BOONEVILLE, Miss. - The Northeast Mississippi Community College men's basketball program enters its 75th all-time season with another talented, but almost entirely brand-new roster.
The Tigers' significant youth movement during the upcoming 2023-24 campaign features 13 total newcomers and nine true freshmen. Those figures are the most of any Northeast team coached by Cord Wright.
"We've got a little different look this year with a bunch of new guys, but they've been working hard in the preseason during weights and conditioning," said Wright, who begins his 11th season as headman of the Tigers.
"It's been a good group so far. We're going to be guard oriented. We do have a bunch of speed and so with that we're going to look to be a little more up-tempo. They're getting along outside the floor so it's been a good, fresh start for us."
The only two returners for Northeast are guards Allen Hughes (Clinton) and Caleb Parr (Columbus). They both became everyday starters by the time their inaugural year concluded.
Hughes facilitates the ball well while running the point. His 3.7 assists per game last season were second most on the team only behind current Cleveland State (Ohio) University standout Jalin Rice.
Parr was one of four players to average double figures during the previous campaign with a 10.8 clip. He and Corey Stephenson, who moved on to California State University at Bakersfield, were the only two Tigers to appear in all 27 games one year ago.
"I'm expecting a big year from Allen. He has really improved his shooting," said Wright. "Caleb's been awesome. His leadership off the floor is tremendous. The team is going to ride a lot on him and Allen and how they respond, especially early with these new guys."
Louzavious Thomas (Lexington) looks to bounce back after taking a redshirt last winter. He is a two-time high school state champion that was selected to compete in the prestigious Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game.
Thomas was the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the 2022 Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) Class 5A title game with a double-double of 24 points and 11 rebounds against New Hope High School.
"He's a high energy player and rebounder," Wright said. "He should really bring an exciting style of play that we really needed last year. We missed him, but we're excited to have him back."
Members of the Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference (MACCC) are now allowed to sign four out-of-state athletes. Northeast took advantage of that rules change with the additions of Tyler Byrd, Cam Collins, Ronnie Ellis and CJ Williams.
Collins (Madison, Ala.) headlines that group after participating in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game last March. He was named to the AL.com All-Tennessee Valley team after averaging 11.3 points and 5.4 rebounds as a senior.
Ellis (New Haven, Conn.) is a three-star prospect overall and the tenth best player in the state of Connecticut among his graduating class according to the 247Sports composite ratings. He was an all-state recipient from The New Haven Register.
Byrd (Memphis, Tenn.) originally committed to Morehouse (Ga.) College out of high school. Williams (Fort Worth, Texas) joins the Tigers after starting in all but one contest as a frosh at Victoria (Texas) College.
Kam Carter (New Albany) and James Dukes (Booneville) represent Northeast's traditional five-county district. Both are former all-state winners from the online publication Capital Sports.
Tyler Shephard and Zane Tipler each scored more than 1,000 career points at the prep level. The duo combined to average 44.5 points per game while guiding Pontotoc High School to the MHSAA Class 4A semifinals as seniors.
Terrence Marco (Charleston) and Chrishun Rhodes (Jackson) are two of the tallest Tigers at 6-7 and 6-6, respectively. Rounding out Northeast's lineup is Chris Crump (Tupelo) and Josh Holman (Jackson).
The Tigers are once again projected to be among the top programs in the country after receiving votes in the preseason National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division I rankings.
Northeast christens its new campaign on Thursday, November 2 by hosting Jackson State (Tenn.) Community College. It is the start of a five-game homestand that includes the inaugural Bonner Arnold Classic from November 10-11.