Lax Named NAIA All-American

Former Bolivar Central Basketball player Jaquan Lax was chosen as a first-team All-American by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) following Freed’s first-ever Men’s Basketball National Championship. Freed defeated Langston (OK) 71-67 March 26. Lax led Freed in scoring with 15 Lax ended the season leading the Lion offense by averaging 13.3 points per game and had an assist to turnover ratio of 2.08, which led the Mid-South Conference.

"Quan has been such a leader and competitor since arriving at FHU!" exclaimed Coach Stutts on the Freed-Hardeman website. "He is a hard worker and a great teammate! I'm so proud of him! No one deserves this recognition more than he does."

It is believed Lax is the first Bolivar Central athlete to be a part of a national college championship team. Hardeman County has seen champions on a national scale before though, with the 1940 and 1941 Allen-White School team winning the national high school championship at Tuskegee, Alabama and Middleton’s Bailey Howell was a member of two NBA Championship teams with the Boston Celtics in 1967-68 and 1968-69 seasons. Former Bolivar Central Basketball Coach Rick Rudesill, who coached him during his high school career, said he saw the potential in Lax when he was a freshman at BCHS.

“I’ve never heard anyone say anything negative about him,” began Rudesill. “He is so positive and such a leader. Not just on the court, but everywhere he goes.”

Lax’s career at Bolivar Central saw him break the 1,000-point barrier in his senior season and help lead his team to a state championship berth in Murfreesboro. Lax redshirted his freshman year at Freed-Hardeman.

Lax has two years of eligibility left at Freed-Hardeman and has made the Dean’s List at the school each semester. Photo courtesy of Freed-Hardeman University.