Mississippi

How Chris Youngblood filled Latrell Wrightsell’s role vs. Mississippi State

Published

1 year ago

January 30, 2025

How Chris Youngblood filled Latrell Wrightsell’s role vs. Mississippi State

STARKVILLE, Miss. – Chris Youngblood was a man possessed in his second start of the season. The fifth-year guard shot the lights out from 3-point range, scoring 23 points and connecting on 7 of 10 shots from beyond the arc in No. 4 Alabama’s 88-84 win over No. 14 Mississippi State on Wednesday. Youngblood’s timely 3s lifted Alabama past a ranked top-15 SEC opponent on the road for the third time this season.

After the game, Youngblood said that “humbly speaking” he was pretty sure he had connected on 70% of his shots from deep before. It’s an understandably confident response from a veteran guard who has been an elite scorer for four seasons and is finding that same level with Alabama.

“You just don’t really think about it, you know,” Youngblood reflected after the game. “You make the goal to go shot for shot, don’t really think about the next shot or the last shot. I missed two free throws in a row. That was crazy, but just keep it going.”

Youngblood’s outstanding evening from 3 was reminiscent of another sharpshooter who was supposed to dominate for the Tide this season. Fellow fifth-year guard Latrell Wrightsell Jr. was shooting 42.2% from 3 through Alabama’s first eight games before a ruptured Achilles ended his season.

Wrightsell’s injury was a major blow for the Tide, especially its output from deep. Alabama has had some good shooting games without Wrightsell but entered Wednesday shooting just 32.5% from 3 as a team.

However, Youngblood’s best display in an Alabama uniform had shades of Wrightsell’s shotmaking as he hit timely 3 after timely 3 to bury the Bulldogs. Alabama coach Nate Oats is hoping Youngblood has turned a corner, and he might not have to worry about replacing the shooting output Wrightsell was supposed to provide this season.

“Would’ve been nice to have them together,” Oats said after the game. “We’d be shooting the ball from 3 a lot better as a team if we had them both this year. That was the original plan. Now, Latrell went out and Chris is finally getting back to where he’s feeling comfortable. His ankle’s feeling close to 100%. Yeah, I’d like for him to shoot it — Trelly shot it really well last year and in the games he played this year. Chris is getting more comfortable shooting it well.

“We need guys to kind of complement Mark [Sears]. Mark can make plays, get guys open. We need guys to knock down shots and hopefully, this is Chris’ coming out party here because he looked pretty good on both ends of the floor.”

There’s plenty of evidence Youngblood can be the answer to any of Alabama’s shooting struggles. He shot north of 40% from 3 in each of his last three seasons before arriving at Alabama. Youngblood’s scoring ability was a big factor in him winning Co-American Athletic Conference Player of the Year and why Alabama plucked him from the transfer portal this offseason. His latest performance upped his 3-point percentage to 35.2% this season.

Youngblood wasn’t the only one of Alabama’s guards embraced his inner Wrightsell on Wednesday. As a team, Alabama shot 15 of 31, 48% from deep which is by far its best outing of the season. In addition to Youngblood’s seven makes, Sears and sophomore forward Aden Holloway combined for six 3s.

“We weren’t really trying to do anything special,” Oats said of the Tide’s shooting performance. “They do a good job. They turned us over 14 times. Their defense was good. They kind of forced turnovers. We were trying to get the spacing right we didn’t do that like we needed to all the time. The ball was moving. I thought guys hit shots — you know, Youngblood’s open, he didn’t pass up open looks.”

Alabama’s guards took another huge step in collectively finding their rhythm and hit 3s at the same clip and efficiency that Wrightsell did Alabama in his first eight games this season and throughout last. Oats is continuing to hold the team’s best shooters to a high standard to do so.

“I thought Holloway passed some open ones up,” Oats said. “Him, Sears, Youngblood can never pass up an open shot, ever. Youngblood didn’t. I don’t think Sears did either. He didn’t get very many open ones with the way they were guarding him. But guys being confident, stepping up, making big shots was big for us.”

Alabama will look to replicate its elite shooting against Mississippi State when it returns home to take on Georgia on Saturday. The Tide and Bulldogs will face off at 3 p.m. CT inside Coleman Coliseum. The game will be broadcast on ESPN 2.

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Mississippi

14-year-old girl arrested for shooting 8-year-old in Mississippi

Published

54 minutes ago

April 14, 2026

Press Room

14-year-old girl arrested for shooting 8-year-old in Mississippi

WARREN COUNTY, Miss. (WJTV) – Deputies in Warren County, Mississippi, arrested a 14-year-old girl for allegedly shooting an 8-year-old.

Warren County Sheriff Martin Pace said the shooting happened on Abraham Drive just before 4:00 p.m. on April 13, 2026.

According to the sheriff, the female victim was transported to a Jackson hospital for treatment. He said deputies recovered a handgun at the scene.

There’s no motive for the shooting, and the investigation is ongoing.

