BASKETBALL|Vicksburg High’s Howard, Robinson take top boys honors

At the beginning of his sophomore season, Kelsey Howard was like any other rookie trying to find a spot in Vicksburg coach Dellie C. Robinson’s rotation.

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Twelve games into the season, Robinson saw enough good things from Howard to put him into the starting lineup and his long-range shooting was just what the Gators needed. Vicksburg reeled off 16 straight wins to take the Division 3-4A regular season title and went on to the state tournament for the first time since 2003.

With success as a supporting player, the question now was whether Howard, a 6-foot-3 small forward, could handle a starring role. In 2008-09, he answered in the affirmative.

Howard, nearly single-handedly kept the Gators afloat after sophomore forward Mychal Ammons missed 14 games with an ankle injury. The Gators were again able to bounce back from a slow start in the division to win 12 of their last 14 league games. They later caught fire again in the Class 4A North State playoffs, winning three straight to lock up a second straight trip to the state tournament in Jackson.

Along the way, Howard had a career-high 33 points in a 68-54 win over Canton and then added a 26-point masterpiece to beat eventual 4A and Overall State Champion Callaway in the North State Tournament. The big-game performances helped solidify Howard’s selection as the 2009 Vicksburg Post Boys Player of the Year.

“It’s great. I think we had a very good season,” Howard said. “We were able to beat Callaway and that was a big win for us. It would’ve been fun to have played them again at the state tournament, but I know they would’ve been after us. But at least we got some respect from them.”

Callaway coach Wayne Brent said the Chargers used the motivation of the Gators’ celebration following the 58-52 upset as the catalyst toward their drive to the 4A title and then the overall championship which they won last Saturday with a 72-63 win over Hinds AHS.

“That was definitely the defining moment of our season. To hear Vicksburg celebrate in our gym left an impression. They won the game and deserved to celebrate,” Brent said after his team received the trophy as Mississippi’s best team.

In the upset, Howard made 11 of 13 shots from the field, all with a Charger in his face.

“We tried to stop him, but we couldn’t. He shot it over us,” Brent said.

Robinson, who won the Post’s Coach of the Year award for the eighth time, is beaming that he has Howard back for another run to the state tournament.

“No doubt about it, Kelsey Howard is one of the best juniors in Mississippi. He can do it all. He has all the tools to be a Division I player,” Robinson said.

“We’ve had a lot of great players come through here and he can be one of the best. Not only is he a great shooter, but at 6-3, is bigger than most guards in this state. What he needs to work on though, is his ballhandling and passing skills. He needs to be able to pass the basketball off the dribble,” Robinson said.

Howard agrees that will be a point of emphasis for him this summer.

“I have to work on my handles. I also want to get better at defense and rebounding,” Howard said.

Howard said he didn’t mind having to take on the scoring load when Ammons went out. He finished the year averaging 16.4 points per game. He made 46 percent of his shots from the field and was an 82-percent foul shooter.

“I knew I had to step up when Mike got hurt. I had to be the go-to guy,” Howard said.

“I just want to keep working hard and get us back to the Coliseum. I want to win the whole thing next year,” Howard said.

Academically, Howard says he is on pace to be eligible.

“I want to play college basketball and I know I have to get my school work in,” said Howard, who claims he’s a B and C student.

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Contact Jeff Byrd at jbyrd@vicksburgpost.com.