Game Day Book -- Northwest

2011-12 Basketball Game Day Guide vs. Northwest #54 Lavon Hooks Sophomore, Forward Atlanta, Ga

#35 India Howard Freshman, Forward Ripley

Thursday, February 2, 2012 5:30 & 7:30 p.m.

Bonner Arnold Coliseum

2011-12 Lady Tiger & Tiger Basketball Teams

2011-12 Lady Tigers

No. 11 12 14 15 21 22 24 25 30 33 35 40 42

Player Height Tiffany Martin 5-5 Breanna Howard 5-7 Nikki McChristian 5-7 Amber Jackson 5-9 Krystal Jackson 5-9 Kebrina Lucas 5-6 Bree Harris 5-7 Anna Brooke Page 6-0 Shunquest Howell 5-4 Suzzette Suggs 5-10 India Howard 5-8 Erin Strowder 5-10 Micha Washington 6-2

Position Guard Guard Guard/Forward Guard/Forward Guard/Forward Guard/Forward Guard Guard/Forward Guard Guard/Forward Guard/Forward Guard/Forward Forward

Class Soph.

Soph.

Fresh.

Soph.

Fresh.

Fresh.

Soph.

Soph.

Fresh.

R Fresh.

Fresh.

Soph.

Fresh.

Hometown Olive Branch Jackson Abbeville Tupleo Marietta New Albany Marietta Iuka Ripley Oakland Ripley Memphis, Tenn.

New Albany

Head Coach: Brian Alexander, Ph.D. (Mississippi State, 1998) 1st Year Assistant Coach: Maurice Stafford (North Alabama, 1986) 8th Year Strength & Conditioning Coach: Cody Grisham (Tennessee, 2010) 1st Year Team Chaplain: Dr. Matt Wilburn (Mississippi College, 1999) 1st Year Student Assistants: Tony Pams, Samantha McAlister, Audreyuna Gipson.

No. 11 12 14 23 24 30 33 40 42 50 52 54

2011-12 Tigers

Player Acie Vance Deonta Herman Kareem Brown Jermaine Hollimon Tadarious Coburn Demetrius Malone Marcell Lucas Devin Tillman J.R. Jennings Cedric Janes Tyrie Berry Lavon Hooks

Position Guard Guard Guard Guard Forward Guard Forward Forward Guard Forward Forward Forward

Head Coach: David Robbins

Assistant Coach: Maurice Stafford Managers: Jonathan Taylor, Quentin Carroll Videographer: Nicholas McAlister Statistician: Zack Smith

Height 6-2 5-11 5-8 6-4 6-6 6-2 6-3 6-3 6-2 6-6 6-6 6-4

Class Hometown Fresh.

Ripley Fresh.

Corinth Fresh.

New Albany Soph.

Memphis, Tenn.

Fresh.

New Albany Fresh.

West Lowndes Fresh.

Baldwyn Fresh.

Bruce Fresh.

Calhoun City Soph. Dyer County, Tenn.

Soph.

Ripley Soph.

Atlanta, Ga.

Northeast No. 11 Tiffany Martin 5-5 Guard Sophomore Olive Branch

Basketball No. 12 Breanna Howard 5-7 Guard Sophomore Jackson

No. 14 Nikki McChristian 5-7 Guard/Forward Freshman Abbeville

No. 15 Amber Jackson 5-9 Guard/Forward Sophomore Tupelo

No. 21 Krystal Jackson 5-9 Guard/Forward Freshman Marietta

No. 22 Kebrina Lucas 5-6 Guard/Forward Freshman New Albany

No. 24 Bree Harris 5-7 Guard Sophomore Marietta

No. 25 Anna Brooke Page 6-0 Guard/Forward Sophomore Iuka

No. 30 Shunquest Howell 5-7 Guard Freshman Ripley

No. 33 Suzzette Suggs 5-10 Guard/Forward R. Freshman Oakland

No. 35 India Howard 5-8 Guard/Forward Freshman Ripley

No. 40 Erin Strowder 5-10 Guard/Forward Sophomore Memphis, Tenn.

No. 42 Micha Washington 6-2 Forward Freshman New Albany

Northeast Mississippi Community College

3

Player Tiffany Martin Breanna Howard Nikki McChristian Amber Jackson Krystal Jackson Kebrina Lucas Bree Harris Anna Brooke Page Shunquest Howell Suzzette Suggs India Howard Erin Strowder Micha Washington

Height 5-5 5-7 5-7 5-9 5-9 5-6 5-7 6-0 5-4 5-10 5-8 5-10 6-2

Position Guard Guard Guard/Forward Guard/Forward Guard/Forward Guard/Forward Guard Guard/Forward Guard Guard/Forward Guard/Forward Guard/Forward Forward

Class Soph.

