A basketball coaching change at Alcorn State University resulted in a change of heart by La’Genesis Johnson on where she wants to spend the next four years of her life. Johnson, a 6-foot-2 center/forward for Choctaw County High School, signed with Alcorn. But after the school did not renew the contract of coach Courtney Pruitt, Johnson was granted a release and will attend Alcorn’s biggest rival, Jackson State University instead. “I had built up a relationship with the previous coach (Pruitt),” Johnson said. “I didn’t feel comfortable going to a program where I did not have a relationship with the coaches.” She talked with Pruitt’s successor Nathaniel Kilbert. “He’s a great guy. He has a lot of great history at Alcorn. But I had already made up my mind.” Kilbert was an assistant coach at Alcorn from 1991-to-2001. Since then, he was head coach at two other Southwestern Athletic Conference schools, Mississippi Valley and Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Johnson likes the family environment at Jackson State. “The team is very family oriented. It’s like I will have another family. A family away from home. It’s close to home. It’s only about an hour and a half from where I live. I feel like it’s a great fit for me.” Jackson State had a successful 2019-20 season under coach Tamekia Reed that was cut short by the pandemic. JSU was the SWAC regular season champion with a 16-2 record, (21-10 overall) but didn’t get an opportunity to play in the conference tournament, with a chance to qualify for the NCAA tournament. “It’s a winning program,” Johnson said. “Coach Reed has turned the program around tremendously. I want to be part of that.” She was recruited by JSU before signing with Alcorn. As a senior at Choctaw County, Johnson, averaged 16.8 points, 11.3 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 1.9 blocks. She averaged 17 points and 10.8 rebounds as a junior. She was named fourth team all state and was chosen as a Dandy Dozen, one of the state's top 12 players, by The (Jackson) Clarion-Ledger. She also played volleyball at Choctaw County, but will not attempt to play both at JSU. Johnson plans to major in psychology.
