By Staff
Expected to be eligible then is 6-foot-3 freshman center Jackie Gainwell, who was a primary factor in Yazoo County's 39-0 Class 3A state championship team of 2000. Gainwell signed with Mississippi State out of high school.
Gainwell also said that former Yazoo teammate Larisha Graves will join the Lady Bulldogs in January, but won't become eligible until next season.
Graves was a big link in the success of Southwest Tennessee Community College last year as a freshman. The Memphis school won the Region 7 championship and participated in the NJCAA National Championship along with Region 23 champion East Central.
In their final three years at Yazoo, the two went 109-6, winning state championships in 1999 and 2000 after finishing second in 1998.
Marty Stamper
Jones reschedules two games
When Jones Junior College made it to the MACJC State Championship football game, it caused the basketball teams to reschedule it's Nov. 17 basketball games with Delgado (La.) Community College.
The games will now be Tuesday, Jan. 29 in Ellisville, with the women playing at 6 p.m. and the men at 8 p.m.
Austin Bishop
No budget cuts here
While Mississippi teams have had games lopped off their schedules due to financial constraints, the same can't be said for all junior colleges across the nation.
Globe Institute of Technology recently competed in the Lady Wildcat Classic at Pearl River Community College in Poplarville.
Globe, located in Brooklyn, N.Y., lost 83-58 to Pearl River to fall to 0-4. Pearl River improved to 2-0 with the win.
Marty Stamper
Mississippi teams in hoops polls
The preseason NJCAA basketball polls have been released with one Mississippi team making the Top 30 for the men and one also making it for the women.
The Rangers of Northwest Mississippi are ranked No. 16 in the men's poll, while the Copiah-Lincoln women are ranked No. 16 in the women's poll.
Northeast Mississippi was listed among the teams receiving votes for the men, while the women's teams getting votes were Northeast Mississippi and Northwest Mississippi.
The No. 1 ranked men's team in the country is Indian Hills (Iowa), while Dixie (Utah) College is second, Daytona Beach (Fla.) is third, San Jacinto (Texas) is fourth and Wabash (Ill.) Valley is fifth.
Southwest Tennessee, which beat Meridian Community College 104-69 on Saturday, is ranked No. 10.
On the women's side, Northeast Oklahoma A&M is No. 1, while Arizona Western is No. 2, Midland (Texas) College is No. 3, Jefferson (Mo.) College is No. 4 and Seward (Kan.) County is No. 5.
Austin Bishop
Davis puts up some big numbers
Jones Junior College running back Ralph Davis, who played his high school football at Quitman High School, finished ninth in the nation among rushers, according to the NJCAA.
Davis carried the ball 212 times for 1,334 yards and eight touchdowns, an average of 121.3 yards per game.
The leading rusher in the country rated by yards gained per game is Gerrard Jackson of Dodge City (Kansas) Community College.
In eight games he picked up 1,164 yards for an average of 145.5 per game.
The NJCAA's leading passer was Charlie Reese of Pearl River Community College. He hit on 216-of-354 passes for 2,553 yards and 25 touchdowns for an average of 283.7 yards per game.
Austin Bishop