LSHS graduate, Gilley, joins Storm basketball team
Maury “MG” Gilley has a new home.
It’s down the street from the dwelling where he was raised. It’s situated along a highway. And it’s in the process of getting some upgrades.
I’m referring to Davidson-Davie Community College, of course; the new academic and athletic home for Gilley. A 2022 graduate of Lexington Senior High School, the Yellow Jacket has joined his classmate, Javien Reid, on the school’s nationally ranked men’s basketball team, by divine intervention.
“I wouldn’t say I necessarily chose my college. I’d rather say my college chose me and I am very thankful for Coach [Matt] Ridge taking a chance on me and giving me the opportunity to get better as not only a basketball player but as a man.”
These opportunities excite Gilley. He admitted he’s looking forward to all the lessons college will teach him because he’ll learn something new daily. “If I can learn something new every day, I feel like I’d be on the right path to becoming a great man and becoming very successful in whatever I choose to do.”
According to Gilley, 18, he has been playing basketball “for as long as he can remember.” However, he didn’t develop a seriousness about it until his middle school years.
“I met two coaches, Rondrigus Davis and Robert Knotts. They showed me my potential if I was willing to put in the work. It was then I realized I can make my dream [of playing sports beyond high school] a reality.”
So, he put in the work. Countless hours on weekdays, weeknights and weekends were spent on the hardwood honing his craft. Gilley acknowledged his grandfather, James Fuller, who always ensured he was able to attend practice and waited for him on the days he stayed later than usual. Throughout his young life, the Lexington native credits the game with teaching him numerous lessons especially when it comes to dedication.
“What I really enjoy about basketball is it allows you to use your imagination and really escape all your problems. I also enjoyed the lessons the game is willing to teach me because basketball is a very cutthroat sport and it will show you a lot about who you are.”
Gilley is pictured with his grandmother as his high school graduation. {Contributed photo}
While Gilley was the one spending time on the court, he is quick to tell you he wouldn’t have achieved the success he has without some key people in his life including God, his grandmother who he says played a pivotal role, taught him lessons and gave him numerous speeches about his “bad attitude” and not giving up, his former coaches: Davis, Knotts and Cliff Huntley and “the most supportive father a kid could have asked for,” Marvin Gilley. He also credits his siblings and a few close friends for being his motivation and biggest supporters.
His high school coach, Adrian Lee, sees him achieving great things at DDCC and beyond.
“Maury Gilley is a very intelligent young man who is blessed with natural God-given talent academically and athletically. It has been a true blessing to coach Maury this year. He played a pivotal role in our basketball program's success last season. Mr. Gilley has unlimited-God given potential and a very bright future.”
As a collegiate student-athlete, Gilley recognizes the mantle he’s carrying. Being from a small town, he knows the position he’s in makes him a role model for the younger generation. It’s a role he fully embraces.
“My goals for playing basketball are to play professional basketball, show the youth in my city that there is light in every situation and you can do anything imaginable if you put your mind to it. I want to show kids their dreams don’t work unless you do. That was a message that stuck with me as a youth trying to make it out of a small town. I know times can get hard and some situations are worse than others but let me be a representation of my message: Dreams don’t work unless you do.”
