In four years of playing for Bryan County’s girls’ basketball team, Ashanti Brown never looked for an easy way out. She worked and competed hard so when it came to signing to play college basketball, she wasn’t concerned her decision might be questioned by some people.

Brown, a two-time all-state player and the all-time leading rebounder in Redskins history who developed into an accomplished scorer, has signed to play basketball at East Georgia State College, a two-year school located in Swainsboro. It has branch campuses in Statesboro and Augusta.

That’s the same East Georgia State which the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia recently voted to be consolidated into Georgia Southern University, a process which is expected to take at least a year.

Final board approval of the consolidation is expected to be a mere formality but it cannot take place until after a vote by the Southern Association of Colleges and School Commission on Colleges. A consolidation timeline is dependent upon those approvals.

Presuming the proposal is approved and then depending on the timeline the Bobcats athletic program would have at least this upcoming year and no more than two before being shut down.

The NCAA will not permit – as athletes at Armstrong State University learned when that school was consolidated with Georgia Southern – athletics at what is essentially a branch campus. In all likelihood Brown will be playing basketball for the Bobcats for only one season before hopefully being picked up by a four-year institution.

“She had a lot of offers on the table,” Coach Mario Mincey said. “We looked at what was the best fit for her both as a player and financially. She got a good package from East Georgia State.

“There’s still some uncertainties about East Georgia as far as it would be for one year,” Mincey said. “I spoke to the East Georgia athletic director (Theo Brown) about the merger and he said they were still recruiting for this coming year.

“She can go there and have a good year and then get picked up by a four-year school.”

Theo Brown is also the women’s basketball coach and the last two years have been two of the best in school history. The Bobcats were 20-9 this past season losing to Central Georgia Technical in the National Junior College Athletic Association District 17 championship game. East Georgia won it last year and qualified for the national tournament.

Brown would, of course, be eligible to sign with Georgia Southern but her best option will more likely be signing with a Division II school. It was a route most recently taken by former Redskin Jay Black.

Black, who had the school rebounding record until Brown broke it this past season, had DII offers coming out of high school but she had a much better financial offer from Central Georgia. From there she went to Albany State where she earned a full ride and started for three years while obtaining her undergraduate and master’s degrees.

Brown was the Region 3A-DII Player of the Year this past season as she averaged 16 points and 11 rebounds per game for a Redskins team which posted a 24-6 record while advancing to the Sweet 16 in the state tournament after finishing as region runner-up.

In four years. Brown’s teams were 94-20 overall including a 26-4 mark in 2024 which tied the school record for most wins in a season. The Redskins won a region championship, advanced to the Elite Eight and twice reached the Sweet 16 during her career.

While Brown finished with 1,331 points, it was as a rebounder that she made her reputation. She had 1,252 including a single game high of 23, both school records.

 “It’s all about wanting the ball,” Brown said of her rebounding prowess. “When the ball goes up I want it. You have to block out and have position but it’s still wanting to get the ball.

“I’m looking forward to continuing at East Georgia. I look at it as a great opportunity for me and I’m going to make the most of it. I owe Coach Mincey and my teammates a lot, too. I didn’t do it alone.”

Other players who have signed after playing for Mincey include Olivia Melton, Satashala Beasley, Yasmine Crawford, Julianne Brown, Shelby Gunn, Jay Black, Olonna Rawls, Ty Anthony, Anderia Jackson, Niyah Shuman and Kayley Wedlow.