Soph.

Fresh.

Soph.

Fresh.

Fresh.

Soph.

Soph.

Fresh.

R Fresh.

Fresh.

Soph.

Fresh.

Hometown Olive Branch Jackson Abbeville Tupleo Marietta New Albany Marietta Iuka Ripley Oakland Ripley Memphis, Tenn.

New Albany

Head Coach: Brian Alexander, Ph.D. (Mississippi State, 1998) 1st Year Assistant Coach: Maurice Stafford (North Alabama, 1986) 8th Year Strength & Conditioning Coach: Cody Grisham (Tennessee, 2010) 1st Year Team Chaplain: Dr. Matt Wilburn (Mississippi College, 1999) 1st Year Student Assistants: Tony Pams, Samantha McAlister, Audreyuna Gipson.

No. 11 12 14 15 21 22 24 25 30 33 35 40 42

Northeast Lady Tigers Player Brittani Smith Brittany Patton Tiesha Tunstall Monique Biggins Sherneal Thompson Shermeka Lewis Holly Wells Erica Turner Queena Booker Sara Waldrip Shaquilla Isom Kristiana Fisher Domonique Early Jearica McBride

Height 5-7 5-7 5-5 5-7 5-6 5-7 5-10 5-11 5-6 5-11 5-8 5-8 5-6 5-11

Class Soph.

Soph.

Fresh.

Fresh.

Soph.

Fresh.

Soph.

Soph.

Fresh.

Soph.

Fresh.

Fresh.

Fresh.

Fresh.

Hometown Oxford Sardis Olive Branch Horn Lake Abbeville Memphis, Tenn.

Grenada Memphis, Tenn.

Oxford Clarksdale Abbeville Indianola Jackson, Tenn.

Carrollton Head Coach: Don Edwards (25th Season) Assistant Coach: Troy Howell (First Season) Team Managers: Phylisha Fondren, Manesha Harmon, Jasmine Jefferies Sports Information Director: Kevin Maloney

No. 3 4 5 10 12 13 14 20 22 23 30 32 34 44

Northwest Lady Rangers

Northeast Northwest Mississippi vs.

Mississippi Community College Community College

42

40

33

30

24

23

14

12

11

No.

Cedric Janes

J.R. Jennings

Devin Tillman

Marcell Lucas

Demetrius Malone

Tadarious Coburn

Jermaine Hollimon

Kareem Brown

Deonta Herman

Acie Vance

Player

Forward

Forward

Guard

Forward

Forward

Guard

Forward

Guard

Guard

Guard

Guard

Height

6-6

6-6

6-2

6-3

6-3

6-2

6-6

6-4

5-8

5-11

6-2

Position

Soph.

Soph.

Soph.

Fresh.

Fresh.

Fresh.

Fresh.

Fresh.

Soph.

Fresh.

Fresh.

Fresh.

Class

Atlanta, Ga.

Ripley

Dyer County, Tenn.

Calhoun City

Bruce

Baldwyn

West Lowndes

New Albany

Memphis, Tenn.

New Albany

Corinth

Ripley

Hometown

Ht. 6-8 5-10 6-4 6-2 6-4 6-3 6-4 6-0 6-4 6-3 6-8 6-6 5-11 5-7 6-6

Wt. 220 165 190 180 190 195 235 170 180 185 215 185 160 140 190

Position Center Guard Forward Guard Forward Guard Forward Guard Forward Forward Forward Forward Guard Guard Forward

Class Hometown R-Fresh.

Memphis, Tenn.

Soph.

Walls Soph.

Batesville Fresh.

Byhalia Fresh.

Tunica R-Fresh.

Olive Branch Fresh.

Southaven Fresh.

Olive Branch Soph.

Walls Soph.

Hickory Flat Fresh. West Memphis, Ark. Soph.

Memphis, Tenn.

Fresh.

Hernando Soph.

Olive Branch Soph.

Sumner

Northwest Rangers Player Jordan Hulsey Darius Woods Antonio Jones Kenyatta Jones La’Barron Collins Tevin Moore Domonique Harris Chris Kelly Kendrick Moore Caleb Van Tassell DeMarcus McVay A.J. Cunningham Bernard Jones Everick Morris Willie Williams

Head Coach: Jimmy Adams (Third Season) Assistant Coach: Troy Howell (First Season) Team Managers: Damien Alexander, Leonardo Sanders Sports Information Director: Kevin Maloney

No. 0 1 2 3 4 11 12 15 22 23 25 35 41 44 45

Bonner Arnold Coliseum Booneville, Miss.

