Arkansas 2019 recruiting target Javon Franklin (6-6, 200) and former El Dorado star Czar Perry (6-2, 180) will get their sophomore basketball seasons underway Thursday night.
Both are on the roster this season for Goodman (Miss.) Holmes Community College, which will open its season against visiting Copiah-Lincoln (Miss.) Community College.
Franklin was the Bulldogs’ second-leading scorer (10.2) and top rebounder (8.2) on a 24-5 team last season that made it to the National Junior College Athletic Association Tournament and returns four other sophomores.
“I think we have a great chance to repeat and go back to the national tournament in Hutchinson (Kansas) and win the league again,” noted Holmes head coach and former Little Rock Parkview and Ole Miss star Jason Flanigan.
“We have got enough talent. We just have to get better at some things and stay healthy. If we do, I really like what we have.”
Franklin, who also starred at Parkview along with current Razorback Khalil Garland, has offers from Arkansas, Memphis, Missouri, Auburn and San Diego State, according to Flanigan.
“Obviously, Arkansas has done a great job with him and has been there since Day 1 and is in great shape with him,” Flanigan said. “The only visit he has been on is an unofficial visit to Auburn.
“A lot of schools have not set up official visits with him because they know he is going to wait until the spring to sign so it makes no sense to entertain him right now on campus as part of an official visit.”
Franklin shot 63.2 percent from the field and 60.9 percent from the free throw line for Holmes in a freshman season in which he played in all 29 games and started 18.
His game has developed since his arrival at Holmes, but Franklin does still have to master one thing according to Flanigan.
“He is making strides,” Flanigan said. “He is feeling more comfortable shooting the ball and handling it on the perimeter. He has always been a shot blocker and played over the rim, but he is just understanding the game of basketball a little bit more and continues to work each week.
“But right now our thing is trying to get him to slow down. He is playing in a hurry a lot of the time and we have to try to get him to slow down. His future is bright. Whoever gets him is getting a talented kid.”
Flanigan, who also coached former Razorback and current Dallas Maverick Daryl Macon at Holmes, thinks Franklin impacts the game without the ball.
“He is one of those guys that even if his offense is not on, he is still impacting the game in other ways,” Flanigan said. “If some guys are not scoring, you don’t notice them, but you notice him all the time.”
Franklin spent a lot of time at the 5 last season, but will play power forward this season with freshman Josiah Lewis coming aboard.
“We will be playing him at the 4 because we have a pretty good 5 now,” Flanigan said. “We run a motion-type offense, so our 4-man plays out on the perimeter at times. So we will be moving him around and getting him out on the floor.”
Perry, who starred in high school with current Razorback center Daniel Gafford, spent last season at Northwestern State in Louisiana where he played in 14 games and averaged 9.1 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists.
“He is very talented and is still learning to be a point guard,” Flanigan said. “So far in his basketball career, he has played the point, but has had a scoring mentality. Now he is learning to get others the ball when they pressure it out front.
“He has learn to handle it a little better, but he is a talented kid.”
Perry just recently returned from an official visit.
“He just got back from an official visit to Cal-State Bakersfield out there in California and they offered,” Flanigan said. “He is still open. Southern Miss is showing interest in him, UAB and Louisiana-Monroe.”
Holmes has competed in two scrimmages against Kansas schools at the Mullen/Mitchell Jamboree in Dallas on Oct. 6 and an exhibition game against Pearl River (Miss.) Community College last Thursday.
“It went well,” Flanigan said. “We beat Hutchinson and then lost to Coffeyville when we turned the ball over late and got beat by two points. Both of those teams are ranked right now, so those are two pretty good programs with history.
“Then we played Pearl River in a scrimmage and that was basically a rematch of the Region XXIII championship game and we just ended that in a tie. We didn’t play overtime.”