AM
Mookie Collier
Name: Mookie Collier
Team: Bluefield
Number: #11
Grade: 10
Height: 5' 11''
Weight: N/A
Position: G
By GEORGE THWAITES
Bluefield Daily Telegraph
BLUEFIELD — Sophomore Mookie Collier is a two-sport standout at Bluefield High School. Now he’s a two-sport Pocahontas Coal Association/Bluefield Daily Telegraph Player of the Week award winner.
Collier, who won his first PCA/BDT weekly accolades for football this past fall, scored 16 points, grabbed six rebounds, delivered four assists and nabbed three steals in a 63-51 win over Shady Spring. He scored 19 points while collecting six rebounds and four steals in a 66-47 win over Greenbrier East.
“I’ve been thankful that God has blessed me with no injuries yet and hopefully I’ll continue to be injury free,” said Collier, who expressed gratitude for his most recent award.
Collier is clearly a kid who seizes the day, but he takes none of the daylight for granted.
“We had an amazing season in football. We’re having an amazing season in basketball. I’m thankful for that and hopefully, it’ll continue,” he said.
Collier has been performing like this week in and week out all season long. He has been Mr. Consistency. Was there any doubt that he’d eventually collect the basketball award before the window of opportunity closed?
Beavers head coach Buster Large and assistant coach Anthony Webster were true believers right up to the final horn. Mookie is The Man.
While Collier is only a sophomore, Large believes that it is already apparent that he has a future playing either college football or college basketball. In fact, said Large, he could play both at one school — like Ronald Curry did at North Carolina — if the respective recruiters allowed it.
“I’ve been coaching 34 years. I saw Thomas Jones play for Powell Valley. I had Boo Sensabaugh at J.I. Burton, who went on to play at West Virginia,” said Large. “I just think that down the road, he could be in that category with his growth and player development.”
For the season, the 5-foot-11 Collier is scoring an average of 16.5 points per game. He averages six rebounds, three assists and 2.5 steals per outing. He has blocked 16 shots on the season.
Large discovered what a phenomenal athlete Collier is when he coached him in middle school football. He couldn’t wait for Collier to show up at Bluefield to play basketball. The head coach has not been disappointed.
“We’re talking about a young man who works so hard in the off-season. I remember running into his brother, Lykell, on a Sunday afternoon and asked him where Mookie was. He told me he was in the gym working on his game for three hours. That’s the kind of kid he is. He’s always doing thing to try to better himself,” said Large.
Webster, who is also an assistant football coach, started coaching Collier in Pee Wee basketball in the Bluefield Rec Leagues. Now that he’s a high school player, Webster is impressed with the kid’s sheer versatility on the hardwood.
“Mookie is the type of player who can do it all. He can play 1 through 5. He has a vertical that is unreal. It allows him to compete with bigger guys in the post. Also he has good handles on the basketball, so we can go with him at a guard,” Webster said.
“Because he’s so talented, Mookie always gets the assignment of defending the best player. No matter the size. If he’s a guard or if he’s a post, it doesn’t matter. He may have the leaping of a 6-foot-7 player or even a seven-footer,” he said.
Collier, for one, doesn’t mind being outsized on the basketball floor.
“When I get matched up against a big person, I’m a little scrappier,” he said. “Whatever they put me up against, I’ll go for it. My heart is for the team, sir.”
Offensively, he’s on the attack.
“What I usually like to do is attack the lane and use my quickness and leaping ability to some kind of advantage. I can shoot a little bit. Sometimes I get hit and I just do some crazy stuff and somehow it just goes in,” said Collier, who can also dish it in or kick it out. “But I’ll do whatever the team needs me to do.”
Large is as appreciative of how Collier conducts himself off the floor as he does when he’s on the floor. Collier was recently named Cole Chevrolet Student of the Month at Bluefield High School.
“He lives up to high standards in the classroom. He is very well-liked by the student body. He is an absolute true gentleman,” Large said. “He’s very well-mannered. He is very old-school, always says, ‘Yes sir!” or ‘Yes ma’am.” He opens the door for people. He always greets you. He always has a smile on his face. He’s just a wonderful young man to coach.”
None of this keeps Collier from having some fun on the floor. He really enjoys getting the Beavers fans involved.
Because of his leaping ability, he and his teammates had practiced all season on a highlight-worthy alley-oop dunk play. It almost worked against Shady Spring. Even though the ball went in and out, it still had the desired effect.
“We did it and even though we missed it the crowd just loved it,” Collier said. “They were waiting all season to see somebody attempt a dunk. So I just came out with one, sir.”

Player of Week Honorable Mention

Week 11, Boys
Bluefield: Jeremy Thompson, 46 points in wins over Shady Spring and Greenbrier East.
Mercer Christian: Daniel Boothe scored 17 points vs. Parkersburg Christian. Eric Boothe added 11, Chandler Scott tallied 10.
Mount View: De’Moni Edwards scored 28 points in two games. Joseph Hayes (13), Marquis Bonds (12) and Kobe Brown (11) all contributed to the win over Summers County. Sidney George (12) and Ellis Bryson (11) showed up in double figures vs. Liberty.
PikeView: Hunter Hill scored 36 points in wins over Princeton and Summers County. Seth Meadows, 34 points. Tyler Boyd, 13 vs. Summers County, Wayne Brookman, 14 vs. Van.
Princeton: Bryson Murphy, 17 points, 15 rebounds vs. Westside; Colton Fix, 28 points in two games; Logan Watkins, 24 points.
River View: Tyree Baker scored 23 points vs. Pocahontas County. Todd Coeburn added 17 for the Raiders.
Summers County: Matt Ryan, 44 points in two games. Andrew Richmond and Dakota Thomas had doubles-doubles vs. Independence; Richmond had 17 points vs. PikeView.
Wyoming East: David Carte scored 49 points in two games. R.J. Folden, 38 points; Logan Blankenship and Jonathan Sims had double-digit outings in both games.
Note: Final award of the season.
• • • 0
2015-16 Boys Winners
Week 1: Daniel Boothe, Mercer Christian
Week 2: Hunter Hill, PikeView
Week 3: Jeremy Thompson, Bluefield
Week 4: Tanner Robinette, Honaker
Week 5: Roman Workman, Graham
Week 6: Luke Phillips, Richlands
Week 7: Tyree Baker, River View
Week 8: Seth Meadows, PikeView
Week 9: Chase Lawson, Narrows
Week 10: K.J. Brown, Mount View
Week 11: Mookie Collier, Bluefield
Player of the Week
Home | Game Schedules | Archive Coverage
Player of the Week | Bounce Blog | Memorable Matchups
www.BDTBounce.com
Copyright © BDTBounce.com
All rights reserved. Do not duplicate or redistribute in any form.
Site Designed By: MotionLX, LLC