Jonathan Phelps is hoping his surgically repaired knee will be well enough for the Mississippi-Alabama All-Star Classic on March 23, the Vicksburg High senior basketball standout said Monday.

Phelps, the reigning Vicksburg Post Player of the Year, said Monday afternoon surgery to repair an injured medial collateral ligament went well and he is hoping to suit up for the Mississippi All-Stars in 18 days.

“It’s a possibility I could still play in it,” Phelps said. “Depending on how it goes this week, I may not have to rehab it. They want to take a look at me at the end of this week.”

Phelps got hurt when his shot was blocked by 6-foot-6 New Hope center Raymond Hollivay late in the first quarter of the North State 4A Tournament final in Oxford.

“I was trying to go back-door and their big guy came under me. My leg kind of got bent,” said Phelps, who was in street clothes and wearing a knee brace for the Gators’ State Tournament game with Moss Point last Tuesday. “It was painful but I had injured a hip once before and I felt more pain from that. I felt I could handle this (a knee).”

An MRI performed on Feb. 25 revealed a tear in the medial collateral ligament. The diagnosis ruled him out of the Moss Point game and the Gators suffered, with 20 turnovers against a tough full-court press.

“At first I found out I couldn’t go, so I thought, well, maybe if we win, I could be back for the next game. But then they found a tear in the MCL and that it would be a month. That’s when it really hurt me,” said Phelps.

At that point, surgery became the best option.

Moss Point coach Dale Brown said he had his team preparing as if Phelps was going to play.

“We had no idea whether he’d play or not. I had heard all kind of stories about him. We just went out prepared as if we was going to be out there. To Vicksburg’s credit, they played hard without their leader,” Brown said.

Delmon Robinson, who had to carry much of the ball-handling duties against a tough Moss Point press, said it was a tough spot for the Gators to be in.

“It’s hard to lose 25 points from your team,” he said.

If you goMarch 23 – Mississippi-Alabama All-Star Classic, at Pelham, Ala.