Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Getting to know MT newcomer James Hawthorne
7/18/2017 2:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
SMCC connection brings Hawthorne, Davis together at MT
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Incoming Middle Tennessee forward James Hawthorne shares a unique bond with head coach Kermit Davis that not many Blue Raiders do.
The 6-foot-7 junior from Prentiss, Mississippi, started his college playing career at the same place – Southwestern Mississippi Community College – that Davis made his head coaching debut, and both were around a similar age when they arrived there.
In 1985, Davis became the youngest head coach (24) in the junior college ranks in the nation at SMCC, the first head coaching stop in his storied career.
Thirty years later, an 18-year-old Hawthorne walked onto the Southwestern campus to begin his college career. After shooting 46.3 percent from the field and averaging 1.4 blocks per game as a freshman, he would finish his sophomore year as the team leader in rebounds (5.7 per game) and blocks (1.6) while hitting 49 percent of his shots.
When he started contemplating where to continue his education and playing career in the middle of his sophomore year, one school stood out – the one with a former SMCC Bear leading its basketball team.
"There's a connection there," Hawthorne said. "I think Coach Davis likes JUCO guys, especially guys from Southwest Mississippi. He knows how we play with toughness."
Of course, the program Davis runs at Middle Tennessee both on and off the court also made the Blue Raiders an easy choice for Hawthorne.
He plans to get a degree in kinesiology, and the streak of 52 players in a row who've graduated after exhausting their eligibility under Davis was intriguing.
"We have an outstanding graduation rate," Hawthorne said. "Coach Davis isn't one of those soft-type coaches – he pays attention to every detail on the court and with school, and I think I need that to get even better as a player and a student.
"Basketball is always my first option, but my parents have always told me I have to have a Plan B or a second goal. Getting a degree in kinesiology is my Plan B. I know I can reach that here."
On the court, Hawthorne hopes to bring more energy to the Blue Raiders.
He's an athletic forward who can step away from the basket and knock down a jump shot, but it's on the boards where his energy can be most impactful. Of his 5.7 rebounds per game as a sophomore at Southwestern, 2.2 came on the offensive end.
"First and foremost, I'll bring energy," Hawthorne said. "I want to bring energy and ambition to try and help lead this team back to the [NCAA] Tournament.
"I like to get to the basket. I can shoot, but I like to rebound and get to the rim and use my athleticism to play above the rim."
Since arriving in Murfreesboro, Hawthorne has felt the same nervousness every new student-athlete feels about starting over with a new school and program. But, two things have helped him feel right at home: Davis and the food.
"There's supposed to be a sense of nervousness," he said. "If you want to be good you have to have nervousness. If I wasn't nervous I wouldn't be worried about living up to the potential that Coach Davis knows that I have. He's really helped me feel like a big part of this team already.
"Coming from the small town I come from that had no places to eat, having all of the places to go and eat here is huge. I love food."
The 6-foot-7 junior from Prentiss, Mississippi, started his college playing career at the same place – Southwestern Mississippi Community College – that Davis made his head coaching debut, and both were around a similar age when they arrived there.
In 1985, Davis became the youngest head coach (24) in the junior college ranks in the nation at SMCC, the first head coaching stop in his storied career.
Thirty years later, an 18-year-old Hawthorne walked onto the Southwestern campus to begin his college career. After shooting 46.3 percent from the field and averaging 1.4 blocks per game as a freshman, he would finish his sophomore year as the team leader in rebounds (5.7 per game) and blocks (1.6) while hitting 49 percent of his shots.
When he started contemplating where to continue his education and playing career in the middle of his sophomore year, one school stood out – the one with a former SMCC Bear leading its basketball team.
"There's a connection there," Hawthorne said. "I think Coach Davis likes JUCO guys, especially guys from Southwest Mississippi. He knows how we play with toughness."
Of course, the program Davis runs at Middle Tennessee both on and off the court also made the Blue Raiders an easy choice for Hawthorne.
He plans to get a degree in kinesiology, and the streak of 52 players in a row who've graduated after exhausting their eligibility under Davis was intriguing.
"We have an outstanding graduation rate," Hawthorne said. "Coach Davis isn't one of those soft-type coaches – he pays attention to every detail on the court and with school, and I think I need that to get even better as a player and a student.
"Basketball is always my first option, but my parents have always told me I have to have a Plan B or a second goal. Getting a degree in kinesiology is my Plan B. I know I can reach that here."
On the court, Hawthorne hopes to bring more energy to the Blue Raiders.
He's an athletic forward who can step away from the basket and knock down a jump shot, but it's on the boards where his energy can be most impactful. Of his 5.7 rebounds per game as a sophomore at Southwestern, 2.2 came on the offensive end.
"First and foremost, I'll bring energy," Hawthorne said. "I want to bring energy and ambition to try and help lead this team back to the [NCAA] Tournament.
"I like to get to the basket. I can shoot, but I like to rebound and get to the rim and use my athleticism to play above the rim."
Since arriving in Murfreesboro, Hawthorne has felt the same nervousness every new student-athlete feels about starting over with a new school and program. But, two things have helped him feel right at home: Davis and the food.
"There's supposed to be a sense of nervousness," he said. "If you want to be good you have to have nervousness. If I wasn't nervous I wouldn't be worried about living up to the potential that Coach Davis knows that I have. He's really helped me feel like a big part of this team already.
"Coming from the small town I come from that had no places to eat, having all of the places to go and eat here is huge. I love food."
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