ICC Men's Basketball
	In the News...   []  ICC's Pulliam signs with four-year school (6/29/2009) Itawamba Community College's Greg Pulliam has signed with Spring Hill College in Mobile, Ala. The former Houston High School standout becomes the sixth player from this past year's squad at ICC to sign with a four-year school. Pulliam was one of only four Indians to play in all 28 games for the nationally-ranked Itawamba program. The wing player started four of those contests, averaged 15 minutes a game along with scoring six points, grabbing two and half boards and was third on the team in field goal percentage (60-112, 54%). The 6'2, 170 pound sophomore also hit 71 percent from the free throw line (34-48) and was 7-15 (47%) from behind the three-point arc. "I'm looking forward to taking what I learned here under Coach (Marty) Cooper and playing at the next level," said Pulliam, who was helping his former head coach this past week at the annual ICC Team Camp. "Greg made some big shots for us this year and they also seemed to be in critical games," said Cooper, whose program has captured three straight division titles, which hasn't happened at the College in men's basketball in 35 years. "You can see that when you look at his shooting percentages inside conference play." Pulliam made 67% of his three-point shots inside the division and 78% from the free throw line and was part of a sophomore class that captured a state, regional and two division titles along with finishing with a 49-13 record overall.   []  ICC's McCalmon signs with Blue Mountain (6/25/2009) Itawamba Community College's Josh McCalmon signed with Blue Mountain College this (Thursday) afternoon inside the media room of the Davis Event Center. The former Tishomingo County High School standout becomes the fifth Indian from this past season's squad to sign with a four-year school. "I think it's going to work out just fine at Blue Mountain," said McCalmon, who is helping this week at the College's annual hosting of a high school team camp. "It's not too far away from home and they play in a good league." McCalmon played in 26 games and started eight of those contests this past season for head coach Marty Cooper's program, who has won the last three north division titles. The 6'2, 160 pound Iuka native averaged 4.5 points and 2.5 rebounds while averaging 15 minutes a night on the floor. The guard also led the team in free throwing shooting at 78.3 percent (18-23) and hit 45 percent from the floor (37-82). "I really like this fit with Josh heading to Blue Mountain," said Cooper, who is set to begin his 12th season at Itawamba. "Josh was a part of a sensational sophomore class that won 49 games for us and lost just 13 over the last two years."   []  ICC signs a pair of Memphis standouts (6/9/2009) Itawamba Community College's men's basketball program has dipped into the basketball rich city of Memphis for its latest two signings. Melvin Morgan is a 5'8, 150 pound point guard, who played at Memphis Bolton High School, while James Hampton is a 6'6, 260 pound post player out of Memphis Ridgeway High School. Morgan averaged 18 points and six assists this past season as he earned first team all-district and first team all-region recognition, while being named Mr. Bolton Basketball. "Melvin is the point guard of the future for the Indians," said ICC head coach Marty Cooper, who has directed his program to three straight division titles, which hasn't happened at the College in men's basketball in 35 years. "He knows how to run a team." Itawamba then inked Hampton, who according to Cooper, looks very similar to Glen "Baby Face" Davis, who played at LSU and now in the NBA for the Boston Celtics. Evidently, he can play along those same lines as Davis, as he averaged a double-double his senior campaign at Ridgeway with 14 points and 10 rebounds along with a pair of block shots a night as he was named the team MVP and made second team all-district and second team all-region. "James is the inside presence that we were missing in this year's signing class," added Cooper, who will be announcing some other signings in the future.   []  ICC's MVP is Jason Marks (5/27/2009) Itawamba Community College won its third straight north division title this past season in men's basketball and that hasn't happened at the College in 35 years. The Indians put an official wrap to its 2008-09 campaign by handing out awards at its annual banquet and the team MVP was Jason Marks of Little Rock, Ark. The Southeastern Louisiana signee also grabbed the ICC Rebounding Award (8 rpg). Pontotoc's Gary Dixon, who led the team in scoring at 15 points a game, was named the Offensive Player of the Year. Head Coach Marty Cooper was thrilled at the Southeastern Louisiana signee's turnaround this past season after he scored only 21 points during his entire freshman season. Former Tishomingo County High School standout, Josh McCalmon, was named the ICC Defensive Player of the Year. The Assist Leader was Nettleton's Pierre Hadley (4 apg), who also led the team in steals (1.8 spg) while the Indian award went to Texas Tech signee, Theron Jenkins of Flowood (13.5 ppg, 5 rpg). The Sophomore Awards went to Houston's Greg Pulliam and Nick Luttrell, who was the third Indian this year to sign with the D 'I program, Southeastern Louisiana. Cooper added all seven of these sophomores received a nice plaque, which included the accomplishments of a 49-13 record in their two years at ICC, won back to back north division titles and captured the MACJC State Championship a year ago.   []  Another ICC standout signs with D' I program (5/6/2009) Gary Dixon is the latest Itawamba Community College men's basketball player to sign an NCAA Division I basketball scholarship. The former Pontotoc High School standout became the fourth player on this year's ICC squad to go D' 1 when he inked his scholarship papers to play next year at Southeastern Louisiana. Dixon will now join two of his Indian teammates, Jason Marks and Nick Luttrell, who previously signed with the same Lions program. "That is pretty neat that I'll be playing with Jason and Nick again the next couple of years," said Dixon, who transformed his game from scoring only 21 points in his entire freshman campaign to leading ICC in scoring this past season. "I have really worked hard to get myself in this position and I can't thank (ICC) Coach (Marty) Cooper enough. But I also know I need to get in the weight room and get stronger." The second team MACJC All-State selection led the three-time north division champs in scoring with a 15 point average and also topped the Indians with 63 3's in 142 attempts (44.4%). Theron Jenkins was the fourth ICC player to sign with an NCAA Division I program when he signed early with Texas Tech of the Big 12 conference.   []  ICC's Luttrell signs Division I scholarship (4/22/2009) Itawamba Community College's Nick Luttrell has become the third member of this past season's Indian basketball team to sign an NCAA Division I scholarship. The 6'8, 225 post player, who signed with Indiana University Purdue University-Fort Wayne (Summit League) out of Independence High School in Spring Hill, Tenn., will join one of his ICC teammates, Jason Marks, on next year's Southeastern Louisiana squad. "I signed a D 1 scholarship out of high school and things just didn't work out up in Indiana but I think this will be a better fit for me," said Luttrell, who was hampered by injuries the first part of this past season and finished the campaign averaging five points and four boards a night for the north division champion Indians. " I really enjoyed my time here at ICC and will take some of my lessons learned to Southeastern Louisiana next year." Marks (Little Rock, Ark.) signed with SE Louisiana during the NCAA Early Signing Period in November along with Theron Jenkins (Flowood) of ICC, who inked a national letter of intent with Texas Tech.   []  ICC Basketball inks 11 on National Signing Day (4/8/2009) Itawamba Community College's basketball programs signed a total of 11 players on National Signing Day. Head coach Nanci Gray and her Lady Indians inked seven from the area, while head coach Marty Cooper and his Indians signed four future players. The Lady Indians signed a pair from Fulton, Anna Dill and Noel Prestage. Dill was named the Player of the Year in District 1-4A, made the 1st team All-State (4A), was listed in the Daily Journal's All-Area second-team and for the fourth straight season made the first team all-district 1-4A squad after scoring 15 a night along with eight rebounds and three assists. Prestage, who made 106 3-point shots this past year, was a first team All-State (4A)and All-Region 1-4A selection after averaging 15 points, five rebounds and three assists a game for Itawamba AHS. ICC also signed Tupelo Lady Wave MVP, Mandy Collins, who also won the Lady Wave Award after scoring 10 points, grabbing seven boards and dishing out two assists a game. Collins's teammate at THS, Trenisha Trice, who earned the Tupelo Black & Blue Award (Dirty Work Award) averaged 10 points, six rebounds and two assists, also signed with the Lady Indians. Gray and her program, which has showcased, for the first time in school history, back to back 20 win plus seasons and two division titles, also signed two from Houston High School. Tiffany Pierce, who was a first-team All-State (3A) and All-Region 2-3A selection along with a second-team Daily Journal All-Area pick, averaged 13 points, eight rebounds and two assists a game. Her teammate, Katherine Payne, who made honorable mention All-Region 2-3A, scored 10 points a game along with seven rebounds and three assists for the Lady Hilltoppers. Calhoun City's MVP Ebony Williams, who was the Player of the Year in District 1-1A along with making the first team inside the division, completed the signing day list for ICC's women's program. Williams averaged 24 points, 10.5 rebounds and five assists per game during her senior campaign. The ICC men's program inked four players, three of which made the Daily Journal All-Area listing after their senior campaigns. Shannon's Xavier Ruth (6'2, 180 guard) is a transfer from Delta State, where he averaged 24 points a game during his senior season with the Red Raiders to earn the honor from the Daily Journal along with making the all-division squad. Denardo Watkins (6'2, 170 guard) was a first-team Daily Journal selection after scoring 19.4 points per game and five and a half rebounds this past season for the Red Raiders, which earned him a spot on the all-division team. Jamal Farr (6'2, 175 guard) of Nettleton also made the all-division team along with a second-team pick on the Daily Journal's All-Area squad after scoring 16.2 points, six rebounds and four-point-two assists for the Tigers. Tupelo's Devon Shannon (5'9, 150, point guard) rounded out the signings for the Indians, who for the first time in 35 years have won three straight north division titles. Shannon averaged 12 points and six assists per contest this past season for the Golden Wave. Both Gray and Cooper added there will be more signees in the future. Did you know... The men's program at ICC has won three straight north division crowns for the first time in 35 years when the College's legendary coach Buster Davis roamed the Itawamba bench area. For the first time in school history, ICC won two MACJC state championships on the same day. (Men's and Women's Basketball -- February 28, 2008)