POPLARVILLE, Miss. — Pearl River has many traditions. One of its proudest is sending Wildcats on to the next level so they can pursue their dreams and career ambitions. Men's basketball coach Chris Oney has been one of the leaders in the state when it comes to getting his student athletes to the next level and the 2019-20 record-setting 'Cats are no different. Four Wildcats signed with four-year programs during the spring signing period.
Rodgerick Brown (Memphis, Tenn.; Cordova) signed with New Mexico, Tae Hardy (Ellenwood, Ga.; Believe Prep) signed with Southern Miss and Cameron Smith (Okolona) is headed to Cal State-Bakersfield. Kelvin Allen (Olive Branch) signed with Rogers State over the weekend.
The aforementioned Wildcats joined Isaih Moore (Columbia, S.C.; Sumter), who signed with St. John's in the fall.
"I'm excited for them. Obviously one of the main reasons they came here was to hopefully have the chance to move on to a four-year school and continue to get their education paid for while competing for championships," Oney said. "Each one of these schools are getting quality young men who will be productive citizens in their towns and as well as good student athletes who will try to compete and win basketball games."
KELVIN ALLEN
Like Smith, Allen played a pivotal role on PRCC's only two NJCAA Tournament teams. As a freshman, Allen shot over 50 percent from the floor and averaged 7.1 points-per-game. He also averaged 3.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists per contest. This season, Allen averaged 8.0 ppg with 2.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists.
The Olive Branch native finished his PRCC career scoring 435 points in 58 games.
"Kelvin will go down as one of the winningest players in Pearl River history," Oney said. "He played a huge role on back-to-back Region XXIII Championship teams."
Allen now moves on to Division II power Rogers State. A member of the MIAA located in Claremore, Oklahoma, the Hillcats are fresh off of a 24-6 season and have won at least 18 games every season dating back to 2014-15.
RODGERICK BROWN
Brown transferred to Pearl River from Wichita State and made an immediate impact. While it took him a little while to find his groove, Brown was arguably one of PRCC's most impactful players down the stretch as the Wildcats chased history.
"Rod came here and had a huge impact on our 2019-20 team," Oney said. "He was the ultimate team player and when I go back and watch film, the way he competed jumps off the screen.
"He did so many things to help us win the 28 games and helped us achieve everything we did as a team."
Brown finished the season averaging 13.1 points. He also pulled in 6.5 rebounds per game while recording 1.3 assists and 1.3 steals.
TAE HARDY
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.
"Tae Hardy was a First Team All-American teammate from the first day he stepped on campus," Oney said. "I couldn't be more excited for him and myself because I get the opportunity to watch him compete 30 minutes down the road for the next two years."
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.
In addition to his First Team All-American, All-Region XXIII and All-MACJC First Team selections, Hardy also picked up a MACJC Player of the Week honor once this season.
Additionally, Hardy got it done in the classroom and earned a spot on the President's List with a 4.0 in the fall.
ISAIH MOORE
The 6-foot-10 All-American 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," Oney said. "We told him he was the last piece of the puzzle when we recruited him. He was something that we never really had, which was a 6-10 kid who could step out and shoot, play inside and protect the rim."
Moore was a three-time MACJC Player of the Week and was also named the NJCAA Division I Player of the Week once.
CAMERON SMITH
Smith embodies the idea that good things come to those who work hard. While he was on two Region XXIII Championship squads, Smith really found a niche for himself as a sophomore in 2019-20.
"Cam is one I probably smile about the most when thinking about where he started to what he became at the end," Oney said. "He was a kid who was seldom used as a freshman and then this year he was a guy I couldn't take off the floor."
Asked if he saw this kind of trajectory from Smith, Oney bragged that the former Okolona star checked in with the staff more than anyone else while working by himself over the summer.
"It's gratifying to say that hard work does pay off," Oney said.
As a freshman, Smith averaged 1.5 points in 18 games. This year, Smith scored at a 7.9 ppg clip and pulled in 6.7 rebounds per game to go along with 1.9 assists and 1.5 steals. To show how far Smith had progressed, the 6-foot-7 sophomore was the only Wildcat who played all 40 minutes in PRCC's Region XXIII Championship win over Jones College.
NEXT-LEVEL WILDCATS
The Wildcats' most recent crop of next-level student athletes join a long list of four-year signees under Oney that includes Chris Agbo (Indiana State), Ray Anderson (Southern), C.J. Brim (North Alabama), Brandon Cranford (William Carey), Jartavius Dobbs (William Carey), Cam Douglas (William Carey), Jonas James III (Jackson State), Rodney Mallet (William Carey), Javontae McDavid (William Carey), Ryan McRaney (William Carey), Kirk Parker (Southern), Langston Powell (UL-Monroe), Brandon Rachal (Tulsa), Jerrod Rigby (Southern Miss), Jvari Thigpen (William Carey) and LaGarious White (Tougalou).
RECORD SETTING SEASON
The Wildcats' historic run was cut short by the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic, but Pearl River still had a season to remember. Among the season's highlights, Pearl River's 28-0 record set a program-high, the Wildcats were the lone undefeated team in the NJCAA, PRCC was the first Mississippi school to earn the No. 1 seed in the NJCAA Tournament, the Wildcats claimed the MACJC championship and a second consecutive Region XXIII title; and the Wildcats were the first Mississippi school to qualify for the NJCAA Tournament with an unblemished record. In addition to the student athletes' awards, Oney was named the MACJC, Region XXIII and NJCAA Coach of the Year.
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