Pearl River Basketball unveils new court at Marvin R. White Coliseum
POPLARVILLE, Miss. — Marvin R. White Coliseum has seen its fair share of magical moments since it opened and this summer it received a face lift. The court was recently renovated and features a fresh and innovative new look that spectators will be sure to appreciate.
Wildcat men's basketball coach and reigning MACJC and NJCAA Coach of the Year Chris Oney wanted their home court to stand out and set the standard for what the atmosphere at the JUCO level should be.
"We try to stay ahead of everybody else here," Oney said. "One of the things that's important in this profession is to not stay current but to try to stay futuristic. We always want to be one step ahead and I think that's important in recruiting. My hope is that sometime soon we'll be able to host the state tournament and show the whole conference how great Marvin R. White is."
The biggest addition to the court is the shaded shape of Mississippi underneath the Wildcat logo at center court.
The state design drew inspiration from Texas Tech's on-court design. Ole Miss also has a similar design.
The renovation is the first to the Coliseum since it opened in 2014.
Head women's basketball coach Scotty Fletcher was quick to point out his gratitude to the administration at PRCC for the new renovations to the court.
"I think we're just blessed with a great administration that's seeing the fruits of our labor," Fletcher said. "Coach Oney and I got together and we bounced some ideas off each other and kept going back. The biggest thing we picked up and Coach Oney found it was what Texas Tech has on their home court.
"They have the state of Texas and it's a really dark shade. I think it looks really good with the state under the Wildcat head and the 'PR' in the corners."
The change comes after a successful season for both the men's and women's basketball programs.
The men's team reached unprecedented heights this season. The Wildcats spent the entire season ranked inside the NJCAA Top 11 and ran the table in the regular season to post a perfect 22-0 record. PRCC claimed both the MACJC and Region XXIII championships and eventually earned the No.1 seed in the NJCAA Tournament.
The women's team posted a 15-9 record and once again qualified for the MACJC tournament.
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