MEMPHIS, Tenn. — “We love our junior colleges here in Mississippi. We appreciate every recruiter that gives our kids an opportunity in Mississippi, but we do believe we have talent here in Mississippi that deserves a little bit more than just JUCO offers," said Courtroom Hoops Vice President Kemion Green.
Although helpful in most cases, school seasons are not always enough exposure in the process of locking in an athletic scholarship.
Many players receive big scholarship offers by grabbing the attention of coaches on the summer circuit.
Which for many locals requires traveling.
“Go to other places like Atlanta and they host all these big events, you have local teams that have the opportunity to not travel because all the big events come to them," said Green.
"Mississippi has a lot of talent but it’s not capitalized on and we need to bring that exposure to try to bring the exposure to give them better opportunities for this area,” said Courtroom Hoops President Marchello Hunt.
With that vision in mind Green, Hunt, and Greg Drumwright teamed up to create an NCAA-certified facility in north Mississippi.
“If you create something where you have a platform where a hundred college coaches to come to that kid can have the opportunity to grab somebody’s attention," said Green.
In addition to attracting exposure camps, tournaments, and big conference college coaches, the Gatorade Fieldhouse located in Hernando Mississippi also doubles as a training facility.
“I know a lot of kids that go to University of Memphis games, or Georgia games and say man I wish I can play on that court. Well, guess what, you can play on that court here inside the Gatorade Fieldhouse,” said Green.
The actual courts once used by both the University of Georgia, Memphis, and even professionally by the Memphis Hustle, are now a part of the fieldhouse, and when considering college athletes like Mississippi State stand-out DJ Jefferies, quality matters.
As a college athlete, finding a court to train consistently in the offseason has been a challenge for Jeffries, until now.
“I’m not going to lie to you it wasn’t easy, somedays, coming out of college we get out early. Kids are still in high school we try to hit my uncle up can I get in the gym? He’d say we got school right now, you have to come a little later,” Jefferies explained.
Now, practice space in the offseason is not a problem for him now with the new Gatorade facility as he prepares for his next season with the bulldogs.
“I just want to be able to get in when I want to and work when I want to so this is a great opportunity for me and whoever else that uses this as a platform to better their game,” said Jefferies.