Most of you have probably noticed some changes to MagnoliaHoops recently so I’ll explain a little about that. I am transitioning from a team and Mississippi (MHSAA) site to a player based site. I will primarily cover Mississippi but am not limiting myself to the state borders. I have had more request and suggestions to cover the kids more. I will be building player recruiting profiles soon. This will take some time so please bear with me during the process. I will be getting with Coaches ,hopefully, soon to get information from the players. In the meantime, here’s some of my notes over the last month.
MS vs AL All-Star Game
Jarkel Joiner (6-1 G Oxford) was named game MVP as MS beat the “Best Alabama team ever” 96-91. I saw that on several locations and I will say it was a very, very good Alabama team. Just shows how good the Magnolia boys are. Kel dropped a game high 24 on the shooting 9-9 from the free-throw line. The thing that impressed me the most was the defense that he played. He stepped up and showed his defensive ability to the fullest. Jesse Little (6-10 F Starkville) had a really good first half against the much bigger Alabama boys. Jesse banged hard with them and collected 9 boards. Dewayne Cox (6-1 G Ripley) was my player of the game. He erased all questions of whether or not he could play on the D1 level. He had 11 points and 5 boards but his defensive presence was felt. He guarded his man full court all 20 minutes he played. He only recorded 3 blocks and 1 steal but the pesky guard had to be the team leader in 50-50 balls and tipped passes. Not to take anything away from Ty Jones (6-6 G Pontotoc) but all-star settings are not his best style of game. He had a bad game in the junior all-star game last year and never got going in this one either. He is best suited for a controlled atmosphere and that’s what he will get at the next level. He is a future all-conference player in the making. For the backwards MS boys (Alabama), Herb Jones (6-7 G/F Hale County) is GOOD. He is very underrated. He finished with 17 points, 8 rebounds and 3 steals. MS State soon to be (or not be?) big man Garrison Brooks (6-10 C Auburn) and Alex Reese (6-9 F Pelham) went 2-10 from the floor and only totaled 3 rebounds.
MAC Junior All-Star Game
The best MAC roster ever in this game and that’s despite several D1 caliber players being left off. It’s going to take one heck of a class to overtake them. Miles Miller (6-3 G Meridian) played very well scoring 19 points and dishing out 5 assist. His Wildcat teammate, Ty Brewer (6-6 G/F Meridian), paced the south in scoring with 20 points and 9 rebounds. Ty also had a baseline poster on Robert Woodard II. Speaking of the Gatorade Player of the Year (Congrats Robert), Woodard (6-6 G/F Columbus) had a bad shooting night going 0-4 from the floor. He made up for it in the second half with his impressive dribbling and passing. Robert scored 6 points and grabbed 9 rebounds to go with 6 assist. His former House teammate displayed his passing skills as well. DeAnthony Tipler (5-11 G Ashland) had a game high 7 dimes while scoring 18 points. DaQuan Smith (6-1 G Holly Springs) struggled thru a cold first half and still finished with 16 points. He had an And 1 where he rose up to dunk and then he elevated another 6 inches once he was in the air. The game MVP, Javian Fleming (6-9 C Canton), was unstoppable. Why you say unstoppable? Well, he was 8-8 from the floor and 2-2 from the free-throw line. Big Jay had 14 boards and 3 blocks also. Welcome to the big stage Dewayne Stewart Jr (6-5 G Riverside). DJ was 4-6 free long range and was 7-8 from the charity stripe coring a game high 21 points.
Battle of the South Classic
Special thanks to LeMond Roy for the hospitality shown during the event. Congrats to the winners:
17U: Da House (MS)
16U: Starkville Swish (MS)
15U: Xpress Sports INC (LA)
14U: Jackson Lakers Elite (MS)
13U: Louisiana Blazers Elite (LA)
12U: Jackson Lakers Elite (MS)
11U: Triple Threat Raptors (LA)
10U: Family Elite (AR)
Impressing in the 17U division were:
Joshua Strozier (6-6 2018 SF Holt, AL) Alabama Celtics (AL): A shooter with size and some hops. The long haired lefty got him a poster on DaQuan Smith.
LaTreveon Jones (5-10 2018 G Washington HS; Shreveport, LA) Xpress Sports (LA): The best shooter at the event. He was lights out from behind the arc.
Jon D Warren (6-0 2018 G Corinth) Da House (MS): Jon D played his heart out to win the championship. He got to the rim easy and finished strong.
JaQuondre Bethany (6-0 2018 G Provine) Mississippi Hawks (MS): He had the best dunk of the tournament with a body over Strozier. It can be seen on Twitter or MaxPreps. Go watch it.
Kenneth Nwuba (6-10 2018 F/C Oak Hill Academy; Mouth of Wilson, VA) MBA Hoops (MS): Shot blocking machine. He even snagged a block in mid air. The big man was a beast on the defensive end.
Impressing in the 15U were:
Daeshun Ruffin (5-9 2021 PG) Jackson Tigers Elite (MS): One of the best players in JPS middle school system. Keep an eye on him as he gets to the high school ranks.
Lakevion Dixon (6-0 2021 F Yazoo County) Jackson Tigers Elite (MS): Yazoo County has a player coming. Very impressive athlete that can play at a top level.
Impressing in the 13U were:
Tyler Boudreaux (6-1 2023 G/F University Lab Tech; Baton Rouge, LA) Louisiana Blazers Elite (LA): He was head and shoulders above everybody else in his age group. He could be a top 50 player if he keeps developing.
Other events and notes coming soon!
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