Caleb Suggs

Hartselle Enquirer

If you follow basketball in Morgan County, chances are you might have heard the name Jenna Walker. Walker is a soon to be freshman at Priceville High School who has already made a name for herself both in the AAU Southern Starz organization and as the starting point guard for the Priceville Lady Bulldogs. Even as young as she is, Walker has already started pulling in offers. “I really do love playing basketball more than anything,” Walker said. “I am very thankful for all my coaches who help make me better and all my teammates that make it so fun.” Walker recently took some time out of her busy playing schedule to answer some questions.

What was your first offer? What was it like to get your first offer?

“My first offer came in June from The University of Southern Mississippi! I’m always very thankful to any coach who shows interest in me, but when Head Coach Joye Lee-McNelis of Southern Miss looked me in the eyes and said the words, ‘I want you to wear the black and gold and play for me,’ it brought me to absolute tears. I am an emotional person anyway, but it was completely overwhelming to be sitting with one of my favorite coaches at one of my favorite campuses and hear those words. For me, I think I felt accomplished. I felt like the one thing I’ve wished for the most was finally going to come true- getting to play college basketball!”

What other offers have you received?

“So far, I have received three more offers since Southern Miss. I have been offered by Coach Rick Pietri at Jacksonville State University, Coach Missy Tiber at The University of North Alabama, and Coach Nikki McCray at Old Dominion University!”

What offers are you hoping to obtain in the future, and where would you like to go if you had the chance?

“I don’t have specific schools that I am dreaming of getting offers from or playing for right now. I am just hoping for the chance to play at a college where everyone feels like family and most importantly has a winning mentality just like me!”

How has playing AAU for the AL Southern Starz helped your game?

“Playing for The AL Southern Starz has made me a much better player than I was before. To play well and win in AAU, I have to work hard in the weight room, at speed and agility and at my skill lessons because the AAU teams and players that we play against are some of the best in the country.”

I noticed you were at the NCAA Women’s Basketball Final Four. Was that part of recruiting or camps?

“Besides playing AAU, I attend a lot of College Elite Camps and different types of exposure camps, which all led to me being nominated to play in The Middle School All American Game in Dallas, TX during the Women’s Final Four Weekend. While I was there for my game, I was also able to attend the Women’s NCAA Final Four Games. Mississippi State upsetting UCONN was the most amazing game I have ever seen! It was an amazing weekend of basketball, and I am so thankful for that experience!”

What did it mean to start for Priceville High School Varsity Basketball as an eighth-grader?

“As much as I love playing AAU, I love playing for Priceville just as much! I am always proud of what I earn while playing, and being a starter in the eighth grade was a huge honor. Knowing that my coaches and my teammates believed in me was the best part!”

What are your expectations for this year for Priceville? For yourself?

“Everyone on our team will be a lot stronger and quicker than before.  Our entire Priceville team has been riding a bus to (ASPT) All Sports Performance Training in Cullman and working hard in a strength and speed camp all summer with Coach Steve Johnson, and most of us now go to skill development lessons with Coach (JoJo) Jeaniece Slater year round. We all want this coming year to be our best ever, and we are working really hard to make that happen!
For me, besides working to be a more skilled player, I have been learning to manage games better and make better decisions, so I hope to be a better leader for our team this year.”

Priceville has gained a lot of steam this offseason and has built a lot of hype for this upcoming season. There are several reasons for that such as returning every starter including leading scorer Kathleen Wheeler. However, there is no doubt that the upside of the young Walker has played a big part in it. She’s set to make a big splash this season for the Lady Bulldogs.