Back home

By EASportsToday.com
- Tweet
Updated: June 14, 2018

White Plains’ Shadrix returns to his roots to wrap up his high school basketball career

Then And Now: White Plains basketball coach Chris Randall brought sixth-grader Simeon Shadrix on the team’s Lee University camp trip shortly before the player transferred (top photo) and they were together again at the camp this year after Shadrix returned (bottom).

By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today

Simeon Shadrix is wrapping up his high school basketball career in the same place it all began and it couldn’t feel more natural.

The sharp-shooting Shadrix, one of Calhoun County’s deadliest 3-point threats, is back at White Plains, where he went through sixth grade before transferring to Oxford when his mother landed a teaching job there that summer.

Returning to what the AHSAA recognizes as the “home school” allows the senior guard to retain his eligibility. It also marks a reunion with the players he grew up playing with and against in the community’s recreation leagues and remained close.

“I love it,” he said Thursday between games at the Champions Sports Academy boys team camp. “I grew up with all these guys, so it’s fun coming back and playing with them. It feels like it used to when I was growing up.”

“It’s nice to have him back home,” White Plains coach Chris Randall said.

For the past two years Shadrix provided the Yellow Jackets a reliable outside option in a free-wheeling, up-tempo offense and was the overall finalist in the 3-Point Shootout at last year’s Calhoun County Tournament. He’ll have a similar role with the Wildcats.

He made six 3-pointers in his second varsity game in December 2016, prompting Oxford coach Joel Van Meter to say at the time “he’s the best shooter I’ve had since I’ve been here, hands down.”

Shadrix was on top of his game Thursday in the Wildcats’ 54-35 win over Alexandria in their camp opener. He went 6-for-6 from the floor off the bench – all from outside the 3-point arc. He entered the game about five minutes in as Randall started two posts to combat Alexandria’s size and immediately drained a 3 from the left corner.

He started the next game, a one-sided win over Southside, and hit two more 3s, and hit three in a loss to Springville. They play three more games Friday – at 2:55 p.m. (Glencoe), 4:45 p.m. (Cleburne County) and 6:35 p.m. (Ohatchee).

The way he started against the Valley Cubs was a sharp and welcomed contrast from his start in the team camp at Lee University. He hit the Wildcats’ first shot of the trip and then didn’t hit another one until their third or fourth game of the day.

“I was telling the guys after he made like his fourth in a row he must like shooting in Alabama more than he likes shooting in Tennessee,” Randall said. “He shot it OK (at Lee), but he didn’t shoot like this; gee whiz, it’s hard to beat 6-for-6. He did hit the rim one time; I’m a little disappointed in one of those 3s. He’s going to have to work on that.”

But Shadrix brings to the Wildcats more than just an outside shot. He brings to them what coach Chris Randall calls a “cool confidence.” Interestingly, he could have graduated from Oxford this past spring, but he’ll complete his high school requirements at White Plains while also taking college classes through Gadsden State.

“He’s played on big stages but he’s not vocal about it; he’s cool with his actions and his body language,” Randall said. “Today he shot the ball great, but he can miss three in a row and it doesn’t change his confidence. Bringing that to us has been special over the summer.

“He’s already meshed in with the group. He knows his role, he’s a team-first guy; whatever matchup we went with he’s just acted like a champ. And he’s picked up our defensive stuff quick. He knows we put a high premium on defense and he really bought into that philosophy. It’s just been a seamless transition on our end.”

Champions Sports Academy
Boys Team Camp
Friday’s Games
8:30 a.m. – Springville vs. Asbury; Saks vs. Pleasant Valley
9:25 – Southside vs. Westbrook; Weaver vs. Collinsville
10:20 – Springville vs. Saks; Asbury vs. Pleasant Valley
11:15 – Southside vs. Weaver; Westbrook vs. Collinsville
12:10 p.m. – Springville vs. Pleasant Valley; Asbury vs. Saks
1:05 – Southside vs. Collinsville; Westbrook Christian vs. Weaver
2:00 – Alexandria vs. Spring Garden; Hokes Bluff vs. Ranburne
2:55 – White Plains vs. Glencoe; Cleburne County vs. Ohatchee
3:50 – Alexandria vs. Hokes Bluff; Spring Garden vs. Ranburne
4:45 – White Plains vs. Cleburne County; Glencoe vs. Ohatchee
5:40 – Alexandria vs. Ranburne; Spring Garden vs. Hokes Bluff
6:35 – White Plains vs. Ohatchee; Glencoe vs. Cleburne County