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DY-NO-MITE... Mississippi State may have won the game in its first ever meeting against SWAC foe Alcorn State on the gridiron, but Alcorn definitely won the half-time show. Alcorn drum major Brandon Thurmond of Lexington, MS led the “Sounds of Dynamite” onto the field and got Davis-Wade Stadium rockin’. The half-time concession stand lines were short as most fans stayed in their seat to witness the band perform. Photo by Greg Pevey - Mississippi Sports Magazine MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE - 3
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RING THAT BELL... The new Cowbell ban handed down by the SEC offices this summer against Mississippi State did not dampen the spirits of these Bulldog fans. To show how little they thought about the rule, these fans came to the MSU/Auburn match-up on September 9th with their “jumbo� sized cowbells made from a metal bucket and table leg. Pretty innovative concept for these fans to attempt to show-up the SEC offices. Photo by Greg Pevey - Mississippi Sports Magazine
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PRIME TIME... Pearl and Brandon renewed their rivalry dating back to Thanksgiving Day 1949 on August 27, 2010 and the game lived up to the billing as the Pirates beat Brandon 27-24. The game was fueled by two Brandon students who thought it would be fun to vandalize Pearl’s $750,000 artificial turf field. Pearl QB Davontae Nichols rushed for 101 yards and scored two touchdowns and threw for two more TD’s including the game winner in overtime. The game was a part of CellularSouth’s Y’all vs. Us broadcast. Photo by Greg Pevey - Mississippi Sports Magazine
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MSM
FROM THE PUBLISHER
Opinions are like, well, you know...
www.mssportsmagazine.com
Volume 3, Issue 3 November/December 2010
O
le Miss finally has a new mascot and man it’s still causing an uproar with the fan-base today. I guess when your team is not playing very well (to say the least) there’s nothing else to talk about on the message boards. You have people who think Ole Miss is now “The Bears” (the uninformed) and those who want to have rally’s to bring back Col. Reb (he’s not coming back) and those who are OK with “Rebel” the Bear. I still hear people say “What does a bear have to do with Ole Miss?” Those people (the uniformed) need to take the time and do a little research and they’ll find out. I can understand those who think the new Bear will eventually mean Ole Miss will become the Mississippi Bears and the name Ole Miss and Rebels will be the next to get the axe. People want Dan Jones fired feeling that this whole mascot issue was crammed down their throats. Jones did however come out and say Ole Miss will always be Ole Miss and the Rebels name is not going anywhere. The Bear is OK with me. I understand the background and I think with a little tweaking on the concept he’ll turn out OK when he hits the field next season. • Houston Nutt is starting to feel the heat from fans as they complain of watching an uninspired team hit the field every weekend. Nutt’s staff can’t seem to get these kids to play two halves of football especially on the same day. Some think there should be some major staff changes at the end of the season. Mainly hire a real offensive coordinator and let him call the plays and also some want a change at defensive coordinator. I understand the offensive line has been decimated with injuries since week one and you have two sophomore tackles and true freshmen and walk-ons trying to fill in the middle. However, Ole Miss is still one of top offensive teams in the SEC. So the problem is defense, right? Surprisingly enough though, they still have a shot at a bowl. • Low and behold...barring a major meltdown the last half of the season, MSU is going bowling! Dan Mullen has got these kids believing in themselves and with the huge win at Florida they are playing for a better bowl each week. The defense has played solid and the running game is carrying the load. But, with the stretch of games coming up with Kentucky, Bama, Arkansas, and Ole Miss, the Dawgs will have to find some semblance of a passing game. Chris Relf is not a drop back passer and Tyler Russell is not a spread offense QB. A fan-base that has had to endure the “Croom” era, finally has reason to be excited. If not for Vandy, MSU would be last in the SEC in overall winning percentage. All fans deserve some success from time to time. The big problem in Mississippi has be sustaining success no matter what school you follow (see Ole Miss for example). But with all the success comes the question, will other schools come and try to lure Dan Mullen away from MSU? Florida may be looking for a new coach depending on the health issues of Urban Myer. I have to think if the Gators come calling Mullen will listen. Who wouldn’t? Does the name Tommy Tuberville mean anything to you. Could Mullen end up being MSU’s Tuberville? At least he’s not made any “pine-box” references this season. • The Egg Bowl is coming up soon. I’m sure nothing would make Dam Mullen happier than to take down TSUN on their home field. However, the roles are reversed and this year the Rebs have this game circled on their schedule. Nutt learned after last season’s beat down that this game means something to a lot of people. A bad loss to the Dawgs this season might just get Nutt “Croomed.” Just my opinion.
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Published by Pevey Publishing, LLC Publishers Greg & Mendy Pevey Featured Columnists Steven Godfrey, Brian Hadad Contributing Writers Kevin Broughton, John Davis, Tonya M. Huffman, Paul Jones, Donnell Maxie, Kirk McDonell, Lanny Mixon, Mike Nienaber, Wesley Peterson, Chuck Stinson Contributing Photographers Cleveland Cavaliers, Greg Pevey, Sports Information Offices of Ole Miss, Miss. State, Southern Miss, Jackson State, MS Valley State, Miss. College, Millsaps College, Belhaven College Advertising Sales Greg Pevey, Jay Pevey, Mendy Pevey Mississippi Sports Magazine™ is published bimonthly by Pevey Publishing, LLC to promote Mississippi’s sportsmen and women, colleges, universities, high schools, communities and citizens in an informative and positive manner. We welcome contributions of articles and photos; however, they will be subject to editing and availability of space and subject matter. Photographs, comments, questions, subscription requests and ad placement inquiries are invited! Return envelopes and postage must accompany all labeled materials submitted if a return is requested. No portion of this publication may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher. The opinions expressed in Mississippi Sports Magazine are those of the authors or columnists and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, nor do they constitute an endorsement of products or services herein. We reserve the right to refuse any advertisement. Pevey Publishing, LLC is not affiliated with any institution, college, university, or other academic or athletic organization. Subscriptions are $24 (1 year, 6 issues). Make checks payable to Pevey Publishing, LLC and mail to: 405 Knights Cove West, Brandon, MS 39047 or subscribe online at www.mssportsmagazine.com.
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MSM
November/December 2010
14
HOOPS ACTION STARTS ON PAGE 30
24
CONTENTS 10 GODFREY’S TAKE
Steven Godfrey - Here’s to you Mr. Bianchi
11 BRIAN HADAD
To Err is human, to Cheer for Ole Miss makes you a
54
Jerk
14 TOUGH GUYS
Three local MMA fighters looking to make headway in the world of Ultimate Fighting
18 JEFF MALONE
Malone’s name always comes up when talking about the best of the best at MSU
24 MO WILLIAMS
Mo Williams is now the face of the Cleveland Cavaliers with the departure of Lebron James
30 2010-11 BASKETBALL PREVIEW
Dawgs picked No. 1 in SEC West with the Rebels right behind them at No. 2. Can USM capture the C-USA Title?
54 EGG BOWL FLASHBACK
John Bond and John Fourcade
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MSM
G O D F R E Y ’ S TA K E
Here’s to you Mr. Bianchi
By Steven Godfrey Featured Columnist
I
f you’re a Mississippian but not a Mississippi State fan, you should’ve adopted the Dogs for a night on October 16…especially if you’re (like me) on the Ole Miss side of the Mississippi equation. Don’t get me confused: There’s brutal shame in climbing aboard a bandwagon on the night of an “upset” win – and no matter what Dan Mullen said, MSU’s 10-7 win at Florida was a massive, ugly upset of the mighty Florida Gators. No fan should be allowed to creep into the party he didn’t help plan, and for a rival to share in the celebration? Heresy! But once every era, some journalistic act of sheer ignorance and pure bluster can unify even bitter rivals, and that shining light that hopefully joined hands across the Magnolia State was beaming off of the halfwitted (and likely waxed) dome of Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi. During the almost comical news cycle of 2010’s “Summer of Realignment” in college football, the majority of the nation’s power football conferences either dabbled with or dove headfirst into expansion or contraction. When the dust settled, relatively few meaningful moves were made (Colorado and Utah to the Pac10/12, Nebraska to the Big 10), but countless rumors were fanned across the media landscape. At the height of this hysteria most SEC fans seemed to accept that the Big 12, having lost the Buffaloes and Huskers, would disband, and picking up a Texas A&M or Oklahoma seemed logical, as the buzz indicated Texas would try position itself to either join the Big 10 or form its own “Conference-Texas.” Enter Bianchi, who argued against expansion (at one point fans had dreamed up a “Super 16 SEC” by adding OU, A&M, Florida State and Clemson) in the name of economics. After all, among Bianchi’s beat as a sports columnist is the University of Florida, boasting the nation’s most goliath athletic department. The Gators are year in and year out estimated 10 - MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE
as one of the richest programs in the country, fighting for first with schools like Ohio State and those Texas Longhorns, and easily operating with the fattest budget in the SEC. According to the Indianapolis Star’s online database, which compiled the athletic department financial information in 2004-‘05 for 215 public schools in the country, there is no comparison between Gator Nation and anything the state of Mississippi could produce. Florida’s revenue ($77.7 million) is still $23.5 million more than Ole Miss ($28.7M) and Mississippi State ($25.5M) combined, only $2 million shy of being able to operate a whole other athletic department on State’s budget. Bianchi, playing the numbers, advocated that the Gators should find a way for the SEC to shed some its smaller schools (size being estimated by budget in this instance) to increase their slice of a disgustingly large ESPN/CBS/SEC TV revenue pie. Bianchi: Think about that for a minute: The Big 12 loses two name schools — Nebraska and Colorado — and will make the same amount of TV money without them as they did with them. Not only that but Beebe says he expects future TV revenue to grow even more. And that’s after losing Nebraska and Colorado. Think about if the SEC ditched Ole Miss and Mississippi State. Would anybody even notice? Would anybody outside of Mississippi even care? Beware, Ole Miss and Mississippi State. Don’t think the big boys of the Big 12 haven’t given the big boys of the SEC some bright ideas. Table your outrage, at least momentarily. He might have the gall to advocate destroying the tradition of the nation’s best football conference (Both Ole Miss and State are charter members of the SEC), but Bianchi’s thought was a respectable one - at least if you’re a heartless accountant trapped inside some investment firm and completely and totally unfamiliar with the tradition of the SEC. Florida boasts five of the 50 largest television markets by area (DMA) in the country (Tampa/ St. Petersburg, Miami/Ft. Lauderdale, Orlando/ Daytona, West Palm Beach and Jacksonville). By comparison, Mississippi’s strongest TV market, Jackson, ranks 90th. You might be able to consider Memphis (ranked No. 49 nationally), but that’s a splintered market (Vols and Hogs and the local Tigers, oh my) and a bit of a reach. Nothing drives revenue more than television, and Florida continues to grow as a state and a viewership community. It was that cold math that led Bianchi to call
for the expulsion of Mississippi – as an entire state – from the SEC, a conference it helped found, a conference it contributed countless decades of history and iconic names to. None of the history, the tradition, the pomp and circumstance, emotion, family ties and the fundamental way of life embraced in the SEC among its member families (because that’s certainly what they are) mattered to Bianchi. Just the cold math, and the idea that the Rebels and Bulldogs were doomed to be an afterthought. That’s why the entire state, all of the pith 2.5 million-ish of us, should have rose up for the Bulldogs on October 16. It was a win that was impossible to argue against – State attempted nine passes the entire game, and only one (a five-yard shovel) in the second half. Florida could never claim that they didn’t know what was coming, as the Dogs ran the ball on 24 consecutive plays. The Gators missed three field goal attempts and turned the ball over twice, meaning that State’s 212 total yards rushing and 10 first quarter points, a meager offensive offering, was precisely enough to choke out a woeful, disintegrating Florida team. There were big, fat statistical “firsts” to go around. The first MSU win in Gainesville since 1965. The first three-game skid of Urban Meyer’s tenure at Florida. The first time the Gators scored seven or less points at home since 2002. But the biggest, fattest first, one that should hang as some kind of newspaper columnist scarecrow for every gutless fool silly enough to deconstruct a sport so delicately woven into his readership’s very lives (at least up here in little Mississippi, maybe not so much in Orlando), was the column that Bianchi followed with on October 19. Mississippi is known as the Magnolia State, but I beg to differ. I think you guys should be known as the Mongolia State because you burn and pillage Florida like Mongol Emperor Genghis Khan and turn the Gators into little stirfried pieces of Mongolian barbecue. Not only have you beaten the Gators like Ricky Ricardo’s conga drum, you’ve actually contributed to Florida’s rise to prominence. Would Steve Spurrier have been able to come into the SEC and start immediately dominating without Mississippi-born quarterback Shane Matthews on his roster? Despite that stunningly horrific stab at humility (and humor), my favorite part was this:
SEE GODFREY - BIANCHI Continued on Page 22
T H E D AW G H O U S E
MSM
To Err is Human, to Cheer for Ole Miss makes you a Jerk
By BRIAN HADAD Featured Columnist
H
ate is a strong word. It should be left to describe your feelings towards larger, abstract ideas. You should hate war, death, the Department of Motor Vehicles, and cauliflower. You shouldn’t hate people, and more importantly, you shouldn’t hate entire groups of people. It’s just wrong. But it doesn’t stop me from doing exactly that. My name is Brian Hadad, and I hate the University of Mississippi and all of its fans. The breadth of that statement is overwhelming. I am related to Ole Miss fans, went to high school with dozens of them, work with them, talk to them on a daily basis. I hate them all. I can’t look at them when Ole Miss wins, and I can’t stop laughing at them when they lose. I would never classify any of them as “best friend” or “favorite in-law” (Sorry, Meredith). I believe that they are fundamentally different from me on a genetic level. Their brain is just not wired the same, and for that reason, I cannot accept them into my inner circle, and that’s probably the way they prefer it. They don’t like me either. Growing up in the 1980’s, it was tough to be a State fan. I think I suffered a mysterious stomach ailment almost every Monday after the Egg Bowl, just to avoid going to school and taking the ridicule. When Coach Sherrill took over and brought home the Golden Egg in 1991, I might have been the first kid through the door. It was the first time that I felt that State had bridged the gap, that going forward, the Egg Bowl wouldn’t be a foregone conclusion to defeat, and let’s not act like State was losing to a juggernaut like in my father’s
and grandfather’s days. The Rebels had some decent teams, but they weren’t on the Sugar Bowl’s radar. But from the kick blown back to Tommy Luke’s run, State was 1-6 against its rival in the formative years of my football fan life. What always strikes me about the Egg Bowl is how vivid the memories of the losses are compared to the wins. 1999 is all a blur, yet every play of 1997 stands out. I can barely remember Tim Nelson’s deflected pick six, I can still see Romaro Miller hauling in the pass from Deuce McAllister. The names of Stewart Patridge, Marvin Courtney, and Dou Innocent bring to mind days of sadness that is far greater than the joy I feel when hearing the names of C.J. Sirmones, Adam Carlson, and Michael Davis. The Egg Bowl never fails to bring me both to my knees in anguish and to the air in exultation, perhaps on alternating plays. These days, with the explosion of internet message boards and blogs, the Egg Bowl isn’t what it used to be, and I mean that in the worst way possible. I used to only hear Ole Miss delusion from my classmates; they only heard the backtracking reasoning of how we were still better despite losing to them from me. Today, I can get a thousand opinions of how terrible State is in about thirty seconds on the Ole Miss Spirit, and vice versa on Gene’s Page. Don’t even get me started on the comments section of the Clarion Ledger; it’s like the monkey cage at the zoo. The hypocrisy is literally astounding, two programs that have both been on NCAA probation lobbing accusations at the other, two programs that have finished last more than any other in the SEC West calling the other mediocre, two fan bases that live next door to each other, each denigrating the other’s ancestry and heritage. Of course, it’s all true about the Ole Miss fans, but that’s beside the point. If ever anybody lived in a glass house, it’s these two schools, but each of us has a million rocks in our living room. They say that familiarity breeds contempt, the rise of the internet has taken an already heated rivalry and pushed it to the breaking
point. And if you are one of those people doing this, my question is this: How many times do you screw up and have to go back to put the dollar sign in M$U or Ole Mi$$? I remember the silent pity the Rebel fans showed me in 2008, as they filed past me following the blowout loss. I could hear the whispers of “I thought we’d win, but not like that” and the occasional headshake they gave me as I stood outside Vaught-Hemingway. It was unequivocally the worst feeling a football game could have given. I’d have rather dealt with a torrent of profanity and physical violence than that sad walk of shame. To be able to win a game, a game few gave us a chance in last season, was doubly sweet. I had no thought of winning the game that day, but Chris Relf and Anthony Dixon joined the list of maroon heroes in the rivalry. It was a rare thing, for a true underdog to win the Egg Bowl, first time since 2001. This year, as it stands today, Ole Miss will probably be the underdog, but will any State fan go into Oxford sure of victory. It’s been over a decade since a Bulldog team left that city a winner. Come November 27th, I will make the familiar trek to Eupora, head up the Highway 9-7-6 path, and ride into Oxford in full maroon regalia. My friends and I will keep a tight perimeter as we walk through the Grove. I will tailgate with people I don’t actually like and can never fully understand. I will set foot into a stadium that literally stands for everything I don’t believe in. I will watch my team, the team that stands for everything decent and good in this world, take on the other team which represents all that is dark and evil, and I will pray for victory. There will be another man across the field from me, who made a similar trip dressed in red and blue, who soaked in all the ambience of the Grove, who tailgated with his best friends in the world, who stepped into a stadium that is home to some of his greatest memories, and he will watch the same game with the exact opposite emotions from me. Anonymous Rebel Fan, sitting there across the stadium from me, I hate you. And I know you wouldn’t have it any other way. - MSM
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MSM
A R O U N D T H E S TAT E
TOUGH GUYS BY KEVIN BROUGHTON
I
Contributing Writer
t was the middle of 2006, and Johnny Little and Brian Albin were tired of beating up on each other. Along with Chris Wright and a handful of other diehards, the guys were seeking to make themselves Mixed Martial Arts fighters – almost from scratch. Little had a background in boxing; Albin, an Iraq war veteran, had done some grappling in the Marine Corps; Wright was just a mean cuss who worked at Nissan.
