Page 54 - South Mississippi Living - February, 2020

SPORTS & OUTDOORS
HE SHOOTS, HE SCORES
The basketball career of local legend Mike Necaise
story by A.J. Giardina photos courtesy of Bay High School and William Carey University
MIKE NECAISE played for Bay High School and William Carey University.
What was the impact Mike Necaise had on Bay St. Louis High School basketball? With the ball in his hands, Necaise was electric and e cient, netting
41.9 points and 20 rebounds per game during his senior season (1966-’67). In three seasons, he played a major role in guiding Bay High to a 76-17 record.
Necaise said, “ I was blessed to have a great coach
and great teammates. Without them, I wouldn’t have experienced the success I did. Coach Wilmer Seymour had a way of motivating me to reach the next level.”
Necaise, a 6’ 4” center, was given the nickname “Go Go,” and would go on to secure All-American honors and Conference and District Player of the Year. There’s no telling how many points Mike would have scored if the 3-point basket was in play at that time.
Recruited by 100 colleges including Kentucky and North Carolina, Mike landed in Hattiesburg at William Carey University. “John O’Keefe was the most knowledgeable
coach, and he taught me so much about the game,” Necaise said. “I averaged 29.1 points my senior season.” The William Carey Hall of Fame member had his jersey number, 24, retired in 1990.
The Seattle Supersonics selected Necaise with the 91st pick in the 1971 NBA Draft, but he opted to become a high school basketball coach after receiving his Masters degree.
“My life has been blessed having coached at Harrison Central and Bay High, becoming a school administrator and being elected Chancery Court Clerk of Hancock County, “Necaise said. “It was very special when Bay High hung my #14 jersey atop the gymnasium rafters and named the court the Mike Necaise Court.”
In retirement, Mike spends time with his wife Suzette and his six grandchildren, and loves watching the Gulfport High girls basketball team. His daughter Brooke is the head coach.
Necaise is a worthy candidate for the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame.
LEFT: NECAISE had his collegiate number retired in 1990. His #14 jersey hangs atop the rafters in the Bay High School gymnasium.
RIGHT: Mike Necaise and his wife Suzette.
54 | February 2020
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