Friday, October 30, 2009

Monday against Wallace-Selma
Bush says ’09 Lady Wildcats much improved; only two starters return to Mathis’ 19th edition of Wildcat basketball

      POPLARVILLE — Pearl River Community College tips off its 2009-2010 women’s and men’s basketball campaigns Monday when inter-state rival Wallace-Selma visits here in Shivers Gymnasium.
      The Wildcats enter the year off a 20-9 season which saw berths in the MACJC and Region 23 tournaments, while the Lady Wildcats should eye a much-improved year over last year’s lackluster 2-22 record.
      Richard Mathis, who’s entering his 19th season at Pearl River, says his Wildcat squad will be young and inexperienced.
      “Look, we’ve only got two returning starters back (guard Rod Little of Moss Point and forward Kenderick Washington of Hinds County AHS),” he said. “Success on our part is going to depend on how quickly our freshmen people can acclimate themselves to the speed of the college game.
      “It’s a huge jump from high school to college, but we’ve signed some good in-state and out-of-state freshmen and I think they’re up to the task.”
      Mathis touted three out-of-state freshmen in forward Phillip Crawford and point Denzel McDaniel, both of Mobile, Ala., and forward Zach Vickers of Laurel Hill, Fla.
      “Most years, you consider yourself lucky of two of your three out of staters meet your expectations of be D-1 caliber, but this year I feel all three of ours (out of staters) have a good chance to be outstanding on the Juco level and can go on to D-1 schools.”
      In addition, Mathis said two PRCC football standouts have joined the squad in Emil Jones of North Forrest and Desmond Ratliff of Canton High. Jones, who quarterbacked the Wildcats grid squad the past two seasons, is a 6-foot-3, 210-pound wing player; while Ratliff, a wide receiver, joined the Wildcats hoops squad last year after the Christmas break and saw some starting time at guard.
      “Emil and Desmond are both great athletes,” Mathis said. “They’re going to be useful ingredients to our team this year.”
      Second-year Lady Wildcat mentor Toby Bush says this year’s group is a talented one.
      “We going to be a much better team,” he said. “We have plenty of depth and will put several different line ups and looks out there. I expect big things out of this team.”
      Bush only has one player returning from last year’s squad in forward Courtney LaCoste of Hancock County, but 2007 standout Olivia Magee returns after sitting out last season. Magee, a 5-foot-10 sophomore forward who prepped at Columbia High, averaged 17.4 points per outing for then-head coach Ed Walley’s squad two years ago and scored in double figures in 22 of the Lady Wildcats’ 25 games that season.
      Guard Jen Ervin of Atlanta, Ga., a sophomore transfer from North Georgia College; and forward Brittany Weathers of Oak Grove, a sophomore transfer from Gulf Coast CC (Fla.), are expected to be big contributors to Bush’s team.
      “Jen and Brittany can both be impact players,” Bush said.
      Following Monday’s season openers, PRCC eyes five straight road trips before returning home to host Holmes on Thursday, Nov. 19 (women 5 p.m., men 7 p.m.). The River travels to Baton Rouge CC (La.) Thursday, Nov. 5, Holmes Monday, Nov. 9, Delgado (La.) Thursday, Nov. 12, and Mississippi Delta Monday, Nov. 16 — all at 5 p.m. (women) and 7 p.m. (men).
      Tip off for Monday’s games are at 5 p.m. (women) and 7 p.m. (men).