Sport, in all its various forms, is unrivaled in its ability to bring individuals together from every corner of the world.
While cultural, political or geographical boundaries may prohibit people from uniting otherwise, athletic competition has a tendency to break down all of those barriers.
And despite residing in a small corner of the southern state, Southwest Mississippi C.C. frequently exemplifies this by housing a host of foreign athletes who are looking to pursue their dreams abroad.
Leano Rolle and Andre Ngomabie, two stars on the Bears’ basketball team, are just the latest products of that reality, and they’ve each taken winding paths in their hoops journeys.
Andre Ngomabie rises for a dunk.
Arriving at the Summit
Growing up, Rolle and Ngomabie likely didn’t even know Mississippi existed.
The former hails from Bimini, the smallest inhabited island chain in the Bahamas.
The latter grew up in Kishasa, the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
But while their hometowns–and in turn childhoods–were markedly different, Rolle and Ngomabie each had the value of community instilled in them at a young age.
And for the Bahamian, that community is pretty large.
“I was born and raised there, it’s where all my people are at,” Rolle said of Bimini. “My mom, dad, siblings, grandma, cousins, nieces, uncles, aunties…all of ’em.”
Rolle found his passion for basketball through older members of his family, as they built a homemade hoop near their house when they were kids.
“I have two older brothers and a cousin, and so they would take me outside to this basketball rim they made,” Rolle said. “It was a crate to shoot into and then a piece of wood on the back, and there was a tall stick to stand it up with. I grew up watching them play, and it inspired me because I saw how much fun they had with it.”
Learning from his siblings and cousin, Rolle continued to improve until he earned a chance to compete in America. The dynamic athlete attended high school in Florida as a junior, then ventured to Houston for his senior year before attending Arizona Western C.C. for his first season of junior college basketball.
Rolle was looking for a fresh start prior to the 2025-2026 academic year, and newly hired SMCC assistant coach Nick Couluris had a strong connection with the sophomore’s former coach. Anthony Ricks, who runs one of the top Adidas AAU programs in Florida, was quickly enticed by the opportunity for his cherished player.
“Coach Nick reached out to him about our situation here, and the guy was like ‘that’s where he’s gonna go,’” fourth-year head coach Corey Schmidt explained. “It really came down to the relationship piece.”
From competing in Los Angeles pro runs that summer to arriving in Summit just weeks later, Rolle explained that the transition was largely seamless.
“They accepted me with open arms, and I’m very grateful for that,” Rolle said of the school.
Conversely, Ngomabie’s story doesn’t begin with a first love of basketball. Instead, the 6-foot-10 forward initially fell in line with the most popular sport in his home nation.
“Everybody played soccer, but my dad had told me that as I was getting taller, I should start playing basketball,” Ngomabie said. “At first, I didn’t like it and preferred to play soccer like I had my whole life. But I had some friends who got me to play for fun, and once I got better I started to believe I could take it seriously and make it a profession.”
Through his continued development, Ngomabie earned an opportunity to play for two years at Victory Rock Prep in Florida, where he competed against a national schedule.
Following Ngomabie’s graduation, it was again Couluris who played a key part in bringing the foreign player to SMCC. After all, the first-year assistant had worked with Ngomabie at Victory Rock and made a point of wanting to bring him along.
“He [Couluris] immediately talked about Andre and how he had a bunch of D-I coaches that were interested, but he didn’t know if they would pull the trigger with an offer,” Schmidt said. “So we watched his film and really liked his game, and he’s been everything we thought he was.”
And after working through some bumps regarding Duolingo test scores and visa issues, Ngomabie joined Rolle in Summit for the 2025-2026 campaign.
Leano Rolle soars through the air for a one-handed slam.
Hooping with the Bears
The duo’s prior experience in playing American basketball has paid dividends this season, as despite being first-time members of the program, Rolle and Ngomabie have started nearly every game for the Bears.
Known for his high-flying dunks and acrobatic feats, Rolle ranks in the top 20 of the MACCC in averaging 14.4 points per game while also ranking top 10 in rebounds (6.7) and steals (1.8) per outing.
Meanwhile, Ngomabie has become the primary rim protector for Southwest, as he ranks in the top 15 in rebounds (6.3) and blocks (1.1) per game within the league.
Both players have learned plenty through their first couple months on campus, supporting their initial decision to give SMCC a shot.
“They’ve [the coaches] taught me stuff that I thought I knew, but in a better way to perfect my craft and what’s best for me,” Rolle said. “So I think the best thing was for me to come here with this staff and the amazing teammates I have, so shout out to them.”
Ngomabie echoed that point, and with him largely residing in the painted area, the forward pointed at the uptick in contact as the main adjustment he’s had to make since joining the junior college ranks.
“Basketball is more physical, and it’s the college level so everything matters and you can’t make many mistakes,” Ngomabie said. “Because with every mistake, you could be down six points. So it’s just about learning from my coaches who keep pushing me to do the right things.”
Those coaches frequently sing the praises of this pair, and not necessarily just for what they do with the ball in their hands.
“Dre [Ngomabie] is the most perfect teammate that anybody could ask for,” Schmidt said. “He plays hard, he’s unselfish and he can take coaching from us or his teammates, which not a lot of kids his age can do.”
In Rolle’s case, Schmidt explained that while the 6-foot-7 athlete does spend plenty of time catching up with friends and family, he’s also become one of the more jovial presences on the team.
