BY RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
IN SHORT: Jacksonville High graduate Airic Hughes turned down academic scholarships from major universities to realize his dream of playing college basketball. Hughes will play for Ecclesia.
Things have been working out for Jacksonville’s Airic Hughes lately. He finally broke into the starting lineup for the Red Devil basketball team this year. He helped them to a third-place conference finish and helped them get back into the state playoffs. He just graduated eighth in his class, and most recently, he was offered a scholarship to play college basketball.
He accepted that offer and Friday signed with Ecclesia College in Springdale. The 5-foot-8 sharpshooter was the fourth player to sign with the first-year program that will compete in the Nationall Christian College Athletic Association.
He joins Calvin Woods of CAC, his cousin Keith Richardson Jr. of LR Central, and Malcom Jones of Muskogee, Okla.
Hughes had already been accepted into several universities based on his academic acumen, but he has always wanted to play basketball at the next level. After two years of toiling on the junior-varsity squad, his work ethic and determination ultimately culminated in the honor grad achieving his dream.
“I knew if I got an offer from a smaller school I was going to take it,” Hughes said of his decision to play for Ecclesia rather than attend one of the larger, more acclaimed institutions that accepted him. “I didn’t know if it was going to happen, but when things started working out that way, I knew it was what I wanted to do.”
Hughes has receieved some interest from other colleges for basketball, but has yet to receive any other official offers. He waited a few weeks to commit to Ecclesia, just to see if any other offers would come.
“There are some schools that are saying they’re interested in me, but coach (John) Parker made the offer, and I didn’t want to make him wait too long,” Hughes said.
Several factors went into Parker’s decision to sign the small guard. It all started with a tape of Jacksonville’s season-opening win over North Little Rock. It was Hughes’ first start of his career, and he led the team with 18 points, including four three pointers.
“I liked his shot when I saw that tape,” Parker said. “He doesn’t hold it too long and he shoots it well.”
Parker called Hughes the next day and told him he was very interested, and asked him to visit and work out. The workout was the clincher.
“I had him do some things that he wasn’t used to, things that challenged him quite a bit,” Parker said. “What I saw was that determination and attitude of never giving up that coach (Jerry) Wilson told me about. He just wasn’t going to let it beat him. He stayed with it until he got it. I had been told how determined he was and how hard he worked, but it made a big difference to see it for myself. He’s an impressive young man that obviously puts everything into whatever he takes on. We can use players like that.”
Sheer grit wasn’t the only thing that impressed Parker. Hughes played basketball pretty well during the workout as well.
“He also shot it very well while he was here too, so that just affirmed what I saw in the tape. It proved to me that it wasn’t just a one-game hot streak or anything like that. He’s able to do that consistently. ”
Ecclesia won’t just offer its players a chance to play basketball, they will also have the opportunity to go on missions. Parker says interested students could go to China next year, and could even be involved in helping out with Olympic preparation if Bejing is awarded the next games.
“Those are opportunities that not a lot of schools can give players,” Parker said. “The Olympic thing may or may not happen, but there will be opportunities to go lots of different places and do great mission work.”
Hughes already has plans to spend this summer in an unfamiliar environment. He will be working construction in Florida with friend and teammate Will Christian, but plans to keep working on his basketball skills and staying in shape. He’s already improved his strength dramatically since his senior season ended, adding nearly 60 pounds to his bench press.
“I report up there in August or September,” Hughes said. “I’m looking forward to it; I plan to be ready.”
