Newton’s Ja’Leah Hickmon must have felt like the Lone Ranger heading into the basketball season.
Hickmon was the lone returning starter from the Class 2A state champions. Then coach Perry Fletcher left and Ty Harden was named the program’s new coach.
And then the season didn’t start out very well for the Lady Tigers, losing by 46 points to Meridian.
But Hickmon slowly adapted to her new role and finished the season averaging 21.2 points and 12.4 rebounds a game, leading the Lady Tigers to a 19-9 record and Division 6-2A regular-season and tournament championships. For her efforts, Hickmon has been named The Newton County Appeal’s Player of the Year for girls basketball.
First-year coach Ty Harden didn’t know what he was going to get with Hickmon when he took the job.
“When I first took the job, I thought with her being the best players coming back that I was going to have to humble her,” Harden said. “But I never had to do that. She did everything I asked and more. We had to build a trust in each other. And when she did that, she would run through a brick wall for me.”
While Hickmon is a power forward on the high school level, Harden knew she would have to develop more of an outside game to be able to play at the next level.
“She has grown a lot this season,” Harden said. “She had been used to being just a post player. She wasn’t used to bringing the ball up the floor or stepping out and shooting the three. That’s something we worked on a lot this season. And for her, it was a confidence thing. If she missed that first shot, she might pass up the next one. I would have to tell her to shoot it. But I feel like she will be that much better at it next year.”
Hickmon, who is 5-foot-11, has interest from Southern University, UT-Martin, Quachita Baptist and several of Mississippi’s junior colleges.
“She has what it takes to play at the next level,” Harden said. “She was just confined as a post player last year. But she is a pure athlete and has the size to play at the next level. She’s probably going to be a three at the next level so she will have to continue to work on her outside game.”
Hickmon is also a standout in the classroom, currently ranked at No. 4 in her class with a 3.8 GPA. She’s already made a 21 on the ACT and hopes to improve on that score. Hickmon said she wants to teach high school math and be a coach.
“She takes her academics seriously,” Harden said. “There are times when she will miss practice because of academics and tell me she will just have to run because academics comes first and I can appreciate that. She doesn’t play about her grades and works hard to get her A.”
Hickmon said she has always wanted to be a teacher.
“Ever since I was in elementary, I wanted to be a math teacher,” Hickmon said. “It’s easy to me. When others don’t catch on as fast as I do, I like being able to help them. And I would like to coach as well. I would like to help other athletes see what I see on and off the court.”
While out of school because of the coronavirus, Hickman is still working on her game.
“I go over to Pelahatchie twice a week and work out with my AAU team,” Hickmon said. “We do a little team work and some individual work. It’s important to keep in shape and keep working on my game.”