February 2, 2012

50 Tyrie Berry 6-4

Northeast Tigers

52 Forward

Lavon Hooks

54 Head Coach: David Robbins Assistant Coach: Maurice Stafford Managers: Jonathan Taylor, Quentin Carroll Videographer: Nicholas McAlister Statistician: Zack Smith

Northeast No. 11 Acie Vance Guard 6-2 Freshman Ripley

No. 12 Deonta Herman Guard 5-11 Freshman Corinth

No. 14 Kareem Brown Guard 5-8 Freshman New Albany

No. 23 Jermaine Hollimon Guard 6-4 Sophomore Memphis, Tenn.

No. 24 Tadarious Coburn Forward 6-6 Freshman New Albany

No. 30 Demetrius Malone Guard 6-2 Freshman West Lowndes

No. 33 Marcell Lucas Forward 6-3 Freshman Baldwyn

No. 40 Devin Tillman Forward 6-3 Freshman Bruce

No. 42 J.R. Jennings Guard 6-2 Freshman Calhoun City

No. 52 Tyrie Berry Forward 6-6 Sophomore Ripley

No. 54 Lavon Hooks Forward 6-4 Sophomore Atlanta, Ga.

No. 50 Cedric Janes Forward 6-6 Sophomore Dyer County, Tenn.

6

Basketball

Northeast Mississippi Community College

Northeast

Basketball

Player Feature: India Howard & Lavon Hooks Most people have their own reasons for coming to Northeast Mississippi Community College.

For both Lavon Hooks and India Howard, one of the main reasons was a love of sports.

Hooks transferred in from Marion Military Institute in Georgia while Howard made the transition from Ripley High School to Northeast during the summer.

For both, the results have been positive.

Hooks has starred not only on the hardwood for the Tigers but also helped lead the Tiger football team to a first-round playoff game against Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College during the 2011 season.

Howard has helped lead the Lady Tigers into a new era under firstyear head coach Brian Alexander and has Northeast in prime position for a coveted Mississippi Association of Community/Junior Colleges (MACJC) State Tournament berth.

For both the reasons were simple…it was all for the love of the game.

“I love the game of basketball,” Howard said. “If I won’t ever be able to play ball again, I’ll be able to coach it.”

And that’s the same for Hooks.

Hooks made the switch to Northeast in order to give himself a better shot at a four-year college especially where the football freshman, basketball sophomore wants to go.

India Howard “I know I want to play football in the SEC,” said Hooks, “or some place out in California.”

Each knew the steps they would have to take in order to get to where they want to be and Northeast was the right place for them.

“The people here are real friendly,” Hooks said. “I like the atmosphere.”

“I love playing with my teammates,” Howard said. “We are real close.

We are all like sisters.”

That family atmosphere is one that draws many to Northeast but with Hooks coming from Marion Military and Howard hailing from Ripley, both had to make some adjustments to their lifestyles at Northeast.

“At Marion, there are a lot more rules you have to abide by and uniforms you have to wear,” Hooks said. “In either case, you just have to show respect.”

“You are on your own,” Howard said. “You don’t have your mom to wake you up in the morning. You have to mature more in college.”

Maturing in one’s life is directly connected to maturing on the basketball court as well.

Maturity has shown well for Howard and the Lady Tigers – after starting off the season with only three home games in during the 2011 fall semester, the Lady Tigers came together on the road posting a 5-3 mark and are 2-1 in league play away from Bonner Arnold Coliseum during the first 16 games of the season.

Howard has done her job for the Lady Tigers by scoring nearly 100 points on the year and has played a vital role to the Lady Tigers on the boards.

In just 16 games for the Lady Tigers, Howard has come away with near 60 rebounds.

Hooks was an added surprise for Tiger head coach David Robbins when the Northeast football player decided he wanted to come out for the Tiger basketball team.

In his 12 games with the Tigers, Hooks has made an immediate impact for the Tigers that are 12-3 on the year and ranked as the eighteenth-best team in the nation.

Hooks is on the verge of a rarity in basketball – averaging a doubledouble. In his dozen games, Hooks is averaging 10.5 points a game and pulling down 9.3 rebounds and outing.

As with the maturing process, Hooks and Howard have both come to realize that the collegiate game is a lot different than high school.

“You have to work harder to keep up with the rest of the competition,” Hooks said. “People have the same skills as you have.”

“In high school, I have played the three guard and in college I play the four (a forward),” Howard said.

“It is kind of new and I am guarding tall girls now and it’s a challenge that I look forward toward.”

Lavon Hooks One challenge that Howard did not have to make an adjustment for was how intense the practices would be. Howard finished her time at Ripley High School under former Northeast Lady Tiger Katie Walker Bates.

