In the 1960s, the southern part of our state produced several big-time college basketball players.
One of those players still talked about today is Mike Necaise of Bay Saint Louis. On the coast, Mike is a basketball legend. You will never hear anyone say a bad word about Mike Necaise.
The talented Bay High School player was one of the top recruits coming out of high school in 1967. Necaise was a big-time scorer as he averaged 41.9 points and 20 rebounds per contest. Bay High had their best season in school history compiling a 32-3 record. “I was fortunate to have great high school teammates and a great coach in Wilmer Seymour, who motivated me to be the best I could be,” Necaise said.
“I was influenced by my older cousins growing up. When they needed anextra player, they would let me play,” stated Necaise. “When I got older, I worked out with Mississippi State basketball great Leland Mitchell.”
Necaise filled about every gymnasium his senior year. He once scored 62 points in three periods before being taken out of a game. He scored over 50 points four times his senior year.
Necaise was chosen to play in the Mississippi Coaches Association All-Star game. He was named Most Valuable Offensive Player in the contest.
The 6-foot, 4-inch center was named to the High School All-American team and to the All-State first team. He was named the Most Valuable Player in the Gulf Coast Conference.
“It was a great honor when Bay High hung my No. 14 jersey up and named the basketball court the ‘Mike Necaise Court’,” Necaise said.
Kentucky, North Carolina, and UCLA were just three of the 100 colleges recruiting the coast legend. At first, Mississippi State won the recruiting war, but Necaise would end up at William Carey College. “The Mississippi State coaches farmed or loaned me to Carey for one year.”
Necaise went to Carey to play in a 1,300 one-sided seat gymnasium. Because of Necaise’s high school fame, the demand for tickets during the early part of the season forced the college to construct 1,100 more seats.
Necaise did not disappoint in his first game as a Crusader. He scored 42 points against Pensacola Naval Station. He scored 21 points in each half, grabbed 15 rebounds, and blocked six shots in that opening win. “Necaise Fever” had moved from the Gulf Coast to the Hattiesburg area.
“After my freshman year, I decided to stay at William Carey. I enjoyed being close to family, and Coach John O’Keefe was the most knowledgeable coach. He taught me so much about the game,” Necaise said.
Necaise averaged 29.1 points his senior season and over his four-year career at William Carey scored 2,107 points and was named an All-American.
“I wish they would have had a three-point line when I was in high school and college,” Necaise said.
William Carey honored Necaise in 1990 by retiring his No. 24 jersey. He is also in the William Carey Sports Hall of Fame.
Seattle drafted Necaise 91st overall in the 1971 NBA Draft. He was also drafted by the New York Nets of the American Basketball Association. He would sign with the Nets. “You know, I played center in high school and forward in college but was asked to play guard with the Nets. It was not a good fit. So, I came back home,” Necaise said.
Necaise returned to the coast and coached high school basketball. A few years later, he moved into the administration of Hancock County schools. Later, he ran four times successfully for Hancock County Chancery Clerk.
Necaise is married to Suzette, and they have four children, Micah, Brian, Brooke, and Brianna. Micah played at William Carey while daughter Brooke signed with Southeastern Louisiana University.
Below are quotes from those who witnessed Necaise’s basketball achievements:
“He’s one of the finest high school basketball players I have ever seen. He is such an unselfish player. Great all-around player, he can rebound, score, and was tough on defense.”
— Former Gulfport High School Hall of Fame coach Bert Jenkins in a December 1966 Biloxi Daily Herald article.
“Mike had terrific elevation on his textbook lefty jump shot. Incredible range and great ability to create shots. Had he not left Mississippi State, I have no doubt that he would have been a first team all SEC player. My dad was the head coach at the University of Southern Mississippi, and he and I attended most of Necaise’s games his senior season.”
— former Chicago Bulls and University of Southern California head coach Tim Floyd.
“Mike Necaise is arguably the greatest basketball player ever to come out of Hancock County, the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and the state. Mike was long, athletic, and could really score but what was so underrated was his unselfishness and ability to pass the ball. He was such an incredible player and a joy to watch.”
— former Picayune High School coach and former Southern Miss Athletic Administration and Coaching professor Larry Ladner, as told to his son Jay, the current USM head basketball coach.
“I cut my sports writing teeth covering William Carey when Mike played. It was fun to go to the games and cover Carey because of the excitement Mike created. He was so talented at scoring. He was a lefty, and he would find a way to create a shot when it looked impossible. He was a very unselfish player and played at a higher level when playing the larger schools. I am still puzzled that Mike Necaise has not been inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame”
— Mississippi sportswriter and member of the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame Rick Cleveland.
