Published: May 20, 2008 10:37 pm            

Minnix to continue basketball career at Bluefield State

PRINCETON — The Minnix Twins have broken up. At least on the court.

While there’s little doubt that the Princeton Senior High School senior duo of Shane and Shaun Minnix will continue to maintain a close relationship, only one will be playing when basketball season rolls around in the fall.

Shane Minnix signed a National Letter of Intent on Tuesday to play college basketball at Bluefield State. Shaun has elected not to continue his roundball career.

“It’s going to be hard looking over there and just seeing him watching and not beside me,” Shane Minnix said. “I’m used to looking over and seeing him right beside me on the court. That’s going to be a different, but I can adjust to it.”

Minnix, an All-MSAC and All-Class AAA honorable mention selection as a senior, was a three-year starter with the Tigers, playing in the ultra-competitive Mountain State Athletic Conference, facing such quality Class AAA competitors as former Huntington stars O.J. Mayo and Patrick Patterson.

“Playing against Mayo and then Patterson, you play plenty of talent. There’s always talent in the Mountain State Athletic Conference,” Minnix said. “Every game, if you don’t play hard you are going to get beat so you have to play hard every game and it’s just going to be the same thing at the college level.”

A promising senior season was shortened in the middle by knee surgery, but Minnix refused to let those ailments keep him off the court. He returned soon after the surgery, scoring 14.6 points per game for the Tigers.

“It’s just hard to sit there and watch and not be able to play,” Minnix said. “Just watch every game, it’s just hard.”

That injury played a role in Minnix deciding to stay close home to play on the next level.

“There were a few other schools, but I had knee surgery in the middle of the season and I wanted to stay home for college,” Minnix said. “I think it would be better for me to just stay home so that was mainly my decision.”

Princeton head coach Ernie Gilliard, who replaced John Flournoy before last season, thinks Minnix has a bright future ahead, but also offers a few tips to take with him to Bluefield State.

“I think he’s going to be a very surprise player for them, but there are some things he needs to work on,” Gilliard said. “He’s got to get tough physically and mentally, he’s got to improve his ability to put the ball on the floor and take it to the basket offensively, and just improve his overall defensive scheme.

“Once he does that and improves that ballhandling I think that they’ll find they’ve got a pretty good basketball player.”

Minnix feels that his time at Princeton has prepared him for college basketball.

“It’s been great, I’ve learned plenty from both of the coaches that I had, John Flournoy and coach Gilliard,” Minnix said. “It’s been fun.”

As for what Bluefield State head coach Don Jones wants from Minnix, it’s much the same as any other coach at any level.

“Just make sure we’ve got a solid work ethic, the whole team,” Minnix said. “You’ve just to keep working every day”

Minnix joins a program that reached 11 wins two seasons ago — the most in a decade — before dropping off to a 2-26 mark last year. Minnix wants to do his part to turn those fortunes around.

“I hope that I can help and fit in as far as the team and grow together and hopefully improve,” Minnix said. “I’d like to just fit in and do my part and fill a role just like everyone else and just hope everything goes well.”

He’ll be reunited with former Princeton point guard Jevon Carpenter, who played last season as a freshman for the Blues.

“I think the familiarity of those two guys might help make his transition a little smoother, but I think the key for him is to work hard,” Gilliard said.

“He’s going to actually have to work twice as hard now, but I think he can be very successful.”

Minnix is already teaming up with Carpenter, preparing for the 2008-09 campaign.

“We’ve already got our weight-lifting schedule that started (Monday),” said Minnix, who will major in business. “I’m supposed to be starting with Jevon this week, me and him will already be paired up so it will be fun.”

While Minnix isn’t sure what the future holds, he does hope to see plenty of playing time for the Blues.

“I hope to get stronger and faster and I hope to fit in and play as soon as I get there or try to,” Minnix said. “We’ll just see what happens.”

—Contact Brian Woodson

at bwoodson@bdtonline.com

        

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