“Coach Bates always wanted us to push the ball and to do good transition points,” Howard said. “Coach Alexander is just like that so I am used to that. It is not a big transition for me.”

Hooks had to transition from football to basketball but also contend with the myriad of big men that Robbins has playing for the Tigers.

“My role is a big man,” Hooks explained. “I come in and clear the paint out, rebound and set things up for the team so we can make moves and get the score up.”

Getting the score up is one thing the Tigers have been able to accomplish this year by averaging over 80 points a game and outscoring their opponents by over three buckets a game.

Hooks also looks upon his basketball career as two-fold.

“I have to step up as a motivator for the younger guys,” Hooks said.

“It also keeps you in shape – especially during the offseason in football, basketball keeps you in shape and it gets you coordinated.”

Whether it’s staying in shape or fine tuning their coordination, both Howard and Hooks know that Northeast has been able to prepare them for their times after Northeast especially with Hooks wanting to focus on sports medicine or special education and Howard looking to go into physical therapy or coaching.

Northeast Mississippi Community College

7

Northeast

Basketball

2011-12 Schedule 2010-11

Date Date

Opponent Opponent

Location Location

Time Time

OCTOBER Monday, November 1 Northwest Away 5:30 & 7:306 p.m.

24 UNA^# Shoals (Ala.) Away p.m.

Thursday, November 4 Motlow State (Tenn.)

Booneville 5&7 25 Mid-South^@ Away 5:30 p.m. p.m.

Blue Mountain^@ Away 8:30Only p.m.

Tuesday, November 9 Jackson State (Tenn.)

Booneville 5 p.m. Women 27 Blue Mountain^# Home 5:30 p.m.

West Plains (Mo.) Booneville 7 p.m. Men Only NOVEMBER

Saturday, November 13 East Central Booneville 1&3 1 Wallace St. Home 5:30 p.m. p.m.

5 East Central Away p.m.

Monday, November 15 Jones County Away 5&71 p.m.

7 Ark. Baptist Home 5 p.m.

Thursday, November 18 Wallace State (Ala.) Away 7 p.m. Men Only 10 Wallace St. Away 5:30 p.m.

Monday, November 29 Meridian Away 6&8 14 Jones Co. Away 5 p.m. p.m.

28 Meridian Away p.m.

Thursday, December 2 Northwest* Booneville 5&76 p.m.

DECEMBER

Monday, December 6 Holmes* Away 6&8 p.m.

1 Northwest* Away 5 p.m.

Tuesday, December 14 Northwest Booneville 5&7 5 Holmes* Shoals (Ala.) Home 5:30 p.m. p.m.

13 Jackson St.# Away p.m.

Thursday, December 16 Motlow State (Tenn.)

Away 6&87 p.m.

JANUARY

Thursday, January 6 Jones County Booneville 5&7 p.m.

7 Meridian Home 1 p.m.

Saturday, January 8 Meridian Booneville 2&43 p.m.

9 Jones Co. Home p.m.

11 Columbia St. Home p.m.

Monday, January 10 East Miss.* Booneville 5&72 p.m.

17 East Miss.* Away 5:30 p.m. p.m.

Thursday, January 13 Coahoma* Away 6&8 19 Coahoma* Home 5:30 p.m.

Monday, January 17 Itawamba* Away 6&8 23 Itawamba* Home 5:30 p.m. p.m.

26 Miss. Delta* Delta* Away p.m.

Thursday, January 20 Miss.

Booneville 5&76 p.m.

30 Ark. Baptist Away p.m.

Thursday, January 27 Northwest* Away 5&75 p.m.

FEBRUARY

Monday, January 31 Holmes* Booneville 5&7 2 Northwest* Home 5:30 p.m. p.m.

6 Holmes* Away p.m.

Thursday, February 3 East Miss.* Away 5:30 & 7:306 p.m.

9 East Miss.* Home 5:30 p.m. p.m.

Monday, February 7 Coahoma* Booneville 5&7 13 Coahoma* Away 6 p.m.

Thursday, February 10 Itawamba* Booneville 5&7 16 Itawamba* Away 6 p.m. p.m.

Monday, February 14 Miss.

Away 6&8 20 Miss. Delta* Delta* Home 5:30 p.m. p.m.

23 West Plains (Mo.)@ Away 7 p.m.

February 21 – 24 State Tournament 27-March 1 MACJC Tourn.

February 28 – March 3 Regional Tournament Miss.

MARCH

College 7-10 NJCAA Region Tourn. *-North Division, ^-Scrimmage,@-Men #-Women Only * Denotes North Division Only, Contest

Northeast Mississippi Community College