Mississippi

Lawrence Central’s top-40 girls basketball recruit Jaylah Lampley commits to SEC school

Published

1 year ago

October 15, 2024

Lawrence Central’s top-40 girls basketball recruit Jaylah Lampley commits to SEC school

Jaylah Lampley was in the process of narrowing down her list of colleges late in the AAU season when Mississippi State coach Sam Purcell gave her a call.

Just give me a chance, the third-year coach told the nationally ranked Lawrence Central senior, promising her the trip to Mississippi State would be “the best experience.”

That September visit, Lampley said Sunday afternoon, “literally changed my mind.”

The southern hospitality, the familial relationship quickly forged between her and the MSU coaches and players, the facilities. “It was like something you’d see in a Disney show or something,” Lampley said, citing also the academics (she’ll be able to begin working toward her nursing degree as a freshman).

“After the first night of the visit, I knew it was home,” Lampley continued. “I had to wait and visit the other schools to give them a chance, but (MSU) felt like home as soon as I stepped on campus.”

Recruiting rankings See where Indiana’s top girls basketball players land

The connection was immediate and Tuesday night, the four-star prospect (ESPN) made things official, announcing her commitment to Mississippi State.

A 6-1 guard, Lampley had previously narrowed her list to Cal, Georgia, Louisville, Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Rutgers.

“(The recruiting process) has been a very long time and I’m glad it’s ending here,” said Lampley, whose recruitment began her seventh-grade year. “I’m just excited to enter a new chapter in my life and I’m thankful for every school that offered me, and even the schools that didn’t offer me — I’m thankful they even watched me play and were interested in me. I’m just thankful for the whole experience. … I feel like coach Sam is going to get me right and he’s going to help me get to the WNBA.”

Lampley had seemingly fallen off Mississippi State’s radar following the coaching change from Nikki McCray-Penson to Purcell, and had moved on to exploring official visits with other schools. But Purcell thought she was actually a 2026 prospect, Lampley said, and upon realizing his error, reached out to her parents then to her directly, re-offering her a scholarship and inviting her to Starkville to see the campus.

Ever since that call, Lampley’s seen him in the stands at basically all her games.

“He was always nodding his head, giving me a thumbs up or a little wave,” she said. “I genuinely felt like he cared about me. … I gave him a chance and I feel like that was the best decision I could have made.”

The Bulldogs landed one of the nation’s best in Lampley.

Ranked 38th nationally by ESPN in the Class of 2025, she will go down among the greatest girls basketball players in Lawrence Central history after leading the Bears to their first state championship as a junior. Lampley is already the program’s all-time leading scorer, and enters her senior year with 1,276 points, 445 rebounds, 152 assists and 148 steals.

Lampley’s versatility is perhaps what makes her so dangerous. She’s a well-rounded offensive threat, capable of beating teams from basically anywhere on the floor (45% FG, 36% 3PT), including in the paint, where her size and physicality make her dangerous. Those assets serve her well on the defensive end, as well, where her speed and length make her an absolute menace within LC’s defense.

The Indiana Junior All-Star averaged 18 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.1 steals as a junior, and will enter the 2024-25 campaign among the early favorites in a loaded IndyStar Miss Basketball field.

Of course, with Lampley’s commitment comes questions about what it might mean for her younger sister, junior Lola Lampley. Ranked 22nd nationally by ESPN, the 2026 guard is a two-time USA Basketball National Team pick (U16 and U17 teams) and holds a number of high-Division I offers.

Asked if she might be leading the charge on bringing Lola to Starkville, Jaylah said she plans on letting her find her own way.

“I’m going to let her do her, because when it was my recruitment, I got to do what I wanted to do,” she said. “Regardless of whether we go to the same school or not, I’m still going to be proud of her and support her.”

Follow Brian Haenchen on Twitter at @Brian_Haenchen.

Source link

Click to comment

Mississippi

Mississippi lawmakers to tackle school choice, PERS reform as session begins

Published

4 hours ago

January 5, 2026

Press Room

BILOXI, Miss. (WLOX) – Mississippi lawmakers will address school choice legislation, PERS reform, and Gulf Coast Restoration Fund distribution when the legislative session begins Tuesday, according to political analyst Frank Corder with the Magnolia Tribune.

School choice

Corder said school choice will likely be the first major issue addressed, with House Speaker Jason White making it one of his main agenda items this session.

School choice policies would let families use public funds to enroll their children in schools outside their assigned local option, including private schools.

“It wouldn’t surprise me if the first week or two, we don’t see a bill dropped and by the end of January, there’s some kind of action on that bill,” said Corder.

