POPLARVILLE, Miss. — Pearl River men's basketball has been one of the most decorated programs in the nation in recent years, but the success and recognition that the program has seen wouldn't have been possible without the help of Darral Willis Jr.
The Madison, Wisconsin, native will be recognized on July 30 as part of the Pearl River Community College Athletics Hall of Fame presented by Keith's Superstores. He joins a class that includes women's soccer's Hannah McCarty, football's Randy Boyette and baseball's Jake Smith.
"It's wonderful," Willis said. "I've put my blood, sweat and tears into this game. To be inducted into the Hall of Fame is a huge accomplishment. I'm really proud of that, but I didn't do it by myself.
"I had some wonderful teammates and an excellent coach who helped me out."
Tickets for the banquet and golf teams can still be secured by visiting PRCCAthletics.com/HOF or by calling Traci Spence at (601) 403-1193.
PEARL RIVER CAREER
The move to Mississippi was an easy one for Willis to make. Having family in the area and current head coach Chris Oney's persistence made the Wildcats an obvious choice.
His decision paid off as he quickly began filling up the stat sheet in the maroon and gold.
As a freshman in the 2014-15 season, Willis averaged 13.1 points and 7.1 rebounds on the way to a MACJC Championship. He was voted to the All-MACJC South Division and All-Region 23 teams.
The 6-foot-9 Willis had a breakout season as a sophomore and quickly began garnering attention from four-year programs across the country. He averaged 18.4 points and 10.8 rebounds on the season, scored more than 20 points in nine games and finished the year with 15 double-doubles. His best performance of his Wildcat career came in the MACJC quarterfinals when he finished with 29 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks while going a perfect 13-13 from the free-throw line.
At the end of his sophomore season, Willis was named an NJCAA Third-Team All-America selection.
Oney felt Willis had an abundance of talent and made his teammates better players.
"He was one man that two people always had to guard," Oney said. "Teams were never able to play him one-on-one, which made us a better team and made the players around him better. He was tough and cared about winning.
"He practiced every day like it was a championship game."
The success didn't surprise Willis because Oney had high expectations for him.
"I wasn't super surprised that I did well because coach Oney told me that it was going to happen to me," Willis said. "He completely called it when he was recruiting me. Once he said it, I handled the business on my end, and it came true."
Oney thought that Willis' standout career helped to put Pearl River on the map.
"I think that Darral changed the way that people thought about our program on the national level," Oney said. "We were obviously really good and had good players, but when Darral got here, people started paying more attention to us."
Willis was thankful that he had the opportunity to play for coach Oney.
"Coach Oney is a very unique guy and make sure you capitalize unique because he truly is," Willis said. "I have nothing but good words and respect for him. I hope he and his family are doing well. I wouldn't be getting inducted into the Hall of Fame if it wasn't for him. I really appreciate him and what he has done for me."
AFTER PEARL RIVER
When his Pearl River career came to an end, Willis held offers from Arizona State, Marquette, LSU, Oklahoma State and Mississippi State before ultimately choosing Wichita State as his new home.
Over two seasons with the Shockers, Willis helped lead the team to a 56-14 record, Missouri Valley Conference regular-season and tournament championships and two NCAA tournament appearances. He averaged 23.4 points per 40 minutes which was one of the highest totals in WSU history. He scored double-digits 36 times and reached 20 points four times.
After his Wichita State career concluded, Willis took his talents overseas to play in the Cypriot League in the 2018-2019 season, where he led his team to the Cypriot Cup and was named MVP of the game, scoring 40 points and pulling in 17 rebounds.
He spent seasons in Russia and France before moving to the Italian league in 2021.
GOLF TOURNAMENT
The golf tournament is a four-person scramble format and will be at 10 a.m. July 30. Each team is $600. The fee includes green fees, golf cart rental, food, beverages and a gift bag courtesy of BankPlus.
Anyone who wishes to participate is encouraged to register quickly as the number of teams is limited at The Bridges. To register to play, or to become a sponsor, visit PRCCAthletics.com/HOF.
BANQUET
The banquet will include a Hall of Fame social hour from 5-6 p.m., followed by a general admission social hour from 6-7 p.m. The ceremony will start at 7 p.m.
Families can purchase individual dinner tickets for only $100. Sponsorship packages are also available for the banquet, beginning at $2,500. More information on sponsorship opportunities is available at PRCCAthletics.com/HOF.
ABOUT THE HALL OF FAME
The Pearl River Athletics Hall of Fame currently houses 134 of the greatest student athletes and coaches to represent The River. The Hall of Fame was established in 1988 with an eight-person class and has been an annual staple at PRCC with the exception of 2020; the ceremony was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
HOW TO NOMINATE
For a full list of PRCC Hall of Famers, visit PRCCAthletics.com/HOF/roster.
Know someone who's deserving of being enshrined? You can visit PRCCAthletics.com/HOF/Hall_of_Fame_nomination_form to fill out the nomination form.
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