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Support your hometown high school sports team because these players and coaches put forth a lot of effort and hard work to be the best they can be and by going to their games you show them that you appreciate their efforts. If you want to have an added incentive, go to the game to see if you can find a prospect I can put on this page. I want your input to make this page the best it can be.
All school telephone numbers and coaches names come from the Clell Wade Mississippi High School Coaches Directory.
| 1997 | March | April | May | June |
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07/31/97 - Just thought you guys would enjoy reading this outstanding analysis of several of the players at the Above the Rim Tournament in Jackson Tuesday night.
Ontario Harper (Senior)-- I'll start with the best. I really like this guy. The word that comes to mind with him is complete or well-rounded. I'm not sure if one part of his game really will just wow you, but I think he does a lot of things very well. I like to think that being around the game, both playing and watching, I can sometimes tell about a players attitude by watching his actions and demeanor even during warm-ups and such. I really like the way Ontario handled himself. He says very little on the court. I got the impression that even though he was the big shot on the court, he was still willing to play defense and do the little things it takes. As for his skills, he has a good 2-guard body which could handle a little more weight. He was the quickest leaper on the floor. He did not shoot great from the perimeter last night, but his shot was not bad. He is very fluid in his moves. Ball handling looked good. As I said no one part, other than maybe his athleticism, jumped out at you, but by the end of the night, he was obviously the guy.
Alonzo Lane (Junior)-- Out of shape! His body looked good, but his lungs are dragging! I was a little disappointed here. I had heard so much, and I'm not going to judge a player on one outing, but I just expected more. First of all, I've heard he was 6-8, or 6-7, and that is just not the case. I'm thinking 6-5. He plays with his back to the goal and seems to have no game facing the basket. His skills were good with great footwork and polished post moves. He is a thunderous dunker. But as my companion was wowed by his dunks, I asked him how many of those would come against a Dampier or a Washington. His answer was 0. Simply put, and I could be wrong, I really feel this kid needs to grow a couple of inches and develop a 15ft jump shot. But hey, Weatherspoon and Cameron weren't much bigger either.
Syniker Taylor (Senior)-- Great Athlete!! Pretty good shooter and good quickness.
Marcus Terrell (Junior)----I've heard all the stories about his attitude, but let me say I really like him as a point guard. Quick hands. He's bigger than I thought. Great vision and awareness, and very good handling skills. The one area I am concerned with is perimeter shooting. He did not attempt many at all. Marcus is a true "look to dish first and shoot second" kind of guard. Ran the team well. I guess the thing I was most impressed with was his ability to penetrate, draw the defense, and get the ball to his man setting him up in good position for the score. He was always looking to get the ball closer to the goal and I like that. If his attitude stinks then that is one thing, but as a player, I like this guy. Reminds me of a kid I saw a few years ago when some friends and I went to see this phenom named Othella play. I kept telling them that I wanted us to recruit the point guard. That he had a knack and good skills. JSU got him and last I checked Ryan Lothridge was a Golden State Warrior. Similarly, I just like Mr. Terrell.
Keep your eyes on this one. Darious Rice, 6-7 up-and-coming sophomore at Lanier. He is a Tang waiting to happen. He is a perimeter player and not a post man. I was really impressed with his skill level, maturity physically, and talent. He does need to work on his hustle, but the talent is there. What will he do with it, I don't know. Definitely a young one to watch. I am told that his father is Jerry Rice's brother, so the genes are there.
07/28/97 - Look for guard David Sanders of Jackson Provine HS to compete with Ontario Harper for basketball player of the year honors in Mississippi this coming season. My sources say this guy is a player who can do it all. His chances of being academically eligible are very slight, so look for the school that is lucky enough to sign him to place him in a juco or prep school.
07/28/97 - Here's a girl to keep an eye on the next two years. Erin Sims, a junior from Pascagoula, has been the top female middle-distance (800- and 1,600-meters) runner in the state for the past two years. She was the 10th best qualifier for the USA Track and Field National Junior Olympic Championship finals in the 1,500. Her time was around 4:52 in only her second running of that distance.
