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The LaGrange High boys basketball team enjoyed a bounce-back season in 2024-25, and the seniors on the team were at the heart of it. Now, five of those seniors (Jalen Hardy, Jaylon Fryer, Javon Nelson, Torian Reeves, BJ Wortham) have signed to play basketball in college starting in the fall of this year.

Hardy and Fryer will be keeping the good times rolling together at South Carolina Central Christian College. Having a fellow Granger at the next level will help each other adapt to life in college.

“Jaylon committed before me, and then a couple of weeks later, I committed,” Hardy said. “We know how each other plays, so that will be a big help.”

Hardy made the tough transition from Valley High School in Alabama to LaGrange in the summer before his junior year. 

“The speed of the game is different, and it took me a little while to get used to the shot clock, which they don’t have in Alabama,” he chuckled. 

Hardy made a quick impact on the Grangers and came to LaGrange with the intent of getting better and earning a spot on a college roster, which he has been able to do.

Fryer has been on the path to college athletics since he watched his cousins play at the level in his youth. Now that Fryer has signed to the next level, he is ready to keep striving for more.

“When I stepped foot on the college campus, it felt like home. Plus, the coaches are going to let me play two sports, so that’s another major thing for me and a better opportunity than other offers,” Fryer said. 

Fryer will also be a member of the track and field team. 

Nelson will be heading north to play for Minnesota Vermillion. 

“I love the work ethic that coach (Dawson) Dickson has for his players, and I want to go there and make a name for myself,” Nelson said.

The lefty guard will have a chance to go in right away and make an impact, even if it’s a little ways from home.

Reeves had a multitude of options on the table, but has decided to play for Columbia State.

“The coaches there really sold me on how much of an impact I can make on the team there, so that just motivates me to go there and make an impact right away,” Reeves said. 

Reeves was a rim rattler for the Grangers. The high-flying dunk machine gave the LaGrange faithful and the Blue Crew a lifetime worth of memories.

“The support and fans that are here are second to none,” he said. 

A multi-sport athlete, Reeves finished third in the high jump at the 3A state meet and made numerous important plays for the football team, including a touchdown in the Final Four. 

Every team needs a leader, and LaGrange had that in point guard BJ Wortham. The recently graduated Granger will be heading to Riverland Community College. 

“This has been a dream of mine for a long time,” Wortham said. “I want to make an impact quickly, whether it’s one or two years, and then transfer to a major four-year school.”

Wortham led the Grangers with poise and confidence over the past several years and will be nearly impossible to replace for the 2025-26 season.