The Pine Belt was home to a ton of good high school basketball this season, and that’s not a surprise because of the players who played in the area. This season, two area point guards elevated their game to help their teams see more success than they’ve ever seen before.
Petal’s Mykah Brown and Hattiesburg’s Terralyn Ulmer were named the PineBeltSPORTS boys and girls Players of the Year this week, and it wasn’t just because of personal accolades. The two provided senior leadership to help their squads reach places hardly seen by each respective program.
Brown was a fixture on the team a season ago, but he improved his game so much that it made the Panthers better, too. Petal was three games over .500 during the 2016-17 season, and after losing a Division I player in Tirus Smith, there wasn’t much optimism from people outside of the program.
Petal turned in a 17-6 season, it played for a Region Championship and hosted a first-round playoff game. All three accomplishments are rare for the program.
“As a whole, it was a really great season,” Brown said. “We exceeded a lot of expectations that people had on us, so overall I really think it was great. But, we didn’t meet the expectations that we had on ourselves, so that was kind of a downfall.”
When Petal coach Todd Kimble came to Petal less than a year ago, he knew he had something special in Brown. So special, he immediately started making calls to junior colleges about recruiting his point guard.
“Coach Kimble told me that he believed in me, so that made me believe in myself even more,” Brown said. “I think it was like three weeks that he was there and he got me the Holmes offer. That put a lot of confidence in my game and the attention felt really good.
“It allowed me to play more freely, but it also had an impact on my game because I definitely knew somebody was watching me now. I tried not to look in the crowd and let it affect my game.”
It didn’t take long for a program to notice Brown’s ability, as Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College jumped to the center of Brown’s attention. Brown would eventually sign with MGCCC in January, which took the pressure off him as he finished out his senior campaign.
Brown had a couple of college coaches talking to him after his junior season, but he saw an increase in attention once his senior season started. He admitted to being down about the lack of interest, but he used it as motivation this season.
All of his statistics improved from his junior season, too. After averaging eight points and two assists, his numbers shot up to 13 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals per game.
“The first couple of weeks of practice, it wasn’t tough but it was different,” Brown said. “I came into a different role and I had to adjust to different things. My biggest focus was mentally. Physically, I just went hard every day in practice. Coach Kimble told me if I listened to him I’d be all right. I took his advice and he definitely was right. I just listened to him and that’s how I prepared.”
It also helped Brown’s game to have two sophomore phenoms on the squad. Caleb McGill and Treylan Smith averaged 15 and 14 points, respectively, and the Panthers featured a handful of other role players who helped throughout the season.
“I didn’t feel like I was the only one on the court,” Brown said. “I knew I had four other teammates on the court with me playing as hard. They were going to be where I needed them to be, so that definitely helped a lot.”
Ulmer has been a part of a few successful Hattiesburg Lady Tigers teams in her prep career, but she led a Hattiesburg team that completed something never done before – a state championship. Trips to Jackson in the 5A State Tournament were nothing new, and she takes pride in being the first point guard from Hattiesburg to help hoist the Golden Ball trophy.
“It’s a good feeling,” Ulmer said. “I’m still kind of shocked. I wasn’t expecting it to happen like that, so it was shocking but I feel great about it. When I got the state championship for my coaches and teammates, it kind of lifted its hold off me. I had a relief after the season.”
While her numbers were less than she recorded as a junior, there’s no doubt she made the team better. As a junior, the pressure fell more on her shoulders to lead the team. This season she had more experienced players she could dish the ball to, and it showed throughout the season.
She finished her high school career by averaging 10 points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals a game. There’s no denying she played better as a senior than as a junior, despite the drop in numbers. She was a better teammate, but that’s not to say she wasn’t a good one before.
“I played well,” she said. “Getting everybody involved was my main focus and building everybody’s confidence up until we make to the playoffs in Jackson. When we made it there, everybody was confident enough to step up and play their role.”
Even as far back as preseason practices, Ulmer thought this team was special. The dream was to make it back to Jackson and win it all, but nothing could prepare Ulmer and her teammates for the state championship feeling.
“During the summer, we kept saying we were going to make it to Jackson and win, and we actually won,” Ulmer said. “My role this year, I had to step up, be a big leader and encourage everyone to do their best. Just push everyone.”
Her sister who hit the game-winning shot in the 5A State Championship, Chelsea Ulmer, was a key piece to this Lady Tigers’ team, too, but when she went down with an injury near the end of the regular season, Terralyn knew she had to step up.
“I was kind of shocked at first,” Terralyn said of her sister’s injury. “I was like, ‘OK, I have to step up and help fill her position.’ I had to get more people involved and encourage others to step up and fill her position as well.”
Her prep career came to end with a first-place medal around her neck inside the Mississippi Coliseum two weeks ago, but there’s one question that still looms – her college decision. That’s expected to be answered next week, she said.
