BOONEVILLE, Miss. - Northeast Mississippi Community College head men's basketball coach Cord Wright needed to rejuvenate his team's roster ahead of the 2024-25 campaign.
Depth was an occasional issue for the Tigers last winter. Northeast had only eight players that averaged more than 10 minutes per game and still found a way to win its eighth all-time Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference (MACCC) championship.
However, Wright and the Tigers do not plan to have that problem again. Northeast boasts a full complement of 15 talented standouts that are on a mission to make a trip to Kansas for the national tournament.
Returning National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) All-American Tyler Byrd leads that charge for the Tigers after finishing third in the MACCC with 17.9 points per game.
The Memphis, Tenn., native reached double figures in 28 of Northeast's 32 contests overall. He had a busy offseason with showcase stops in the states of Arizona, Georgia and South Carolina.
"He's gotten a lot better, which is a good sign for an All-American," said Wright. "I think he's been more of a leader. He's trying to be more vocal. The growth off the floor is really showing."
Josh Holman (Jackson Academy) and Terrence Marco (Charleston) are back in the post for the Tigers. Marco recorded a team-best 1.3 blocks per game during his debut season.
Holman, who has committed to Western Illinois University, topped Northeast in rebounding at 6.5 and in field goal percentage at 55.8. He and Byrd both registered three double-double performances.
"Josh is unique in the aspect of he's not really a guy looking to score. He really wants the ball in his hand to be a playmaker," Wright said. "I'll commend Terrence. His biggest growth is just being able to be consistent, show up everyday and know your role."
Zane Tipler (Pontotoc) will finally get to don a black-and-gold jersey after missing last season while recovering from an injury at the prep level. He tallied 21.2 points, 6.1 assists and 5.1 rebounds as a senior.
Landon Jeffries (Olive Branch), Devin Jones (Velma Jackson), Ismail Rashid (Brandon) and Stephon Thomas (Wingfield) give the Tigers some extra experience after transferring from in-state institutions.
Jeffries headlines that group after helping Tougaloo College claim the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC) title. He posted 5.8 points and a team-high 2.2 assists for the Bulldogs in their run to the NAIA playoffs.
Jones was recognized by the Mississippi Association of Coaches (MAC) as the inaugural Mr. Basketball for Class 2A in 2023 after averaging a near double-double with 20.6 points and 9.5 rebounds.
Northeast has seven true freshmen in its lineup, including Javion Stephen from defending Class 5A champion Olive Branch. He had a team-best 13 points in the title matchup against Ridgeland inside the historic Mississippi Coliseum.
Marreon Smith and Jayden Tatum had solid careers at Columbus. Tatum was a four-year varsity letterwinner for the Falcons while Smith was the lone future Tiger in the 2024 Northeast Mississippi Basketball Coaches Association (NEMBCA) All-Star Games.
Tayler Berryhill was well decorated following his final campaign at Cleveland Central. He was named to The Clarion-Ledger's Large School All-State second-team and competed in the prestigious Mississippi-Alabama All-Star Game.
Josh Williams was the recipient of Shelby County Reporter Player of the Year honors after guiding Helena (Ala.) High School to its first ever Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) Final Four behind averages of 18.7 points and 7.3 rebounds.
Rounding out the Tigers' roster are a pair of Cincy products in Michael Johnson and Ru Mills. Johnson was described as one of Ohio's best wings by Scorebook Live while Mills was the Cincinnati Metro Athletic Conference's (CMAC) leading scorer with 24 points per contest.
"This year's team, right now, I'm extremely excited. I think I've got 15 guys that I feel very capable of throwing in the game at any point," said Wright. "We get after it and I've been really, really pleased with how hard we play."