Jackson Free Press

Jackson State basketball is at its best when its recruiting local kids, and if last week's news is any indication of things to come, there are some good times ahead for the Tiger faithful.

New coach Wayne Brent picked up his first big commitment from highly touted forward Treshawn Bolden. A former player of Brents before he left Callaway High School to take the JSU gig, Bolden reportedly held offers from Auburn, DePaul, Marquette, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Oklahoma, Southern Miss and Virginia Commonwealth.

Jackson Public Schools annually produce an abundance of quality college players, but usually those upper-tier players select the other schools off of that list.

Bolden's commitment is a coup for Brent, but if he has it his way, Bolden will be the first of many JPS products to give Jackson State a second look.

"We've got to handle the local kids first," Brent said Friday. "It's remarkable how much talent there is in Jackson Public Schools. Then we want to look at some small towns around Jackson, whether its Yazoo City, Greenwood or Greenville."

The signing period for recruits to name their college choice ends next Wednesday, then the real work starts. The second part of Brent's plan is to bring the fans back to the games by getting the whole community involved.

That started Friday morning, when dozens of Tiger basketball fans and several members of the media gathered at Koinonia Coffee House on Adams Street to hear the incoming coach talk hoops.

"We have to figure out how to get the community back in the games," Brent said. "We have to make a priority of selling season tickets and then we need the people who buy the tickets to show up. If you come just one time, give us one shot, we've got you. You'll like what you see."

The school is organizing a bus tour for Brent and football coach Rick Comegy to visit with different chapters of the JSU Alumni Association in May.

The 45-year-old coach just finished his sixth season at Callaway, where he won four of the last five state championships. He won the first of his five total state titles in 1998 at his alma mater, Provine.

Brent replaced Tevester Anderson, who had held the position for 10 years and compiled a record of 250-222 before announcing his retirement on March 18.

Season tickets are being discounted until Aug. 31, and start as low as $45 for general admission. Brent said his recruiting will only be as good as the attendance figures.

"When I bring a kid in on a visit, and we walk out on that court, and there are 700 or 800 people there, then I've lost that recruiting tool," Brent said. "I'll have to find another way to sell that kid on Jackson State. But if we come out of the locker room and there are 8,000 screaming fans, that kid is going to want to be a part of that."