But they needed some new blood or, perhaps more accurately, some new sources of it. Happily, the neighborhood gym is a target-rich environment when in the market for fodder made of equal parts ego, testosterone, vanity and muscle mass. “A lot of guys from the gym think, ‘I’m big, I lift weights. I can blow through these guys,’” says Little. “There’s a lot of difference between a body builder and a fighter, and most of them find out pretty quickly.” Many were the one-and-done wannabes who left “Hammer Hill” (the makeshift gym at Little’s Madison County home) physically and emotionally whipped. “We’d sit in the driveway after a training session and laugh,” Little says, knowing they wouldn’t see a given would-be fighter again unless it was a chance encounter at the squat rack. “Anthony was the first one who got his butt whipped and came back. He came back the next day. And kept coming back.” Anthony Mitchell had made the assumption that because he was big (he carried about 260 pounds on his five-foot-eleven-inch frame back then), he would muscle people around on the mat or in the ring. And like the other body builders before him, he got a jolt of cruel reality. But unlike them, Mitchell has a competitive streak that borders on the neurotic. After his first beat-down at the hands of Little, Albin and Wright, he challenged himself. “If somebody can walk through me like that, then obviously I have a flaw,” Mitchell says. “I need to learn what they learn.” Four years later you can tell he means it. His eyes gleam and he can’t suppress a smile as he recalls it. “After that first beating, I was hooked.” So hooked, in fact, that improving himself as a fighter would become his singular obsession. And four years after that first beating, Mitchell found himself 14 - MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE
rubbing elbows with Anderson “The Spider” Silva, widely acknowledged as the best fighter in the world. • • • • • There was one gym rat the Hammer Hill guys couldn’t throw around on his first foray. Probably because he was closer to seven feet tall than six, and topped 300 pounds. And after working in law enforcement; after a stint in the NFL; after achieving fame in the SEC, well, the guy needed a challenge. And if God were to design a heavyweight MMA prototype, the finished product would probably look a lot like Wes Shivers. “He’s got all the tools,” Little says. “He’s big and strong and he’s got long arms. His hands are fast. He’s a super athlete, but he’ll listen to you. A lot of the big, strong guys won’t do that.” It’s that quality that sets Shivers apart, says his trainer. “His mind’s like a sponge. He wants to learn as much as he possibly can.” That combination of athleticism, physical freakishness (6’8”, 280 pounds) and an attentive mind landed Shivers what everyone around him thought would be his ticket to the big time: a spot on Spike TV’s season 10 of “The Ultimate Fighter” reality show. The world, it seemed, was the Brandon native’s for the taking. And then everything unraveled. Fans of the sport and the reality show are familiar with how things went down. Shivers flew from Jackson to Las Vegas on the last day of May, 2009. “We got to the house on a Monday night, and picked teams on Tuesday,” he says. “We trained on Wednesday and picked the first fights. That Thursday I cut 13 pounds of weight to fight on Friday morning.” Shivers no doubt wonders “what if ” when he looks back on that first
MEN ON A MISSION: From Left to Right: Wes Shivers (sitting), Jason Cefalo (middle), Anthony Mitchell (right).
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week. What if his celebrity coach, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson hadn’t burned his first selection on overrated street brawler Kimbo Slice? What if Jackson (known for his heavy hands, gregarious manner, and mad sidewalkdriving skills) hadn’t pitted Shivers against the opposing team’s best fighter? What if he’d had a few more days to train and mitigate the altitude difference? Alas, that’s how it happened. Shivers was forced to fight James McSweeney, a seasoned Brit who’d spent the past year living and training full-time with his coach, Rashad Evans. (Shivers, by contrast, worked a 9-to-5 until the week before he left.) McSweeney’s conditioning advantage was clear, but by most objective accounts, Shivers won the two-round bout. But not in the eyes of the judges. Shivers was eliminated from contention, but made the best of his time in Vegas. He returned to Mississippi in July convinced he had a future with the UFC. But as the show aired and the season progressed, Shivers noticed a disturbing trend. He saw less of himself on each weekly episode, and lots more of Kimbo Slice, despite the fact that the latter was similarly eliminated early on. His hopes of being on the card of the live finale on Spike TV dimmed. A staph infection last fall ruled out serious training till the first of the year. Shivers, tired of being broke and waiting on a phone call that never came, threw up his hands. His trainer thought it was for good. “He’s done,” Johnny Little told friends at the time. “He just doesn’t want to do it anymore.” Shivers wouldn’t have argued at the time. “I had no intention of coming back,” he says. “I got offered a fight the first of this year and turned it down.” There must have been a glimmer of desire still in him somewhere, though, because he didn’t turn the next one down. Strikeforce, an MMA promotion affiliated with Showtime, will bring its “Challenger” series to Jackson Nov. 20. Shivers was offered a fight with Tupelo’s Goldman Butler, some guaranteed money, and a venue to showcase his skills to a national television audience. He couldn’t pass it up. And as disappointing as the last half of 2009 was for Shivers, opportunities continue to pile up for the big man just a year later. At press time, Shivers was on location in Louisiana filming “Never Back Down 2,” an MMA-centered feature film. When one door closes, another one often opens, as his Hammer Hill teammate recently discovered. • • • • • Mitchell is also on the Strikeforce fight card on Nov. 20, but his route there was more roundabout. It started when he became BFFs
with Anderson Silva. He had met Israel Gomez, one of Silva’s trainers, at a jiu jitsu seminar on the Coast, and the two hit it off and stayed in touch. They crossed paths again when Gomez came to the opening of Knockout Fitness and MMA in Flowood. (The gym is operated by Hammer Hill teammate Chris Wright.) “Israel took a call from Anderson that day,” Mitchell said. “I thought, ‘That’s pretty cool.’” He had no idea. Later in the summer Gomez called him, and Mitchell must have thought he was being punked. “He told me Anderson wanted me to
sional fight debut. “Talk about a once-in-alifetime opportunity,” Mitchel says. To go to Brazil and try my skills where all this stuff got started. Man…” But it was not to be. Little, who was thrilled at the prospect himself, was forbidden by his doctor from making the 12-hour flight because of a prior medical condition. Facing the prospect of traveling (on what would be his second-ever airplane flight) to a foreign country alone, and the language barrier once there, Mitchell reluctantly passed. But ever the optimist, Mitchell’s quick to talk up his prospects at the Strikeforce event downtown. “Strikeforce is a classy organization,” he says.” Hats off to anyone competing with the UFC, and it’s a great proving ground for somebody who’s trying to make it big. This will be like a job interview for me.” If the up-and-coming promotion wants a resume with lots of jiu jitsu experience, they may like what they see in Mitchell, who’s obsessed on improving his ground game almost from Day One. The ground game just came naturally for Mitchell, who had no prior wrestling experience. In fact, his first fight – ever in his life – was inside a cage in 2007. But he’s been maniacal about improving that part of his skill set. “Once I get on the ground, I relax,” he says. “I know I’m not gonna get knocked out. I’m confident in my submission defense. I’m very confident in my submission holds. Everything just comes naturally to me there.” Which is where he’ll no doubt want to take the fight on Nov. 19 on Showtime. He’ll face Jeffery Hedgepeth of Silver Creek in an am-
“A lot of guys from the gym think, ‘I’m big, I lift weights. I can blow through these guys,’” says Little. “There’s a lot of difference between a body builder and a fighter, and most of them find out pretty quickly.”
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come out to California for UFC 117,” he says. “I overcame a huge fear of flying to go out to Oakland. It was so surreal. I met (UFC Hall of Famer) Randy Couture. I was standing next to Dana White right before the weigh in.” He can only shake his head and smile as he recalls rubbing elbows with the middleweight champ at the after party. He apparently made an impression, too. The next call from the Silva camp was another invitation: Come to Brazil in November; train and live with some of the best jiu jitsu practitioners in the world, and have your profes-
ateur bout. One hitch in his plans: Had the Brazilian fight happened, Mitchell would have fought at middleweight, or 185 pounds. He’ll be back in his familiar light heavyweight division for this bout. As a result, he’s been trying to bulk his shredded frame up by changing his workouts and eating more. Mitchell’s confident, but speaks of the bout almost as if he’s competing against himself. “If I put together a technically sound performance, like I’m capable of…this will be a great opportunity.” He puts more pressure on himself than anyone. • • • • • By contrast, Shivers is in a relatively pressure-free environment for the first time in memory. “There aren’t any outside expectations on Wes this time,” Little says. “I’ve told him, ‘Just enjoy this fight.’ Do it for you.” For his part, Shivers doesn’t let the bitter taste from his UFC/Spike experience linger. Not wanting to burn a bridge, the most he’ll say is “Spike had it pre-scripted the way they wanted.” Not necessarily diplomatic, but it’s certainly no rhetorical airstrike, because he likely knows that another shot at the big time could be within his grasp. “Some folks think that being on the reality show is the quickest way to make it big in the UFC, when it’s actually probably the hardest,” he says. You’re in that house with a bunch of other guys who feel like they’ve gotta promote themselves and get noticed. I wasn’t necessarily comfortable doing that stuff.” His realistic goal for the Nov. 19 Showtime event? “I’d like to walk out of there with an offer from Strikeforce.” • • • • • And finally, lest local MMA fans think the big guys get the glory, consider the case of Jason “Sunshine” Cefalu. The Northwest Rankin senior had hoped to be on the Strikeforce undercard, “But they couldn’t find anybody at 135 pounds to fight me.” The diminutive 18-year-old’s story is certainly more “old school” than those of his Knockout MMA gym-mates Shivers and Mitchell. “My dad was a boxer when he was in high school. He knew I wasn’t gonna be big, so he put boxing gloves on me when I was about four or five.” And while he’d love to be on the card with his buddies, he’ll instead fight in his hometown of Meridian on Nov. 20. “I’m the main event, too.” Cefalu is already comfortable in the spotlight he’s already been cast on an MTV reality show, “Cage,” which will air after the first of the year. It ought to lead to some bigger opportunities for me.” So like his two gym-mates, Cefalu has brushed close to the big time. By the last week of November, we’ll know how many of them may get a little closer. - MSM Kevin Broughton is a lawyer, writer and aspiring actor in Madison. MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE - 17
MSM
F E AT U R E S T O R Y
Jeff Malone
W
hen discussing the best shooters in Mississippi State basketball history, former Bulldog guard Jeff Malone always enters the conversation and rightfully so. As a four-year starter at MSU, Malone shot 51 percent for his career and converted 80 percent of his free throws at the collegiate level.
- BY PAUL JONES www.bulldawgjunction.com
The Macon, Ga., native earned All-American honors and was a three-time All-SEC performer at Mississippi State. And last weekend, Malone was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame. Following college, Malone was drafted 10th overall by the Washington Bullets and spent 13 years in the NBA, and played in two NBA All-Star games. Today, Malone is married and has four children (three boys and one girl) and lives in Chandler, Ariz. The born-again Christian has now dedicated his life to helping youth - in life and in basketball - while seeking to return to coaching.
MSU CAREER As a kid, Malone noted that he always loved shooting the basketball. But he credits his high school coach for perfecting his jumpshot, which was a site of beauty to MSU basketball fans. “I was always able to shoot well as a young kid,” said Malone. “But my high school coach - Coach Don Richardson - worked with my technique and fundamentals daily. I had such a daily routine that it became all about repetition and confidence. “When I shot the ball, in my mind I knew it was going in and confidence is so big in this game. I had the same follow-through and the same rotation every time. And I was a guy that always looked at my percentages. I wanted to shoot that 10-for-16 every night from the field.” After his prep career, Malone had plenty of big-time schools after his sweet shooting touch. “There were a lot of SEC schools offering me and also schools like New Orleans, Tulane and Purdue,” said Malone. “But I was locked in on the SEC and it came down to Mississippi State and Georgia.” As we all know by now, Malone chose the Bulldogs. “Georgia just got Dominique Wilkins and Georgia was a great school and a very nice 18 - MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE
Photo courtesy Miss. State Sports Information
MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE - 19
place,” said Malone. “But I went to Mississippi State because it felt right and was the best fit for me. Looking back, I know I made the right choice and those were four great years I had in Starkville.” And his stats prove as much. Malone still stands as the school’s all-time leading scorer with 2,142 career points. As a senior, Malone earned All-SEC honors for the third straight season and also earned All-American honors via The Sporting News. Malone averaged 26.8 points his senior year to lead the SEC. Yes, back then, the SEC was also considered a football league despite the wealth of talent on the hardwood. “I had a great time in the SEC and there was a ton of talent,” said Malone. “I understand that the SEC is always a football-first conference but when I played, it was very competitive in basketball and you faced great players every night on every team.” For all of his individual honors, Malone said he would have traded them for one shot in the postseason. He came so close to that opportunity as a senior. Led by Malone, the Bulldogs finished 1712 and 9-9 in the SEC and lost by one point to Alabama in the semifinals of the SEC Tournament. But that turned out to be Malone’s last game in the Maroon and White. “That is the one thing I missed out on,” said Malone. “And we should have gone to the NIT my senior year. And I really wish we could have gone to the Big Dance because there is nothing like the NCAA Tournament. I love sports across the board but nothing compares to the NCAA Tournament. “The NCAA Tournament is so exciting and you have to raise your game every time out. It is not like a seven-game series in the NBA where you can relax a bit. It is one-and-done. It also gives the little teams a chance, like you saw with Butler last year. “I understand why the bowls mean something in football but man, it would be great to see a playoff.” And Malone noted how far MSU hoops have come since his days. The Bulldogs have won SEC regular-season titles, SEC Tourney titles and advanced to the Final Four. While Malone would have loved to play in one NIT tourney, now an NIT invite for the Bulldogs signals a down year, Malone said. “And I would have loved one game in the NIT,” said Malone. “But what that does is tell you the job that Coach (Rick) Stansbury and his staff has done with the program. Now they expect to go to the NCAA Tournament every year and it is a letdown when they don’t go. That is just a sign of a good program.” As noted above, Malone put up impressive numbers. But his stats would have been even 20 - MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE
Photo courtesy Miss. State Sports Information
or 38 or 42 points. I put myself in position to be drafted high and then Washington took me at No. 10 in the NBA Draft.” It didn’t take long either for Malone to realize he was playing at a different level. “When you leave college, everyone seemed to be the leading scorer for their school but it is a different level in the NBA,” said Malone. “And it used to be much more physical with all the hand checks. And our practices in Washington were so physical. I had to go against our front line that had Rick Mahorn and Jeff Ruland. “The strength of the guys in the NBA was night-and-day difference than college. And when I played, it was more of a grinding game.” Obviously, playing in the NBA for more than a decade, Malone has his share of fond memories. And there are several moments that he cherishes today. “First of all, it was special being drafted and then it was great going to the All-Star games in back to back years,” said Malone. “Then I had the chance to play with Karl Malone and John Stockton in Utah and played under Jerry Sloan, who I think is the most underrated coach ever in the NBA. “Man, going to the (Boston) Garden was unreal and then playing in the Forum and facing Dr. J. Playing at the highest level against guys like that, and Clyde Drexler and Reggie Miller, was a high honor for me and something I always will cherish.” When asked who was the toughest player to guard during his time in the NBA, his answer was not a surprise. “Michael (Jordan) by far,” said Malone. “Everybody saw his great talent but nobody had a work ethic like him. When I was in the league, I was good friends with Ron Harper and he would tell me how competitive Michael was in practice. That kind of work ethic is what I try to show to my youth and show that someone that is even mediocre can be great if they have the work ethic. “And the amazing thing is that Michael went to six NBA Championships and never lost. The guy hated to lose and never did in the big series, and that is amazing to me.”
POST-PLAYING DAYS Photo courtesy Miss. State Sports Information
bigger had he had the luxury of shooting from three-point territory. “When I played, there was no three-point line and I would have averaged over 30 points if we had one,” said Malone. “I had better range in college and that line is so short now. I would have loved to see my numbers if we had the three-pointer. “But other than that and the media exposure, the game hasn’t changed that much. You still have to defend and put the ball in the basket to win.”
PRO CAREER Malone played seven years in Washington and his final season in Washington, he averaged a career-best 24.3 points a game. Malone later signed with Utah and played three and half seasons with the Jazz. Malone finished his NBA career with the Philadelphia 76er’s and the Miami Heat. As a pro, Malone averaged 19 points for his 13-year career and was among the leagues’ best shooters during his time - shooting 48 percent for his career and 87 percent at the charity stripe. And it was at the end of his junior season at MSU where Malone knew he had a chance to play with the big boys. “The one thing that hit me was at the end of my junior year,” said Malone. “I heard that I had a good opportunity to be drafted high so that off-season, I worked like I never had before and raised my game to a higher level. “My senior year, I led the SEC in scoring and all the defenses were geared around stopping me. But I still had nights where I would score 35
After the 1995-96 season, Malone retired from the game he still loves today. But he didn’t exit the sport, he entered the coaching profession. Malone coached in the NBA Developmental League for several seasons and even returned to Starkville when one of his teams played MSU in an exhibition game. Although he has left his pro coaching days, Malone still has the desire to coach again. “When I retired, I coached (at the pro level) for seven years and four or five of those years were in the NBA Developmental League,” said Malone. “And currently, I am looking to get back into coaching again and I have sent out some resumes to some high schools in my area.” While Malone experienced many levels of success in the game of basketball, he says nothing compares to the decision he made in 2006. “I always considered myself a good guy,” said Malone. “But I always looked at myself and said there has to be more than this and wanted to know my purpose. So I gave my life to Christ in 2006 and it has been a beautiful ride. “I am more connected with my family and have a purpose in life now. And again, it has been a great ride.” And now, Malone is helping young kids looking for direction, not only in basketball but more importantly, in life. “At our church, we have started a youth center that has classrooms in it and I am also starting a Jeff Malone shooting clinic,” said Malone. “This is an opportunity that allows me to spend time with youth and help teach them about life and basketball. “I have always had a love for working with youth and we need more role models for our youth now. And I feel that is my purpose.” - MSM
MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE - 21
GODFREY - BIANCHI Continued from Page 10
Hard to believe, but the two Mississippi schools have gotten one Florida coach canned and made UF’s greatest player cry. One Mississippi — and there goes Zooker. Two Mississippi – and Tim Tebow’s in tears. Despite having never beaten Florida’s patron saint Steve Spurrier, Ole Miss has won three of the last four games against the Gators. Granted, two of those wins were against Ron Zook, but if that’s your argument, I’d refute that the only time Florida has beaten the Rebels in the last decade was against Ed Orgeron. And Mississippi State? The school that, by Florida’s fiscal standards, is operating on food stamps, charged into the Top 25 for the first time since the Jackie Sherrill era of a decade before, highlighted among other things with a 47-35 Gator beatdown of then No. 3 Florida in 2000. Guess Mike’s missed… all…of those games. The reason the SEC can stand above the five other BCS conferences (and a handful of upstart contenders) is that, year in and year out, it’s dangerously solid from top to bottom. Are there “tiers” of programs within the twelve members? Absolutely. Neither Magnolia program will ever sniff Florida’s money But the concept that the smallest of schools can topple the biggest program in the region
(and sometimes the nation) on the last truly equal means of comparison – the games themselves – is reason enough to keep us poor Mississippians hanging around the Conference. Take us home, Mike: Heck, you even gave us our most renowned musician and Urban Meyer’s favorite singer. That’s right, Jimmy Buffett may write songs about Florida and have a house in the Keys, but
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he was born in Pascagoula, Miss. In fact, my apology is rooted in a Buffett song. In the last two months, I guess you could say, I’ve had some changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes. Thanks. Idiot. - MSM Steven Godfrey is a freelance writer based in Nashville, Tennessee. He can be reach at sgodjr@ gmail.com or on Twitter at @IACGodfrey.
n e x t i ss u e Here’s a peek at what to look for in the January/February 2011 Issue...
