ELLISVILLE – Can they do it again?
The 4th-ranked Jones College Bobcats will be vying for its sixth consecutive Region 23 championship this season.
Head coach Missy Bilderback has made Jones College a perennial power when it comes to NJCAA women’s basketball. Bilderback owns an amazing 147-21 (875) record in her six seasons as head coach.
“It's really tough to win a region championship, much less five in a row,” she said. “We know that part of winning at that level is that you have to play every night because you are going to take everyone's best shot. Our players know there are high expectations, but they want to be great and they want to compete at a high level. That’s one reason I believe they chose to play here. We certainly embrace the tradition we have within our program.
“But each year it’s a new journey and new challenges. We want this team to make special memories for them and have a chance to be the best team they can be. We are talented so we know that if we can bring a great attitude, have great effort each day and also be a great teammate, great things will happen. That’s all we can really control.”
Bilderback said the team has progressed nicely heading into the regular season
“We have overall been really pleased and excited about the day to day work ethic of our team,” she said. “We have competed very hard and played well in our preseason scrimmages. We really love our team, they are fun to coach and the potential is definitely there.”
Jones, winners of four of the past five MACCC championships, has qualified for the NJCAA Division I National Tournament five consecutive years.
Last season, Jones went 20-0 in regular season and region play before falling in its opening game at the national tournament in Lubbock, Texas.
If the Bobcats are going to earn another region title this season, then they will have to do so with a mostly new roster.
Several Bobcats signed with senior colleges off of last year’s team including Daisha Bradford to Clemson, Endia Holliday to Western Carolina, Lakera Hughes to Jacksonville State, Kyjai Miles to Chicago State and Kamryn Estell to Palm Beach Atlantic,
Only five players are back from last year – guards JaKayla Johnson (Clinton), Jordan Clark (South Jones) and Kimaya Dixon (Lafayette), along with center Janai Mason (Brandon). Guard Olivia Knight (Pear) was on the team, but redshirted last season.
Johnson, a 5-foot-9 guard, has already committed to Auburn University. In 2020-21, Johnson averaged 15.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.4 steals per game. She scored in double figures in 16 of 20 games, including a season-high 39 points vs. Mississippi Gulf Coast on March 20. She participated in the WBCA All-Star Weekend.
Johnson was also a First Team All-MACCC performer, All-Region 23 and was named to the Region 23 All-Tournament Team.
Clark, a 5-foot-7 guard, played in all 21 games for Jones last year, averaging 5.7 points per game. Dixon, a 5-foot-9 guard, and Mason, a 6-foot-3 center, also saw considerable playing time for the Bobcats.
“Obviously, we have a very special player in JaKayla,” Bilderback said. “She is coming off an outstanding freshman season and clearly the expectations are high for her. She has really worked hard on her game and has earned all the success she has had. We know teams are really going to key on her, but we have so many players that are capable of making plays and scoring.
“We have a pretty balanced and deep team that is definitely a strength of this team. Olivia redshirted last year after transferring at the semester from North Alabama, but is primed to have a great year. She is a true floor general and sets the tone for the tempo and toughness we want to play with. We are excited about her leading our team at the point guard position. Jordan, Kimaya and Janai have all played well in our preseason scrimmage. We are depending on quality minutes and consistency from each of them. They will have a big role for our team this season.”
The Bobcats will have three transfers from senior colleges on this year’s team, including Ashlynn Freeman (Rosharon, Texas) from Austin Peay, Sakyia White (Tuscaloosa, Alabama) from North Alabama and Meloney Thames (Choctaw Central) from Jackson State. Freeman is a 6-foot-1 forward, White is a 6-foot-1 forward and Thames is a 5-foot-8 guard.
“We are excited to have three Division I transfers in Sakyia, Ashlynn and Meloney,” Bilderback said. “All three players are very talented and are going to have a major impact on the success of our team. Sakyia and Ash are athletic posts that can run the floor well and also can finish tough shots. They bring maturity and a high basketball IQ. Mel can flat out score the basketball and understands how to win.”
Rounding out the Jones roster will be guards Zoey Cooley (Laurel), Arianna Patton (Meridian), Amya Black (Olive Branch) and Mackenzie Thomas (Laurel), along with forward Nakyah Jones (Mobile, Alabama). Cooley is 5-foot-10, Patton is 5-foot-1, Black is 5-foot-7 and Jones is 6-foot-3.
“Mackenzie, Arianna, Amya and Zoey are a talented group of freshmen,” Bilderback said. “Each of them played in great high school programs for great coaches. They aren't typical freshmen. They have picked things up very easily and understand how to compete each day. So the expectations are very high for all of our freshmen this season.
“Nakyah is a juco transfer that is showing improvement each day. She has great size and athleticism that we need on this year’s roster.”
The Bobcats face a challenging non-conference schedule, including the season opener vs. consistently strong Wallace State-Hanceville (Alabama) on Nov. 4. The game tips at 5 p.m. at A.B. Howard Gymnasium and will air on JCJC.TV.
Jones also hosts No. 2 Tyler (Texas) in a New Year’s Eve afternoon game and will play at No. 3 Chipola (Florida) on Dec. 11. They will have a home-and-home series with No. 6 Shelton State (Alabama). They also have a home-and-home series with the No. 7 team in Division II, Arkansas State Mid-South.
The Bobcats open MACCC play on Dec. 2 with a home game vs. Meridian.
Bilderback will be assisted again by Lauren Pittman and Devin Cooper. Former standout player Keyara Jones has also joined the staff.
“We are very fortunate to have the staff that we have,” Bilderback said. “Obviously, the experience and knowledge that Coach Pittman has is so important to the success to our program. She loves being able to develop players and also has a passion for recruiting the state of Mississippi. Coach Coop has been a constant here. He has been part of all of our championships here and he has invested so much in the building of this program. Then, of course, Keyara has been an awesome addition. She is young and not far removed from playing at a high level herself. I think she is a great resource for our players and has brought a different perspective to our staff.
“But more than who they are as coaches they are all three first class people that truly care about our players. So, I am extremely thankful for the impact and hard work of our staff.”
Overall, Bilderback is excited about the upcoming season
“I think everyone has adjusted well,” she said. “We have a lot of new faces, but overall considering the amount of freshmen and transfers we have, I think the team is progressing really well.
“It’s a long season though and the goal is still to be playing our best basketball in March.”
Bobcat home games will air on JCJC.TV this season.
