1995

xcellence Mann·datory for De

"He is just a tremendous person," Vallt•\ coach Lafayette Stribling said. "He is a grenl kid. He takes everything serious. Marcus hu had a positive influence on this team both 011 the court and off. Marcus is t he type ofplayt·r you will never worry about being in the wron1 place at the wrong time." Whe n he is not playing basketball or studying, Mann enjoys singing. Before t he Delta Devils' season final• against Grambling State two weeks a vu Mann sang t he national anthem. He receiw(l a standingovation from the crowd. "I think I surprised a lot ofpeople," Mann said. "Singing is a hobby with me." But his basketball skills is what eam c'd him a free college education. Mann is taking full advantage of both. Ht 1 averaging 16.4 points and leading the Soul I• westernAthletic Conference in reboundingw11 h a 11.7 average, ninth in the nation. Valley li11 ished the regular season 16-10 overall and 111 ~1 in the SWAC, good enough for second plare Valley plays the winner of the Jack11011 State-Prairie View game Saturday at 6 p1n in the semifinals of the SWAC toumam1 111 Valley received a first-round bye.

Mann is at 80 percent nfiN Kprflllllll ankle against Jackson Stat.c un Pel• "I've seen Marcus play in hi~h sd11X•I nlid jU 11iur college and I've alway:; htx·n impmmu~l huw he makes good decisions,'' .Jtu kl!l)il ,,.,~t·h Andy Stoglin said "Mnnn wnuh_llt!i l.n1 a heck of a player no maU,(.'r wlwm Itt• Wol!hl hawgone. Marcus is very clewr plll.)'t:t, Mann credits his mother and unr lt:;l, 4ll dally J immy Mann, the coach at 'l'ltnnul!ll_o l.tke m~st of Mann's uncles, .J~m.m¥ 1\t plnyl'<.l high school basketball for S tnhl11 Stribling coached at now-defunct l\h1111h W nlnut Grove and South Leake for 2/i )'!iii I "'1 've watched coach Strib for n lc•ltfl I 11 Mnnn said. "I said one day I'm t-:oi•IJl l( r .. r him." Aftera stellar careerat South I .enlw, M IKJled with Mississippi State !Jut. h I n\·c· days to go to East Central. Uu I C•·ntral to the state champ it11111lt t•nrned JUCO second-team 11ll•/\1 hunors. He signed with Eva n:;vi Ih1 I t'41to return to East Central.

• Mississippi Valley junior Marcus Mann is averaging 16.4 points and 11.7 rebounds a game. By Derrick Mahone Cleflon-l.edger Steff Writer Every Christmas Marcus Mann could ex– pect a basketball goal from his mother. Mann would receive a new one to replace the one from the previous year. "My cousins would put t he goal down low so they coulddunk on it," Mann said. "By the time Christmas came around again it would be tom down. It would make me so mad. I didn't care howcold it was, I would go outside and put the new goal up." Mann's mother, AnnieGray, was hoping to push t he sport on her oldest son, who is nowa 6-foot- 7, 235-pound junior center at Missis– sippi Valley. "I just wanted him to have something to do," said Gray, a former high school player. " I've never bad trouble out ofMarcus. Hewas always involved in the church." For Mann, it's been church, school and basketball.

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''There was a lot of preARt•r o 0 1 r11red to make a decision Ru I \V!Ifll S<-,c 1\1

Marcus Mann gives Mississippi Valley a shot at the tourney title.

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