The Great Falls Electric professional basketball team received another award from one of their players at The Basketball League’s (TBL’s) end-of-the-year awards.
Antwaan Cushingberry garnered his third award in his first professional season with the inaugural Great Falls Electric. Earlier in June, the Indiana guard was named to the 2024 TBL All-Rookie Team and was a First Team All-Conference Selection for the TBL’s West Division. On June 21st, the league named Cushingberry as their TBL Rookie of the Year for the 2024 season.
The 33rd overall TBL Draft pick in 2024 put up some great statistics for first-year coach Johnny Clark. Antwaan led the team in assists (7.0 assists per game), averaged 22.7 points per game (second on the team with former University of Montana product Kareem Jamar averaging 23.1 per game) and made 43.6 % of his field goals. On the defensive side, he picked up 5.5 rebounds per contest while playing all 20 regular season games. Great Falls finished with ten victories.
“I knew the night we drafted “Cush” that we got the steal of the draft. When I saw him at the Combine and envisioned some things I could do offensively that would play to his strengths and allow him to be who he is, I’m not one bit surprised to see these accolades come to him,” said Great Falls Electric Head Coach Johnny Clark. “I knew I drafted the best rookie in the draft, and it was just about sharing my experiences with him, gaining his trust, and give him answers to the test (season) before he took the test, so he could just fill in the blanks as we went along through the season.”
“Being named the 2024 TBL Rookie of the Year, I’d say he bought in and let me coach him as his numbers speak for themselves. And he is only going to get better.”
This is not the only Rookie of the Year that Johnny Clark mentored. While coaching with the Continental Basketball Association’s Great Falls Explorers, he coached Travis Garrison, who became the 2007 CBA Rookie of the Year.
Prior to playing for the Electric this past season, he attended Warren Central High School in Indiana and then went on to a stellar collegiate career with the NAIA’s St. Francis Cougars out of Fort Wayne, Indiana. During the 2022-23 season, he became a three-time All-American averaging 20.1 points per game. The 5’10” star guard, who led his squad to three NAIA National Tournament appearances, scored over 2,400 points, which is the Cougars all-time scoring record.
“It’s just another blessing (from my lord and Savior Jesus Christ),” said Cushingberry when he heard about the award he earned this season. “I would not have been able to achieve this if coach Johnny (Clark) never took a chance on me. He was the only coach that gave me a chance when seeing me at the TBL Combine. This accomplishment just makes me hungrier, and I just want to keep my head down and keep pushing myself to the next level.”
Teammate Lyle Hexom also received an award for his outstanding play this year. He was named to the All-Conference Second Team in the West Division.
