STARKVILLE — One of the best shooters in Mississippi high school basketball has been assured the same offensive freedom at his next stop on the hardwood.
Starkville High School guard Jacolby Mobley has the reputation of taking and making shots from at least 25 feet out in his final two seasons with the Yellow Jackets program. The 6-foot guard will have the opportunity to play the same style of basketball after signing with East Mississippi Community College Tuesday afternoon.
EMCC head coach Mark White sold Mobley on his program by using former SHS player Coco Ware, who would go on to become a first-team junior college All America selection two years ago before signing with Mississippi Valley State University, as a perfect example to his player development process.
“As I told him, that’s his role on our team and I don’t want him to be any different,” White said. “We showed Jacolby the stats and our guards have always led our team in scoring and taken the most shots. That’s what he does — he’s an unbelievable shooting talent.”
EMCC made a third straight appearance in the NJCAA Men’s National Basketball Championships this season and White, a former Mississippi State assistant coach, has compiled a five-year coaching record of 103-42 with the Lions, including collective marks of 75-16 overall and 33-3 in MACJC North Division regular-season play over the last three seasons.
“They got a great program and it was perfect because they always win so I love to win,” Mobley said.
Mobley being close to home for at least the first two years of college at EMCC was a major factor to choosing EMCC as his next stop after he graduates from high school.
“I didn’t want to be too far away from my momma now and knowing I can come home any weekend I want is good to know,” Mobley said. “I’ve always loved basketball so to get to do it at the college level is very exciting for me.”
White and SHS coach Greg Carter are connected as former MSU assistant coaches under Rick Stansbury and the pipeline of talent from SHS to EMCC is obviously evident to the Lions’ success on a national stage.
“I always told Greg since I’ve been at East that any player that he has the God-given ability to be a college basketball player then we want,” White said. “You look at the track record of guys from Starkville with John Harris, Woody Howard and so on. We love Starkville guys and it’s huge to get guys from Greg’s program.”
Mobley is one of three Starkville High School talents signed to play at the next level joining forward Gavin Ware inking with Mississippi State during the early period and forward Tory Rice agreeing to play at Itawamba Community College Tuesday as well.
“I enjoy moments like this because it’s an opportunity for them to not only play basketball but to get a college education,” Carter said. “It makes me feel good because a college education is so important to young men.”
White said one of the first games he saw Mobley play this season is when the Yellow Jackets guard dropped 25 points in a half on Aberdeen, who eventually played in the Class 3A state semifinals, and finished with a career-high 35 points.
“He would make shots from everywhere this year,” White said. “What we say is you have to give us an unbelievable effort — we do that on the defensive end. In doing that, we let you have offensive freedom. It’s a trade-off.”
Rice, who was sometimes overshadowed by the recruiting hype of Ware’s recruiting attention, will be playing next season under new head coach Grant Pate.
“Now is my time to show people what I got as a player,” Rice said. “It is great to get into a college that will let me continue my basketball career.
Pate, 44, took over as head coach of the Tupelo Golden Wave in 2008 and guided the team to a 26-9 record and their first trip to MHSAA State Tournament since 1999 where they advanced to the Class 6A championship game. He finished with an overall record of 92-31 in four seasons as head coach of the Golden Wave.
Rice, a 6-foot-4 forward, was one of two local talents going to ICC joining East Oktibbeha High School star Chris Harris with the Indians program.
“Both of these kids played in a championship program and that’s whatwe hope to bring to Itawamba so I couldn’t think of two better guys to start us as we embark in a new era here,” Pate said. “Success breeds success and winning speaks for itself. Those guys are prepared and been there before.”
Harris averaged 17.7 points per game and 11.7 rebounds per game in his final season at East Oktibbeha in the wide-open playing style that Pate ran also in his successful tenure at Tupelo High School.
“Chris brings that type of leadership to our team,” East Oktibbeha coach Barnett Robinson said in January. “You know he is going to play hard and do whatever he can to make his team better. His attitude is great, and he always works hard to be better in everything he does.”
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