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MSM
C O V E R S TO RY
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C O V E R S TO RY
MSM
In Demand:
Mo Williams is now the face of Cleveland - BY TONYA HUFFMAN
T
urn on your television sets, open your eyes and be on the lookout because America’s MW is on. America’s Most Wanted is the in-demand Cleveland Cavaliers shooting guard Mo Williams. Mo Williams is no stranger to law and order because much of his life manifests itself in good citizenship and consecutively. This number one shooting guard dons the basketball jersey number two. When it comes to family, he has three siblings and four children. In high school, he and his best friend hung out with five upperclassmen, and they all were his total six buddies who form his extended family, ‘La Familia’. And to this day, the seven of them continue to be close. And Mo’s consecutive style continues. So anyone who is familiar with Mo knows that there is mo’ to him than meets the eye. Maurice “Mo” Williams was born on December 19, 1982 in Jackson, Mississippi. The third of four children born to Isaiah, former manager of an electric power plant, and Griceldia, a former special education teacher, Mo knows the importance of family and hard work. “Family is important. You are nothing without each other. You bond with family, and this creates unity. I come from Jackson, Mississippi and I have been faced with adversity all of my life; people generally don’t expect those from Jackson to do something positive with their lives. My hard work ethic has allowed me to prove doubters wrong,” said Mo. This good citizen knows that as time elapses, it is family you can always get and receive love and support from. This good virtue was instilled in Mo from his childhood and he had this mindset as he entered grade school. In first grade, Mo met Jason Larry who became his best friend. And as Mo entered William B. Murrah High School in his native Jackson, he and Jason met a group of five more guys, and they all became extended family. A fan of Mafia movies and television shows, Mo’s friends nicknamed him
‘Mo Gotti,’ and sharing his passion, the group named themselves ‘La Familia,’ eventually having their collective name tattooed vertically down their calves in old-English letters. “It signifies us as a unit forever,” said Mo. “No matter what direction we go in life, we know we’re ‘La Familia.’ We’re together, no matter what happens. That will be with me forever.” And since forever, Mo has loved sports. While his father played football at Mississippi Valley State University and his older brother played football at Army at West Point, Mo wasn’t fond of the game after injuring his knee as a quarterback in eighth grade. Mo preferred to play baseball for he was a standout pitcher and shortstop. But even though he loved the sport, he also enjoyed basketball and eventually Mo chose to leave baseball behind to concentrate on hoops. “I was just getting more attention in basketball,” said Mo. In fact, Mo’s mother made sure he prioritized consecutively, for as he focused on 1.) his religion and 2.) school grades, only then could he 3.) play basketball. She knew her son was serious about basketball when he did prioritize and when he asked her to wake him at 4AM daily so he could go to the YMCA to practice, rising and shining without complaining. Mo loved to play so much, that he agreed to play for just about anybody who asked him, but of course, since he was still a child, Mo’s father had to screen the offers. Fourteen year old Mo eventually joined an AAU summer team, and only after his teacher agreed to allow him some makeup work for a low grade he earned in summer class did Mo’s mother let him to travel with the team. “I played with one of the best travelling AAU teams in the summer--the New Orleans Jazz,” Mo happily recalled. They lost in the semifinals of a national tournament in Orlando, Florida but Mo didn’t let this stop him. Extremely dedicated to basketball, he stayed up all night practicing his shooting drills until the coach MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE - 25
dragged him out of the gym. As Mo entered high school, his concentration stayed on hoops. “I went to a basketball high school. Everything in basketball was done on a high level for me. I got noticed a whole lot more in basketball. I pursued it because I felt like that was the sport I could live out my dream in,” said Mo. So William B. Murrah High School’s basketball roster bore Mo’s name. He donned jersey #25 because of family significance. “When my brother played basketball, he wore #25, so this number has family ties. This number stuck in our family and I decided to stay with it,” said Mo. Sporting jersey #25, Mo was content playing guard in his blue and silver Mustangs gear. He began playing as a freshman and was happy to be a part of a team with a good reputation. “My high school basketball team was ranked in the country,” said Mo. When Mo was a junior, the Mustangs lost in overtime of the state finals. He was disappointed and utilized his grieving period. “I cried my heart out. I didn’t go to school the next day. I don’t take losing very well,” said Mo pensively. But Mo did eventually get over the loss, returned to school, and kept it moving. Mo continued hooping it in his senior year and graduated in 2001. Following high school, Mo played in the McDonald’s All America Game in 2001. And he earned the Mississippi Gatorade Player of the Year Award in 2001. To keep his hoop dream alive and continue to earn accolades, Mo envisioned himself guarding and shooting on a college court, and hence, college was his next consecutive step. In the fall of 2001, Mo was a freshman at The University of Alabama as he rolled with the Crimson Tide. Donning a #25 crimson and white basketball jersey, Mo was ready to play and prove. Posting impressive numbers and starting all 35 games he played during the 2001-2002 season, Mo averaged per game 10.4 points and 4.5 assists and led his freshman team to a 27-8 record including an astonishing 17-0 home record. Mo was unanimously voted SEC Freshman of the Year during this season and was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team by the league’s coaches. During the same season, the Sporting News named Mo National Freshman of the Year. During his 2002-2003 sophomore season, Mo started all 29 games he played and led Alabama in scoring and assists, averaging per game 16.4 points and 3.8 assists. Also in 2003, he led the SEC in free throw shooting. Throughout his first two sea26 - MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE
sons at Alabama, Mo started all 64 games he played, averaged per game 13.1 points, 3.9 assists, and 1.5 steals, and connected on .847 from the free throw line, hitting 182-215 attempts. In his two seasons, he earned Third Team All Southeastern Conference honors from the Associated Press. Mo was on fire, proving himself by performing up to par. Not only were coaches and spectators enamoured with his game, but so were NBA scouts who knew that rising to the occasion meant recruitment. Eligible for the 2003 NBA draft, the next consecutive step was Mo leaving college to enter. In 2003, Mo was selected in round 2, pick 47 by the Utah Jazz. “Being drafted was bittersweet. I thought I would be a first round pick. And even though I got drafted, as an athlete, I still had some work to do,” said Mo. So after Mo’s name was called, he was happy, but knew that the real work would begin when he put on his #25 jersey for Utah. During Mo’s 2003-2004 rookie season with the Utah Jazz, he scored in double figures ten times, including a season high 20 points versus the Denver Nuggets in a season best 32 minutes on January 20, 2004. When the Utah Jazz played the Sacramento Kings on February 27, 2004, Mo added 19 points, and at an April 8, 2004 game versus the Dallas Mavericks, Mo net-
ted 17 points. Although Mo missed 20 games due to DNP-CD and 5 games due to a left ankle injury, out of 57 games played in his rookie season, Mo averaged per game 5.0 points, 1.3 assists, and 1.3 rebounds in 13.5 minutes. During the 2004-2005 season, Mo signed as a free agent with the Milwaukee Bucks. Mo was happy being a Buck. “I was happy signing with Milwaukee. I thought it was the best situation for me,” said Mo. In his new role for the up and coming Bucks team, Mo showed a knack for clutch plays. He finished third on the Bucks with 8 double doubles, including the first of his career on November 6, 2004 against the Cleveland Cavaliers with 10 points and 11 assists. On February 22, 2005 versus the Charlotte Hornets, Mo posted a season high of 14 assists. In 2005 at a January 5th game against the Toronto Raptors, March 1st against the Philadelphia 76ers, and a March 8th game versus the Atlanta Hawks, Mo registered 22 points per game. During the season, Mo led Milwaukee in assists fifty-three times, points scored three times, steals eighteen times, and posted 3 games of at least 20 points and 10 assists. Mo finished strong during his first 20042005 season with the Bucks, for out of 80 games played and started, he averaged per game 10.2 points, 6.1 assists, 3.1 rebounds
in 28.2 minutes. The 2005-2006 season brought some excitement and as he showed a knack for clutch plays: he made several game winning shots this season. On November 12, 2005, Mo hit the game winning 3-pointer shot at the buzzer against the Indiana Pacers. On December 2, 2005 against the Washington Wizards, Mo scored 35 points and also a game winning 3-pointer shot as time expired. During this season, Mo scored in double figures thirty-six times, and he notched his lone doubledouble on December 3, 2005 against the Orlando Magic with 12 points and 11 assists. Throughout the season, Mo missed 23 games due to illness and injuries, but in 58 games played, he started 12 and averaged per game 12.1 points, 4.0 assists, and 2.5 rebounds in 26.4 minutes. Mo helped lead Milwaukee to the 2005-2006 NBA playoffs. In the 5 playoff games he played, Mo averaged per game 7.2 points, 2.0 assists, and 0.6 rebounds in 15 minutes. During the 2006 off season, the Bucks
active list, missed 14 season games due to injuries, and out of the 68 games he played and started, he finished the 2006-2007 season averaging 17.3 points, leading the team with 6.1 assists, and a career high 4.8 rebounds, all in 36.4 minutes. In the summer of 2007, Mo was a free agent, but decided to stay with the Bucks by signing a six-year $52 million deal. During Mo’s last 2007-2008 season with the Bucks, he accomplished some amazing feats. On January 9, 2008 versus the Miami Heat, Mo made all 12 of his free throws, a career high. He tallied a season best 37 points on February 26, 2008 versus the Cleveland Cavaliers, and this was one of six games where he posted 30 or more points. And he produced 6 point-assist double doubles between November and March during the season. During the season, Mo missed 12 games due to public symphysis. Out of 66 games played and started, Mo finished the 20072008 season averaging per game 17.2 points, a career high 6.3 assists, and 3.5 rebounds in 36.5 minutes.
traded their starting point guard T. J. Ford to the Toronto Raptors for power forward Charlie Villanueva. This opened up a position in the starting lineup for Mo. During the 2006-2007 season, Mo recorded his first career triple double versus the Miami Heat at a December 20, 2006 game with 19 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists. This helped him earn Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors for the week of December 18-24, 2006. Mo scored 38 points on February 3, 2007 versus the Miami Heat and made a career high 16 field goals. Mo led the Bucks in scoring sixteen times, in assists a team high fortyseven times, and in steals nineteen times. He played 7 games where he scored 30 or more points. Mo spent 10 games on the in-
On August 13, 2008, Mo was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a three team, six-player deal involving the Cavaliers, The Milwaukee Bucks, and the Oklahoma City Thunder that sent Cleveland’s Joe Smith and Milwaukee’s Desmond Mason to Oklahoma City, and sent Cleveland’s Damon Jones and Oklahoma City’s Luke Ridnour and Adrian Griffin to Milwaukee. Mo was satisfied with being traded to Cleveland. “My agent and I pushed for my trade to Cleveland. I was very interested in coming to Cleveland, and this was a happy time in my life,” said Mo blithely. “Only after all the hard work did I truly enjoy being in the NBA.” Upon Mo’s arrival to Cleveland, he decided to change his jersey number to
2 because his traditional #25 was already retired by former Cavalier Mark Price. Mo was elated to be on the Cavaliers’ roster and don a #2 jersey, for he knew he’d be playing alongside some of the most talented athletes ever to grace the court, including LeBron James. During the 2008-2009 season, Mo joined LeBron James as the highest scoring duo in the NBA at 46.2 points per game in the regular season, and for this he was nicknamed ‹The Silent Assassin›. Within the season, Mo was one of only two players to score at least .460 from the field, .430 from three point range, and .900 from the free throw line. On February 11, 2009, Mo scored a career high 44 points along with 7 assists and 2 rebounds against the Phoenix Suns. Mo played and started in a career high 81 games and finished the 2008-2009 season averaging per game a career high 17.8 points, 4.1 assists, and 3.4 rebounds in 35 minutes. During this 2008-2009 regular season, Mo helped the Cavaliers rank #1 in the east with a 66-16 record, and advance to the playoffs. During game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals versus the Magic, Mo hit a 67-foot buzzer beater to end the first half, giving the Cavaliers a 63-48 lead, but they ultimately lost the game and the series. In 14 games played and started during the playoffs, Mo averaged per game 16.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 4.1 assists in 38.6 minutes. He and then-teammate LeBron James were the highest scoring duo in the postseason at 51.6 points. During the 2008-2009 regular season, the Cavaliers had a great record, as they were one of the top five teams. But ironically and to the Cavaliers› dismay, they were the only team in the top five without more than one All-Star 2009 weekend participant, and many Cavaliers players took their complaints public. Then-Cavaliers player LeBron James was the only participant on the roster. The Most Wanted participant in the All-Star Weekend was Mo, and this good citizen and sport›s name eventually landed on the roster to play in the Skills Challenge as he replaced injured Toronto Raptors forward Chris Bosh. Mo was excited to be on the All-Star roster. “It has a beautiful ring to it. I was excited for myself, my teammates, and the coaches. It›s a great thing; it’s one thing people can›t take away from you,” said Mo. It›s obvious that no one can take away Mo’s drive to hoop, and the guard shoots every opportunity he can. During the 2009-2010 Cavaliers season, out of the 69 games Mo played, he started 68 and averaged per game 15.8 points, 5.3 assists, and 3.0 rebounds in 34.2 minutes. Mo helped the Cavaliers rank #1 in MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE - 27
the east, and earn a 61-21 record. So for a second time, with Mo on the team, the Cavaliers made the playoffs. In round one against the Chicago Bulls, the Cavaliers swept the series, winning 4 out of 5 games. The Cavaliers advanced to the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals against the Boston Celtics. The Cavaliers started strong, winning the first game and giving fans hope of winning a championship. As the Cavaliers began on the up and up, they got down on their luck as the Celtics eventually swept the series, winning 4 out of 6 games. During the 11 playoff games Mo played and started, he averaged 14.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 5.4 assists in 37. 4 minutes. Because the Cavaliers held the best record in the Eastern Conference for two consecutive seasons, yet failed to bring home a title either season, the future about the Cavaliers’ organization was the subject of much fodder, and changes were well on the way. During the Cavaliers’ 2010 off season, head Coach Mike Brown who won NBA Coach of The Year in 2009, was fired and replaced with Byron Scott, former Los Angeles Lakers guard, and former New Jersey Nets and New Orleans Hornets head coach. General Manager Danny Ferry resigned early June, and Chris Grant, basketball executive that Ferry hired in 2005, was promoted to replace him. On July 8, LeBron James announced his intentions to leave the Cavaliers and join Miami Heat, and five days later, long time Cavalier Zydrunas Ilgauskas also joined Miami Heat. In hopes to rebuild the team, late July, the Cavaliers traded Delonte West and Sebastian Telfair to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Ramon Sessions, Ryan Hollins, and a 2013 second-round-draft choice. And also late July, the Cavs signed 2009 first round pick Christian Eyenga. As Shaquille O’Neal signed as a free agent with the Boston Celtics, the team that swept the Cavaliers during the playoffs, the Cavaliers signed free agent Joey Graham. And in mid August, the Cavs signed undrafted Jamaican rookie Samardo Samuels. Mo has endured the many changes to the Cavs organization, including losing fellow teammate LeBron James. Mo was depressed following LeBron’s departure. The summer of 2010 was very stressful for Mo and because of the many changes in the Cavs organization, he lost a lot of love for the game and contemplated retirement. “Losing LeBron was tough on the city and the Cavs organization. I am not only a Cavs player but I’m also a Cavs fan, so I felt the pain that the city felt. We all went through a grieving period,” said Mo wistfully. “This grieving period is comparable to what I think of as a “L” shaped hallway at a school where when you come out of 28 - MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE
1st period, 2nd period is down the hall on the last classroom to the right. And the next class is on the other side of the hallway. When going from one class to the next, you feel like you are walking down a hallway that will never end, having no clear vision of where you’re going. But eventually one day, you are focused on where you have to go and what you have to do, and you turn the corner and can’t see the hall anymore as you enter the next classroom. At this point you realize that life goes on and you know that you have to keep it moving,” said Mo. Throughout it all, Mo still holds his spot on the Cavaliers’ roster, remaining as one of the pure scorers and veteran leaders. With the team rebuilt, many feel that Mo’s new mission will be that of taking a larger role in the Cavs offense, having the ball in his hands early and often, likely increasing his numbers across the board, particularly in assists. Even though people feel they
Mo’s desire to help the less fortunate coupled with his love for children gave birth to the Mo Williams Foundation in 2005. The mission is to assist Hurricane Katrina victims and underserved children with their education, health, personal development, and empowerment in the Jackson, Mississippi and Cleveland, Ohio areas. In fact, in Cleveland, Ohio at Quicken Loans Arena where the Cavaliers play, at every game, Mo donates 30 tickets to disadvantaged children in an upper section called, “Mo Gotti’s La Familia.” Mo also donates tickets at some away games to families from Jackson, Mississippi. Through the Mo Williams Foundations’ own initiatives, through non-profit entitles, and with public donations, the mission is accomplished. In efforts to help the less fortunate, annually in July, the foundation hosts the Mo Williams Celebrity Weekend where it offers a one day golf tournament, a one day Mo Williams
“Losing LeBron was tough on the city and the Cavs organization. I am not only a Cavs player but I’m also a Cavs fan, so I felt the pain that the city felt. We all went through a grieving period.” know Mo’s new leadership role and feel that he has risen to be the new Cavs king in place of LeBron, Mo is humble, sees himself as who he is, and knows for sure what his new responsibility will be. “I am not a king. I am Mo Williams. I will continue to play the way I have always played,” said Mo. “But rather than being silent about what takes place, I will have more of a vocal leadership role.” Mo feels that for the Cavs to keep a great record, advance to playoffs, and attempt to earn a title, the team has to build off of each other’s strengths. “We have to build unity and chemistry. The quicker we do this, the quicker we can win basketball games,” said Mo. It’s obvious that Mo will take consecutive strides to help the Cavaliers earn high rankings and advance to playoffs, endeavouring to bring home the title. But Mo also has a title role off the court. This good citizen steps up in paying it forward to the less fortunate. “I truly believe the opportunity for success is the right of every child. My family and I have a genuine passion to make a difference in the lives of children who may not have access to the resources needed to reach their full potential,” said Mo.
