Myleah Jones signs NLI with Lenoir CC

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on June 7, 2015 1:52 AM

• Print
• Email

rcoggins@newsargus.com

PIKEVILLE -- Myleah Jones heard it from her mom -- at the dinner table, during basketball games and on the drive home.

"You have to talk more (on the court), be more of a leader ... step up," mom said.

Myleah sat quietly and just listened to her mom.

"I need to get it together," she said.

More of a leader by example, Jones pushed herself throughout the summer and the work paid off during her senior campaign. She averaged a double-double -- 15.6 points, 12.1 rebounds -- and led the Golden Falcons to an 18-win season.

Jones' effort never concerned first-year CBA head coach Roy Harrell. He knew what to expect each time Jones stepped onto the court and wasn't surprised to see her develop a dynamic personality.

Lenoir Community College head coach Tad Parson wished he had Jones on his this past winter. But he will for the next two seasons as he grooms the 5-foot-8 forward toward getting attention from four-year colleges and universities.

Jones officially signed a national letter-of-intent to play for the Lady Lancers -- a Division II program that participates in Region X on the junior college scene.

"From what I've seen from her, she's definitely an intense and aggressive player," Parson said. "She's going to bring a lot as far as (on) the defensive end rebounding and overall leadership. Myleah is going to add to what she's already doing.

"She rebounds well and (plays with her) back to the basket well. I already knew the type of pedigree that she has."

Parson, however, intends to move Jones from power forward to small forward. That means Jones must develop a more consistent mid-range shot from the elbow. She buried 47 percent of her field goals from her sophomore to senior seasons, but most were offensive putbacks.

Harrell gave her the green light to take the outside shot this season.

But with an explosive first move, Jones took many defenders off the dribble to the basket. That led to 199 trips to the free throw line.

"I put in a lot of work during the summer," said Jones, who emerged as the top rebounder and third-leading scorer on the Eastern Carolina 3-A/4-A Conference scene this past winter.

"When I stepped onto the court, I'm not going to say it was easy, but I felt more confident than my previous years. (As far as leadership) it was never in me to yell at a player or demand (my teammates) to do stuff, but this year I was more vocal with my teammates."

In three varsity seasons, Jones tallied 770 career points and 619 rebounds in 61 games. She knocked down 12.4 points and cleaned the glass for 9.5 during her junior season. Stats were not available for her freshman year.

Aycock won an opening-round playoff for the second time in three seasons, and logged a 7-5 worksheet against ECC opposition.

Jones joins an LCC program that returns just two players. Parson has been scouring eastern North Carolina for recruits and plans to sign a total of nine freshmen.

Harrell is confident Jones will excel.

"I don't know much about Lenoir's program being new to high school (basketball) myself. I think Myleah is going to help any program she goes to whether she plays any at all, she's going to help the program just from the practice standpoint," said Harrell, who is Aycock's third head coach in the past six seasons.

"She's going to come in every day, she's going to work and other people are going to have to work (hard) around her. She's going to push those who are on the court."

And continue to follow mom's advice.