Tyler Talley never saw a shot he didn’t like — at least that’s how Starkville coach Greg Carter perceived it.
Carter and his assistant coaches, sometimes puzzled with Talley’s shooting decisions, would bring him to the sideline to question the shots. They would be greeted by a familiar response.
“He always had the same answer,” Carter recalled. “‘I can make that shot.'”
Thursday, Talley revealed that he would continue his basketball career at Holmes Community College.
He cemented the decision by pulling a black-billed, white baseball cap with “HCC” inscribed on it from below the table where he sat before signing his scholarship papers on site.
Averaging 14 points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals per game this year, Talley was a member of a five-man senior class that helped the Yellow Jackets to an 83-10 record the past two seasons.
The group closed out its high school career with back-to-back Mississippi High School Activities Association Final Four appearances — capturing the title in 2019 with a 61-46 win over Meridian in the championship game March 9.
Talley will join teammate Jamarion Brown at Holmes Community College next season — something he acknowledged played a major factor in his decision.
“He’s been wanting me to come to Holmes to keep the chemistry going,” Talley said. “So I guess he’s excited for me to go there.”
Together, there was one NBA duo that came to mind between when Talley described he and Brown’s relationship.
“I’d characterize our relationship like LeBron James and (Dwyane) Wade,” he said.
While James and Wade did their damage in the red and black of the Miami Heat, it will be Talley and Brown donning the same color scheme in Goodman next season as the Bulldogs look to avenge their Region XXIII title game loss that ended their 2019 season.
“I’m just ready to get there and play basketball,” Talley said.
Ben Portnoy reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @bportnoy15.
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