For the past three seasons, shooting guard TJ Monroe has provided Columbia basketball with microwave scoring and lights-out performances. Now the senior is trading in his blue and gold of the Wildcats to join the Wolfpack at Copiah-Lincoln Community College next year.
The 6-foot-2 star signed a letter of intent Tuesday morning with Co-Lin, selecting the Wesson school over Mississippi Delta Community College and Pearl River Community College.
“My freshman year my main goal was to be by my senior year going to a college, so accomplishing that goal means a lot to me,” he said.
Monroe became a key contributor as a sophomore on an upperclassmen-laden team and averaged a team-best 12.3 points per game on 43 percent shooting. Wildcats head coach Charlie James had told Monroe after that season that he needed to expand his game and be more than a shooter. He took it to heart, spent countless hours during the summer honing his craft and elevated his game to the point where he was deserving of college interest.
With three senior starters graduating, Monroe became the focal point as a junior and put up 21.2 points while raising his shooting percentage to 51 and averaging 7.9 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game. This past year Monroe continued his star production despite receiving a lot of defensive attention, averaging 20.6 points, 7.9 rebounds, 1.9 steals and sinking a career-high 77 shots from behind the arc.
Monroe is the first Columbia player to sign during James’ five-year tenure and was the guy who finally got the Wildcats past the second round of the playoffs. Columbia came up one game short of reaching the Final Four in Jackson, but Monroe is proud to have led the Wildcats to the third round.
“The last two years we went to the second round, and I wanted to know what it was like to go further than that. I was happy to be the person to lead the team to the third round for the first time in a long time,” he said.
James said that he was very proud of Monroe getting to play in college and that he exemplifies everything his program is about. Monroe said that he wouldn’t have been able to do it without all of the support he received.
“My parents first of all — my mom is always encouraging me — all my teammates and my coach obviously,” he said of those he wanted to thank. “They all helped me through the journey and made me better.”
There were several factors that went into Monroe’s decision to continue his hardwood career at Co-Lin.
He said he really liked how nice the Wesson campus is and the comfort he felt with the way Co-Lin’s court reminded him of a high school gym. He also liked how the coaching staff made him a priority.
“The coach was always texting me and making sure I was OK and stuff, and it seemed like they reached out more than any other college did,” he said. “After the visit I had my mind made up.”
The Wolfpack went 11-12 this past year and 4-10 in Region 23 competition. Co-Lin is graduating four guards that started at least 10 games and three that started at least 18, opening Monroe up to compete for a starting spot as a freshman.
Monroe said it’s his goal to earn a starting job from Day 1 and that even if he isn’t a starter he wants to be the first guy off the bench, playing starter minutes as a role player.
He even offered a scouting report for Wolfpack fans.
“They’re getting a player that’s going to work and a coachable player that’s going to do whatever coach wants me to do,” Monroe said.
Pictured Above: Columbia senior TJ Monroe signed a letter of intent Tuesday to play at Copiah-Lincoln Community College next year. The senior was joined by his mom, Lillian, stepdad, Walter Brown, assistant coach Carmen Taylor and head coach Charlie James. | Photo by Joshua Campbell