Tip Off Gala/Silent Auction with various sponsorship levels, and a four day basketball camp. Mo is aware that these events not only raise funds, but participating in them nurtures the future, our children in society and hence, quality harvest is produced. “I know firsthand the importance of people caring enough to plant a seed and then watch it grow into something positive,” said Mo. And Mo positively believes that when people log on to his website at www.mowilliams.org, they will find a blessing in paying it forward, whether they choose to make a donation, participate in a fun event, or even volunteer. This good citizen wants people to realize that giving back is where it’s at. So the next time you turn on your television set, go to a basketball arena, or even attend a fund-raising event, you may see Mo. As he continues to take consecutive steps on the basketball court and altruistic strides to help others, whether he is 1.) making a half court shot before the buzzer, 2.) writing a check to keep an education facility opened, or 3.) showing basketball camp participants how to make a layup, good citizen Mo continues to give people 1, 2, or 3 reasons to smile...and counting. - MSM
The
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Ole Miss
By John Davis The Oxford Eagle Photos courtesy Ole Miss Sports Information
REBELS 2010-11 SCHEDULE | 2009-10 RECORD: 24-11; 9-7 SEC WEST
HEAD COACH: ANDY KENNEDY (5TH YEAR)
NOVEMBER 5 DELTA ST. (Exh.) 12 ARKANSAS ST. 17 MURRAY STATE 20 DAYTON 26 PENN STATE 30 @ Miami (Fla.) DECEMBER 4 SOUTEHRN MISS. 11 @ Arkansas-Little Rock 13 MISS. VALLEY 18 E. TENNESSEE ST. 22 Texas St. (Cancun) 23 Appal. St. (Cancun) 24 TBD (Cancun) 30 ALCORN ST. JANUARY 2 SE LOUISIANA 5 @ SMU 8 @ Florida 13 MISS. STATE 15 GEORGIA 19 @ Vanderbilt 22 @ LSU 29 TENNESSEE FEBRUARY 1 KENTUCKY 5 @ Arkansas 9 LSU 12 @ Alabama 16 AUBURN 19 @ Miss. State 22 @ South Carolina 26 ALABAMA MARCH 2 @ Auburn 5 ARKANSAS 10 SEC TOURNAMENT (Atlanta)
30 - MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE
CHRIS WARREN
ZACH GRAHAM
Rebels’ Chris Warren leads Rebels as they strive to get into the NCAA tournament
T
he smile that Ole Miss coach Andy Kennedy wore on his face as he greeted the media prior to the season’s first press conference told the entire story. After four years in Oxford leading the men’s basketball team, Kennedy is just as energetic and enthusiastic about a season as he ever has been. Despite losing a bevy of talent-
ed players such as Terrico White, Murphy Holloway and Eniel Polyince from a team that advanced to the National Invitational Tournament Final Four in New York, Kennedy feels good about what his team brings to the table and what they can accomplish on the court this year. “I’m like a lot of coaches, I really like my team in October. I
hope I like them in February and March. I’m excited to get started. There has been a lot of talk about the pieces that are no longer here, but I’m excited about the pieces that are. The offseason approach has been as good as any team I’ve had here. The kids have been very workmanlike in their approach and as a result, I think we’ll be able to hit the ground running,” Ken-
nedy said. “I think I have a pretty good understanding of their work ethic. We’re seeing that in the amounts of times that we can be with them as well as the reports that we get from the strength coach. I think this is a group that is pretty no-nonsense and a lot of that is based on the leadership that our seniors our providing. “Chris Warren is a no-nonsense guy. Zach Graham is a no-nonsense guy. Although Nick Williams, who sat out last year and has never played a minute in a Rebel jersey, is a nononsense guy. He has really helped us from day one just from his approach. I like our work capacity, I like the fact that we don’t have to constantly have to work to get their attention. I think they are eager to get to work. Our motto all year is to simply be consistent, day-in and day-out and let’s see how good we can be together.” Warren, a 5-foot-10 senior point guard, is the unquestioned leader of the Rebels, who were picked to finish second in the Southeastern Conference’s Western Division by league media. Warren, who was named to the preseason All-SEC team for the third time in his career recently, averaged 17.2 points per game last year, good for third overall in the SEC. Kennedy likes the fact that he has such a veteran back, as well as six other players who have all been in the program for a year. “We’re returning the most experienced player and the most veteran player in the league in Chris Warren. It’s hard for me to believe that he’s going into his senior year and the road that he’s taken to get here. Zach Graham, who sometimes gets thought after the fact, has been a two-year starter and potentially starting in year three,” Kennedy said. “Every year that I’ve been here the SEC West has been a bit of a puzzle and I think this year is the same because I think we’re all dependent upon new guys. It’s one of the reasons why I have guarded optimism. I know what I’m going to get out of Chris Warren. I’ve got a pretty good understanding on what I can trust from Zach Graham. “I feel like I have a pretty good idea on what I can expect from Nick. He’s not a freshman. He was in some big games at Indiana and hopefully he can pull from that experience. Terrence Henry showed flashes last year and our hope now as a junior, with the added strength and the added weight, that he can sustain it,” Kennedy added. “Reginald Buckner was tremendous for us as a freshman and was on the (SEC) All-Freshman team. We hope that he can continue to grow. We know what we get from Trev, for better or worse, and we get Will Bogan back. So we’ve got seven guys that have been through this a little bit which is not a bad place to start.” The maturity level, Kennedy said, has been something he’s been impressed with from his Rebels, who have shown an intense desire to work during the offseason in the new indoor practice facility.
TERRANCE HENRY
ROSTER NO NAME
POS
HT/WT
YR
HOMETOWN (LAST SCHOOL)
F
6-9/205
JR.
Monroe, LA (Carroll HS)
1
TERRANCE HENRY
2
REGINALD BUCKNER
F
6-8/233
SO.
Memphis, TN (Manassas HS)
3
WILL BOGAN
G
6-1/180
SO.
Caldwell, ID (Vallivue HS)
5
DUNDRECOUS NELSON G
5-11/190 FR.
Jackson, MS (Murrah HS) Orlando, FL (Dr. Phillips HS)
12 CHRIS WARREN
G
5-10/168 SR.
15 STEADMAN SHORT
F
6-9/235
JR.
Simpsonville, SC (Chippola College)
20 NICK WILLIAMS
G
6-5/215
SO.
Mobile, AL (Indiana Univ.)
22 BROCK SHORTER
F
6-7/215
JR.
Coldwater, MS (Coldwater HS)
23 TREVOR GASKINS
G
6-2/210
JR.
Alpharetta, GA (Chattahoochee HS)
24 WILL NORMAN
G
6-5/225
FR.
Lafayette, LA (St. THomas More HS)
25 DONALD WILLIAMS
G
6-5/215
SO.
Baton Rouge, LA (Antelope Valley HS)
32 ZACH GRAHAM
G
6-6/218
SR.
Suwanee, GA (Peachtree Ridge HS)
42 DEMARCO COX
C
6-8/295
FR.
Yazoo City, MS (Yazoo City HS)
44 ISAIAH MASSEY
F
6-8/220
FR.
McDonough, GA (Union Grove HS) MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE - 31
“I think the new guys come in and the figure out what the standard is and what is acceptable and what they can get away with and what they can’t. I also think the temperament of our guys, they’re just a little more mature. The staff tries to maintain a level of what is expected but it really takes when it comes from the players. We’ve got a group of upperclassmen that I hope can maintain this level of accountability that will bode well for us,” Kennedy said. “One of the things that this facility has done for us is what I imagined it would do. It has allowed us to go to work in the offseason. This is first offseason we’ve had in this building and I can see the early dividends. I’m an early riser and I get in this building and it’s a pleasure to here those balls bouncing. I don’t want to say it was 5:30 (a.m.), but guys are bouncing those balls at 6:30 with a full sweat which is telling me they’ve been in there awhile. I come up here sometimes at night to pick things up and they’re in there working. That’s great because that’s the only way we’re going to get better.” Some of the players that are expected to help make the team better from a backcourt standpoint include the 6-4 Williams, who sat out last season after playing his freshman year at Indiana, as well as freshman Dundrecous Nelson from Jackson’s Murrah High. “Nick Williams is kind of an old-school type player. His versatility is his calling card. He’s 6-4 and he’s about 6-7 with his wingspan. He’s about 215 pounds. He’s running better, he’s athletic and he’s probably in the best shape of his life. He’s a winner, a competitor. Typically when you come into practice my voice will be the loudest, his will be the second loudest. He’s a guy that brings a positive energy, a competitiveness to our game. He’s a very good shooter, a guy that I feel will make 50 to 60 3s. His game is not about that. We will be able to post him at times and have him play multiple positions. He’s a big-time utility infielder that we can stick in different gaps and fill comfortable in his role,” Kennedy said. “Dundrecous is as talented as a kid as we’ve had in this program. From a start-go point physically, he has as much talent as we’ve ever had. He’s 5-11 about 195 pounds. Everybody talks about DeMarco may be playing the wrong sport, Dun might be. He’s got a little Adrian Peterson in him. He’s got some quick twitch (muscles), he’s hard, he’s very, very athletic and very, very strong. He’s got a max vertical of just under 40 inches which is borderline Terrico territory, who was No. 1 in the NBA draft. He’s got a lot to learn, but he’s got a great guy to learn from in Chris Warren. He’s shown a real propensity to want to work and want to get better.” Ole Miss’ frontcourt should be anchored by Henry and Buckner, but freshman Demarco Cox from Yazoo City should also see some time based on how he’s performed in the offseason. “We’re going to anchored up front by the guys that have been in real games and that starts with Terrence. I’ve been very proud of him. He’s a junior and typically when you talk 32 - MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE
about a junior, you know what you got. He was a top 50 rated player in the country and be brought him here with the potential to be an all-league guy and he has taken huge steps towards that in year three. He’s up to about 210 pounds and he was 178 pounds when he got here. He’s worked extremely hard to where now, he can sustain a pretty high level. Also as a junior he has a true sense of urgency and that his role has changed. He’s always been a verbal guy, but he’s leading a lot of those young guys and given us the leadership we need in the offseason,” Kennedy said. “There is not a lot of silliness with Demarco Cox. He’s very serious between those lines. He wants to be a good player and he’s paid the price to be in position during the offseason. “Reginald Buckner, usually you see the greatest improvement from year one to year two and Reg had flashes last year that showed his tremendous potential. He was still able to get the shot-blocking record despite being hampered with a late-season injury,” Kennedy added. “It was unfortunate as well because we felt like he was coming into his own offensively when he went down at Auburn. Reg is bigger, stronger, more confident. His capacity for work has increased. His approach is more mature and as a result, those guys will anchor
going to have the best team they’ve had in quite some time,” Kennedy said. “Then we go to Miami and play an ACC opponent early in the season. Then we come home and play Southern Mississippi and I’ve seen where (USM coach) Larry (Eustachy) is really excited about his team. It’s the most experienced team he’s had since he’s been there. So we jump right out of the gate and we challenge our group. Some of those six newcomers are going to have to play quality minutes, so they will have to learn quickly.” As for the SEC race, Kennedy said the West, like a lot of years, is up for grabs while the overall league could have five or six teams good enough to garner bids to the NCAA Tournament. “I think the West with Mississippi State, with Dee Bost returning right at the start of league play, if you look at who they have returning in Bost, Ravern and Kodi Augustus, guys that have been through the fire as well and you bring in a talented guy like Renardo Sidney. I know Auburn is going through a transition, not only with a coaching change, but they lost a lot of the major contributors off last year’s team. I know LSU is going through a major transition as well. Arkansas, you know they guys that are there but you also know the guys that are lost.
“Every year that I’ve been here the SEC West has been a bit of a puzzle and I think this year is the same because I think we’re all dependent upon new guys. It’s one of the reasons why I have guarded optimism. I know what I’m going to get out of Chris Warren. I’ve got a pretty good understanding on what I can trust from Zach Graham.” - Andy Kennedy us up front.” Ole Miss begins the season Nov. 12 against an Arkansas State team coached by former LSU coach John Brady. The Rebels follow up the opener with three more road games against some tough teams and then tangle with an ACC team in Miami for their first road game. Kennedy said the schedule may not have some of the heavyweights in college basketball on it, but it’s still challenging. “I know everybody wants to play Carolina, Duke, UCLA. Unfortunately it doesn’t work like that. You have to have a happy mix. If you look at our non-league schedule, it’s pretty challenging, especially our first six games. We play Arkansas State that is predicted to be at the top their league, a Murray State team that won 30 games and is returning six of their top eight guys. We’re playing a Dayton team that ended our season last year and are predicted to be near the top in their league. We play Penn State and from preliminary indications they’re
They will dependent on some new guys stepping up same with Alabama with the loss of Mikhail Torrence, their all-league player. They still have. I think we’re all a little dependent on some new guys to step up and fill a role,” Kennedy said. “The East will be strong. I think Florida is going to be good, top 20 good. Tennessee, even though they lose some strong players, they have a strong nucleus. I think Georgia is going to take that next step with the returning players that they have. Kentucky just reloads with a who’s who of talented players and (coach John Calipari) knows what he’s doing. Then you don’t even think about Kevin Stallings who might be the most consistent coach from a production standpoint. South Carolina is going to be as good as ever. The league, top to bottom, will be a quality league. It will be back to the SEC standard which as coaches we hope is a five or six bid league and I think that will be the case this year.” - MSM
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2 0 1 0 - 1 1 M S M C O L L E G E BA S K E T BA L L P R E V I E W
Mississippi State
BULLDOGS 2010-11 SCHEDULE | 2009-10 RECORD: 24-12; 9-7 SEC WEST NOVEMBER 6 LINDSEY WILLSON (Exh.) 12 TENN. STATE 19 APPALACHIAN ST. 22 DETROIT 26 TROY 30 FLORIDA ATLANTIC
By Paul Jones bulldawgjunction.com Photos courtesy Miss. State Sports Information
HEAD COACH: RICK STANSBURY (12TH YEAR)
Photo by Mississippi Sports Magazine
DECEMBER 12 N. CAROLINA A&T 13 NICHOLS ST. 14 ALABAMA ST. 15 BELHAVEN (Exh.)* 18 Virginia Tech# 22 Washington St.% 23 Byalor/San Diego% 25 TBA% 29 @ St. Mary’s JANUARY 8 ALABAMA 13 @ Ole Miss 16 AUBURN 22 @ Georgia 27 VANDERBILT 29 FLORIDA FEBRUARY 2 @ Alabama 5 @ LSU 9 ARKANSAS 12 @ Auburn 15 @ Kentucky 19 OLE MISS 23 LSU 26 @ Tennessee MARCH 2 @ Arkansas 5 SOUTH CAROLINA 101-3SEC TOURNAMENT (Atlanta) *Jackson # Atlantis Resort - Bahamas % Diamond Head ClassicHonolulu
34 - MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE
KODI AUGUSTUS
ZACH RENARDO GRAHAM SIDNEY
With the Sidney saga resolved, Bulldogs ready to win the SEC outright
R
ick Stansbury has been affiliated with Mississippi State for over two decades, either as the head coach or as an assistant coach. And each passing year, the goal remains the same - compete for championships. Last season, the Bulldogs did add another title - co-Western Division champs - but that
served as a small consolation prize. MSU finished 23-13 overall and 9-7 in the SEC and had to settle for an NIT bid instead of playing in the ‘Big Dance’ - the NCAA Tournament. What made matters worse was the fact MSU fell just short, literally a second short, of defeating Kentucky and capturing the SEC Tournament title.
No doubt, that loss still lingered this offseason, and Stansbury would be bothered if it didn’t. “Well, I think that is very obvious and I’d be concerned if it didn’t hurt,” said Stansbury. “But you can take that hurt and do take it one of two ways. You can find ways to sit around and feel sorry for yourself or find ways to
make yourself better. Hopefully we all find a way to make ourselves better. You have to put it behind you and move on. “But I do think we’ve had a good summer. The kids have worked hard.” As usual, there was a lot of transition as well in the offseason. MSU already had to deal with the graduation losses of the NCAA’s all-time leading shot-blocker in Jarvis Varnado and Barry Stewart, who made more threepointers than anyone in school history. Then forward Romero Osby transferred to Oklahoma and valuable sixth man Phil Turner exited and ended up at Delta State. But the silver lining is the Bulldogs are only dealing with one health issue, a far cry from last season. A year ago, center Elgin Bailey and guards Twany Beckham and Shaun Smith missed the entire season with injuries. “I think our biggest question marks are just this,” said Stansbury. “Who’s healthy and who do we have? It seems to be that Twany and Shaun are in good health right now. The question mark is Elgin’s health. Not that he’s done anything to put him behind because the doctors say he is ahead of schedule. But where will he be at when the season starts? “He just got cleared last week and started individual workouts and conditioning. He hasn’t played basically in a year and a half now.” The Bulldogs will also be without highlytouted center Renardo Sidney and point guard Dee Bost. Sidney must sit the first nine games due to a NCAA suspension while Bost will miss all of the pre-conference slate. But it’s still better knowing when he will get those stars back in the lineup. “This year is easy compared to going into last year,” said Stansbury. “Right now, we have some pieces and you know when we are getting some parts back. To me, that is not near as stressful as what it was (last year). “It’s always an easy problem, to have when you can plug in guys that can play. I think the positive thing is we’re able to give some other guys experience early on.” As noted, the Bulldogs will be without the services of Bost, who averaged 10.9 points and had a team-best 156 assists last year, in the pre-SEC schedule. But there are some veterans back on the perimeter as well as several newcomers. Twany Beckham played meaningful minutes two years ago and served as Bost’s backup. With Beckham being more of a true point guard, Stansbury said it creates more scenarios once Bost returns. Senior Riley Benock also returns to the mix and has been a steady contributor off the bench during his MSU career. But now as a senior, Stansbury needs to see more from Benock from an offensive standpoint. “I think Twany is a guy and (junior college transfer) Brian Bryant is a guy at the point,
RAVERN JOHNSON
ROSTER NO 0 1 2 3 4 10 12 15 20 21 22 23 24 30 33 45 50
NAME POS HT/WT YR JALEN STEELE G 6-3/190 FR. RENARDO SIDNEY F 6-10/270 SO. RAVERN JOHNSON G 6-7/175 SR. DEE BOST G 6-2/176 JR. TWANY BECKHAM G 6-5/195 SO. SHAUN SMITH G 6-6/207 FR. CHARLES PARKER G 5-10/168 SO. RILEY BENOCK G 6-4/193 SR. TAYLOR LUCZAK F 6-8/195 JR. BAXTER PRICE G 5-9/156 SO. BRIAN BRYANT G 6-3/160 JR. ARNETT MOULTRIE F 6-11/230 JR. KODI AUGUSTUS F 6-8/224 SR. WENDELL LEWIS C 6-8-253 SO. BRANDON BOLEN G 6-3/208 JR. ELGIN BAILEY F 6-8/276 JR. JOHN RIEK F 7-1/250 SO.
