Senate Concurrent Resolution 627

(As Adopted by Senate and House)

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION COMMENDING THE JONES COUNTY JUNIOR COLLEGE "BOBCATS" BASKETBALL TEAM AND COACH JAY LADNER FOR MAKING HISTORY BY WINNING THE NJCAA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP.

WHEREAS, Jones County Junior College made history on March 22, 2014, winning the NJCAA Men's Basketball National Championship with an 87-77 win over Indian Hills Community College (Iowa). Entering the tournament as the No. 11 seed, the Bobcats became the lowest-seeded team at any level of NJCAA Basketball to win a National Title; and

WHEREAS, Jones County Junior College is now the first Mississippi team to ever win the NJCAA Division One Men's National Title, and they did it in the program's first trip to the Tournament; and

WHEREAS, recording a double-double, Bobcats forward Leroy Fludd led the upset of the top-seeded Warriors with a team-high 20 points and a game-high 13 rebounds. The freshman knocked down 6-of-13 shots from the field and was 8-for-12 from the free throw line. Jones County freshman guard Bryce Jones directed the offensive attack with a game-high six assists and picked away four steals on the defensive end of the floor. The Bobcats' defense smothered Indian Hills, holding the Warriors to a 35.1 shooting percentage; and

WHEREAS, winning five games in five days, Jones County began their run to the title with a tight 81-79 victory over No. 22-seed Highland (Ill.) in the first round. In the second round, the Bobcats pulled out a 91-82 win over No. 6-seed Hill (Texas) before hitting their stride with an 86-79 victory over No. 3-seed Chipola (Fla.) in Thursday's quarterfinals. In the Semifinals, Jones County took care of No. 2-seed Vincennes (Ind.), 76-63. The Bobcats' five victories in the National Tournament capped off their 2013-2014 season with eight-straight victories and a 28-5 overall record. Having lost only two games all season – one due to forfeit – Indian Hills fell to 34-3 on the season with the defeat; and

WHEREAS, the Jones County Junior College Bobcats are led by Basketball Coach Jay Ladner who is one of the best coaches in the country, and Assistant Coaches Derek Pearson and Jesse Carlin. Ladner is a 21-year Mississippi High School Coach (20 at St. Stanislaus in Bay St. Louis and one at Oak Grove), and son of one of the most influential coaches in Mississippi history, J. Larry Ladner. "Basketball has always been my dad's passion and he has touched more coaches than I could count throughout this country," Jay Ladner said. "To have him there the whole time in Hutchinson to experience this was special beyond words." Also influential was Coach Ladner's relationship with his former college Coach, the late M.K. Turk. Coach Ladner played for Turk's 1987 NIT Championship Team. Also important was Coach Richard Williams' influence, the ex-Mississippi State Coach who served as Volunteer Assistant to Ladner at St. Stanislaus; and

WHEREAS, three of the Bobcats are from Brooklyn, New York, the rest from Mississippi. "There's a toughness to our team that is probably best explained by the fact they are either from Brooklyn or from Mississippi," Ladner said; and

WHEREAS, the 2013-2014 Bobcats Championship Roster is: Darris McLendon, Thaddeus Hall, Adrian Williams, Johnny Zuppardo, Tyler Rhodes, Bryce Perry, Demarcus Myers, Jared Tillman, Ashton Woodson, Leo Garrett, Leroy Fludd, Christopher White, Bryce Jones, Otis Harvey and Cecil Hartfield; Head Coach Jay Ladner; Associate Head Coach Jesse Carlin IV; Assistant Coaches: James Cole, Sai Quon Stone and Derek Pearson; Managers: Chris Johnson, Gunner Pacide, Jamal Wilkerson, Morgan Adam and Sydnee Mellow; Athletic Director Katie Herrington; and

WHEREAS, we join in celebrating the First National Junior College Men's Basketball Championship in the long, storied history of the Mississippi Junior College system:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby commend the Jones County Junior College "Bobcats" Basketball Team and Coach Jay Ladner for making history by winning the NJCAA National Championship, and extend our best wishes to this team which has brought honor to their college, their community and to the State of Mississippi.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to Coach Ladner, Jones County Junior College President Dr. Jesse Smith, forwarded to the State Community College Board and made available to the Capitol Press Corps.