During a successful basketball career at Ridgeland High School and West Point High School, senior point guard A.J. McFarland has always believed in playing one game at a time.
However, McFarland smiles broadly when he sees what lies ahead later this week for the Green Wave.
West Point and Noxubee County will play a pair of basketball games Saturday at FedExForum in Memphis as part of the Memphis Grizzlies’ High School Showcase series. The National Basketball Association franchise will be hosting around 20 high school games this season prior to regular-season NBA games for the Grizzlies.
On Saturday at the FedExForum, the West Point and Noxubee girls play at 1 p.m., while the West Point and Noxubee County boys play at 2:30 p.m.
All four teams will then be the guests of the Grizzlies for a 7 p.m. tip against the Sacramento Kings.
“This is something we have looked forward to the entire season,” McFarland said. “When coach (Brad Cox) first told us he was working to put this together we were excited. It’s a big game, because you really want to show out. You never know when that one NBA scout or coach will be in the building. To say we are excited would be an understatement.”
Cox had been exploring the option of playing a game in Memphis for a couple of years. He had also looked into the option of playing a home game at Mississippi State’s Humphrey Coliseum. After a game with Baldwyn last season, Baldwyn coach Raymond Craven said his team had played in Memphis and he strongly encouraged Cox to do the same.
“The Baldwyn coach told me they did it and it was fun,” Cox said. “It was already something I had had in the back of my mind. It has been really hard to pull it all together. As a coach, you always wants to do things that your kids enjoy. You want them to have experiences. Honestly, this may be the only chance to play in an NBA arena for most of these kids.
“You just want to make it special,” he added.
The biggest challenge was securing a date. Each school had to sell 150 tickets for the Grizzlies game to be able to play rent free. That proved not to be a challenge. Cox had to provide three potential dates to the Grizzlies, as well as an opponent.
After the Grizzlies, the University of Memphis has rights to play home games in the arena. After that, area high schools who are regulars follow. Thus, Cox was skeptical but hoping one of his three dates would work out.
“Noxubee County coach (Shermaine) Roberts told me it was something he had been thinking about as well,” Cox said. “We agreed rather quickly that it would be best to play one of our two regular-season games up there.”
Saturday’s game will be the first of two meetings between West Point and Noxubee County. This one represents Noxubee County’s home game and thus Noxubee County will also be providing the officials. The teams meet again Feb. 12 at West Point.
Noxubee County senior Damien Conner looks at the contest as a great way to help close out his basketball career at the school.
“All of the guys on the team are excited,” Conner said. “We all grow up dreaming to play in an NBA arena. It’s a big opportunity. It’s something we have been ready for the entire season.”
In November, fellow Clay County school Oak Hill Academy played West Memphis Christian in the Forum. Cox’s friend Brian Middleton coaches Oak Hill Academy. Cox said Middleton told him it was like dealing with all of the hassles of a home game, but you are playing it three hours away from home.
“At the end of the day, you do it for the kids because they love every minute of it,” Cox said.
McFarland’s squad recently enjoyed an eight-game win streak after losing the first eight games of the season. The Green Wave is now healthy and ready to make a push in the Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 5A race.
The players are not the only ones excited.
“I know the guys will be out there thinking they are (Cleveland Cavaliers player) LeBron James or (Golden State Warriors player) Steph Curry),” Cox said. “And that’s OK, because I am going to be out there coaching like I am (longtime NBA coach) Phil Jackson.”
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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