TIFTON — Thursday was what recently retired Tift County Blue Devils basketball head coach Tommy Blackshear called the beginning of J.J. Lamar’s new life.

Lamar, one of Blackshear’s top Blue Devils hoops players, signed to play for South Georgia State in Douglas in a ceremony at Tift County High’s media center.

“It means a lot,” said Lamar after he signed his paperwork. Douglas is only about an hour from Tifton, meaning he will be close to his family and friends. Lamar said after reviewing all of his choices, SGSC was the best fit.

Not too long ago, TCHS was Lamar’s new life.

When Lamar first moved in from Worth County, Blackshear said he worked with him on making his skills transferable to college. “He kept working and kept working and the dividends are paying off,” Blackshear said.

Lamar was the Blue Devils’ leading scorer this year, averaging 11.6 points per game. He also had a knack for big games.

He initially set a career high of 27 points in January in a 47-43 win over Colquitt County in Tifton. In the region tournament, Lamar set a new high at 29 points versus Lowndes. And, in the region third-place game, Lamar nailed a buzzer-beater three-pointer over two Packers defenders to win 42-40.

Blackshear said signing is even more joyous than ever for a high school athlete. “It’s extremely hard now for high school players now to get college scholarships,” he said.

For his first year at South Georgia State, Blackshear recommended Lamar focus on defense to get more playing time. “A young man who can play defense and not turn the ball over can find playing time,” he said.

Blackshear reminded Lamar that he might not see the floor at the first, but to keep grinding.