games across four courts, with four matchups scheduled every hour through 5 p.m. The jamboree is hosted through Henry and Manning’s L&G Camp of Champs organization.

This marks the 14th consecutive year Henry and Manning have staged the event, which gives junior college players an opportunity to compete in front of college coaches and scouts before the start of the regular season.

Henry brings a lifetime of basketball experience to the event. A Colquitt native, she played point guard for legendary coach Pat Summitt at Tennessee and helped the Lady Vols reach three Final Fours. She later played for the United States team that won the women’s basketball gold medal at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.

Henry went on to coach at Florida, Stetson, Mercer and Georgia State before becoming the women’s basketball coach at Darton State College in Albany. Manning is a former professional basketball player who was selected by the Denver Nuggets in the 1981 NBA draft.

Together, they have spent decades teaching and promoting the game through camps, clinics and showcase events.

Saturday’s field includes programs from Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi and North Carolina. Albany Technical College, South Georgia Technical College, Central Georgia Technical College and Chattahoochee Valley Community College are among the regional programs scheduled to compete.

Albany Tech will play three times on Court 2, beginning against L.B. Wallace at 11 a.m. The Lady Titans will face Snead State at 2 p.m. before closing their day against Southern Union at 4 p.m.

South Georgia Tech opens against L.B. Wallace at 2 p.m. on Court 1. The Lady Jets will then meet Reid State at 4 p.m. and Chattahoochee Valley at 5 p.m.

Other participating programs include St. Petersburg, Pearl River, Northwest Florida, Tallahassee, Santa Fe, Hillsborough, East Mississippi, East Central Mississippi, Meridian, Shelton State, Bishop State, Cleveland State, Chattanooga State, Southwest Tennessee, Volunteer State and Motlow State.

The schedule opens at 9 a.m. with St. Petersburg facing East Central Mississippi on Court 1, Bishop State meeting Pearl River on Court 2, Chattanooga State playing Meridian on Court 3 and Shelton State taking on Cleveland State on Court 4.

The tightly packed format allows coaches and scouts to evaluate hundreds of players in a single location while giving the athletes a chance to measure themselves against opponents from throughout the Southeast.

The Southeast JUCO Jamboree will be held at the Albany State West Campus Arena, located at 2400 Gillionville Road.