Courtney Stovall isn’t your typical post player.
At 6-foot-5, 160 pounds, Stovall is long and lean and not as big as many of the centers and forwards he was asked to guard this season. But Stovall adjusted to the style of play coach Torrey Dale implemented for the West Lowndes High School boys basketball team and played in the post to help the Panthers advance to the Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) Class 1A State tournament in Jackson.
Just because Stovall was asked to play in the post doesn’t mean he isn’t able to do more. In fact, Stovall’s ballhandling and shooting ability set him apart from other post players and make him an all-around prospect who has plenty of room to grow at the next level.
On Friday, Stovall finalized his plans to take the next step in his basketball career at Coahoma Community College in Clarksdale at a signing ceremony in the West Lowndes High gymnasium.
“I am going to bring a lot to Coahoma,” said Stovall, who signed a National Letter of Intent earlier this month. “I love defense. I am a two-way player. I am quick. I don’t get tired too quick, and I am very athletic. I bring a lot of energy to the team.
“I can officially say my mom and dad don’t have to pay for me to go to college, and that I can get a free education and take advantage of this opportunity and better myself and take the pressure off them financially.”
Stovall will join Columbus High School center/forward JaBorris Frazier later this year at Coahoma C.C. Frazier signed Wednesday with CCC. Coached by Michael Stringer, CCC went 3-21 this past season. It loses nine sophomores from its 15-player roster.
Talented player
Dale said he knew as soon as he saw Stovall that the center/forward would have an opportunity to play basketball at the next level. He said Stovall’s athleticism and ability to block shots and to do other things made him a player with an unlimited upside. Stovall’s contributions (six to eight points per game and eight to 10 rebounds per game) played a key role in helping West Lowndes (18-14) advance to the quarterfinals of the Class 1A State tournament at Jackson State. Stovall had six points and eight rebounds in a 71-67 loss to Ashland.
Dale said a schedule that includes games against higher classification teams like Columbus, New Hope, Kemper County, Noxubee County, and others raised Stovall’s profile and gave college coaches a chance to see he could play at the next level.
“He sacrificed for me and I sacrificed for him to make it work, and we were blessed to get back to Jackson,” Dale said. “When I found out somebody wanted to give him a shot, I was happy for him. I know it has been his goal to get to the next level, and I was just happy to be a part of it, happy that I was able to help push somebody to the next level.”
Stovall solidified his chances during a workout at CCC in which he said he played well and showed he is more than your typical post player.
“I think they were impressed because of what I was able to do,” Stovall said. “In the game, I am a post player, but I was able to step out and shoot threes, dribble the ball, and do certain moves that you don’t normally see me do in the game. I think that shocked them.”
Getting noticed
Stovall didn’t think the coaches at CCC expected him to be able to do everything he showed during the workout. He said Dale’s system helped him learn how to play with his back to the basket, which will make him even more versatile when he goes to CCC.
Stovall also will bring a versatile skill set off the court to CCC. With a grade-point average of 3.4, Stovall has taken six classes (16 credit hours) in the last year at East Mississippi C.C. in Mayhew to help prepare him for the next step. He said an old coach once told him that he has to be ready for what comes next when the basketball stops bouncing. Stovall said he hopes to study computer science at CCC.
“It was a new challenge, something different,” Stovall said hen asked why he wanted to take college classes while in high school. “One of my friends (Jay Little, a former student at West Lowndes High who is at Alabama now) pushed me to do it and I liked it, so I continued to do it. I know it helped me and bettered me as a person. I got a chance to experience college life before I was in college, so I think that will help me adjust more and get me used to the environment.”
On top of things
On the court, Stovall said he knows he will have to add weight to get stronger to play in college. He said he is excited about the chance to showcase all of his skills, and he is prepared to do all he can to keep that basketball bouncing for another two years and to get a chance to move on to a four-year school.
Dale said he is proud CCC saw the potential he has seen in Stovall all season. He feels Stovall is a great representative for the school and the program to keep coaches coming back to look at the next crop of Panthers.
“I could see him playing the three (small forward) or four (power forward),” Dale said. “I know coach Stringer. We talk all of the time. He likes to get up and down the court, which is something I kind of put in this year, and (Courtney) adjusted to it. When they bulk him up, I don’t think you’re going to see him down there on the block asking for it. I think you’ll see him out there in the triple-threat position.”
Stovall agrees his future likely looks a little different from this past season. He said his combination of height, length, and skills will work well with a bigger stronger frame in the coming years.
“I feel like the sky is the limit for me,” Stovall said.
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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