“Leano is very quiet until you get to know him, and then he’s got a hilarious personality,” Schmidt said. “He’s always on the phone talking with someone back home, and he’s just always laughing or smiling.”
Schmidt is also glad to have exposed the foreign players to the raucous environments that accompany Bear basketball, which has only added to the welcoming feel that Rolle and Ngomabie have experienced from the community.
“I think they’ve both really enjoyed the home-game atmospheres, because we have one of the best in the country at the junior college level,” Schmidt said. “And Leano, with all of the highlights he creates, enjoys that aspect and how he can feed into the crowd.”
Andre Ngomabie searches for a pass.
Adjusting to life down South
But of course, Southwest Mississippi is not like most places.
Similar to other athletes who arrived from outside the region, Rolle and Ngomabie each had to adjust to all this area has to offer.
For starters, the Bahamian and Congolese are two of the few people that can complain about the frosty temperatures that infrequently sweep this state.
Thus, January’s historic ice storms were more than a culture shock.
“I miss everything about home,” Rolle said. “It doesn’t get as cold there as it does in Mississippi, and I’m not a big fan of the cold.”
With Bimini being the closest Bahamian island to the continental U.S., Rolle has had some chances to go home in recent years.
But Ngomabie hasn’t been back to the DR Congo since he arrived in America, and although he has some family in other states, the adjustment has been tough at times.
“I miss everything, because I’m not totally used to the food in the U.S. So I try to eat what I can, but the food back home is really good,” Ngomabie said. “And the weather is different because it just never gets cold back home.”
Ngomabie alluded to the difference in cuisine as a major adjustment, and like most other foreign athletes, Rolle agrees.
“The food ain’t too bad, but the food back home is really good,” Rolle said. “I could use some of it right now, but I just eat what I can until I get back home.”
The explosive wing did admit that he’s taken a liking to O.E.C. Japanese Express in McComb, but he emphasized that it will never compare to his mama’s peas and rice, plantains, chicken, macaroni and candied yams.
Another unique aspect of this region is how outgoing and friendly people in the South can be towards complete strangers.
Ngomabie experienced this firsthand when he joined teammate Chidi Nwosu to volunteer at Sleep In Heavenly Peace recently, a non-profit focused on building beds for kids in need.
The workers at the organization immediately took a liking to the towering players, and Schmidt explained that it caught Ngomabie a bit off-guard.
“They were joking with them about their height at first, and then they asked where the guys were from,” Schmidt said with a smile. “Once Andre said Congo, they just wanted to ask him all about that. I could tell it was a lot for him because he didn’t know they were gonna talk that much to him.”
Yet another example of the local area showcasing its kindness can be found within the Southwest locker room.
Sophomore forward Dawson Knox, a native of Hazlehurst, is roommates with Ngomabie. Knox’s family members have largely taken the Congo native under their wing, as they hosted Ngomabie at their house during the Thanksgiving break due to the dorms and cafeterias being closed on SMCC’s campus.
Also of note is the fact that French is the official language of the DR Congo, meaning that Ngomabie is fluent in speaking it. Due to this, he was also able to connect with some members of the Bear soccer team who spoke the language as well.
Leano Rolle skies for a thunderous dunk.
Pursuit of a dream
While junior college athletics are widely viewed as a stepping stone, Rolle and Ngomabie are committed to leaving a legacy in Summit.
“My goal is to win a championship, because the school hasn’t won one in a while so I want to be part of the team who can do that,” Ngomabie said. “And with that, bigger opportunities will come.”
Rolle agreed, explaining that while he certainly hopes to become a better individual player, his main goal is to make it to Hutchinson, Kansas, for the JUCO National Tournament.
As for the future following that, Rolle has simple plans in mind.
“From when I was young, I knew I wanted my life to be strictly basketball. I never pictured myself working for anybody in a day-to-day job,” Rolle said. “Nothing wrong with it, but just not for me. So coming to the States, I knew what I had to do with an opportunity not many people get.”
The Bahamian emphasized that his motivation stems from his family, specifically his four younger brothers, little sister and niece.
And Rolle is well on his way to making them proud, as Schmidt explained that the sophomore’s potential is hard to quantify at this stage in his career.
“Leano is one of the first guys I’ve ever coached where I can legitimately say that he’s more athletic than 99% of the NBA, not just JUCO,” Schmidt said. “And when you have that kind of athleticism, the sky is the limit. If he puts on some more weight and continues to work on his ball-handling and decision making, there’s no reason he can’t play high-major D-I basketball.”
Of course, something else that supports Rolle’s dream is the status of his aforementioned cousin. VJ Edgecombe is currently starring for the Philadelphia 76ers as a dynamic rookie guard with elite two-way abilities, and the apple didn’t fall far from the tree with Rolle.
However, the younger cousin doesn’t enjoy being known purely by that relation, instead wanting to make a name for himself as he pursues his own career in hoops.
Ngomabie has similar professional dreams, although he added that he has little care as to where he ends up. Ideally though, he’d love to eventually make it back to his home nation.
“I just want to be a professional basketball player, and later on if my career goes well, I’d like to get into business,” Ngomabie said.
The imposing paint presence already holds a handful of high-caliber offers, and his head coach credited Ngomabie’s athletic background as a major reason why.
“Andre is just such a physical specimen, and he has great footwork because soccer is such a good crossover sport,” Schmidt said. “He’s got a bright future ahead of him, and he’s already got some D-I offers.”
And while the pair continues to shine for the Bears this season and beyond, Rolle and Ngomabie will serve as just another example of the life-changing opportunities sports can create.
