DON LOFTON SEASON-BY-SEASON RECORDS
Don Lofton will enter his 39th season as a part of the Mississippi College men's basketball program in 2022-23.
The 2018-19 campaign opened with the Choctaws going 4-3, including a 17-point come-from-behind win over Montevallo to open Gulf South Conference play. They would also win two of their final four games and took West Alabama to overtime, who finished 2nd in the final league standings. Five Choctaws (Jon Harding, Zach Jones, Marcus Lytle, Austen McKnight and Jacob Taylor) landed on the GSC Academic Honor Roll.
The 2017-18 season started off fast as the Choctaws had a 9-8 record following a pair of road wins over Lee (87-75) and Shorter (96-85) near the end of January. Injuries took their toll, however, and MC would miss out on the GSC Tournament. Antonio Johnson was named to the GSC All-Academic Team, while Davy Fisher, Donovan Ham and Jon Harding earned spots on the Academic Honor Roll.
The Choctaws struggled through the 2016-17 season until the final five games of the year that saw MC go 3-2, including two road GSC wins over West Georgia and West Alabama. Coach Lofton collected his 200th career victory with an 83-65 win over Selma on December 3, 2016. Brandon Boston, Jared Case, Davy Fisher and Antonio Johnson were all named to the GSC FireSeeds Academic Honor Roll.
While the 2015-16 season was not the most successful in school history, it did end with a flourish as the Choctaws took down rival Delta State 71-66 in the season finale in A.E. Wood Coliseum. Jared Case, David Fisher, Otis Harvey, Christian Howard and Christian Robbins all were named to the GSC FireSeeds Academic Honor Roll.
The 2014-15 season was the first for the Choctaws back in Division II and the Gulf South Conference. The team finished 11-13 with a 9-13 mark in the league, including two different four-game winning streaks in GSC play. Tory Rice was named an NCCAA All-American, while Rice and Tristan Moore earned NCCAA All-MidEast Region honors.
The Choctaws went through their final season in the American Southwest Conference and Division III during the 2013-14 year, going 11-14 and finishing 8th in the league standings. Senior Lakin Ford and junior Emmanuel Ezejiofo earned All-ASC honors.
The 2012-13 season saw the Choctaws advance to the ASC Tournament for the 15th time in 15 tries and as they earned the #3 seed from the East Division with a 15-11 record, overall. Junior Brandon Blake was named a D3hoops.com All-South Region selection, while also earning a spot on the All-ASC Team. Senior Adam Smith was a Second Team selection, while Turmonte Ragland earned an All-Defensive Team selection.
The Choctaws advanced to the ASC Tournament in the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons, making them the only team in the league to qualify for every tournament. In 2011-12, MC landed Trevon Malone on the All-ASC First Team.
In the 2009-10 season, Lofton led the Choctaws to their 22nd consecutive winning season and a trip to the ASC Tournament. MC finished 19-7 overall and 14-6 in the ASC, while finishing second on the East Division.
In the 2008-09 season, the Choctaws advanced all the way to the ASC Championship Game before being ousted by Texas-Dallas. It would be the 10th time in 11 tournaments that the Choctaws advanced to the championship game. MC led the league with a .509 field goal percentage.
Lofton had an incredibly successful run as head coach of the Choctaws for four years from 2003-2006. In four seasons at the helm, Lofton produced a 92-23 overall record including two American Southwest Conference Championships and back-to-back appearances in the “Sweet Sixteen” round of the NCAA Tournament.
In the 2005-06 he led the Choctaws to a school record 29-2 season that ended with another appearance in the “Sweet Sixteen”. Lofton collected NCAA wins over Maryville University and Maryville College as a regional host of the first and second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Choctaws were the highest ranked team in the NCAA South Region rankings the entire season.
In the 2004-05 Lofton led the Choctaws to the third most wins in school history (24) and just their second appearance in the NCAA Tournament "Sweet Sixteen" round. The Choctaws were ranked #1 in the NCAA South Region ranking every week and won their seventh ASC East Division title in eight years. They also beat Maryville College in the second round of the NCAA tournament.
After taking over the program from Hall of Fame coach Mike Jones, Lofton maintained the same level of success with four straight appearances in the ASC Championship game. That same season Lofton kept the streak alive by leading the team to eight straight wins to end the season and reach the title game. His team also led the ASC in scoring defense.
In 2002-03, Lofton’s original season as Head Coach, he led the Choctaws to their fourth ASC Championship in six years. MC won 20 games and appeared in the NCAA Division III National Tournament for the sixth straight year.
Lofton was also a vital part of the success achieved by the basketball program during his tenure at MC as an assistant coach. As the recruiting coordinator, he was responsible for maintaining the talent level necessary to keep the Choctaws in the upper echelon of teams in the country year in and year out. He also filled the position as the primary assistant to former head coach Mike Jones and was vitally involved in building the program to where it is today.
Lofton built himself the reputation of being a top recruiter and talent evaluator. Since MC’s move to Division III in the 1996-97 season, he has helped recruit some of the best talent in the ASC. With him filling the role of recruiting coordinator, the Choctaws made five straight appearances in the NCAA tournament. They also won the ASC Championship three five of five seasons. During his last three seasons as an assistant, the Choctaws had five first team All-ASC selections and one ASC East Division Player of the Year.
Lofton began his coaching career at Mississippi College as a graduate assistant in 1978-79, working for Coach Doug Hines. He also served in the same capacity during the 1979-80 season. Before returning as an assistant, Lofton coached at West Jones High School in Laurel, Miss., for four seasons. He began as an assistant coach and was the head coach for three seasons, 1982-85. He led the Mustangs to several outstanding seasons and was named Coach of the Year in the Southern Athletic Conference in 1982-83.
Lofton was honored after the 1998-99 season by the National Association of Basketball Coaches for his outstanding service with the Merit Award.
A 1974 graduate of Brookhaven High School, he began his college career at Mississippi College, playing football and golf. He received his bachelor of science degree in business administration in 1978 and completed the master of education degree in 1983. Don and his wife Madelyn have three children: Davis, Jay and Elizabeth.
