JACKSON – Jones College is well-represented on the 2024-25 All-MACCC Men's Basketball Team.
LJ Hackman was named to the first team in addition to being chosen as MACCC Player of the Year.
Ky Pernell also made the first team, with
Dimp Pernell and
Avery Thomas II being named to the second team.
Head coach
Newton Mealer was named MACCC Coach of the Year for the second straight year. He was earlier chosen as Region 23 Coach of the Year.
Hackman, a 6-foot-3 sophomore guard from Columbus, leads the team in scoring with 17.2 points per game, steals with 69 and is tied for second in assists with 117. He has scored in double figures in 29 games, including 11 games of 20-plus points. Hackman shoots 47.5 percent from the field and 84.2 percent from the free throw line. He needs just 13 points to reach 1,000 points for his career, joining Dimp and
Ky Pernell. He scored 30 points in a 90-78 win over Mississippi Delta on Jan. 9. Hackman has already signed with Southern Miss.
Ky Pernell, a 6-foot-3 sophomore guard from Horn Lake, averages 14.5 points per game, 4.9 rebounds and leads the team in steals with 125. He leads the team in 3-point field goals with 67. He is shooting 42.6 percent from the field and 72 percent from the free throw line. He had 27 points in a 74-66 loss to Chipola College on Nov. 26. He has already signed with Texas State.
Thomas, a 6-foot-7 freshman forward from Terry, averages 14.5 points per game and leads the team with 6.9 rebounds per game. He is currently shooting 49.3 percent from the field and 84.3 percent from the free throw line. He had 25 points in a 90-83 win over Bishop St. on Dec. 6. Thomas has received several Division I offers.
Dimp Pernell, a 6-foot-3 sophomore guard from Horn Lake, averages 13.3 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. He has 57 3-pointers and shoots 88.3 percent from the free throw line. He had 28 points in a 91-70 win over Mississippi Delta on Feb. 13. He has already signed with Texas State.
Mealer has guided the Bobcats to a school-record 30 wins this season to go with consecutive MACCC, Region 23 and Gulf District championships. He has led the Bobcats to back-to-back appearances in the NJCAA Division I Tournament for the first time in school history. Mealer is currently 91-29 in his fourth season with the Bobcats.
Jones, seeded No. 5, will play the winner of the Angelina/South Georgia game at 5:30 p.m. on March 25 in round two of the national tournament. The game will be televised on ESPN+.
