Ex-Southern Miss standout led Delta State’s amazing season.

JACKSON – A year ago last January, Jasper Johnson was in need of a place to play. The Hollandale Simmons product had been dismissed from the Southern Miss basketball team by new coach Larry Eustachy.

The divorce came about even though Johnson, a 6-foot-7 center, was Southern Miss’ best player. He had proved it with a dominating 27-point performance against LSU at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum in Biloxi.

Johnson found a home in Cleveland at Delta State University. It worked out pretty well.

Monday night, Johnson received the Cellular South Howell Trophy winner at the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame. Johnson edged out Mississippi State sophomore forward Charles Rhodes and Jackson State junior Trey Johnson. Trey Johnson announced on Monday that he would forego his senior season and enter the NBA Draft.

The honor, which is named after former Mississippi State and Basketball Hall of Famer Bailey Howell, caps a hectic week for Johnson. Last Tuesday, he was named the NCAA Division II National Player of the Year.

&#8220I accept this for my teammates. We had a great year even though we came up short in the (NCAA) tournament. I appreciate everyone at Delta State,” Johnson said.

While his Statesmen were upset in the second round of the NCAA Division II Tournament by Arkansas-Monticello in Cleveland two weeks ago, Johnson still got to enjoy the D-II Elite Eight in Springfield, Mass., by playing in the National Association of Basketball Coaches D-II All-Star game on Friday.

Johnson readily admitted there are great players at any level.

&#8220The talent level at Division II is nearly the same as it was when I was at Southern Miss,” Johnson said. &#8220The biggest difference was, you didn’t see the 6-10 or 6-11 centers like you do in Division I. But everybody plays just as hard.”

Johnson played three seasons at Southern Miss, the first two under coach James Green. After his big game against LSU, which came against All-SEC center Brandon Bass, now in the NBA, and Glen &#8220Big Baby” Davis, Johnson realized he could play with the best.

&#8220You know, ‘Big Baby’ started that game,” Johnson said of the current LSU sophomore who has led the Tigers to the NCAA Division I Final Four. &#8220He played right beside (Brandon) Bass. That game proved to me that I could compete with that type of talent level.”

Yet when Johnson came back after the semester break, he fell into Eustachy’s dog house, getting labled a slacker.

&#8220It was difficult having to leave Southern Miss and Division I ball,” Johnson said. &#8220But I love basketball and I had grown comfortable playing. The rules said I would have to play Division II. It was still basketball. It was a good decision for me.”

Delta State proved to be an accomodating landing spot.

&#8220I didn’t want to run off to someplace in Alabama or Georgia. By going back to the Delta, it gave me a chance to give back. Delta State took me in and I appreciated that,” he said.

Statesmen coach Steve Rives had seen Johnson play at Hollandale Simmons as a prepster, but hadn’t seen much of him in his three years in Hattiesburg.

&#8220Sometimes you’re lucky enough to have one come to you,” Rives said. &#8220We had a pretty good basketball team coming back and you wonder how somebody like that would fit.

&#8220But right from the start, Jasper showed his leadership. He was all about winning,” said Rives, a 20-year coaching veteran at DSU.

Johnson led the Statesmen on a 26-game winning streak, the best in school history. They came out of nowhere to ascend to the No. 1 ranking in Division II after winning the Gulf South Conference Tournament, DSU’s first since 1998.

The Statesmen finished 30-3, the best mark in school history, with Johnson averaging 20.8 points and 8.2 rebounds.

&#8220He’s one of the best we’ve ever had at our place, much like (Gerald) Glass,” Rives said in reference to current Vicksburg resident Gerald Glass, who led Delta State to the D-II Final Four in 1987 before going on to star at Ole Miss and the NBA.

&#8220Jasper has tremendous hands, just like Gerald did. He has the size of a Marcus Mann (who played at Mississippi Valley) but is a much better shooter. The fact that he can catch, pass and shoot is going to help give him a shot in the NBA,” Rives said.

Last year’s winner, Lawrence Roberts of Mississippi State, is currently playing for the Memphis Grizzlies.