Vicksburg High’s Devin Jones, left, and coach Dellie Robinson led the Gators to the Class 5A state championship, the school’s first in 23 years. Both were runaway choices for The Vicksburg Post’s Boys Player and Coach of the Year awards.

(Melanie Duncan ThortisThe Vicksburg Post)

[4/13/03]Back in October, when the first wind sprints of the 2002-03 basketball season were being run, the Vicksburg Gators knew they had a team good enough to make it to the Mississippi Coliseum for the state basketball tournament.

Nobody figured it was good enough to win a state championship.

“Once I sit down by myself and think about it, it’s unbelievable,” VHS point guard Devin Jones said. “I knew we had a team that was capable of doing it, but never in a million years did I think we would.”

It didn’t take a million years, just a little over five months and one magical run through the state playoffs. Led by coach Dellie Robinson, who won his first state title in 24 years as a high school coach, and Jones, who averaged 16.2 points per game for the season and 25.3 during the three games of the state tournament, Vicksburg brought home its first state championship since 1980.

Now, Robinson and Jones are sharing in another honor The Vicksburg Post’s Coach and Boys’ Player of the Year awards, respectively.

“This is my last year, and I’m just thankful the good lord gave me the opportunity to play basketball and sent me to a coach who could turn me into the type of basketball player that I am today,” said Jones, who also averaged 5.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 2.3 steals this season.

Both Robinson and Jones admit they couldn’t have reached the heights they did this season without the other.

The two Gators share a unique relationship that is closer to family than player and coach. That made winning a state title with Robinson even more special, Jones said.

“It means a lot to me, because I look at that as paying me back for all of the things he does for me,” Jones said. “He’s like a father to me. That pretty much spells it out. He tells me to stay away from things that would probably lead me astray from my goals in life.”

Throughout the season, Jones proved he was the Gators’ MVP. When he was on the floor, Vicksburg usually won. When he struggled or was in foul trouble, the Gators struggled.

Jones’ ability to see the floor and understand game situations made him an invaluable asset, Robinson said.

“I’ve said this before, he was the glue that kept us together. We lost eight ballgames, and out of those eight ballgames D.J. got in foul trouble. We never lost a ballgame when D.J. played 32 minutes,” Robinson said. “He understands what we need, when we need it. If we need a score, he’s going to score. If we need to play defense, he’s going to play defense. If we need a steal, he’s going to get it for us.”

Jones was never bigger for the Gators than at the Coliseum. He helped Vicksburg to the championship game by collecting 24 points and eight rebounds against Moss Point, then followed it up with a 30-point effort against Hattiesburg in the semifinals.

For the championship game against McDonald’s All-American Travis Outlaw and the Starkville Yellowjackets, Jones saved the best for last.

He had 22 points and 11 rebounds as the Gators won 61-54 in overtime. After missing a pair of free throws late in the game, he collected himself and never missed again. He hit seven free throws in the last three minutes of regulation and overtime to take the Gators home with the gold ball.

“I said in every game we’ve been in, D.J. hit free throws coming down the stretch to win for us. He’s a true leader, a true warrior,” Robinson said. “We knew one thing, that we wanted to get the ball in his hands. I believe in him, and he stepped up to the free throw line in overtime and made them.”

After the tournament was over, the real challenge came for Jones.

Virtually ignored by college coaches during the season, his play at The Big House created a buzz that has evolved into plenty of attention from schools.

Jones said he hasn’t decided where he’ll go yet, but is getting calls from East Carolina, Alcorn State, Howard, Belhaven, Mississippi College, and a slew of junior colleges. National signing day is Friday.

“I’m just going to wait it out as long as I can. It’s a decision that’s going to affect me for a long time coming,” said Jones, who has already qualified academically.

Whichever school lands Jones will be lucky to have him, Robinson said.

“Whoever gets him is going to have a sleeper. Whoever passes on him is going to miss an opportunity to have a great player,” Robinson said.

While Jones was one great player, Robinson was fortunate to have several this season. The Gators featured three other senior starters in addition to Jones Roy Williams, Jamaal Thomas, and Lemira Scott who offered a complete package of skills.

Each could step out and shoot a 3-pointer, play defense, or take it to the basket, yet each also had their own roles that contributed to the Gators’ success. Williams was a lock-down defensive star, Thomas and Scott were rebounders and shot-blockers, and junior Sedrick Williams provided a lethal outside scoring touch.

“I think what this team had better than any I’ve had was the threat of the 3-point shot,” Robinson said. “We had excellent starters, and they played their roles well.”

Robinson didn’t just rely on his players’ talent, though. He also proved adept at handling plenty of tough situations on the road to the championship, from quietly suggesting the Gators get the ball to Scott more often when he wasn’t getting enough touches early in the season, to rallying his troops from 14 points down in the tournament win over Moss Point.

Robinson’s best job may have been in the championship game, though, when it seemed he didn’t have to say much.

When Starkville’s Jarvis Hill hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to send the game to overtime, it would have been easy for the shell-shocked Gators to fold.

Instead, Robinson got to the huddle and saw his players ready to shake off the huge shot and win the game in overtime. In that moment, everything Robinson had put into his team throughout the year paid off.

The Gators went on to outscore Starkville 12-5 in overtime, and the rest is history.

“When Starkville was still celebrating, they were ready to play. They said we’ve got this,’ and they believed they were going to win,” Robinson said.

The Gators had to believe in themselves, because it seemed no one else did. Vicksburg was never ranked in the state polls, and finished behind Provine a team Vicksburg beat twice in both the Associated Press and Clarion-Ledger polls.

That was just fine by Robinson, though. He knows where the Gators stand, he said, as a wide smile spread across his face and reflected in the gold ball sitting on his desk.

“We’re just happy to be where we are, because we’re state champions and we wouldn’t trade that for being No. 1 nowhere,” Robinson said.