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Mississippi

A potential opportunity to lower car tag costs across Mississippi

Published

13 hours ago

April 14, 2026

Press Room

A potential opportunity to lower car tag costs across Mississippi

A follow-up on high car tag costs in Mississippi shows major differences in what drivers pay depending on where they live, even across the street, according to new data from the Mississippi State Auditor’s Office.The data highlights large price gaps across the metro area, with some residents paying hundreds of dollars more based solely on location and county lines.The State Auditor’s Office data shows that at Ridgeland Ranch Apartments, a car tag costs $571.64. At Trails at Northpointe Apartments directly across the street, the same tag rises to $1,490.48.The highest cost in the region is $1,676.30 at Yazoo Estates, while the lowest is $343.30 in the Oakfield neighborhood.Resident Keith Bush said he has experienced the difference firsthand.“When I lived in Hinds County, my car tag started at $1,500,” Bush said. Now living at Ridgeland Ranch Apartments, Bush said his cost is significantly lower.Bush said, “I don’t want to tell you the exact price, but it is under $200.”State Rep. Ronnie Crudup Jr. of District 71 says the high costs in Hinds County are an ongoing issue tied to local financial obligations, including school infrastructure.Crudup said, “We all know that we got the highest tags. I think even in Hans County, and uh, you know, a lot of that is due to, I guess, our, our, our population in, in our school building.”He added that part of the cost comes from maintaining unused school buildings in the Jackson Public Schools system.Crudup said, “You know, some of the schools are closed. The schools are still on their books right now, because they’re still responsible for the buildings and the maintenance and all that type of thing. I think as they come off their books. I think there’s a chance then that we’ll be able to reduce the price of the car tags.”Bush said, “That would be great. I think a lot of people will have some ideas of where they want to move.”Lawmakers are considering House Bill 1395, which has already passed both chambers. The bill would speed up the sale of unused school buildings, which supporters say could reduce costs, limit delays, and open the door for redevelopment.In a statement, Jackson Public Schools said, “Jackson Public Schools is committed to the strategic repurposing of surplus properties to strengthen communities and improve the district’s financial position, guided by thoughtful planning, stakeholder engagement, and a focus on long-term impact for our scholars and families.We are also grateful to the Mississippi Legislature, and especially the Hinds County Delegation, for their advocacy and support of this legislative change, which provides school districts with greater flexibility to better serve our scholars and community.”Officials said if the bill is signed into law, it could help reduce long-term costs. For now, the data shows that where you live still plays a major role in how much you pay for a car tag.

The data highlights large price gaps across the metro area, with some residents paying hundreds of dollars more based solely on location and county lines.

The State Auditor’s Office data shows that at Ridgeland Ranch Apartments, a car tag costs $571.64. At Trails at Northpointe Apartments directly across the street, the same tag rises to $1,490.48.

The highest cost in the region is $1,676.30 at Yazoo Estates, while the lowest is $343.30 in the Oakfield neighborhood.

Resident Keith Bush said he has experienced the difference firsthand.

“When I lived in Hinds County, my car tag started at $1,500,” Bush said.

Now living at Ridgeland Ranch Apartments, Bush said his cost is significantly lower.

Bush said, “I don’t want to tell you the exact price, but it is under $200.”

State Rep. Ronnie Crudup Jr. of District 71 says the high costs in Hinds County are an ongoing issue tied to local financial obligations, including school infrastructure.

Crudup said, “We all know that we got the highest tags. I think even in Hans County, and uh, you know, a lot of that is due to, I guess, our, our, our population in, in our school building.”

He added that part of the cost comes from maintaining unused school buildings in the Jackson Public Schools system.

Crudup said, “You know, some of the schools are closed. The schools are still on their books right now, because they’re still responsible for the buildings and the maintenance and all that type of thing. I think as they come off their books. I think there’s a chance then that we’ll be able to reduce the price of the car tags.”

Bush said, “That would be great. I think a lot of people will have some ideas of where they want to move.”

Lawmakers are considering House Bill 1395, which has already passed both chambers. The bill would speed up the sale of unused school buildings, which supporters say could reduce costs, limit delays, and open the door for redevelopment.

In a statement, Jackson Public Schools said, “Jackson Public Schools is committed to the strategic repurposing of surplus properties to strengthen communities and improve the district’s financial position, guided by thoughtful planning, stakeholder engagement, and a focus on long-term impact for our scholars and families.

We are also grateful to the Mississippi Legislature, and especially the Hinds County Delegation, for their advocacy and support of this legislative change, which provides school districts with greater flexibility to better serve our scholars and community.”

Officials said if the bill is signed into law, it could help reduce long-term costs. For now, the data shows that where you live still plays a major role in how much you pay for a car tag.

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Mississippi

IRS owes Mississippi residents $9.9 million. Are you missing free money?

Published

1 day ago

April 13, 2026

Press Room

IRS owes Mississippi residents .9 million. Are you missing free money?

Are you missing out on free money? The IRS estimates that 1.3 million Americans are missing out on their 2022 income tax refunds because they haven’t filed their taxes. That totals about $1.2 billion in unclaimed money.

Many taxpayers are missing out on income tax returns because they haven’t filed. Some are years late.

The final deadline to be eligible is April 15. If people miss it, the money becomes property of the U.S. Treasury.

How many people in Mississippi could get a check?

According to the IRS, Mississippi taxpayers are owed about $9.9 million.

Approximately 11,800 people who haven’t filed their 2022 taxes could get a refund. The median amount is $635, so half of refunds could be more than that.

What if I didn’t file my 2022 taxes? When is the deadline?

You have until April 15, 2026, to file back-year returns.

The IRS said you might still be eligible for the check, but only people who have filed their taxes will get one.

If you owe money or haven’t filed for 2023 or 2024 tax years, your check could be held. The money could also be garnished for unpaid child support or federal student loans.

People also have to file their 2025 taxes to get any refunds that might be owed.

Bonnie Bolden is the Deep South Connect reporter for Mississippi with USA TODAY NETWORK. Email her at bbolden@gannett.com.

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