AUGUSTA, GA. - When the Augusta men's basketball team steps on the court against Paine on Thursday, Dec. 5, there will be an added bonus to the game. At halftime, the Jaguar program will retire the number of one of their all-time favorites and all-time greats, Garret Siler. 

Siler joined the Jaguar program from the Academy of Richmond County and redshirted his freshman year in 2004-05. From that point on, it was a meteoric rise to become one of the best players ever to play for AU. Not just that, he became the only Augusta University basketball player to make it to the NBA where he played part of one season with the Phoenix Suns.

His legacy with the Jaguars is unmatched. 

"In his freshman year, I started seeing some things and then his career took off, which is a major understatement," said Dip Metress, basketball coach with Augusta University. "The two things he always had was unbelievable hands and a great touch and those things you can't teach. The fact I was able to watch him play against Tim Duncan on national TV, was something I could have never envisioned." 

During his time in Augusta, Siler was a two-time All Peach Belt Conference selection and still sits 10th on the all-time points scored list with 1,599 points scored and 10th in rebounds with 797. It wasn't just those numbers, but the fact of his seven-foot frame made him a menace on the defensive end where he registered 250 blocked shots and altered countless others. Siler was also a huge part of the NCAA tournament teams and helped lead the Jaguars to the 2008 national title game where he scored 20 points. 

To have his number retired at Augusta University is an honor that has humbled him. 

"It's surreal," said Siler. "I don't think I'll fully know how to embrace the moment until it actually happens. You always look up there and see the other guys, and then when I was done playing, I would see some of my former teammates up there as well. I just want to make sure I left my stamp enough to be up there."

After his stint in the NBA, Siler played professional ball overseas and it took him around the world. Now, with a family, he wanted to finish his degree and graduate this month. He wanted to show his son that it is important to finish what you start. 

For the past three months, Siler is back on the AU bench where he's a volunteer student assistant. He's still having a major impact on the program.

"He's been a mentor to some of these kids and he's got a great personality for it," said Metress. "Therefore he almost coaches like he's a father or grandfather to them event though he's not that old. He's really honest with them but not overly critical and he's been really professional."