POPLARVILLE, Miss. — Pearl River sophomores Tae Hardy (Ellenwood, Ga.; Believe Prep) and Isaih Moore (Columbia, S.C.; Sumter) and Rodgerick Brown (Memphis, Tenn.; Cordova) have been named to the prestigious All-Region XXIII Team, the league announced Wednesday.
Of the 10-player All-Region XXIII squad, no other school had more than one selection.
Hardy and Moore were also named to the All-MACJC First Team.
The announcement comes on the heels of a record-setting season where the Wildcats set a program record with 28 wins, were the NJCAA's lone undefeated team, won the MACJC and Region XXIII titles and were awarded the top seed in the NJCAA Tournament — a first for MACJC programs.
TAE HARDY
Hardy wasted no time making an impact for PRCC after transferring from East Carolina.
Hardy led the Wildcats (28-0 overall) in multiple categories, including scoring at a 16.6 points-per-game clip. He also averaged 3.7 assists and 2.6 steals.
In his 27 games, Hardy scored in double figures 24 times with a season-high of 31 points. Hardy finished the season with a 52.1 shooting percentage from the floor, while converting 37.2 percent of his 3-point attempts and 84.2 percent of his free throws.
"I said it early in the year that he had the chance to be the best point guard I've ever coached here. Just look at all the God given talent he has. He's strong, fast, has good vision and can score at all three levels. That's something we've never had at that position," Pearl River coach Chris Oney said. "He has a strong will and desire to win basketball games. He's like any other player where he's going to make mistakes, but what he always tries to do is win games.
"When you have a kid with that determination and skillset it can't help but lead to good things."
In addition to his All-Region XXIII and All-MACJC First Team selections, Hardy also picked up a MACJC Player of the Week honor once this season. Hardy also gets it done in the classroom and earned a spot on the President's List with a 4.0 in the fall.
Hardy is committed to Southern Miss and will sign with the Golden Eagles once the signing window opens.
ISAIH MOORE
Like Hardy, Moore made his presence known from early in Pearl River's record-setting season.
The 6-foot-10 College of Charleston transfer averaged 15.9 ppg. Moore nearly averaged a double-double for the season, pulling down 9.1 rebounds a game. In fact, Moore finished his sophomore campaign with 12 double-doubles.
Moore also led PRCC in blocks, averaging 2.1.
"He's a kid who's versatile, long, athletic. He can run, stretch the defense. He can play with some toughness," said Oney, who called Moore the final piece to PRCC's puzzle. "When he first came in, we talked and the biggest issue I saw that he had was he was just immature. But he was never disrespectful or a kid who didn't work hard or play hard; he just wanted to ask why. Once he stopped asking why, and started doing, he flourished as a basketball player and person."
The St. John's signee was a three-time MACJC Player of the Week and was also named the NJCAA Division I Player of the Week once.
RODGERICK BROWN
The third member of Pearl River's "Big Three" was just as important to the Wildcats' success. The Wichita State transfer and Tulsa commit averaged 13.1 points per game with 6.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists. At 6-foot-7, 220 pounds, Brown played an important inside role for PRCC and developed a devastating fadeaway shot in the post as the season progressed.
Brown ultimately scored in double figures in 11 of PRCC's final 13 contests, with a career-high 28 points coming against Jones College in the MACJC semifinals.
"If you took stats for all the things that really matter like hustle plays, extra possessions, getting hands on the ball, he would have led us in all those categories. Some of the other guys got praise for scoring more points or getting more rebounds, but if Rod didn't do everything he did we wouldn't have been able to rip off 28 in a row," Oney said. "Rod showed a lot of versatility. What helped us so much was toward the middle and end of the season he really picked up his scoring.
"He was able to get in there and score when we were hitting lulls and couldn't buy a basket. He was really crucial for us down the stretch.
ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Hardy, Moore and Brown were all named to the All-Region XXIII Tournament Team following the Wildcats' second straight title.
The trio helped PRCC sweep through the tournament, eliminating Southern University-Shreveport 71-58, Hinds 81-54 and Jones College 75-62.
Hardy scored 40 points with 10 assists and nine rebounds during the run; Moore scored 42 points with 26 rebounds and five blocks; and Brown scored 50 points with 13 rebounds and four assists.
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