07/27/97 - ESPN recently came to Magee to film football player Justin Griffith as part of their TOP 25 High School Seniors segment. They wouldn't say where he was being rated in the TOP 25, but indicated that he would probably be in the TOP 10. BTW, the latest word on Justin is his parents want him to stay instate and close to home. Schools that are looking at him are Southern Miss, Miss State, Ole Miss, LSU, Alabama, Auburn and many others. My source said that he was told Justin may be leaing to Southern Miss. Miss State is also under consideration. My source did not indicate if Justin is seriously considering any other schools.
07/26/97 - The latest word on Corey Mangum, the outstanding guard from Lanier HS (Jackson), is he will be attending Conners State CC along with former teammate Shannon Long and present teammate Adrian Hatchett. Look for Corey to be highly recruited coming out of junior college. Mary Ann and I saw him at the Alabama/Mississippi All-Star Basketball game and we both came away very impressed with him. She also liked the enthusiasm and excitement he showed while playing. It reminded her of former Miss State great Darryl Wilson.
07/26/97 - Marco Minor, the top wide receiver in Mississippi, according to most observers, is looking at Miss State, Ole Miss, Tenn and LSU. According to Southeastern Recruiting Alliance, he has no clear favorite at this time.
07/25/97 - It appears that Tyrone Green, the offensive lineman from Ripley, is finally heading to Shannon. Enis Proctor, Director of the Mississippi Activities Association, ruled last Friday that Tyrone must play football either at Ripley or New Albany (New Albany is where his mother lives). Proctor has reversed himself and has now ruled that Tyrone can in fact play at Shannon this year.
07/24/97 - Saw this in The Clarion-Ledger. Tanny Flowers, the outstanding running back from Starkville High School, has decided to attend East Mississippi CC instead of North Alabama. Tanny, who was slowed by various injuries during his senior season, will be playing linebacker for the North team in this Friday's Bernard Blackwell All-Star Football Classic.
07/22/97 - One of the football players I have on my seniors-to-watch list, Warren Pannell of Ripley HS has graduated.
07/22/97 - Basketball player Dupree McKenzie of Quitman HS has made a qualifying ACT score and has signed with Alabama State over UTEP.
07/22/97 - Although this football player no longer is in high school, I feel he is someone who has a lot of untapped potential and should be watched very carefully this coming season. Brian Whaley of Jones CC, is a 6-4, 280-lb offensive lineman who started five games for Jones last year and is expected to be the full-time starter this year. This young man is very special because he is also an excellent student. In fact, he was nominated to the Air Force Academy coming out of high school, but wanted to stay close to home and still play football. Look for big things from this young man this coming season.
07/21/97 - Yesterday I received information about Maben High School D-I prospect Patrick Burchfield. Patrick, who plays DB/QB for Maben, has recently received letters from Ole Miss, Miss State and Arkansas. My sources say Patrick will have the core gpa. My sources also say Patrick is a super nice kid who does all that is asked of him. Sounds like this young man will be a great representative for whichever college he signs with.
07/19/97 - Here's the name of a player who is getting some serious looks from several SEC teams. Neal Thomas, a kicker from Clinton High School, has drawn interest from Ole Miss, Alabama and Kentucky. My source believes Neal is leaning to Kentucky at the moment.
07/19/97 - This may be old news to most of you, but Starkville High School QB/DB supreme Freddie Milons is leaning toward Alabama and Miss State at the moment, according to his head coach Chuck Friend.
07/18/97 - According to one of my sources, the latest word on Quitman HS football player Alex Taylor (OL, 6-2, 275-lbs), is he is leaning to Miss State and LSU. My source didn't mention a preference either way. He did say Alex is receiving a lot of mail from various colleges.
This part is my opinion. I'm sure the main knock on Alex will be his height, 6-2, but with his combination of speed, 5.1, and strength (state super heavyweight powerlifting champion this past year) how in the world can you pass him up?
07/16/97 - Another Caledonia baseball player to watch next year is Chris Nichols. He has been on the high school team since the eighth grade and started at third base his freshman and sophomore years. He will be in the 11th grade next year and plays any position except first base. He has pitched a lot this summer for Rusty Green’s Confederates. This past season, he was chosen as the most improved defensive player for Caledonia High School Baseball.
07/15/97 - Anybody know anything about any of these Mississippi High School football players?
Email me if you do.
