VALDOSTA –– Signed, sealed and delivered.

Valdosta will officially be home to an ABA franchise as 10 players signed professional contracts with the Shockers on Saturday at the Lake Laurie Boys and Girls Club.

Shockers founder and head coach Jeremy Fountain introduced each player to the audience and spoke about what each player brings to the team prior to each signing.

As a former NBA D-League and ABA player himself, Fountain relishes the opportunity to give players from the area a chance to play professionally.

“It feels great,” Fountain said. “I get to help guys get to where I’ve been and past where I’ve been so it’s an amazing feeling and it brings back the feeling from back in the days when I was signing contracts myself.”

Since the Shockers’ initial tryout, the team started training camp this week and has begun the process of rounding into shape for the upcoming season. 

Forward Zyarius Carter figures to be one of the Shockers’ top scorer this season. A native of Savannah, Carter finally gets a chance to play under Fountain, who trained him for the past three years. Carter spoke about what signing his first pro contract means to him and his family.

“It makes me feel good,” Carter said of signing a professional contract. “I told myself I was going to push myself to get where I was supposed to be. Coach Fountain, he helped me out a lot––training, playing with him for three years straight. I love him to death, he’s the best coach I’ve probably ever had to get me to where I want to be. 

“Besides the fact that this is my first professional team––I’ve played college ball but it’s my first professional team––to sign those papers, it makes me feel good and it makes my family feel good.”

Of course, the process of becoming a professional carries lofty demands as many of the Shockers’ players still have everyday jobs. Carter admits there’s a lot expected of him and the rest of the team to carry themselves as professionals.

“It’s a lot of responsibility,” Carter said. “I’ve had to stop doing a lot of things to get to this point. Coach wants me to be a professional so I told him I’ll be the professional guy he wants me to be.”

The Valdosta Shockers roster consists of Carter, guards Reggie Lee, Eric Henderson and Amir Outerbridge as well as forwards Rodriguez Lobbins, Herman Wallace, Thomas Hightower, Johnathan Deberry, Marquez Dennison and Gregory Fillmore.

With a roster filled with athletic, versatile players, the Shockers hope to establish an uptempo brand of basketball for the season opener Jan. 7 against Middle Georgia. The team will hold its Meet the Shockers scrimmage at the Toombs Street Boys and Girls Club on Dec. 30.

“The type of team we have––we have a fast, uptempo type of team that can actually play anywhere (on the floor),” Fountain said of the roster. “We have five guys on, five guys off and each guy can play each position. We have Zyarius Carter, a knock down shooter and an unbelievable scorer. We have Eric Henderson, an unbelievable scorer.

“We have people who also can play lockdown defense so we kind of have every spot taken care of and the fact that we get to see them on the floor in action -for real on the 30th, it’s gonna be a sight to see. I promise.”