EMCC Lions ready to tip off men’s hoops slate with Northeast-hosted tourney

SCOOBA – The East Mississippi Community College men's basketball team looks to become tournament tested during the first two months of the regular season. The Lions are ready to tip off their 2023-24 season this weekend (Nov. 10-11) in Booneville by competing in the Bonner Arnold Classic, hosted by Northeast Mississippi Community College.

Set to compete in their first of two in-state tournaments during back-to-back weekends, the EMCC Lions are slated to take on Dyersburg State (TN) Friday at 5:30 p.m. and the Baton Rouge Basketball Post Grad Academy team Saturday at 3 p.m. All tournament games this weekend will be played at NEMCC's Bonner Arnold Coliseum.

The following weekend (Nov. 17-18), the Lions are scheduled to participate in the Pearl River Classic in Poplarville, where they are set to meet Southern University-Shreveport on Friday (5:30 p.m.) and Southern Union State on Saturday (1 p.m.) at PRCC's Marvin R. White Coliseum.  

Guided by ninth-year head coach Billy Begley, the 2023-24 Lions will feature a sophomore-laden team that has only one true freshman listed on their 13-man roster. EMCC's experienced collection of returning talent is comprised of six players back from last year's 20-6 club (10-4 in MACCC play) as well as the re-emergence of the productive inside-outside tandem of versatile forward Nick Walker (Hattiesburg) and sharp-shooting guard Hunter McCutcheon (Louisville, KY), who both previously started for the Lions a couple of seasons ago before briefly stepping away from the game.

East Mississippi's half-dozen returners consist of reigning starting point guard Tremaine Dixon Jr. (Raymond), perimeter threats Andrew Mason (Bardstown, KY) and Ashten Michael (Edwards/Clinton HS), swing player Terrell Dixon (Jackson/Brandon HS), along with forwards Christian Noel (Utica/Raymond HS) and Parker Henry (Meridian/West Lauderdale HS). Dixon Jr. (9.3 ppg), Mason (9.2 ppg) and Dixon (6.6 ppg) collectively averaged 25 points per game between them a year ago.

Back on the Scooba campus and attempting to pick up where they left off, Walker and McCutcheon both averaged 12 points an outing as EMCC starters during the 2020-21 COVID season. Walker nearly averaged double-double numbers as a previous two-year starting forward, while McCutcheon drained 53 three-pointers three years ago for the Lions.

Joining the Lions' eight-man veteran contingent of returning players is a trio of four-year transfers in Phillip Hughes (UT Martin/Madison-Ridgeland Academy), Sayerr Senghore (Bellevue College/Woodinville, WA), and Johnny Taylor Jr. (Chattanooga/Orlando, FL), plus East Central CC transfer guard James Granger Jr. (Scooba/Kemper County HS) and true freshman guard Donovan Griffin (Starkville/DeSoto Central HS).

Following their season-opening weekend trips to Booneville and Poplarville as well as a Nov. 13 visit to Shelton State between the two tournaments, the Lions will return to Scooba to team up with the EMCC women's team for four straight home doubleheaders during a two-week span heading into the semester break. Northwest Mississippi (Nov. 27) will be followed by Shelton State (Dec. 4), Jones (Dec. 7) and Meridian (Dec. 11) coming to the Scooba campus for twin-bill basketball action prior to the Christmas/New Year's holidays.

The Lions are then scheduled to close out the 2023 calendar year in tournament road action away from the Magnolia State by playing three games in as many days (Dec. 29-31) at the Pensacola State College Classic in Florida. EMCC's tournament foes between the year-ending holidays are slated to be Bishop State (AL), host Pensacola State (FL) and Panola College (TX).