Assistant coach DeAndre King stepped up to lead the Gators in a crunch

Former Vicksburg High basketball star DeAndre King stepped up to lead the Vicksburg eighth grade basketball team against Clinton on Dec. 5 after head coach Jerdon Hardiman was ejected for protesting the score.

Clinton officials realized the mistake and fixed the problem, but by then, Hardiman was already out of the gym.

King graduated from Vicksburg High in 2014 where he played basketball under Dellie Robinson, Kevin Carter and Troy Stewart.

“I wanted to become a coach back in high school, and coach Robinson always showed me how I can do that, while coach Stewart remained my mentor,” King said.

He began playing basketball at the age of 6, and eventually earned a scholarship to Hinds Community College before suffering a knee injury. The next year, in 2015, King became an assistant head coach with the Vicksburg Junior High School eighth grade boys team team under head coach Julius Williams. That year would be a championship year for the Gators and for King as a first year assistant.

In 2016, King got his first college coaching job at Southeastern Baptist College under coach Krishina Moore. King would coach there for three seasons before returning to Vicksburg Junior High to coach under Hardiman.

“We are 9-0 right now, and I love coaching under Hardiman,” King said. “Hardiman and I have a great relationship, and he took me under his wing, and I confide in him.”

King took over the game against Clinton with 2:23 left on the clock, and he had to calm his boys down so they could be focused on winning.

“I pulled everyone to the side and explained that we will win, and let’s do it for Hardiman,” he said.

The Gators were down by seven points with 0:49 left in the game when they made an unbelievable comeback to win 52-50.

Hardiman, King and the Gators will be back in action today as they travel to play Germantown.