JACKSON, Miss. - A trio of talented sophomores have gained recognition for their roles in producing yet another sensational season by the Northeast Mississippi Community College men's basketball program.
Isaac Chatman, Jalen Perkins and DeAnthony Tipler were all recognized with Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACJC) All-State honors.
In addition, Tipler was selected as a National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) All-Region 23 performer after leading the entire Magnolia State in scoring.
"I'm extremely excited for all three guys," said Northeast head coach Cord Wright. "They played important roles in our team having the success that it had. I'm very thankful for their hard work and how they continued to get better all year long."
Tipler became the first Tiger to average north of 20 points per game since Travis Lee during the 2007-08 campaign. He posted 20.4 points thanks in part to a 37.8 percent clip from three-point range.
The Ashland product was a two-time MACJC Player of the Week winner this season, including after a career-high 41-point performance during Northeast's home triumph over East Mississippi Community College.
Tipler's final career figures during his two-year stint on the Booneville campus include 889 points, 201 assists, 186 rebounds and 85 steals in 53 total appearances. He was tabbed as the eighteenth NJCAA All-American in program history.
Chatman joined Tipler on the first-team after transferring to Northeast following a stellar freshman campaign at Campbell (N.C.) University. He was the lone Tiger to start in all 27 contests this year.
He topped Northeast in the rebounding department with 7.1 per game. Chatman shot better than 50 percent from the floor and finished second on the squad in scoring with an average of 13.8 points.
The Cordova (Ala.) High School graduate recorded three double-doubles, including an impressive effort of 20 points and 14 boards during a victory over Hinds Community College in the semifinal round of the MACJC Tournament.
Chatman produced a career-best 23 points in a triumph versus Blessed In Jesus' Name Preparatory Academy inside legendary Bonner Arnold Coliseum. He accumulated five 20-plus point outings overall.
Perkins earned second-team accolades after showing improvement in almost every major statistical category when compared to his inaugural campaign in the City of Hospitality.
He became the first Tiger to average more than one block per game in back-to-back seasons since Al Azulphar from 2013-15. Perkins paced Northeast with 1.3 blocks and tallied a career-high six swats in a win over Southern (La.) University at Shreveport.
The Walker, La., native placed third for the Tigers with 11.5 points and second with 6.4 rebounds. Perkins set a career-best mark of 20 points during Northeast's victory at Northwest Mississippi Community College.
Perkins reached double figures during 10 of the first 11 contests of the season, which included a solid night in the Tigers' win over Lawson State (Ala.) Community College with 19 points on an effective 7 of 10 shooting from the field.
These three athletes helped Northeast capture the MACJC North Division championship for the second time in four years and a No. 18 final ranking in the NJCAA Division I poll after compiling a 24-3 record.