North Gwinnett (Ga.) head coach Matt Garner, left, and Wesley Cloud grew up as childhood friends in Danville, Ky. (Larry Vaught Photo)
Marshall County Hoopfest always has great basketball but I got a very unexpected treat at this weekend’s event. North Gwinnett (Ga.) is coached by Matt Garner and one of his assistant coaches is Wesley Cloud. Both grew up in Danville and Brand played football, basketball, and baseball with my son. Garner played AAU basketball with my son and Cloud before he moved away from Danville in the sixth grade in 1996.
Garner, 37, has been with the program for seven years and it is the same school his father, Len, was the former head coach. Cloud, 36, moved to the Atlanta area in 2013 for work with Humana and Cloud, his wife and two sons — he now has six children — briefly lived with Garner and his wife.
“Wesley and I have always been friends,” Garner said. “One day I just asked him about joining my coaching staff. I needed someone like him and he has been great.”
Danville boys basketball coach Ed McKinney remembers both players well and was delighted when I sent him a photo of the two.
“Wesley is one of my all-time favorite human beings and I love that guy,” McKinney said. “And the other guy (Garner), I wish I would have had a chance to coach him (in high school) but he moved.
“If they had not called a questionable foul on Wesley for just guarding the heck out of a guy late in the game, we would have been (12th) region champs that one year.”
Garner and Cloud have a terrific team. Gwinnett had to match up against Ashland and Male — two of Kentucky’s top five teams. Gwinnett lost 90-77 to Ashland after having a 12-point first half lead but came back Saturday to beat Male 60-54.
Clemson signee RJ Godfrey, the son of former NFL player Randall Godfrey, had 19 points and five rebounds against Ashland and came back with 16 points and 16 rebounds in the win over Male.
“We wanted to play great competition. That’s why we came,” Garner said. “We needed this win (over Male).”
If invited back, North Gwinnett would make a return trip to Marshall County Hoopfest.
“The hospitality here was great and the basketball is really, really good,” Cloud said. “As a coach or player, this is what you want.”
