Jay Jay Swanigan will get a chance today to make an impression.
If the Columbus High School senior makes the most of his opportunity, he could realize a dream and get a shot to play basketball in college.
Swanigan will be one of 80 boys and 40 girls to participate in the USA Junior Nationals Mississippi/Louisiana All-State High School Basketball preliminaries at Millsaps College in Jackson. Three teams will be formed to represent Mississippi and Louisiana in the USA International Basketball Championship on July 8-12 in Columbus, Ohio.
Swanigan, a 6-foot-4, 210-pounder, recently completed his senior season at a member of the Columbus High boys basketball team. He also played quarterback on the school’s football team. He said Friday he is looking forward to playing against some of the state’s top players and showcasing his skills for coaches who might not know him.
“I hope it leads to my future,” Swanigan said. “I never thought I would get a chance to attend something like this because I didn’t think I had the skills or the potential to do it like most kids who attend all of these big camps and get ranked.”
When he received the letter, Swanigan said it helped boost his confidence because it showed someone thought differently about his game. He said he has used the invitation as motivation so he can make the most of his chance.
Erise Wilson Jr. has coached Swanigan on his Team Elite Mississippi Amateur Athletic Union boys basketball travel team. He said he is excited about the fact Swanigan was recommended to play in the annual event. He said it will be a great opportunity for Swanigan to prove he is capable of playing at the next level. He said former New Hope High standout Jason Tate, who went on to play at East Mississippi C.C., also played in the event and earned MVP honors.
“This is a good opportunity because everybody doesn’t get selected,” Wilson Jr. said. “When Jay Jay got this letter, it didn’t surprise me at all. This year, he may not have performed or put up the numbers he wanted during the year, but people see talent.”
Wilson Jr. said a number of college coaches will be at the event to evaluate the players. He also said he has arranged a private workout for Swanigan at William Carey, a NAIA school in Hattiesburg.
Swanigan understands the opportunity to play today could be a weight on his shoulders because he might not get another chance to perform in a formal setting so soon after the end of the high school basketball season. He hopes to do his best and to work hard to make those who have helped him and taught him proud.
“The best man wins,” Swanigan said. “Basketball will always be more than a game. It pretty much revolved around my whole life, but I couldn’t focus on that when I had households problems to take care of. That made me better as a person and have better character.”
Swanigan knows there aren’t any guarantees he will get an opportunity to play at a two- or at a four-year school. He said he plans to go with Wilson Jr. to Holmes Community College, Meridian C.C., Hinds C.C., and Northeast Mississippi C.C. for “private” workouts to see if he can make something happen. He understands it is his responsibility to make a name for himself and to show the coaches what he can do, especially since he played much of his high school career as a post player. He feels he has a better chance to play guard at the next level, so he is eager to showcase his ballhandling and shooting skills.
“I think I had an all-right season,” Swanigan said. “I had to be more of a leader. I know most of the team looked up to me because I had been there longer, so I had to step up. I think that experience will help me because it is every man for himself. They don’t know me and I don’t know them, so I am going to bring it to them.”
Gene Edwards, who works with USA Junior Nationals, said there will be more boys and girls from Mississippi that from Louisiana, although he didn’t have the exact breakdown Friday. Rosters for the event were unavailable at press time.
Edwards said this will be the event’s 22nd year at Millsaps College for a program that started in 1980. He said the Junior Nationals program is in every state except Hawaii and Alaska. He said there also are events in Canada.
“The goal of the program is to give athletes good competition to prove their skills,” Edwards said. “The second goal was to get the players another look from college coaches. There really are outstanding athletes from each state, and we do send information to college coaches. It helps them save on their recruiting budget.”
Edwards said the college coaches nominate the players or recommend others they feel belong at the event to showcase their skills. He the teams will play full-court man-to-man defense and will play motion offenses. He said those styles of play will give the coaches a chance to see the players’ “true abilities.”
Wilson Jr. planned to work with Swanigan on Saturday to get him prepared for the event. He hopes the opportunity will give Swanigan a shot to impress college coaches because he knows he is a high-character young man who has worked hard to become a better individual and a better basketball player.
“We all have to deal with other things in our lives that become priorities,” Wilson Jr. said. “He had to make a decision what was priority for him and he made those decisions between family and high school, and those were his priorities. I didn’t want him to leave (Team Elite Mississippi) because I wanted to help get him prepared for his senior year, but that didn’t happen. But we are here now.
“Jay Jay works to support his family. He also is a very good athlete as well as a student. To have great character, you have to deal with suffering. He has done that. You have to sacrifice. He is still doing that. This is what you get, the product of a good student-athlete.
“It couldn’t have been sent to a better guy, either. Whoever gets him is going to get a good kid.”
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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