To Todd Kimble in his first year as Petal’s boys basketball coach, Mykah Brown has been a godsend. The senior took on the role of point guard this season and has flourished, helping the Panthers win 12 of their last 14 games.
“You take a guy that’s never played point guard and you put him in a system he’s never played before,” Kimble said of the position switch. “You just continue to work with him, hoping he can do that role adequately.
“Mykah’s doing it exceptionally.”
Brown’s stellar play garnered interest and scholarship offers from several of the state’s junior college programs over the last few months. But one really stood out from the get-go: Mississippi Gulf Coast.
“I remember in the 10th grade when I went down there,” Brown recalled. “It was just the atmosphere. I really loved it.”
On Monday, Brown made it official and signed with the Bulldogs.
“It’s honestly a dream come true. Ever since I was in middle school, I pictured this day.”
Kimble knew early on the day was coming for Brown, who has actually taken on quite a few roles for the Panthers this season.
“If I could draw it up the way I wanted to, I would have somebody else playing point guard and have him in the position where I can put the ball in his hands after we get into an offense,” Kimble said. “But that’s not the way it’s worked out. He’s accepted that, and his leadership on our basketball team is, well, if we don’t have his leadership our team is completely different.”
Once his Panther career comes to an end, Brown will take his talents to a program in MGCCC that’s coming off a 19-7 season and currently at 10-5 here in the 2017-2018 campaign. Asked if Brown could contend for early playing time with the Bulldogs, Kimble didn’t hesitate.
“Their offense is guard-oriented, and he [Brown] can do a lot more than you see him doing right now,” Kimble said. “I think his best basketball is ahead of him.”
In Perkinston, Brown will join Petal teammate Marquise Bridges, who committed to play football for the Bulldogs this past weekend.
“We talked about it a while back,” Brown concluded. “We said, ‘Man, it would be crazy if we went to the same school together’. Because really, that’s my boy. That’s really my brother. We’re really close.”
