Booneville, Miss., --Northeast Mississippi Community College's head basketball coach Cord Wright has added another standout recruit to his 2013-14 roster with the signing of Tyre Mallard from Caledonia High School.

Mallard had a hard road getting to NEMCC after falling on some hard times in high school.  Mallard, a 6-4, 170-pound swingman, tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee as a sophomore.

Mallard, in a recent article written after he signed with Northeast by The Dispatch newspaper out of Columbus, admitted that he returned from the ACL injury as a junior and wasn't as strong as he needed to be. However, he improved in that area and when his senior campaign rolled around he was the team's defensive player of the year and an all-district selection while averaging just over seven points per game.

After his high school career ended, Mallard suited up for Mississippi's Team Elite under the direction of head coach Erise Wilson.

Mallard averaged 12.5 points and three blocked shots in eight games for Team Elite and Mallard had 14 points in the first game of the district championship against the Mississippi Thunder.  In the Magic City Rumble, Mallard hit seven free throws in overtime that helped the team advance to the semifinals.

"We are very excited that we got to sign Tyre," said Wright.  He is a hard worker and a great kid and we can't wait to get him on campus."

CUTLINE:  Sitting (L-R) is aunt Pearl Mallard, Tyre Mallard, and his mother Ann Johnson, and standing (L-R) is his sister Lashondra Mallard, niece Adrian Mallard, and Coach Erise Wilson of Team Elite of Mississippi.