The Senate will likely take a more measured approach to school choice legislation, Corder said. Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann has said he supports opening up public-to-public transfers but not necessarily allowing money to follow students from public to private schools.

ALSO READ: Lt. Gov. targets chronic absenteeism, supports limited school choice options

Corder expects Mississippi will pass some form of public-to-public transfer system that allows parents to choose schools outside their assigned district, though he is uncertain whether universal school choice will advance this session.

Gulf Coast Restoration Fund

This session, lawmakers will look at how Gulf Coast Restoration Funds are distributed, Corder said. The fund operates as an advisory body that makes recommendations to the Mississippi Development Authority, which then sends proposals to lawmakers for funding decisions.

Corder said Coast lawmakers have typically been unified in their requests, but when they are not, funding has lagged.

“I do expect them to maybe revamp how things are done this time. If it doesn’t happen, I’ll be surprised,” he said.

ALSO READ: 16 projects recommended for Gulf Coast Restoration Funds

Corder believes focus will shift toward larger, coastwide projects spanning from Jackson County to Hancock County, including infrastructure improvements and coastal restoration projects.

PERS reform

The Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS) will also likely receive attention this session.

Corder said lawmakers could consider changes to Tier 5 that would reduce the 35-year work requirement for law enforcement officers and firefighters before retirement.

In March 2025, the state legislature passed House Bill 1, which changed PERS to require 35 years of service for full retirement benefits, regardless of age, starting March 1, 2026.

ALSO READ: Mississippi first responders unite to propose separate state retirement tier

Corder believes lawmakers will also consider injecting resources into PERS to improve its financial stability.

Vote 2026

Corder also weighed in on the midterm elections happening this year. Last week, candidates filed paperwork to qualify.

Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith will face a Republican primary challenge from Sarah Adlakha of the Gulf Coast. Corder said Hyde-Smith has advantages as the incumbent with an established “campaign war chest,” while Adlakha appears to be self-financing her campaign.

ALSO READ: MS candidates file for federal election qualification

In the 4th Congressional District, Rep. Mike Ezell faces challenges from Republican Sawyer Walters. On the Democratic side, State Rep. Jeffery Hulum and two others are running along with one Independent.

“That could be an interesting race to watch,” said Corder.

Rep. Bennie Thompson also has a Democratic challenger, Evan Turnage, who previously served as chief counsel for Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.

Congressional primaries are scheduled for Tuesday, March 10.

See a spelling or grammar error in this story? Report it to our team HERE.

Source link

Mississippi

Dallas fugitive arrested in Mississippi

Published

17 hours ago

January 5, 2026

Press Room

PORT GIBSON, Miss. (WJTV) – Port Gibson police announced a fugitive wanted out of Dallas, Texas, was arrested in Mississippi. Police said they received credible information that Latavien Manning was in Port Gibson on January 3, 2026. He was wanted for aggravated assault with a firearm and had been on the run for six months. […]

Source link

Mississippi

Two more Mississippi State players announce decision to enter portal

Published

1 day ago

January 4, 2026

Press Room

Two more Mississippi State players announce decision to enter portal

The exodus of Mississippi State players continued Sunday afternoon with two more players announcing decisions to enter the transfer portal.

Running back Seth Davis and offensive lineman Luke Work have decided to enter the transfer portal. Both made their announcements in social media posts.

“I’m beyond thankful for my time at Mississippi State. These past two years gave me memories, friendships and lessons that I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life,” Work stated. “God gets all the glory. None of this would be possible without Him guiding my path. Thank you to every coach, teammate, staff member and all the amazing people I’ve met along the way. This place truly became family to me. No matter where the road takes me next, I’ll always be proud to say I wore maroon and white.”

Thank you, Mississippi State pic.twitter.com/u55t9dHTYR
— Luke Work (@LukeWork1) January 4, 2026

Work played in 23 games in his two seasons in Starkville. He was thrust into the starting lineup last season as a true freshman, starting seven games including five at left tackle. This past season Work worked mostly at tackle and guard and played in every game except the first against Southern Miss because of an injury.

Davis began his collegiate career with a solid 2023 season, playing in all 12 games and running 59 times for 356 yards and one touchdown. However, his career was put on hold in that season’s Egg Bowl when he suffered a knee injury that forced him to miss all of the 2024 season.

The Katy, Texas native was able to return to action this season and played in two games. Against Alcorn State, Davis had five carries for 47 yards and one touchdown. He enters the portal with three years of eligibility remaining.

I have decided to enter the transfer portal with 3 years of eligibility.#Godsplan🙏🏾
Thank you Mississippi State❤️ pic.twitter.com/zr7Wuzkyxm
— Seth Davis (@_SethDavis21) January 4, 2026