A new AAU basketball team is in Clarksdale.
The Mississippi Hustlers had their first practice last Sunday and its facility will be the Young Life Community Center, which is also a sponsor of the organization.
Eddie Taylor, a Coahoma County High School graduate and assistant basketball coach, is the boys coach. There is one boys team for underclassmen and one for upperclassmen in high school. There will be one high school girls team and Destiny Monix, a Clarksdale high School graduate and assistant coach, is the coach.
The Red Panthers are coming off of a state championship and the Lady Wildcats hosted a playoff game. Athletes on the teams are from different parts of the Delta.
“We’ve seen film on most of these players were we didn’t have to do a tryout,” Taylor said. “We’ve actually seen some play with our own eyes. We just invited them to the team.”
Games will be shown on YouTube and Facebook.
“What’s unique about this organization is we are actually reaching out to college coaches to come in and look at some of our players we have,” Taylor said.
Red Panthers junior Chris Abby helped inspire the team.
“I just love the game of basketball. I’m surrounded by the game of basketball,” Taylor said. “What inspired me to start this organization was Christopher Abby. I saw he had kind of a down season from not working in the summer. I’ll be with you throughout the summer.”
Taylor said he expects Deundria Stovall from Gentry High School to be a strong contributor. He added the girls picked up four athletes from Madison Palmer High School. They are Wooka Jackson, Damaya Dealexandria, Dyiesha Spraggin and Makilah Glasper.
“With the boys, we had a lot of boys who did not have a season this year,” Taylor said. “They are a little rusty, but they are coming together.”
Local athletes on the boys team include Orlando Stuckey, Clarksdale High School’s Markevious Jackson, Coahoma Early College High School’s Isaiah Galmore and West Tallahatchie High School’s Roddarius Moss.
West Tallahatchie did not play last season due to the COVID pandemic.
Taylor said he would know more about the boys team after this week’s practice.