HOMETOWN (LAST SCHOOL) Knoxville, TN (Fulton HS) Jackson, MS (Fairfax, CA HS) Lyon, MS (Coahoma County HS) Concord, NC (Hargrave Military Academy) Louisville, KY (New Hampton, NH School) Macon, MS (Noxubee County HS) McKinney, TX (McKinney HS) Battletown, KY (Meade County HS) Glens Falls, NY (Glens Falls HS) Brnadon, MS (NW Rankin HS) Albany, GA (Northwest Florida St.) Memphis, TN (UTEP) Baton Rouge, LA (Maine Central Institute) Selma, AL (Selma HS) Madison, MS (Madison-Ridgeland Academy) New Orleans, LA (Belaire HS) Khartoum, Sudan (IMG Academy, Fla.) MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE - 35
too,” said Stansbury. “And with Dee’s situation we have to wait and see. When we have Dee, you may see some Twany and Dee together and there are a lot of combinations you can have. “Riley Benock, you talk about experience and we have three seniors in Riley, Ravern (Johnson) and Kodi (Augustus). And you need your seniors to step up. All of those guys’ personalities are not very aggressive but we need them to step up. The opportunity for Riley is there to step up and to take a different role than he’s played on this team.” Bryant earned juco All-American honors at Northwest Florida Community College and was his conference’s player of the year. The Bulldogs also added Tennessee prep standout Jalen Steele to the backcourt in the offseason along with Bryant. “Steele has come in and had a great summer in both of the terms he was here,” said Stansbury. “He is ahead of the curve for most freshmen because he comes from a very good high school program where he’s been coached defensively and he has some strength about him. He can make shots and overcomes a lot of things. “Brian is kinda the opposite. He is thin and comes from a really good junior college program. He is a different kind of player that can play the one or the two. He is a crafty type player. He’s not going to come in here and try to lead you in scoring but he’s gonna come in here and help you win games. He is a good mixture from that standpoint. He is different than anyone we have in that he can put the ball on the floor and get to the rim.” Although he redshirted last year, Smith is basically a rookie as well. Smith was considered one of the top prospects in the Magnolia State two years ago but has battled injuries over the past couple of seasons. “They’ve done great and I am really pleased with our new guys,” said Stansbury. “And you can really thrown Shaun Smith in there as a new guy and he’s never played.” “Shaun is just a perimeter guard and likely at the two. And he’s a guy that can shoot and knows the game. It’s just about him getting experience.” And naturally, that group gets even more support when Bost returns in early January. “I just want to be there for my teammates and help the young guys,” said Bost. “The SEC is a rough schedule and it’s a grind every night. I am thankful I have another chance now and I want to make the most of it.” While many new faces are in the backcourt, Stansbury and company have several veterans returning in the post and in the block. And a couple of those forwards also have the ability to stretch the defense and make defenses guard the perimeter. Johnson averaged 12.1 points last year and made a team-best 83 treys. He is expected 36 - MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE
to regain his spot at the small forward spot while fellow classmate Augustus returns at power forward. Augustus averaged 6.2 points a game last year and is also a threat on the perimeter. But the senior from Baton Rouge is focused on expanding his game. “I have to do a better job of crashing the boards,” said Augustus. “That’s where I have to get better to help my team out in that area and do a better job with Jarvis gone.” However, the center position is more up in the air. Sophomore Wendell Lewis saw limited time last year and is more of a power forward. And 7-foot-1 sophomore John Riek is still getting accustomed to the college level. So with Sidney out of action early on and Bailey’s health a question mark, the Bulldogs will have to bide their time in the opening stages. “Sidney brings a lot as he continues to get into shape and progress,” said Stansbury. “He gives you a guy you can go to in the paint and come away with something. It was very obvious Jarvis got better in that low post as time went on. “But Sidney stands in there at 270 or 280 pounds at the five and gives you a lot of bulk
ery day. He taught me the meaning of blocking shots. That wasn’t part of my game but that’s what I am trying to add.” During his time on campus, Bailey has battled injuries but when healthy, he’s proven to be a solid defender. And more importantly, he is considered the top leader on the team. “Elgin is a guy that brings a lot of toughness and leadership and a different toughness and leadership than we’ve had,” said Stansbury. “That really helps from that standpoint. Jarvis and Barry led by example but we have a guy this year in Elgin that can lead vocally and by example.” When all of Stansbury’s “pieces” do come together this season, the Bulldogs should have more versatility that years past. In fact, without a true offensive presence in the post of late, the addition of Sidney and return of Bailey could mean less of the four-guard look for Stansbury, something the staff was often forced to do the past couple of seasons. “It’s just about us putting this team together with a lot of new parts and a lot of new pieces to the puzzle,” said Stansbury. “A lot of guys play differently. We could have a bigger team with Elgin and Sidney out there at times. Those two guys weigh more than our
“But Sidney stands in there at 270 or 280 pounds at the five and gives you a lot of bulk we haven’t had, him and Elgin both. And I think he gives you some versatility, too, and can step out and play the four and the five. The guy can shoot it from the perimeter, has great basketball instincts and a great ability to pass the basketball.” - Rick Stansbury we haven’t had, him and Elgin both. And I think he gives you some versatility, too, and can step out and play the four and the five. The guy can shoot it from the perimeter, has great basketball instincts and a great ability to pass the basketball.” Of course, as Stansbury noted, getting back in playing shape is the main goal for Sidney. “I haven’t played in a year and a half so it’s been tough getting back into conditioning,” said Sidney. “But it’s coming along real well. I am still gonna work out with the team and still be practicing.” Although he didn’t play a single minute last year, Sidney said just being able to practice against Varnado improved his own game. “He used to block my shots every day and I never had that in high school,” said Sidney. “Playing against him got me better and got him better, also, cause we were competing ev-
whole team did last year. And we have good athletic guys in Kodi and Ravern who can also shoot the ball well.” Yet another key will be how his new faces react early in the season with the two “cornerstones” watching from the sidelines. “This is a new team and playing without Jarvis and without Barry, two guys that have been part of four championships in a row,” said Stansbury. “Then without these two guys (Bost and Sidney), two cornerstones, some other people have to step up.” While Stansbury and his staff have also brought in enough talent to win, one significant area was lacking last year. But so far, that area seems to have taken a 180 degree turn. “I think we have good chemistry and I like our guys attitude,” noted Stansbury. “I like the feel of our guys already. I can see and feel more togetherness than last year already.” MSM
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MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE - 37
2 0 1 0 - 1 1 M S M C O L L E G E BA S K E T BA L L P R E V I E W
Southern Miss
By Lanny Mixon biggoldnation.com Photos by Bobby McDuffie
GOLDEN EAGLES 2010-11 SCHEDULE | 2009-10 RECORD: 24-14; 8-8 CUSA NOVEMBER 4 WILLIAM CAREY 12 @ South Florida 17 SOUTH ALABAMA 22 McNEESE ST. 27 SPRING HILL
HEAD COACH: LARRY EUSTACHY (6TH YEAR)
Photo by Mississippi Sports Magazine
DECEMBER 1 ALCORN STATE 4 @ Ole Miss 11 @ Cal State Montery 12 @ California 22 E. Tennessee St* 23 Northeastern/ St. Louis* 24 TBD* 29 MS VALLEY ST.# 30 SAVANNAH ST./ SE LOUISIANA # JANUARY 5 HOUSTON 8 @ Marshall 12 @ Rice 15 CENTRAL FLORIDA 19 MEMPHIS 22 @ SMU 26 @ E. Carolina 29 TULANE FEBRUARY 2 @ UAB 5 MARSHALL 12 @ Memphis 16 UTEP 19 E. CAROLINA 22 LOYOLA (N.O.) 26 @ Central Florida MARCH 2 UAB 5 @ Tulsa 9 C-USA TOURNEY *Cancun Governors Cup #Hardwood Club Holiday Tournament
38 - MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE
R.L. HORTON
ZACH GARY GRAHAM FLOWERS
Eustachy has Golden Eagles on a roll with its sites set on a C-USA Championship
T
here is a growing feeling surrounding the Southern Miss men’s basketball program this year and that feeling is cautious optimism. The Eagles fresh off the most successful hardwood campaign since 2001, earned a post season bid and look for that success to carry over into the 2010-11 season. This season, head coach Larry
Eustachy returns six of his top eight scorers from a team that finished 20-14 a year ago and made an appearance in the CollegeInsider.com postseason tournament. The 2010 invitation to the CIT Tournament marked the 11th trip to post season play for the Eagles, who had previously been to two NCAA Tournaments (90,
91) and eight appearances in the NIT (81, 86, 87*, 88, 94, 95, 98, and 01). Southern Miss won the 1987 NIT Tournament Championship and holds an overall record of 6-9, including a 5-0 record during the 87 NIT run. And while the step may not be as big as many Golden Eagles fans would have liked, it’s a step in the right direction.
It’s been a long road for Southern Miss to get to this point under Eustachy and he would be the first to agree. “When I originally took this job I knew it was going to take a while to get to where I wanted it to be,” Eustachy said. “Last year we were closer than we’ve ever been. We’re closer now and we’ll be even closer next year.” Nobody ever said that coaching basketball at Southern Miss is easy, and Eustachy didn’t approach it with a quick-fix mentality. “This is not an easy job,” he said. “That’s not making excuses; Southern Miss isn’t a traditional basketball school. Tradition wise it’s had it’s moments and it’s had some great moments. We’ve tried to bring in an attitude that it can be more than just moments. I think it can be one of the basketball powers in the South. It’s got a unique location to players from everywhere. It’s a beautiful school to recruit too, our facilities are better with the improvements” Despite the hard going the last few seasons the post-season bid last year showed a glimmer of the light that Eustachy and the program have been working towards. “It’s been a long go,” Eustachy said. “But, we’ve arrived. We arrived last year, I said that and I think we proved it. We fought through some tough scheduling and got to the postseason for the first time in years.” This year the program looks like it could be poised for a break out season under the veteran head coach, who looks to have his best team ever at Southern Miss and he keeps looking toward the future. “Our team is better this year,” he said. “We’ll be better next year with who we have coming back and the recruiting class we have coming. I don’t just want to have moments. I thought we had a moment last year. In my opinion that was a moment, it was one of the few times the program has gotten to post season play.” One of the biggest reasons for all the optimism surrounding the program is the return of senior post player Gary Flowers. Recently C-USA coaches named Flowers to the preseason All-Conference 1st Team. As a junior the 6-foot-8, 215-pounder led the team with 15.0 ppg and 8.3 rebounds. A well rounded defender he was second on the team in steals and blocked 60 shots on the year. Almost every NBA analysts projects Flowers as a solid draft pick following his senior season in Hattiesburg. “Gary has worked really hard,” Eustachy said. “He had a great summer and he’s had a great fall. He has to develop a consistency of play every night to do what we want to do, so there’s a lot of pressure on Gary and he welcomes it.” Flowers senior leadership will be vital for a team that features seven first year players on the squad. But, he won’t be the only upper-
ANGELO JOHNSON
ROSTER NO NAME
POS
HT/WT
YR
HOMETOWN (LAST SCHOOL)
SO.
Dillion S.C. (Chipola JC)
0
LASHAY PAGE
G
6-2/180
1
MAURICE BOLDEN
G
6-10/200 RS/JR
3
JOSIMAR AYARZA
F
6-9/235
SR
Panama City, FL (Cuesta College)
4
GARY FLOWERS
F
6-8/214
SR
Dallas, TX (Chipola College)
5
TORYE PELHAM
F
6-6/225
SR
Nashville, TN (Chipola College)
10 CEDRIC JENKINS
G
6-2/185
FR
LaPlace, LA (Riverside Academy)
14 SAI’QUON STONE
G
6-6/225 RS/SR
15 R.L. HORTON
G
6-0/180
SR
Jackson, MS (Lanier HS)
22 KODY WILLIAMS
G
6-2/180
FR
Niceville, FL (Niceville HS)
23 ANGELO JOHNSON
G
6-0/180 RS/JR
25 AHYARO PHILLIPS
F
6-8/210
JR
New Orleans, LA (Lamar St. TX JC)
31 KAYLAND PARTEE
G
6-1/180
SO
Jackson, MS (Holmes CC)
32 TRENCY JACKSON
G
6-2/175
FR
Jackson, MS (Wingfield HS)
33 DEVONTE NEWBILL
G
6-4/195
FR Philadelphia, PA (Strawberry Mansion HS)
Jackson, Miss. (Marion Military Inst.)
Brooklyn, NY (Laurinburg Prep)
Minneapolis, MN (USC)
MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE - 39
classman there to help steady the ship. Senior Sai’Quan Stone returns for his forth year with the program and is the emotional leader of the team. His contributions to the team don’t always show up in the box score, last year he averaged just over five points per game and pulled down just under four rebounds a contest. He is usually charged with defending the oppositions best player, a tenacious defender that at 6-foot-6, 225-pounds can pose a challenge for guards or forwards. R.L. Horton returns for his senior season and could have a career year. More depth on the team will allow the 6-foot-0, 175-pound combo guard a few more minutes to breath each game which could help improve his 9.2 ppg from a season ago. Horton is likely to see time at both the point and the two guard position this year. Senior forward Torye Pelham may be the best athlete on the team at 6-foot-6, 225-pounds is a human highlight reel in a slam dunk contest. Last year he experienced some growing pains transitioning from Chipola (Fla.) CC to the division I level. This year look for those troubles to be a thing of the past and for him to be a more consistent contributor. Josimar Ayarza a 6-foot-9, 235-pound post player will add quality depth and provide a solid back-up for Flowers and also make a great front court tandem paired together when the Eagles see larger line-ups. This past season Maurice Bolden did a lot of growing up on the court, a 6-foot-10, 225-pound shooting guard Bolden may have the highest potential of any of the Golden Eagles. As a sophomore this past season he averaged 8.7 ppg and seven rebounds. At times the Division I game was moving two fast for Bolden, but he settled in, continued to work and looks poised for a break-out season as a junior. Junior Angelo Johnson made big strides this past year sitting out the previous year after transferring from Southern Cal. The talented point guard averaged 10 points a game and led the team in assists. Like Horton, he’ll benefit from the depth at the guard position this year. The new faces on the Golden Eagle basketball team come in with some pretty high expectations and the staff looks for a number of them to contribute immediately. “It’s the best talent we’ve recruited since I’ve been here,” Eustachy said of his newcomers. “So, we have some pretty high expectations.” The most highly touted of the group is Trency Jackson from Wingfield (Jackson, Miss.) High. The 6-foot-2, 175-pound combo guard selected Southern Miss over offers from Indiana, Marquette, Missouri, UAB and Southern Cal. Jackson isn’t the only incoming player to select the Eagles over traditional 40 - MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE
basketball powers. Devonta Newbill (6-foot-4, 200) from Strawberry-Mansion (Philadelphia, Pa.) High selected the Golden Eagles over programs like Drexel, LaSalle, Marquette and WVU. Lashay Page from Chipola (Fla.) CC was ranked as one of the top 100 high school prospects in the nation in 2008 with offers from Clemson, South Carolina and others before academics detoured him to junior college. Page took advantage of his red-shirt while at
player Ahyaro Philips selected the Eagles over James Madison. More so than just about any team under Eustachy this group has a distinctly local flavor with five players hailing from the Magnolia State, two from the New Orleans metro area and one from the Florida Panhandle. Bolden (Wingfield), Jackson (Wingfield), Horton (Lanier) and walk-on Kayland Partee (Forest Hill) all played for Jackson Public School programs. Hayden Eustachy played at
LARRY EUSTACHY
Chipola and will have three years to play at Southern Miss. Freshman guard Kody Williams may be the most unique story of the signing class. Williams was one of the top ranked players in the state of Florida this past year in football, not basketball. Rivals.com ranked Williams as a three-star WR prospect who held more than a dozen offers from programs like Illinios, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Florida, Southern Miss and Tennessee. But, his heart was set on hoops, so much so that he had decided to turn down all those football offers and play junior college basketball. Southern Miss had a scholarship come open late and saw the opportunity to pick up an outstanding athlete with passion for the game. Cedric Jenkins from Riverside (LaPlace, Lou.) Academy selected the Eagles over offers from La Tech, Tulane and UTEP, while post
Presbyterian Christian in Hattiesburg. Eustachy has been criticized by Southern Miss fans the past few season for lack-luster schedules that featured multiple home games each year against NAIA programs. Those games are not counted by the NCAA or NIT selection committees when post-season bids are at stake. Southern Miss kicks off the 2010-11 schedule on November 4 with an exhibition game against cross town neighbor William Carey before hitting the road on November 12 for a game against South Florida in Tampa, Fla. The schedule features 14 games against 11 teams that participated in postseason play last year and 15 home games over the course of the season. The schedule includes games against in-state competition – Alcorn State, Mississippi, and Mississippi Valley State. California, Memphis, UAB and UTEP also highlight the slate. - MSM
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Mississippi Sports Magazine • 405 Knights Cove West Brandon, MS 39047 • Phone: 601-503-7205 email: publisher@mssportsmagazine.com Visit us online at: www.mssportsmagazine.com MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE - 41
2 0 1 0 - 1 1 M S M C O L L E G E BA S K E T BA L L P R E V I E W
Jackson State
TIGERS
2010-11 SCHEDULE | 2009-10 RECORD: 19-13; 8-8 17-1 SWAC NOVEMBER 3 MILES COLLEGE (Exh.) 8 CONCORDIA COLLEGE (Exh.) 12 @ TCU 15 @ Central Florida 18 @ Baylor 20 @ Lousiville 22 @ Marshall 24 @ Chattanooga
By Wesley Peterson Jackson State Sports Information Photo courtesy Jackson State Sports Information
HEAD COACH: TEVESTER ANDERSON (8TH YEAR)
Photo by Mississippi Sports Magazine
CASON BURKE
DECEMBER 1 @ Nebraska 4 FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL 11 @ North Texas 14 SPRING HILL COL. 16 TALLADEGA COL. 20 @ Bradley JANUARY 4 @ Alabama State 6 @ Alabama A&M 8 ALCORN STATE 10 SOUTHERN 15 @ Texas Southern 17 @ Prairie View 22 @ Grambling 29 MS VALLEY STATE 31 UAPB FEBRUARY 5 @ Alcorn 7 @ Southern 12 TEXAS SOUTHERN 14 PRAIRIE VIEW 19 GRAMBLING 26 @ MS Valley State 28 @ UAPB MARCH 3 ALABAMA STATE 5 ALABAMA A&M 9-12 SWAC TOURNEY
42 - MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE
JSU misses shot at the Dance last season, vows to take care of business in 2010-11
T
he Jackson State men’s basketball team will open the 2010-11 season with a chip on its shoulder. Despite finishing the 2009-10 regular season with a conference best 13-1 record and a Southwestern Athletic Conference regular season title, the Tigers have a score to settle. In the opening round of the 2009-10 SWAC Tournament the
number one seeded Tigers fell to Grambling State. This was the first time in seven seasons that the Tigers had been knocked out of the conference tournament in the opening round. “We had a good regular season,” said head coach Tevester Anderson. “But, our goal was and still is to win both the regular season and the conference tournament titles.”
