Never underestimate the power of a resilient group

By: Will Barfield 

KENNESAW, GA — Adversity is defined by Merriam-Webster as “a state or instance of serious or continued difficulty or misfortune”. As the late, great Packers coach Vince Lombardi once said, “It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get back up.” For the Kennesaw State Owls men’s basketball team led by head coach Antoine Pettway, their biggest test of adversity arrived to campus on Jan. 15, 2026. 

Senior guard Simeon Cottle, who had just become the first ever Kennesaw State player to be named Conference USA (CUSA) preseason player of the year, was listed as a defendant in a bombshell indictment that included at least 20 current or former college basketball players across at least 17 NCAA Division 1 teams. The scheme allegedly involved more than 39 players across those programs and targeted at least 29 games.

According to the indictment, Cottle, Demond Robinson and one unnamed teammate received a $40,000 cash payment delivered to campus after intentionally underperforming in the first half of a game vs Queens on March 1, 2024. Jalen Smith, a professional “match fixer” orchestrated the plan and recruited the young athletes to carry it out. Smith faces charges of bribery in sporting contests, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and wire fraud. Cottle faces charges of bribery in sporting contests and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. 

Cottle’s last game with the Owls was on Jan. 14, 2026, the day before the indictment was unsealed. The Owls beat Florida International University 89-86 at home with Cottle scoring 21 points to help seal the victory. In the eight games that followed his suspension from the team, Kennesaw won only three of them. It was shortly after this time that everything began to change for Coach Pettway’s squad. 

“We just locked in to each other,” said head coach Antoine Pettway. “I have to give all credit to that locker room and my staff. We just kept the dudes locked in on what was in front of them and they love each other so much.” 

After the difficult eight game stretch, the Owls went on to win seven of their last nine regular season games and finish sixth in the CUSA standings, thanks in large part to sophomore RJ Johnson from Huntsville, Alabama. Before Cottle’s suspension, Johnson averaged just over 20 minutes per game and 10.5 points per game in the first 16 games. In the last 17 conference games, Johnson averaged 35 minutes per game and 18.2 points per game. 

“I just didn’t want to let my brothers down knowing the adversity we faced,” Johnson said. “Seeing the trust my teammates had in me, I felt the responsibility of being the next man up. I knew I had to step up and be ready to play for my teammates.” 

“We never washed him [Cottle] away,” said the Alabama native. “We would say we are playing for our brother tonight. The coaches told us to keep going out to compete and play to the best of our abilities.” 

One of those voices in the locker room Johnson referenced is third year assistant coach Willie Watson, former associate head coach at North Alabama. His ties to Coach Pettway go all the way back to the University of Alabama, where they are both alumni and former co-workers. 

“We talked about serving your brother. We talked about answering that bell every time it’s called when your team needs it. So for us, man, that was an opportunity to double down on that message,” Watson said. “Manhood is all about handling adversity and being able to make adjustments. Honestly, our message to the players never changed. We try to be the hardest working team and the most prepared team. It was almost like a validation.”

“The message to the guys was no more or no less. We just need you to be you, be who you are,” stated the assistant coach. “Be who we train to be everyday and watch what happens. Strategically, we had to make some adjustments but the message was the same. Be a rock solid dude and we’ll live with the results.” 

With the season on the line, the Owls won three games in three days to secure the CUSA tournament championship and an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. They beat Western Kentucky, Sam Houston and Louisiana Tech to become the third lowest seed to ever win the CUSA tournament. 

For RJ Johnson, the tournament was a homecoming. It was only fitting the CUSA tournament was held at Propst Arena, in none other than Huntsville, Alabama. Johnson was clutch in his hometown, scoring 18 points, 20 points and 13 points in three games to go along with a total of 16 assists, 14 rebounds and eight steals. He was named the CUSA Tournament MVP. 

“After the first media session of the tournament, we knew we could do it. We knew we could take this over and win this thing,” said the tournament MVP. “Once we all bought in and we looked at each other… we said let’s go and we came out on top.” 

“Never take moments on the court for granted, never take anything in life for granted,” he said. “You never know how long you could be playing the game you love and I feel like that’s what changed for us. We started taking every single moment we had together more serious, because you never know when it can be the last time with your teammates.” 

The team lived by one mantra this season, one that coach Watson said is rooted in scripture. 

“Rock solid. To sum it up, we try to build a culture that’s withstanding throughout the season and throughout life,” he said. “It comes from scripture and talks about digging beneath the sand to get to your rocks to build your house on a rock solid foundation. All of those things are faith based.” 

“It is nothing that we push on the kids but we do expose them to it,” said the third-year KSU assistant. “We have a bible study at least once a week and before every game we have a bible study. We have a team chaplain that travels with us so that’s something we wear on our sleeve. We always give glory to God.” 

Throughout a tumultuous season filled with unexpected adversity, the Kennesaw State men’s basketball team found a way to persevere their way right through it all. It all starts from leadership at the top, which comes from Antoine Pettway. His bold and courageous attitude trickles down into the assistant coaches and the players, who all bought into his vision. In the heat of adversity, the Owls turned it into a season of prosperity. 

“Never underestimate the power of a resilient group,” said coach Willie Watson.