What happens if the Leaning Tower of Pisa books it to Siberia? Or if the Grand Canyon decides it’s fed up with being gawked at and closes shut? What if NBC wakes up and realizes 217 versions of &uot;Law & Order&uot; is overkill?

Would you tour otherwise trivial towns or watch an unoriginal network if the main attractions vamoosed?

Jenae Jackson asked herself a similar question when Rick Reeves announced in mid-April he was leaving his Southern Miss’ head coaching position in favor of the same title at Gardner Webb, a small Division I Baptist school in Boiling Springs, N.C.

The 2004 Democrat’s All-Metro Player of the Year, who averaged 19 points, six rebounds and two blocks per game as a senior at Centreville, felt conflicted when Reeves left Hattiesburg with a 68-74 record in five seasons.

&uot;It was kind of hard. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do,&uot; said Jackson, an MPSA All-Star and the District 4-AA co-MVP. &uot;The real reason I was going there was because I loved the coaching staff. It hit me hard, but I had to accept it and move on.&uot;

Reeves called Jackson, and the two spoke about their futures apart.

&uot;He seemed worn down,&uot; Jackson remembered.

Now she was forced to make a painstaking decision: Keep her commitment with the Lady Eagles and hope for the best, or choose a different route.

Her decision to wait for the storm to calm proved wise, as former Memphis head coach Joye Lee-McNelis left a successful Tiger program to return to her alma mater in Hattiesburg.

McNelis played at USM in the early 80s and served as an assistant coach from 1986-91 before getting the job in Memphis.

Jackson only knew of McNelis as a candidate for the position back in 1999 before university officials elected Reeves.

&uot;I think she’s wonderful,&uot; Jackson said of McNelis. &uot;I think she can turn the program around.&uot;

McNelis guided the Lady Tigers to a 229-157 mark, eight postseason appearances and four-straight Conference USA crowns in 13 seasons at the helm. Her last five teams posted 20-win seasons.

Jackson is optimistic McNelis can do the same for a program that hasn’t sniffed 20 victories since &uot;Friends&uot; was in its second season (1995-96).

&uot;It’s gonna take time for (McNelis) to install her system and for us to understand it,&uot; she said. &uot;But I don’t think it’s a lot to expect a big turnaround because she turned Memphis around.&uot;

The recent graduate doesn’t leave for summer school in Hattiesburg ’til next Friday, but is already nostalgic for those late-night sessions of Slip-n-Slide, marathon ping pong matches or bumpy trips on four-wheelers &045; &uot;When you live in a small town,&uot; Jackson said, &uot;you have to find creative ways to entertain yourself.&uot;

And if you get bored, there’s always plenty of &uot;Law & Order&uot; to go around.

Donk, donk.

Chuck Corder

is a sports writer for The Natchez Democrat. You can reach him at (601) 445-3633 or by e-mail at

chuck.corder@natchezdemocrat.com.