Following last season’s disappointing conclusion the Jackson State Tigers are reloading and preparing for another SWAC title shot. “I really like this team, said Anderson. “This group has the potential to be the best team I have had since coming to Jackson State.” The 2010-11 Tigers will have a lot of experience and depth. JSU returns four starters and the top
four scorers and rebounders from last season. With the majority of last season’s team intact JSU will make run at representing SWAC in the 2011 NCAA tournament. Leading the way for the Tigers will be senior Tyrone Hanson (6-7, 200, F). Hanson was the second leading scorer for JSU last season with an 11.4 ppg average and was second in rebounds with a 4.4 average. Hanson also shot a staggering 40 percent from the three point line. Senior De’Suan Dixon (6-5, 200, G) was the third leading scorer with 10.6 ppg average. He was also the team’s top rebounder as he pulled down 1214 boards (6.7 avg), as well as leading the team in steals (49). Junior Rod Melvin (6-1, 180, G) served as floor general. He averaged 5.4 ppg and dished out a team high 117 assists (3.8 apg). Senior Cason Burk (6-5, 200, G/F) had a breakout season and emerged as a reliable scorer, defender and rebounder. He averaged 4.9 ppg and 6.5 rpg. He also blocked seven shots and recorded 16 steals. Red-shirt senior Grant Maxey (6-7, 210, F) returns for his final season as a Tiger after suffering a season ending ankle injury in the second game last season. Heading into last season Maxey was the pre-season conference player of the year and was expected to help lead the Tigers to an NCAA tournament bid. In two games he averaged 6.5 ppg and 2 rpg. Other returning players who look to make an impact on the hardwood for JSU include: senior Gertavian Blake (6-10, 260, C) will look to make a significant contribution in the post. Last season he scored 2.3 ppg and pulled down 2.8 rpg. He also blocked a team high 23 shots. Sophomore Raymond Gregory (6-10, 260, F/C) will also play a significant role in the front court. He averaged 2.6 ppg, 1.5 rpg and blocked 22 shots. Senior guard De’Suan Dixon made a huge improvement in his play last season. He is one of the more athletic guards in the SWAC. He has a solid jump shot and can use his athleticism to finish around the basket during tough conference play. “De’Suan was probably the hardest working player on the team heading into last season”, Anderson said. “He was extremely committed to his workout program during the summer and it showed with his play last season.” Rod Melvin, a Jackson native, will be the primary ball handlers for the Tigers. Melvin is a true point guard is projected to be the starting point guard. Melvin has the ability to control a game without scoring a point. He is a good defender and can get into the paint any time he wants. “I expect Rod to really explode on the scene this season. He had opportunities to start the last two seasons and now I look for him to become one of the top point guards in the conference. Junior guard Phillip Williams (6-1, 185) will also see time in the back court at both the point and shooting guard positions. Despite his side he is a tough defender and a good rebounder. Last season he averaged 4.6 ppg and 2.1 rpg. Cason Burk will vie for more minutes this season. His size, ball handling ability and toughness makes
him a versatile player for JSU. Sophomore guard Christian Williams (6-1, 170) will look to get more playing time this season. He has one of the prettiest jump shots on the team, with the ability to shoot deep from three-point range. Junior guard Chris Hyche (65, 200) will look to get back into JSU’s regular rotation after sitting out last season. Hyche has the reputation of being the best dunker on the team. In addition to his high flying act, Hyche is a solid shooter from the perimeter. JSU will add a lot of depth at the wings, beginning with junior Jenirro Bush (6-8, 190, G). Bush was a standout at the University of Arkansas Fort Smith, where he averaged 14.6 ppg, 5.1 rpg and 1.6 apg. Freshman Josh Armstrong (6-6, 185, F) should see significant playing time. The Tigers backcourt will also be strengthened by the addition of freshmen guards Donte Himes (6-3, 200, G) from San Antonio, TX. JSU’s front court boasts some of the best talent in the SWAC. All-SWAC performers Grant Maxey and Tyrone Hanson anchor the Tigers’ presence in the paint. “Grant is still one of the best players in the SWAC. He has been a first team all-conference member, and the conference player of the year two years ago. Over the summer he has worked extremely hard to rehabilitate his ankle.” “Tyrone is one of the best deep shooters in the SWAC. He has a high basketball IQ and can help bring the ball up if it is needed.” Gertavian Blake will likely be the starting center for JSU. His size and toughness will be an asset around the basket for the Tigers. Raymond Gregory will look to get more minutes this season. The sophomore could see playing time with Blake when JSU has to go big. Junior forward Oliver Jefferson (6-9, 235) did not play much last season due to a broken leg. He can get his own shot in the paint and is a pretty good rebounder. “I expect Blake to have a breakout season. He
has worked on the fundamentals of the game over the summer and has shown a lot of improvement. Raymond is really coming around and becoming more consistent in his play.” Two newcomers will also add depth along the front court for JSU. Jamarious Sykes (7-2, 270, Fr., C) and Jacolby Pittman (6-10, 235, So., C) will provide size for JSU. The Tigers will again have a tough schedule. JSU will have nine non-conference road games, while hosting three at the Lee E. Williams Athletics and Assembly Center. The Tigers will take on the No. 14 ranked Baylor Bears on Nov. 18 in Waco, TX. The Tigers will also have four nationally televised games broadcast on the ESPN network. JSU will open the season with a trip to Fort Worth, TX on Nov. 12 to face TCU before playing five games in nine days (JSU will face Central Florida on Nov. 15, Baylor on Nov. 18, Louisville on Nov. 20, Marshall on Nov 22 and Chattanooga on Nov. 24). The Tigers will host Isaiah Thomas and Florida International to Jackson on December 4 at the Lee E. Williams Athletic and Assembly Center. JSU will conclude its non-conference home schedule with Spring Hill College on Dec. 14 and Talladega College on Dec. 16. JSU will open conference play on the road when the Tigers travel to Montgomery, AL to face Alabama State. Games that Tiger fans should circle on the schedule include: Jan. 8 – arch rival Alcorn State will visit the Lee E. Williams AAC. Jan. 22 - JSU visits Grambling State. The GSU Tigers knocked JSU out of the 2010 SWAC Tournament in the opening round. Jan. 29 - in-state rival Mississippi Valley State visits the AAC. Feb. 14 - Prairie View A&M, the defending SWAC Tournament Champions, will play the Tigers on ESPNU in Jackson. Mar. 5 – JSU’s final game of the regular season will be against Alabama A&M. - MSM
ROSTER NO 1 3 4 5 10 11 12 13 15 20 21 23 24 25 32 35 40 44 45 50
NAME CASON BURK ROD MELVIN DONTE HIMES JENIRRO BUSH TYRONE HANSON KEESLEE STEWART GERTAVIAN BLAKE CHRISTIAN WILLIAMS JONATHAN LEWIS HEN TAMIR PHILLIP WILLIAMS De’SHAUN DIXON OLIVER JEFFERSON DAVON JOHNSON GRANT MAXEY JOSH ARMSTRONG JAMARIOUS SYKES RAYMOND GREGORY CHRIS HYCHE JACOLBY PITTMAN
POS G/F G G G G/F G C G G F G G C F/C G/F F C C G F/C
HT/WT 6-5/205 6-1/180 6-3/200 6-8/180 6-7/200 5-9/165 6-11/260 6-1/180 5-10/160 6-9/220 6-1/195 6-4/200 6-9/235 6-8/230 6-7/200 6-6/185 7-2/270 6-10/255 6-5/200 6-10
YR HOMETOWN (LAST SCHOOL) SR. Jackson, MS (Provine) JR. Brandon, MS (Brandon HS) FR. San Antonio, TX (Wagner HS) JR. Starkville, MS (Arkansas-Fort Smith) SR. Brooklyn, NY (Nevada/Arkansas Ft. Smith) FR. Edwards, MS (Hinds AHS) SR. Jacksonville, FL (Siuthern Union State CC) SO. Manteca, CA (Sierra) SO. Jackson, MS (Provine) FR. Qityat Ono, Isreal JR. Gary, IN (Hales Franciscan) SR. Leland, MS (Leland HS) JR. Terry, MS (Terry HS) SO. Detroit, MI (Oak park HS) SR. Toledo, OH (Scott HS) FR. St. Louis, MO (Gibson HS) FR. Port Gibson, MS (Port Gibson HS) SO. Atlanta, GA (Redan HS) G Jackson, MS (Provine HS) SO. Canton, MS (UNO/HOLMES CC) MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE - 43
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MS Valley State
By William Bright, Jr. MVSU Sports Information Photos courtesy MVSU Sports Information
DELTA DEVILS 2010-11 SCHEDULE | 2009-10 RECORD: 9-23; 8-10 SWAC
HEAD COACH: SHAUN WOODS (3RD YEAR)
NOVEMBER 3 VICTORY UNIV. (Exh.) 8 DELTA STATE (Exh.) 12 @ Georgia 16 @ Indiana 21 @ St. Mary’s 23 @ BYU 26 Liberty* 27 TBA* DECEMBER 11 @ Butler 13 @ Ole Miss 15 @ Arkansas 18 @ Kentucky 21 @ Marquette 29 Southern Miss# 30 Savannah St./ SELA# JANUARY 4 @ UAPB 8 ALABAMA A&M 10 ALABAMA ST. 15 @ Alcorn St. 17 @ Southern Univ. 22 PRAIRIE VIEW 24 TEXAS SO. 29 @ Jackson St. 31 @ Grambling FEBRUARY 5 @ Alabama A&M 7 @ Alabama St. 12 ALCORN ST. 14 SOUTHERN UNIV. 19 @ Prairie View 21 @ Texas So. 26 JACKSON ST. 28 GRAMBLING MARCH 3 UAPB 9-12 SWAC Tourney *South Padre Invitational #Hardwood Club Holiday Classic
44 - MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE
Shannon Behling
Delta Devils feel they finally have the pieces to compete for a SWAC Title
T
here are two keys to solving a jigsaw puzzle – make sure you have all the puzzle pieces and make sure that they fit. Head coach Sean Woods and staff have spent the last two recruiting periods finding all the right pieces for the MVSU bas-
ketball puzzle; now there sights are set on making sure that the pieces fit – or at least can be made to fit. The 2010-11 MVSU basketball team enters their third season under Woods and staff and this season looks to be the most
promising campaign yet. With the departure of senior guard Julius Cheeks, and ten returning players and four newcomers, the Delta Devils have set themselves for a serious run at the SWAC basketball crown. Leading the way for the Delta
Devils this season is all-expecting, all-everything combo player Shannon Behling. The 6-foot-7 senior is the team’s top returning player averaging 11.4 points and 6.5 rebounds per game with 20 blocks and 53 steals on the season. Joining Behling is guard D’Angelo Jackson and center Amos Studivant. Jackson (6-1, Sr.) averaged 6.4 points and 1.9 rebounds while garnering 50 assists off the bench; Studivant (6-8, Jr.) slowly came on last season, finishing with averages of 6.3 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. Other players to watch this season include forwards Darian Donald, Jason Holmes and Orlando Smith along with guards Kevin Burwell, Cor-J Cox. Donald (6-5, 185, Sr.) started slow last season, but moved into the starting lineup by season’s end. The athletic forward finished
D’Angelo Jackson
guard and his leadership will be needed again this season. He handed out 114 assists and had 26 steals while averaging 5.8 points and 2.1 rebounds. Cox (6-5, 190, Jr.) along with Behling provided excitement for the fans and players who were versatile on the wings for the Delta Devils. Cox finished averaging 4.4 points and 2.0 rebounds off the bench, but has dedicated himself to becoming even more aggressive on both ends of the court. An exciting crop of newcomers will join the program this season, bringing athleticism and toughness to the mix. Falando Jones is a Greenwood native who just finished playing at Mississippi Delta Community College in Moorhead, Mississippi. The 6-foot-4 forward averaged 15.9 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.4 steals per game. He shot 72 percent from the free throw line while shooting 47 percent from the field including 33 percent from three-point range. As a freshman at MDCC, he averaged 12.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists while shooting 57 percent from the field and 33 percent from long range. Jerome Harris comes to MVSU from Spoon River Community College and Collins High School in Illinois. The Chicago, Illinois, native is a 6-foot-3 guard who averaged 9.7 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.1 assists last season for Spoon River. He connected on 18 threepointers while shooting 45 percent from the field and 26 percent from three-point range. Paul Crosby (6-foot-8, Center, Lansing, Michigan/Holt High School) was a 2009 NJCAA All-Region second team selection, secondteam all-conference pick and a member of the Region XIV Tournament Team. He averaged 10.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 0.5 blocks and 0.8 steals per game while shooting 41 percent from the floor. Terrence Joyner was a
standout performer at Genesis One Christian School in Mississippi before spending a year at both New Mexico State and the College of Eastern Utah. As a point guard at Genesis One Christian in Mendenhall, Miss., Joyner averaged 13.0 points, 9.0 assists and 3.0 steals in 2006-07. Joyner led Genesis One to the National Christian School Athletic Association (NCSAA) National Championship game. The schedule for the Delta Devils will be a challenging one as they will face some of the stiffest competition in Division I basketball. After opening the season with road games at Georgia and Indiana, the Delta Devils will participate in the South Padre Invitational. After opening at St. Mary’s and BYU, MVSU will take on Liberty and an opponent to be determined during the team’s stint at South Padre Island. The month of December has MVSU facing five opponents in ten days – all on the road. Among those opponents are national runnerup Butler (Dec. 11), Mississippi (Dec. 13), Arkansas (Dec. 15), Kentucky (Dec. 18), and Marquette (Dec. 21). All five of the teams are possible NCAA tournament participants and will be a tough measuring stick for the Delta Devils. The calendar year ends with a visit to the USM Hardwood Club Holiday Tournament – facing host Southern Mississippi and either Savannah State and Southeastern Louisiana. Conference play opens with the rivalry game at Arkansas-Pine Bluff on January 4. Notable conference games include hosting Alabama A&M (Jan. 8), hosting Prairie View (Jan. 22), at Jackson State (Jan. 29), and at Texas Southern (Feb. 21). The conference tournament will take place March 9-12 at the Special Events Center in Garland, Texas. - MSM
ROSTER NAME averaging 5.1 points and 2.9 rebounds per game. Holmes (6-9, 225, Jr.) steadily became a presence in the paint for the Delta Devils. His ability to play with his back to the basket joined with a growing knowledge of the offense made him vital as the season pushed on. Averaging 5.7 points and 3.0 rebounds along with garnering 21 blocks and 21 steals, Holmes used his height to become a defensive presence for MVSU. Smith (6-5, 210, Sr.) joined the team in the second semester and brought intensity and toughness to the court. Although he averaged 4.0 points and 3.0 rebounds, the tenacity and intangibles that Smith displayed will be needed even more as MVSU looks to be successful. In the Delta Devil backcourt, along with Jackson and Behling, are players with excitement, intensity and experience. Burwell (5-10, 185, Sr.) was the team’s starting point
1 DARIAN DONALD
POS
HT/WT
YR
HOMETOWN (LAST SCHOOL)
F
6-5/185
SR.
Columbus, MS (EMCC)
3 TERRENCE JOYNER
G
6-3
JR.
Mendenhall, MS (Genesis One)
5 J EROME HARRIS
G
6-3
JR.
Chicago, IL (Cpoon Rive CC)
10 RICKY LAMB
G
6-6/190
SO.
Jacksonville, FL (Raines HS)
11 D’ANGELO JACKSON
G
6-1/170
SR. Milwaukee, WI (AR Fort Smith CC)
F/C
6-8/230
JR.
Besemer, AL (Jess Lanier HS)
15 SHANNON BEHLING G/F
6-7/250
SR.
Columbia, SC (TCU)
21 COR-J COX
G
6-5/190
JR.
Washington, NC (Pam Pack HS)
22 ORLANDO SMITH
F
6-5/210
SR.
Columbus, MS (Columbus HS)
23 FALANDO JONES
F
6-4
JR.
Greenwood, MS (MS Delta CC)
25 KEVIN BURWELL
G
5-10/185
SR. Philadelphia, PA (Maryland-Eastern Shore)
30 MARK HOLMES
F
6-6/215
SO. Chicago, IL (Guerin College Prep)
32 PAUL CROSBY
C
6-8
42 JASON HOLMES
F
6-9/225
12 AMOS STURDIVANT
JR.
Lansing, MI (Navarro JC)
JR. Chicago, IL (Cochise College, AZ) MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE - 45
2 0 1 0 - 1 1 M S M C O L L E G E BA S K E T BA L L P R E V I E W
Delta State
STATESMEN 2010-11 SCHEDULE | 2009-10 RECORD: 19-8; 10-4 GSC
By Donell Maxey The Bolivar Commercial Photo courtesy The Bolivar Commercial
HEAD COACH: JASON CONNOR (5TH YEAR)
NOVEMBER 5 @ Ole Miss (Exh.) 8 MS VALLEY ST (GREENVILLE) 12 @ Rollins College* 13 ST. LEO UNIV.* 16 @ Victory Univ. 23 SHEPHERD TECH 27 @ Alabama Huntsville 29 @ N. Alabama DECEMBER 2 @ W. Alabama 4 W. GEORGIA 12 W. FLORIDA 14 VALDOSTA ST. 17 CONCORDIA COL. JANUARY 3 @ Lambuth Univ. 4 @ Shepherd Tech 8 S. ARKANSAS 13 OUACHITA BAPTIST 15 HARDING 20 @ Henderson St. 22 ARKANSAS TECH 27 CHRISTIAN BROS. 29 @ Arkansas Monticello FEBRUARY 3 @ Southern Arkansas 10 @ Ouschita Baptist 12 HARDING 17 HENDERSON ST. 19 @ Arkansas Tech 24 @ Christian Bros. 26 ARKANSAS MONTICELLO MARCH 3-6 GSC TOURNEY - Southaven, MS *GSCS Classic
46 - MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE
ZACHTRANSFER GRAHAM MSU PHIL TURNER
All new faces bring new challenges for DSU as they prepare for 2010-11 Season
T
he Delta State University Statesmen will enter the 2010 season coming off a 19-8 campaign that saw the green and white machine post an 11-2 mark at home. The big question this season is how the team will fair after losing
everyone from last year’s team, with the exception of Marqueys Brown (6’9”/forward). Despite losing 11 players off the roster with seven graduating, head men’s basketball coach Jason Conner feels like they are not rebuilding, but reloading.
