When he was running point at Meridian High School, Jay Malone was considered both a scorer and a distributor.

Now a junior for the Southern Mississippi men’s basketball team, Malone has been averaging 4.3 assists per game so far this year, with a season high of 10 in the Golden Eagles’ opening game against Delta State. His most impressive game to date, though, was against Tougaloo this past Saturday, in which Malone scored 12 points, dished out seven assists, pulled in three defensive rebounds and also tallied a steal and a blocked shot.

The Golden Eagles won 96-77 against Tougaloo, but something pumped Malone up that had nothing to do with his individual performance Saturday. When informed his former Meridian teammate Tyron Brewer, who now plays for Southeast Louisiana, scored 30 points against Ole Miss on the same day, along with tallying six rebounds, Malone was both stunned and excited for his fellow Wildcat alumnus.

“Man, that’s amazing,” Malone said. “That means a lot knowing Ty is playing at a high level and really scoring. I don’t really know what to say. It feels good that he’s doing what he needs to do.”

When they were at Meridian, Malone was used to making teammates such as Brewer look good by getting them the ball and letting them score. He said he still feels that same motivation, which is why he was glad his Golden Eagle teammates LaDavius Draine, Gabe Watson and Tyler Stevenson scored 28, 19 and 19 points respectively against Tougaloo Saturday.

“This was one of the most whole games I put together for Southern Miss, and really, my teammates were hitting shots, so it made the game easy for me (Saturday),” Malone said. “It helped me a lot, and they encouraged me to continue to play well.”

The seven assists on Saturday meant just as much to him as the 12 points, Malone said.

“I try to make that a big emphasis on my game plan, because I have a lot of scorers around me,” Malone explained. “Me making my teammates look good makes me look good.”

A member of the 2016-17 MHSAA Class 6A state championship team for the Meridian boys, Malone scored 23 points in the Wildcats’ state championship game against Murrah in March of 2017 and earned player of the game honors. Following his high school career, Malone played his first two years of college basketball at Southwest Mississippi Community College before transferring to Southern Miss prior to this season.

“It helped me make my game more complete as a point guard,” Malone said of playing for Southwest. “It really helped me develop at point guard.”

Moving to Division I men’s basketball, Malone said it took some time to adjust to the speed and pace of the game, but he feels like he’s starting to come around.

“I love the experience here,” Malone said. “The ups and downs are really a blessing because a lot of people don’t get the opportunity to play Division I basketball. I’m blessed to be a Golden Eagle.”

It also helps coming from a Meridian program where he and his teammates were expected to win every night, Malone said.

“We had a culture that we weren’t going to take anything that we weren’t going to take,” Malone said. “Being from Meridian helped me a lot, knowing I can play on this level and having confidence to play on this level.”

Playing college basketball was Malone’s dream ever since was young, and he said he doesn’t take the opportunity lightly. He also knows he’s representing his home town and his high school, and he hopes other players from Meridian can follow in his footsteps.

“A lot of little kids play basketball, and I want them to know there’s more to do than just getting into trouble,” Malone said. “It shows that there are different ways to be successful.”

Malone and the Golden Eagles return to action Dec. 30, when they host Louisiana Tech to begin Conference USA play. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.