February 11, 2026 — Midweek has arrived in our series, “A Week in the Life of Cobb Basketball.” It’s the day after a game, and Maliyah Gilbert, a junior point guard at Kell High School, will show us there’s no rest for the weary.
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Maliyah is averaging 9.5 points per game and 4.7 rebounds per game for the Longhorns this season. She and her teammates orchestrated a 68-14 blowout victory over their opponent less than 12 hours ago. Maliyah scored 8 points in the game, including two 3-pointers. Still, she is up before the sun and ready to attack the day.
- Day: Wednesday (non-game day)
- Location: Maliyah’s family home
- Time: 5:00 a.m.
“I wake up, start getting ready to head to the gym. I’m not really a morning person, so it was kind of hard to get up after playing a game last night, but I find the energy to get up and get ready.” - Time: 5:20-5:30 a.m.
“I eat a light breakfast, which is a granola bar and a healthy smoothie, and I take my vitamins before leaving.”
Maliyah leaves her home and heads to L.A. Fitness for a predawn workout. She has a full day of school ahead, followed by her team’s practice, yet she is intent on getting in some individual drill work before many of her classmates have even brushed their teeth.
- Location: LA Fitness
- Time: 5:40 a.m.
“I arrive at the gym and start with some stretching. Then I do a light mile. After that, I get some lower and upper body lift work in.” - Time: 6:00 a.m.
“It’s time to go inside the basketball gym where I work on my ball handling, shooting, layups, and, most importantly, defense.”
After a 40-minute workout, Maliyah heads back home to shower and get ready for school. After her hygiene and wardrobe refresh, she packs two bags – her school bag and her basketball bag. This is the life of a student-athlete. At 7:40 a.m., she leaves her home for the second time of the day and heads to school.
- Location: Kell High School
- Time: 8:05 a.m.
“I arrive at school ready to be a scholar for eight hours!!” - Time: 8:20 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
“It’s classes and work all day. I got a lot of notes today in all my classes, but at least I get to end it with weight training with my teammates.”
Not many teenagers consider a weight-training class a “get to” in their day, but as a dedicated student-athlete, Maliyah appreciates the grind it takes to improve her game. 
This Wednesday happens to be National Signing Day (NSD), when student-athletes make their college commitments official. After pumping iron for almost an hour, Maliyah and the rest of the girls’ team attend the NSD ceremony for Kell’s athletes to support signee Kennedy Deese, one of their teammates. Deese is committed to play at Howard University next year.
- Location: Kell High School
- Time: 4:45 p.m.-5:30 p.m.
“It was my teammate and friend’s signing day. I went to support her and show love by congratulating her for the hard work that has paid off for her.”
Typically, the team would practice every non-game day, but Head Coach Kandra Bailey awarded the team a day off. It was well deserved after their dominant win the night before. For Maliyah, it feels good knowing that she got her own personal practice in during those early morning hours. It helps her feel as if she hasn’t missed a chance to improve.
It’s already been a long day, and it’s not even dinnertime yet. Maliyah makes her way back home to shower and get herself together for the most restful time of her day. However, there’s still more to do.
- Location: Maliyah’s family home
- Time: 7:30 p.m.
“It’s time to study for my classes and then, hopefully, have a little ‘me’ time before going to bed.” - Time: 8:30 p.m.
“I’m done studying, and it’s time to watch TV and scroll TikTok before I officially go to bed. Then I get ready for another busy day tomorrow.”
For Maliyah, and most other Cobb County basketball players, the Wednesday-to-Thursday transition feels like Groundhog Day. Back-to-back practice days can be hard. It’s not just about the physical toll it takes on your body. It’s also because game days are what the athlete lives for. The energy, excitement, and competition are just more fun. Practice time, though, is where the team gels and the individuals hone their skills. Everyone appreciates that it’s needed in the end.
Thursdays can be different for coaches, too. Tomorrow in the series, we’ll get the perspective of a varsity assistant coach in Cobb Basketball. Often serving as the head coach of the junior varsity or freshman team, the varsity assistant sometimes pulls double duty.
h/t game action photos provided by Kell High School