“We certainly fill like we’re reloaded, but at the same time a lot of guys are going to have to really commit to what we are asking them to do in order for this thing to work. We are going to have to communicate, compete and concentrate because we have
a bunch of new guys and a bunch of young guys,” said Conner. With the pressure to compete for a West Division title in the Gulf South Conference, the Statesmen have added significant pieces from high school recruits, Division I transfers, redshirts and walk-ons to field a quality basketball team this season, that Conner feels will make serious noise in the conference. Already the Statesmen have been picked to finish second in the West Division of the Gulf South Conference for the second consecutive year. Brown was named to the Preseason AllGSC West Team, following a sophomore campaign in which he led the Statesmen in rebounding with 6.4 boards per game, and finished second in scoring with 11.5 points. The Memphis, Tenn., native was named First Team All-GSC last season. Seniors Phil Turner and Chris Poellnitz were tabbed top newcomers for the Statesmen. Turner, a senior transfer from Mississippi State University averaged 5.5 points and 4.3 rebounds for the Bulldogs during his junior season. Poellnitz, a senior transfer from the University of Central Arkansas averaged 14 points, four boards and three assists in his junior season for the Bears. “You may need to get your tickets now because It looks like we are going to have a pretty solid group this year of quality young men who are exceptional basketball players. This team has a sense of toughness and unity that we never tasted last season as a team,” Conner said. In all Conner has brought in 18 new guys, 19 if you consider Arian Maliqi, who played for Conner in 2009, and redshirted last season and is back for his final year of eligibility. Leading the way in Conner’s recruitment class is Turner (6’3”/guard). “We’re excited that Phil has decided to finish his collegiate career at Delta State,” Conner said. “Phil has been a part of Southeastern Conference championship basketball and I believe his talents will help us reach that level here as well. He wants to help us win a championship and I’m looking forward to getting him on the floor.” Conner said he believes Turner’s impact in the locker room will be just as valuable as his role on the floor. “He’s a good youngster and a quality person. He works hard and defends hard. He is a kid that gets it and understands his responsibility as a leader. He’s going to connect with people here and really be a quality person for our team, university and the community,” said Conner. “Phil is versatile enough to play anywhere on the floor. He played power forward for State so that shows his toughness,” Conner said. Poellnitz (6’3”/guard) is a player Conner feels will add toughness to the guard position.
“He was recruited heavily out of junior college as a freshman, but broke his foot and a lot of people backed off him. I believe in this kid and his ability to help this team,” said Conner. Conner has also brought in Jamarcus Holt (6’9”/203-pound/forward) who transferred from Alcorn State University. Holt is a tough kid who wants to be great according to Conner. Another transfer is Robin Sikes (6’7”/ 270-pound/forward) who enrolled at Delta State in the spring. Sikes transferred from D-II Lincoln Memorial. The Statesmen recruited the Biloxi native out of high school and is very familiar with his skill set. “He is a tremendous young man with great hands and a knack for scoring the basketball in the post. He has been working hard every since he got here and we are excited to have him,” said Conner. Redshirt Freshman Romeo Domino (6’1”/ guard) as well as Maliqi (6’6”/ guard) should both add much needed experience to Conner’s system for the new comers. Conner is really excited about his freshman class which include: Jay Murphy, Ladarrin Williams, Zach Carnell, Chris Lovelace, Wesley Aldridge, La Mar Burks and Marc Liyanage. “I believe this is the best freshman class we have had here at least in the 90’s and 2000’s. I think our program is in great shape for the future.” Williams (6’6”/forward) enters DSU by way of Monroe, La. and Richmond High School. Averaged 14 points and seven rebounds per game. Liyanage (6’6”/G-F) from Hamburg, Germany, finished eighth overall in Germany in 2008 and was named a member of the extended roster for the Under 20 National Team in 2009. Liyanage helped lead
his team to the 2008 Hamburg City Championship. “Ladarrian and Marc are both talented wing players that are going to be great for us. They are long and can do a lot of things on both ends of the floor.” Carnell (6’8”/center) played at Ingomar High School and averaged 23 points and 14 rebounds per game as a senior. “Zach is a tough big kid who is physical. He has to learn to play at this pace at this level, but he’s showing a lot of improvement and works extremely hard and isn’t far from being where we need him to be,” Conner added. Lovelace played at Whitfield Academy in Georgia where he led the team to three ClassA Region titles. Murphy is a 6-foot point guard from Bolivar (Tenn) Central High School. In his final year he averaged 14.3 points per game and 5.1 assists. “Our freshman have the chance to be one of the best groups we have had here. They are a tough group who are both athletic, quick and tough. They are also sharp in the classroom. I think our averaged ACT score among them is 24,” said Conner. The Statesmen will kick off the season with exhibition games against Ole Miss and Mississippi Valley State. On November 12-13 Delta State will participate in the Gulf South/ Sunshine State Conference Crossover Classic at Valdosta where they will play Rollins College and Saint Leo University. “We start with a strong schedule where we play Huntsville and Valdosta early. Huntsville has everyone back, Valdosta is going to be one of the best teams in this conference, Ark. Tech has a good group back and Christian Brothers has everyone back,” said Conner. With a strong recruiting class, Conner expects his Statesmen to right in the thick of it as the season progresses. - MSM
ROSTER NAME Romeo Domino Jamarkus Holt Jay Murphy Wesley Aldridge Eric White Phil Turner Chris Lovelace Marqueys Brown La Mar Burks Ladarrin Williams James Berry Chris Poellnitz Arian Maliqi Rob Sikes Marc Liyanage TJ Allen Karan Bajwa Zach Carnell Andre Pitchford
POS G F G G G G G F G F F G G F G G C F G
HT/WT 6-1/175 6-9/230 5-11/170 6-3/185 6-4/200 6-3/197 5-9/172 6-9/205 6-3/170 6-5/190 6-6/180 6-3/210 6-6/215 6-8/270 6-6/185 6-3/190 7-0/270 6-8/265 6-2/200
YR Rf. Sr. Fr. Fr. So. Sr. Fr. Jr. Fr. Fr. Jr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Fr. Jr. R-Jr. Fr. R-So.
HOMETOWN (LAST SCHOOL) Baton Rouge, La. Vero Beach, Fla. Jackson, Tenn. Clarksdale Baton Rouge, La. Grenada Decatur, Ga. Memphis, Tenn. Chicago, Ill. Monroe, La. Grenada Lenior, N.C. Pristine, Kosovo Memphis, Tenn. Hamburg, Germany Ridgeland Amsterdam, Netherlands Tupelo Detroit, Mich.
MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE - 47
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Miss. College
CHOCTAWS 2010-11 SCHEDULE | 2009-10 RECORD: 19-7; 14-6 ASC EAST
By David Nichols Miss. College Sports Information Photos courtesy Miss. College Sports Information
HEAD COACH: DON LOFTON (5TH YEAR)
NOVEMBER 4
@ South Alabama
(Exh.)
20 Pensacola Christian 22 Univ. of New
Orleans
27 Texas Lutheran 29 Schreiner DECEMBER 2
@ Sul Ross State
4
@ Howard Payne
11 Concordia Texas 14 Mary Hardin
Baylor
30-31 Millsaps Holiday Tournament JANUARY 3
@ Univ. of New
Orleans
6
@ McMurry
8
@ Hardin-Simmons
Cameron Bounds
11 @ LA College 15 E. TX. Baptist 20 Texas-Dallas 22 Ozarks 27 @ LaTourneau 29 @ Texas-Tyler FEBRUARY 3
LaTourneau
5
Texas-Tyler
10 @ Texas-Dallas 12 @ Ozarks 15 LA College 19 @ E. TX. Baptist 25-27 ASC Tournament
48 - MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE
Winning on the court is commonplace for Choctaws as they prepare for this season
O
ne thing you can count on when basketball season rolls around is for the Mississippi College men’s basketball team to have a winning season. The Choctaws have experienced success in their past 22 campaigns, dating back to the 1988-89 season when Mike Jones coached his first season in Clinton. Head Coach Don Lofton
has taken over right where Coach Jones left off and has tallied one of the top winning percentages (131-37, .780) in all NCAA Divisions. The 2009-10 season saw the Choctaws go to their 14th American Southwest Conference Tournament in 14 tries. MC opened the season 10-0, but finished 19-7 after struggling coming back
from the New Year’s break. The senior-laden squad alternated wins and losses over their last 10 contest, finishing with a semi-final exit in the conference tournament. The Choctaws only return three of their top 10 scorers from last season, and the team only boasts six seniors on the 201011 squad. With the ASC getting
Kelvin Lester
tougher and tougher every year, the Choctaws will have to gel quickly to qualify for their 15th straight ASC Tournament. The front court lost its top two players from a season ago in Andre Thomas and Luther Suggs, who each averaged more than 10 points per game. Thomas led the team with 6.2 rebounds per game, while Suggs finished second on the team to Thomas (56% FG) in field goal percentage (.545). On the front line, the Choctaws boast players both with experience and talent in Cameron Bounds and Ken Black. Bounds returns as the reigning ASC Freshman of the Year from a season ago after scoring 4.8 points and pulling down 3.8 rebounds per game. Bounds was a force around the basket, blocking 39 shots to lead the Choctaws and finish fourth in the league. The coaching staff is looking for Bounds to have more of a low-post presence to free up shooters on the outside. Ken Black is one of the most athletic players on the team and runs the floor well. The Canton native can jump out of the gym and is a great finisher on fast breaks. Ken scored 6.0 points and brought downs 3.5 rebounds per game. If Black can become a force on the boards for the Choctaws, he could combine with Bounds to provide one of the more for-
midable front courts in the conference. Two other players to look for in the front court are returner Joey Tisdale and newcomer Chad Jones. Tisdale has worked hard in the off-season and looks to be picking up the game after playing soccer his first two years at MC. Coach Lofton and his staff are looking for Tisdale to provide a key contribution this season. Jones is a transfer from Southwest Mississippi Community College and comes in as a highly-touted shot-blocker with a good mid-range game. Tisdale and Jones will push the starters for playing time and provide good depth as the season goes along. Last season, the Choctaws had a steady core of seniors that providing a scoring punch and ball-handling ability. Donnie Haywood led the way with 13.5 points per game and shot 48% from the field. Chazz Hawkins and Joshua Harvey were the outside shooters for the Choctaws with 31 three-pointers made apiece. Point guard Jeremy Stewart led the team with 72 assists and played 16.3 minutes per game. The back court also brings back some fa-
miliar faces to provide experience in Kelvin Lester and E.C. Williams. Lester is a steady leader that always puts the ball in the right hands at the right time. The senior is calm under pressure and is one of the most talented ball handlers in the conference. Lester averaged 20.0 minutes per game, while scoring 3.0 points and 2.0 assists per game. If Lester can be a leader on the floor and distribute the ball to the playmakers, the Choctaws will enjoy another successful season. E.C. Williams joins Lester as a returner in the backcourt. The Atlanta, GA native is a sharp-shooter that opens up the floor for the inside players to pick up offensive rebounds and second-chance points. Williams also gives the Choctaws length on defense and has good skills with anticipating the passing lanes. The senior averaged 2.0 steals per game a year ago. Williams needs to be the long-range specialist that takes pressure off the Choctaws on the block. The Choctaws have several newcomers that will give Coach Lofton options in the backcourt. Pierre Hadley is a talented athlete and ball handler that will back up Lester at the point guard position. The Itawamba Community College transfer provides great leadership and can penetrate the defense. Another point guard with good skill is Kendre’ Smith, who transfers form ASC rival East Texas Baptist. Two seasons ago, Smith was named to the All-ASC Freshman Team while with the Tigers. His strength is his ability to get the basket and open passing lanes for teammates. Jesse Taylor and Pate Shackelford give the Choctaws good size and shooting ability on the wing. Taylor is a great shooter that has shown the ability to lead his new teammates in the early part of the season. Shackelford is a hard-nosed, tough-minded player that will be a shut-down defender for the Choctaws on that end of the floor. The Choctaws will open their season with an exhibition on the road against South Alabama on November 4th beginning the regular season on November 20th against Pensacola Christian at home. The schedule sees MC playing two games against Division I University of New Orleans, hosting the Privateers on November 22nd. With a tough schedule right out of the gate, the Choctaws will have little time to figure out their most potent lineup. The ASC is a league that continues to improve, and MC will have to work quickly to stay on top of the standings, where they have been since the inception of the conference. Coach Lofton is a proven winner that will have to incorporate the returners with the incoming talent to keep the “Golden Dome” rocking in 2010-11. - MSM
ROSTER ROSTER NOT AVAILABLE AT PRESS TIME MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE - 49
2 0 1 0 - 1 1 M S M C O L L E G E BA S K E T BA L L P R E V I E W
Millsaps
By Mike Nienaber Millsaps Sports Information Photos courtesy Millspas Sports Information
MAJORS 2010-11 SCHEDULE | 2009-10 RECORD: 12-14; 8-8 SCAC
HEAD COACH: TIM WISE (7TH YEAR)
NOVEMBER 12 @ SW Louisiana 16 DILLARD UNIV. 19 PENSACOLA
CHRISTIAN
23 UNIV. OF DALLAS 28 @ Huntingdon
College
DECEMBER 3
AUSTIN COL.
5
COLORADO COL.
13 LaGRANGE COL. 17 HENDRIX COL. 18 @ Rhodes Col. 30 MISS. COLLEGE* 30 RUST COLLEGE* JANUARY 7
@ Trinity Univ.
9
@ Southwestern U.
QUINN LEMIEUX
14 @ DePauw Univ. 16 @ Centre Col. 21 BIRMINGHAN SO. 23 RHODES COL. 28 @ Oglethorpe U. 30 @ Sewanee FEBRUARY 4
TRINITY UNIV.
5
SOUTHWESTERN U.
8
COVENANT COL.
12 @ Hendrix Col. 18 @ Austin Col. 20 @ Colorado Col. 25-27 SCAC Tournament *Millsaps New Year’s Classic
50 - MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE
Loss of key players from last season may hinder Majors success in 2010-11
M
illsaps is looking to improve upon their success late at the end of last season’s 12-13 effort with another appearance in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament. It will be challenging, however, with the loss of graduated seniors Blake Martinez, a second team All-SCAC selection, and Cameron Varnado
and Chris Ingle. The trio was responsible for a full 58-percent of the Majors’ offensive output in 2009-10 with 840 points among them. With that much scoring to make up the Majors will have to look to a large core of sophomores and freshman to step up and fill the void. Quinn Lemieux, a forward out of Catholic High in
New Iberia, La., enters his sophomore season after a breakout freshman campaign, for which he received votes in a tight race for SCAC Newcomer of the Year. As a freshman, Lemieux started 21 games for the Majors. He finished second on the team in rebounds at 121, just one board behind senior Cameron Varnado, and he scored 116 points for an average
BRIAN MERKLE
of five rebounds and 4.8 points per game. He has a good eye for the ball, leading the team with 14 blocked shots and adding 14 steals for his efforts. Joining Lemieux in the front court will be junior Jeff Brown, a forward out of Marist High School in Atlanta. The absence of Ingle in the starting lineup should make more room for upperclassmen, like Brown, who saw an average of just seven minutes per game last year. In that time, however, he had a .632 shooting percentage and .750 from the free throw line. Major fans will have to wait and see if Brown can step up and make the most of his opportunities on the freshman and sophomore heavy roster. Aaron Caldwell, a forward from across the Pond in London, should also compete for minutes right away with Brown. The British sophomore averaged nine minutes a game last season in limited opportunities, scoring 35 points on the year. Coach Wise has added five new freshmen to the mix at the forward position in the off-season to supplement his returners. Jeremy McLemore (Shreveport, La./ C.E. Byrd High), Kyle Kinnear (Clearwater, Fla./Countryside High School), Ryan Berger (Kenner, La./ Brother Martin High School), Jayson Montgomery (Humble, Texas/Humble High School), and Brandon Allison (Covington, La./Christ School) will all look to contribute in their first collegiate season.
Brian Merkle, a junior out of St. Michael the Archangel in Baton Rouge, La., is the only other returning player on the roster with significant starting experience. Merkle averaged 29 minutes a game last season, scoring 102 points and pulling in 71 rebounds. Merkle also adds solid defensive play into the lineup with 21 steals and two blocks last season. Brian was the teams’ leading assist-dealer last season with 70. He also went 62-of-79 from the foul line for a solid .785 percentage from the stripe, a driving factor in the Majors’ leading that category last season in the SCAC with a team percentage of .730. The Majors’ lone senior this season is L.V. Sumler out of Flora, Miss and Hinds Community College. In his first season as a Major, Sumler saw action in all 25 games, but did not break into the starting lineup. He did score 109 points, however, and pulled down 106 rebounds off the bench. His 65 defensive boards helped the Majors to finish second in the SCAC last season in scoring defense. The Majors allowed their opponents and average of just 60 points per game last season, and with so much of the offensive power a question mark this season, which will have to continue this year if the Majors hope to find success in conference.