07/14/97 - Jo Jo Minor of Columbus HS, is a 5-7, 155-lb running back who runs a 4.6 forty, but get this, has a 49" vertical leap, bench presses 300 pounds and squats 405 pounds. This guy, as you see, is a phenomenal leaper and is tremendously strong for his size. Not sure of all the schools that are looking at him, other than Miss State and Ole Miss. I have been told there are several others, just don't know who at this time. As I receive additional updates on Jo Jo, I will add them to my page. Oh, a couple of other bits of information about Jo Jo; he was selected as Columbus High School's athlete of the year this past year, plus, my source, who talked to Jo Jo personally, told me he appears to be a really nice kid.
07/13/97 - Here's a high school basketball player to watch this upcoming season. Patrick Sutherland, a 5-8 senior point guard from McAdams HS, can do it all; dribble, pass, shoot, jump (he can jump out of the gym), plus he is very smart, which gives him the knack to know when to shoot or to dish it off. This kid, according to my source, is a very sound, solid, and complete player any coach would love to have on his team. My source, who has seen this kid play quite often, feels with the proper coaching in college, he could wind up playing in the NBA. The reason very few people have heard of this kid is because he has only played one year of high school basketball. College recruiters can contact his coach Wilson Jackson at (601) 289-3838.
07/12/97 - A source of mine from Magee emailed me a little bit of info on consensus top ten Mississippi football player Justin Griffith (Tom Lemmings's Prep Report has him listed in the top 5 in Mississipppi) of Magee that all of you will find interesting. According to my source, Justin is a terrific kid who is very disciplined. His teammates both like and respect him. His parents both graduated from USM and would like for him to stay close to home. A person close to the Magee HS situation told my source that Justin is favoring Mississippi State. Justin will most likely stay in state.
Justin is an exceptional talent and an extremely hard worker. He is very strong and one of the toughest running backs my source has ever seen. He always keeps his legs pumping and thus breaks many tackles. My source saw him play once last year (against Cleveland East Side in the playoffs), and he made a lasting impression. He is not the quickest or fastest back Magee has had (Harold Shaw probably is),but he may be the best. Look for Justin to lead Magee to the 3A title this year. Whatever school is lucky enough to land this kid will have reason to celebrate. They will have improved their team and also their university.
Justin is yet to qualify. He still must make the needed score on the ACT. He will have the grades.
My source also heard some schools are looking at James Grubbs from Magee. He is a WR and also a really great kid. My source is not sure about his height or weight. He thinks he is about 6'2 or 6'3 and skinny.
You can contact coach Danny O'Coinart at (601) 849-3761.
07/11/97 - I was told, by a souce who heard it on Sports 56, that Picayune standout basketball player Jonathan Bender was considered the 5th best center at the ABCD Camp in Teaneck, New Jersey. He was the only junior in the group. PrepStars did the rankings.
07/09/97 - Here's three Caledonia baseball players to watch this coming season: Lance Dawkins, Jeremiah Blackston and Chris Wright. Chris was voted the most improved player on Caledonia's team this past year after hitting over .400.
07/07/97 - Delete Greenwood standout linebacker Tommy Lowe from your lists, folks. I found out he has graduated and is not, at this time, going to any college. Somehow, don't ask me how, he was listed as a junior this past year by everybody, but in reality wasn't and graduated. Strangest thing I have ever heard of, but my source, who is one of my best, confirmed this.
Recently there was something mentioned on the Tider Insider message board about a Marcus Greer from Greenwood High School. Up until then, I had never heard of Marcus. Well, I called out for help from you, my readers, and, as usual, you responded. You guys are the reason my page is so informative and poplular. Well, back to the subject matter at hand. Marcus, who plays DE/OL, is 6-4, 248-lbs, with 4.9 speed. He is a good kid who has camped at MSU and LSU and will camp at Arkansas. He has his core and his ACT. He is supposed to be a very good D-I prospect.
Here's other Greenwood player info:
Kendrick Wise - 6-3, 295-lb Offensive Lineman. According to my source, this guy is the best D-I prospect on Greenwood's team. He has camped at MSU, LSU and will camp at Arkansas later in the summer. Just to show you how good this guy is, my source was told Kendrick played a great game against Terrence Metcalf, according to most the number one prospect in Mississippi last year, this past football season when Metcalf was on defense. He has not taken his ACT and I don't know his core grades.
Gary Davis - 6-0, 218-lb, FB/LB, 4.5 speed. He ran a 10.6/10.7 100 meters in track. Has camped at LSU and Arkansas. He is a great kid, according to my source. His core grades will be close, plus he has not taken his ACT test.
According to my source, some of the schools that were at the Greenwood spring practices were Ole Miss, Miss State, Tennessee, Florida, Georgia, Alabama.
According to the Clell Wade Coaches Directory, you college recruiters can contact the Greenwood HS athletic office at (601) 455-7459. The head coach is Terry Moore.
07/07/97 - According to Tom Lemming's Prep Football Report, the following Mississippi senior high school players are among the best in the country:
Robert Jacobs - Wide Receiver, 6-1, 190, 4.5, Raymond
Eddie Strong - Linebacker, 6-3, 220, 4.7, Batesville
Reggie Myles - Defensive Back, 6-1, 185, 4.4, Pascagoula
Justin Griffith - Running Back, 6-1, 215, 4.5, Magee
Albert Jones - Running Back, 6-0, 210, 4.5, Jackson
If you are interested in subscribing to Tom Lemming's recruiting publication, you can contact him at: P. O. Box 59113, Schaumburg, IL. 60159
07/06/97 - In the Mississippi State games last week, Quitman HS senior-to-be lineman Alex Taylor won the 16-17 year old super heavyweight classification with a combined lift of 1,680. This was an increase of 55 pounds over what he lifted when winning the state high school championship in April. Even though Alex is only 6-2 tall, look for him to be a highly recruited lineman this coming recruiting season. Some colleges may feel 6-2 is too short for a college lineman, but with his strength and 40-sp, 5.1, I can't see too many 6-5 linemen pushing him around.
07/02/97 - Just received info. on Pillow Academy quarterback Randall Roberson. Randall, who is actually 6-1, 191 according to my source, has been contacted by several schools (not sure which ones at this time). My source said he is not only an outstanding football player, but an outstanding baseball player as well.
07/02/97 - According to the G&W Recruiting Report, the following players from Mississippi are among the top 250 football players in the country:
Albert Jones - Running Back, 6-0, 210, 4.5, Jackson
Eddie Strong - Linebacker, 6-3, 220, 4.7, Batesville
Freddie Milons - Defensive Back, 5-10, 180, 4.45, Starkville
Reggie Myles - Defensive Back, 6-1, 175, 4.4, Pascagoula
Robert Jacobs - Wide Receiver, 6-1, 190, 4.5, Raymond
Sam Forehand - Offensive Lineman, 6-7, 315, 5.3, Vancleave
G&W also lists the top five players nationally at each position. None of the Mississippi players fall into that category.
07/01/97 - Here's a baseball player to watch this coming season. His name is Eli Whiteside from New Albany. He is playing catcher for Pontotoc's American Legion team this summer, but he can practically play anywhere. He played shortstop against Amory a couple of days ago. He is about 6-2, and weighs around 185 so there is room to grow. When my source saw him catch, he was very impressed with the way he blocked balls in the dirt. He didn't let any get by him. He blocked everything. He also made every play at shortstop. He is pretty quick, and has a great arm. He is a good hitter who can develop power if he gains additional weight. According to my source, he will probably be one of the best high school seniors next year in the northern part of the state.
07/01/97 - According to a source of mine, Jackson Prep's defensive lineman Will Overstreet will be a great player in college. During Will's freshman year, after the JV season was over, he played meaningful minutes at DT in all of the varsity games that he was out for, something that is unheard of for a ninth grader at Prep. My source said Will may not have as much raw talent as Jason Cabell does, but he definitely makes up for it with desire and intensity. He loves football and wants to play in college. He is strong as an ox (365 power clean) and is both quick and fast.
My source was told that during Jackson Prep's spring practices there were coaches from LSU, MSU, Ole Miss, Auburn, and North Carolina to evaluate Will. My source also said Ole Miss might have the edge because he has heard from reliable sources that Will has favored Ole Miss growing up, althought he has not been a die hard fan of the school (parents went to Millsaps).