Taking over point guard duties this season will be Ben Cooper, a junior out of Guntersville, Ala. Cooper averaged 11 minutes per game in the point last season and started five. He scored 110 points in his sophomore season playing behind both Martinez and Varnado. Other returners in the back court include sophomores Nick Cortese (Lafayette, La. / St. Thomas More), Drew Guidice (Tallahassee, Fla. / Maclay School), Taylor Meades (Walker, La. / Walker High School), and Tim White (Zachary, La. / Zachary High School), all of whom averaged single-digit playing times last season. Add freshmen Murray Kastner (Frisco, Texas / Frisco Centennial), Tyler Muzzi (Shaw, Miss. / North Sunflower Academy), and Ryan McKay (Atlanta / St. Pius X Catholic High School) to the mix of guards and the Majors will have plenty of competition for playing time this season. After leaning so heavily on Martinez and Varnado last season, the chance for any one of these guards to have breakout years is there for the taking. The Majors will open up play with Division I Southeastern Louisiana in an exhibition game in Hammond. The now annual contest is a good opportunity for the Majors to come up against competition that they are unlikely to see for the remainder of the season, providing excellent preparation for the regular season. Last year the Lions took an 81-49 win in a regular season contest. The Majors’ 25-game regular season schedule (14 home, 11 away) is marked by three back-to-back home games to open the regular season against Dillard University, Pensacola Christian, and soon-to-be SCAC-rival in the University of Dallas all in the opening two weeks of the season before they head out to Montgomery to take on the always talented Huntingdon College Hawks. But, of course, all that serves as mere preamble to the brutal SCAC schedule which opens this year at home on December 3 as the Majors host the Austin College Kangaroos at 8:00 p.m. Major fans will remember that last year’s 60-56 win over Austin in the final game of the regular season punched the Majors’ ticket to the SCAC tournament. The Hangar Dome will once again serve as host for the SCAC Basketball Tournaments as the top Division III programs from around the Southeast will battle it out for the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division III National Tournament. The eight team tournament will begin February 25 and continue through the 27th until both the men’s and women’s champions are crowned. This will be the second year in a row that Millsaps has hosted the tournament in Jackson. - MSM
ROSTER ROSTER NOT AVAILABLE AT PRESS TIME MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE - 51
2 0 1 0 - 1 1 M S M C O L L E G E BA S K E T BA L L P R E V I E W
Belhaven
By Kirk McDonnell Belhaven Sports Information Photos courtesy Belhaven Sports Information
BLAZERS 2010-11 SCHEDULE | 2009-10 RECORD: 24-10; 12-6 GCAC
HEAD COACH: TOM KELSEY (6TH YEAR)
NOVEMBER 6 @ Blue Mountain 12 DILLARD UNIV.* 13 TOUGALOO* 16 BLUE MOUNTAIN 19 @ Truett-McConnell College 20 @ Emmanuel College 30 Pensacola Christian College DECEMBER 4 @ Tougaloo 11 Pensacola Christian College 15 Miss. State** 17 SHORTER UNIV. 18 TX WESLEYAN UNIV. 30 Miss. College# 31 Millsaps or Rust# JANUARY 3 Bellevue Univ.% 4 College of the Ozarks% 8 XAVIER UNIV. (LA.) 13 @ Auburn-Mont. 15 UNIV. of MOBILE 20 @ William Carey 22 @ Loyola Univ. (LA.) 24 @ Dillard Univ. (LA.) 27 FAULKNER UNIV. 29 @ Spring Hill FEBRUARY 2 @ Xavier Univ. (LA.) 5 AUBURN-MONT. 10 @ Univ. of Mobile 12 WILLIAM CAREY 17 LOYOLA UNIV. (LA.) 19 @ Faulkner 24 SPRING HILL MARCH 2-5 SSAC Tourney *Coaches vs. Cancer Classic **MS Coliseum #Millsaps Hoilday Classic %College of Ozarks Tourney
52 - MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE
detrick johnson
Blazers look to repeat last seasons success with another run at the title
T
he Belhaven men’s basketball team turned in a historic 2009-10 season that saw the team break the school record for most wins in a season with 24. The Blazers also headed
to Kansas City to participate in the Buffalo Funds NAIA National Tournament for the first time since 1972. Belhaven completed the season with an overall record of 24-10 and finished
in a three way tie for second place in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference with Tougaloo College and William Carey University. The Blazers made a strong GCAC Tournament run losing
to LSU-Shreveport 101-94 in the championship game after having completed the GCAC schedule with a 12-6 conference mark. “Our 2009-2010 was a special season for a lot of reasons,” said Head Coach Tom Kelsey. “We were able to set the school record for wins in a season and it was the first time back to the NAIA Division I National Tournament since 1972. Also we had some players that really played well at key times during the year. We had a great group of seniors: Larell Bailey, John Jibol, AJ Taylor and Krayleon Winston that each made major contributions to our program.” Nathaniel Roch’e, a 6’8 senior forward from New Orleans, LA, led the Blazers during the 2009-10 season averaging 13.2 points and 8.1 rebounds per game and is a key returner for the 2010-11 season. Roch’e hit just over 56.5 percent of his field goal shots in 2009-10. Roch’e was fourth in the GCAC in field goal percentage at 56.5 percent and is fourth in the league in rebounds per game at 8.1 for the season. Roch’e was an NAIA Honorable Mention All-American Selection and will once again anchor the Belhaven front court in 2010-11. Belhaven added four new front court players in the offseason that will come in and make an immediate impact. Daryl Arnold, a 6’6 junior forward transfer from the University of Southern Mississippi is very versatile and will be one of the best athletes in the SSAC. He can play any position on the court and always comes to work hard. He played for Wayne Brent in high school at Piney Wood and then attended Southeastern Louisiana where he averaged seven points per game and three rebounds per game as a freshman. He transferred to Southern Miss where he was redshirted by rule for one year and played last year. The Blazer coaching staff feels like Arnold has the potential to make a major impact this season. Brittion Smith is another key offseason acquisition by the Blazers. Smith is a 6’5 junior forward transfer from NCAA Division II Mars Hill. Smith is a big time athlete that rebounds the ball well and is tremendous at scoring in transition. He played at East Mississippi CC before transferring to Mars Hill and averaged eight points and 3.5 rebounds per game while playing in 18 games and starting 16 of those contests. Stephan Collins, a 6’5 sophomore forward transfer from Arkansas Pine Bluff, will provide help on the wing and in the post this year. Collins is a great athlete that can really defend and rebound. He saw action in 29 games last year for Arkansas Pine-Bluff, a team that won the SWAC and played eventual National Champion Duke in the first round of the NCAA tournament. He played 16 minutes at Kansas State where he scored six points. Jaybri Williams, a 6’3 sophomore forward transfer from Wesley College, has great
bounce and may be the best jumper on the team. Williams has a chance to develop into a great player for the Blazer program. He has a good jump shot and can rebound well for his size. Belhaven will have three key players returning for the 2010-11 season in the backcourt. Bobby Grier, a 6’0 guard from Atlanta, GA, will be a senior and averaged 6.1 points per game last season and led the team in assists with 112. Rob Wallace, a 6’0 senior guard from New Orleans, LA, averaged 10.8 points per game last year and was second on the team in assists with 90. Detrick Johnson, a 6’1 guard from Clinton, MS, is back for his senior season after averaging 3.2 points per game in 2010-11. Johnson’s strength is on defense as he came up with a team best 62 steals last year. Belhaven welcomes four talented newcomers to the backcourt this season to join Grier, Johnson, and Wallace. The first is Bernard Malone, a 6’1 sophomore guard transfer from Louisiana Tech University. Malone has a great deal of raw basketball talent and is very skilled with the dribble and has a good feel for the offensive end of the floor. Bernard has not played in two years, but is starting to pick things up quickly and the coaching staff believes he can have an impact on this year’s team. Chris Cofield, a freshman guard from Omaha, NE, has been incredibly solid during the preseason and has a great feel for the game. The coaches have been impressed at how well he does running the team on the break. Luke Rogers, a 6-4 freshman guard from England is another exciting young player for the Blazers. Rogers is strong, can shoot the ball, rebounds well, and can run the point guard position at times. Forest Yar-
brough, a freshman guard from Montgomery, AL, has tremendous potential for the Blazers as well and Coach Kelsey feels like he has a chance to set some records before his career is over. Forrest is a big time shooter, is fearless and very dangerous if he is able to get a good look at the rim. Belhaven will transition to the Southern States Athletic Conference in 2010-11 after being longtime members of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference. Four other former GCAC schools also made the transition to the new league including the University of Mobile, Loyola University of New Orleans, Spring Hill College, and William Carey University. These schools along with Faulkner University and Auburn-Montgomery will make up the West Division of the SSAC. Belhaven should be strong once again with three experienced guards returning to the back court along with Roche’ in the post. “Coach John Aiken and I are very excited about the 2010-2011 season,” says Coach Kelsey. “With this past season’s success we feel that our recruiting has gone well. We head into a new conference, the Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC), which will be one of the toughest NAIA leagues in the country. Our schedule is going to give us some good challenges in the non-conference part of the schedule. We still have some of the former GCAC members (Dillard, Tougaloo and Xavier) on our schedule and hope to keep those rivalries going.” Belhaven will open the regular season on Saturday November 6th when they travel to Blue Mountain College for a 3:00 PM tipoff. The Blazers will play their home opener on Friday November 12th against Dillard University in the Coaches versus Cancer Classic tournament starting at 8:00 PM. - MSM
ROSTER NO 00 1 2 3 4 5 10 11 12 21 22 23 24 30 34 35 42 45 50
NAME BBOBBY GRIER DARYL ARNOLD ROB WALLACE ANDREW FORESTER FOREST YARBROUGH MIKE RIVERS WADE SCIONEAUX NATHAN DAY JAYBRI WILLIAMS BERNARD MALONE TERRENCE STRINGFELLOW REINIS OZOLINS CHRIS COFIELD STEPHEN COLLINS NATHANIEL ROCHE’ BRITTON SMITH DETRICK JOHNSON LUKE ROGERS RYAN MOODY
POS G F G F G F G G F G C G G F F F G F G
HT/WT 6-0 6-6 6-0 6-3 6-4 6-7 5-10 6-1 6-3 6-1 6-8 6-1 5-11 6-5 6-8 6-5 6-1 6-4 6-0
YR SR JR SR FR FR SO FR FR SO SO SO FR FR SO SR JR SR FR FR
HOMETOWN (LAST SCHOOL) Atlanta, GA Jackson, MS New Orleans, LA Jackson, MS Montgomery, AL Tuscaloosa, AL Grand Isle, LA Pensacola, FL Vicksburg, MS Houma, LA Memphis, TN Latvia Omaha, NE Pine Bluff, AR New Orleans, LA Atlanta, GA Clinton, MS England Montgomery, AL
MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE - 53
MSM
EGG BOWL
EGG BOWL FLASHBACK:
BOND vs. FOURCADE
JOHN BOND AND JOHN FOURCADE TALK ABOUT THEIR EGG BOWL MATCH-UPS IN THE 80’s
STORY BY PAUL JONES • PHOTOS COURTESY MISS. STATE & OLE MISS SPORTS INFORMATION
O
ver the past century, the Egg Bowl has produced lifelong memories for players, coaches and fans alike at Mississippi State and Ole Miss. Two former participants definitely enjoyed their share and they happen to share the same first name and position - former Ole Miss quarterback John Fourcade and former MSU quarterback John Bond.
54 - MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE
Fourcade played at Ole Miss from 1979-82 and helped direct the Rebels to three wins in four Egg Bowl contests. And Bond, who played at MSU from 1980-83, led the Bulldogs to a pair of Egg Bowl triumphs. While both were on opposite sides, they both understood the importance of that week within the Magnolia State. But it is also talked about the other 51 weeks of the year. “I grew up in Starkville and lived there until I was nine years old,” said Bond. I lived beside (former MSU basketball coach) Kermit Davis so I would still come back to basketball camps. Folks were either talking about the Egg Bowl that just happened or the one coming up. “Being part of it as a quarterback was huge. You sure didn’t want to go out there and make a fool of yourself. I remember my first Egg Bowl and that there was a lot of pressure. We were in a brand-new offense (wishbone) that year. I played receiver mostly in high school so I was still getting my feet wet. It was nerve-racking that week and a lot of hype that week. Coach (Emory) Bellard tried to keep it like a normal game but it is
Of course, decades ago, most of the players on both sidelines were familiar with each other and their families. Often times, former high school teammates would quickly become fierce rivals and suited up in the red and blue or the maroon and white. “I think it was heated a lot because a lot of guys played high school ball against each other,” recalled Bond. “So the history was already there before you went to college. Then when out-of-state guys came in, they quickly learned early on and picked up their intensity with that game. Then after your four years come and go, that feeling lingers with you and remains with the guys coming in.” Obviously, that dislike of each other is also evident among the fan bases. “Players come and go but fans don’t,” said Fourcade. “You got eightyear-old kids hating Mississippi State folks that Egg Bowl week. Go down to Jackson and you have 60 or 70-year olds hating Mississippi State or Ole Miss that week. For whatever reason, it’s just the nature of the game.
“I actually think the bad blood is more so with fans,” Bond says. “As a player, you do treat it more than just another game. But fans also know there is something extra behind it. You have to listen to all that crap if you lose and nobody wants to do that. It’s not like losing to Auburn or Alabama. If you lose those games, you just go back home and you don’t hear much about it. “But if you lose the Egg Bowl, you are already back home and you will hear it (laughing).” hard to do that with the Egg Bowl.” Unlike Bond, Fourcade did not grow up in Mississippi. But he was quickly educated on the importance of beating the Bulldogs and the heated rivalry. “To be honest, I didn’t think much about my first Egg Bowl,” said Fourcade. “Being from New Orleans, I knew nothing of the Egg Bowl. When I was growing up and heard of the Egg Bowl, I said ‘what the heck is an Egg Bowl?’. I wondered how they came up with that name and wondered who got what if they won that game.” “So my first year, I thought it was just another game. But my teammates told me quickly it wasn’t that way. I soon found out after that first game of the hatred between the two schools.” Of course, in the SEC, Ole Miss and MSU had other rivals within the league. So being hated was kind of the norm, Fourcade added. “I’m not sure how John (Bond) felt back then, but when I was playing at Ole Miss a lot of other teams hated us,” said Fourcade. “Tennessee, LSU, Florida and Alabama all hated us, too. LSU and Ole Miss fans hate each other. I never knew why they hated us so much but whatever rival we were playing that week, that was our biggest rivalry game of that week. But you get up for all those rivalry games and granted, our biggest rivalry game was that last one we played every year.”
There is no intentional harm with it and without the fans, there is no football. That is what makes the Egg Bowl special, too.” And Bond agreed. “I actually think the bad blood is more so with fans,” Bond said. “As a player, you do treat it more than just another game. But fans also know there is something extra behind it. You have to listen to all that crap if you lose and nobody wants to do that. It’s not like losing to Auburn or Alabama. If you lose those games, you just go back home and you don’t hear much about it. “But if you lose the Egg Bowl, you are already back home and you will hear it (laughing).” During their playing careers, the Egg Bowl was always held at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Jackson. So Bond nor Fourcade got the chance to play on the campus of their rival, something that is an annual event today. “I would have loved to had that opportunity and it adds more to the game now,” said Bond. “But back then, neither school had a stadium that could compete with Jackson and hold that many people. But now both schools have stadiums that hold close to or over 60,000 fans. But when we played, Jackson had a bigger venue and the schools could make more money. MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE - 55
“But it was still a lot of fun going to Jackson and playing in front of 65,000 people. I believe either the 1980 or 1981 game is still one of the largest crowds ever to see an athletic event in the state.” Naturally, Fourcade and Bond had fond and successful memories of their days performing in the Egg Bowl. For Bond, his first-ever Egg Bowl experience sticks out to him when the Bulldogs won 19-14. Bond also recalls his junior year at MSU when the Bulldogs capped off the year with a 27-10 victory over the Rebels. “The first one would be my favorite memory,” said Bond. “Then I would I would say my junior year would be the next one. We had a great offense my junior year and I think it’s still the most productive offense in school history. On the second series of the game, I took one for about 65 yards and we just moved the ball at will that game.” And contrastingly, Fourcade’s favorite Egg Bowl was actually his last one and rightfully so. After all, he scored the game-winning touchdown on the final play from scrimmage to give Ole Miss a 21-17 victory. “Whether you are playing high school, college or in the NFL, you
sticks in your craw, especially with that official apologized later for that call, sent a letter of apology to Coach Bellard and then retired from officiating. “I like to tell people I won four Egg Bowls and lost two of them (laughing). We had that horrible call and then the wind-blown field goal deal my senior year.” But Bond added that questionable call should have never decided the fate of that outcome. “Coach Bellard didn’t say much after that game but you could see that it was eating him up,” said Bond. “He said ‘well, that’s the way the ball bounces’ but you knew he was upset about that call. But as players, we knew we should have been out in front enough to where it didn’t matter. You could never count Ole Miss out and we gave them their shot and they took it.” Which Fourcade did despite Ole Miss lining up in the wrong formation. “Another thing that isn’t talked about that much was the penalty State got for kicking the ball,” said Fourcade. “After that penalty in the end
“In my eyes, hell yea it was pass interference,” says Fourcade laughing. “But maybe that official was an Ole Miss fan and gave us one. But the question we need to ask John Bond is why their coach kicked a field goal and left me 30 seconds (laughing). I was happy they kicked that field goal on third down and that was actually one of the biggest mistakes of the game. I know coaches sometimes kick it on third down in case something happens instead of kicking it on fourth down. But it came back to haunt them.” always dream of making that play to win the game with no time left on the clock,” said Fourcade. “So that one sticks out. It was a great way to end my college career, walking in for that touchdown on my final college play for the Ole Miss Rebels. “And that season, we had lost some close ones and things didn’t work out as we planned. It was the end for us seniors and we just put everything together in that last game. We gave it all we had for 60 minutes while Mississippi State only played for 59 minutes and 30 seconds. A lot of folks don’t remember that but Mississippi State decided to kick a field goal and left me 30 seconds on the clock. That was plenty of time for us.” Of course, Bond has a different take on that Egg Bowl in 1981, as do fans from both sides and it’s an argument that still lasts today. Before Fourcade and the Rebels got in position for the game-winning touchdown, pass interference was called on the Bulldogs in their own end zone, and set the stage for Fourcade’s heroics on the next play. “Believe it or not, that pass interference is the first thing I think of when someone says Egg Bowl,” said Bond with a laugh. “Our guy never touched the receiver and that was awful. But the reason it sticks out is because we had three plays that year that lost three games for us - Ole Miss, Alabama and Southern Miss. We could have won 10 games that year. So that really 56 - MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE
zone, one of their guys kicked the ball out of frustration and the ball got moved to the one-yard line from the two. “And it is funny now because it worked, but we lined up in the wrong formation on that touchdown. We didn’t have a tight end on one side and the guy flanked out wide. We ran the 38-option goal line but we still walked in. I remember before that play walking to the sideline saying ‘this is the end for me and no one is touching the ball but me’.” As noted, Fourcade made the most of the opportunity, and walked off the field that day in Jackson with the Egg Bowl Trophy lifted high above his head. He began his college career knowing little of the Egg Bowl but exited the rivalry with a great understanding of that game. As have many before him and as many will after him. “In my eyes, hell yea it was pass interference,” said Fourcade with a laugh. “But maybe that official was an Ole Miss fan and gave us one. But the question we need to ask John Bond is why their coach kicked a field goal and left me 30 seconds (laughing). I was happy they kicked that field goal on third down and that was actually one of the biggest mistakes of the game. I know coaches sometimes kick it on third down in case something happens instead of kicking it on fourth down. But it came back to haunt them.” - MSM
MISSISSIPPI SPORTS MAGAZINE - 57
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