WOLFFORTH — Al Pinkins doesn’t get to see his family as often as he’d like these days. Living two states away, he leans on FaceTime calls and the occasional visit to stay connected with his wife and three sons in Lubbock.
Wednesday he had an event he wouldn’t miss — even though it meant a 5 a.m. flight hours after finishing up a late night.
Pinkins, in his second season as an assistant coach with Ole Miss men’s basketball, made sure he was there to see his oldest celebrate a life-changing achievement. Following the Rebels’ home win Tuesday night, Pinkins drove to Memphis, Tenn., to catch the first plane to Texas for the festivities.
Soon, the meetings won’t require a cross-country travel on limited sleep.
Frenship standout Patton Pinkins signed on Wednesday to play for the Rebels, cementing a decision to join forces with his lifelong basketball influence.
“We’d be in the gym, just putting up shots,” Patton said, “early in the morning, late at night. Ever since I could touch a basketball, we’ve just been getting at it with each other.”
Longtime dream fulfilled
Kara Pinkins can still picture Patton dunking on the plastic hoop in the living room when he could barely walk. That grew into endless sessions shooting in the family’s driveway.
“He’s been in love with the game ever since,” Kara said.
It’s not hard to see why. Kara met her future husband Al when he played for NC State. They formed a basketball-crazed family, she said, with Patton as their first born.
Coincidentally, Patton’s first taste of organized — “or unorganized,” Kara joked — basketball came in Oxford, Miss. It was Al’s first stint at Ole Miss, and a 5-year-old Patton began to show intense interest in the sport. The youngster even had an idol: South Plains College turned Rebels guard Marshall Henderson.
“Patton just wanted to shoot like Marshall Henderson,” Kara said. “And now he does, maybe even better.”
By middle school, Patton knew he wanted to pursue a collegiate career. When Al got a job at Florida, Patton joined a prominent AAU team that helped showcase his talent. It was then Al knew his oldest had Division I potential.
Even so, if the two were going to be at the same program, it was up to Patton to impress the head coach. Ole Miss’ Chris Beard, who brought Al with him after their time at Texas Tech, liked what he saw.
Patton Pinkins sets ‘roots’ at Frenship
The situation will be like old times. Al was Patton’s first trainer, someone who could coach him hard “on the court or off.”
“Al and Pat are close, and they have a really good understanding of what makes each other tick,” Kara said. “I think Al being a coach as well as a dad, it’s a great balance because he knows parenting and coaching kind of go hand in hand. All your players and your kids are different. So he parents Patton differently than he does (sons) Pryce or Penn because their personalities are all different. (Al and Patton) are close, and I think it’s going to be a really great experience for both of them, and I think Patton will completely benefit from having his dad there on the sidelines.”
That made Al’s move to Mississippi in spring 2023 even harder. After much discussion, Kara and the boys decided to stay back so Patton could finish high school at Frenship. The parents understood, having been born and raised in their respective hometowns. Frenship was Patton’s eighth school in 10 years as the family moved along with Al’s job.
Patton called Frenship “home.”
“(Our kids) had to move around a bunch,” Kara said, “so giving Patton those roots of, ‘OK, Lubbock is home. Frenship is my school.’ Him graduating from here this spring, he’ll be able to come back here and go to high school reunions and just feel like he really was a part of something good here at Frenship.”
Patton said it’s difficult being apart from his dad, but they’ve managed. The family spent the past summer in Mississippi, and Kara said they get together about once a month.
“Patton realized real quick, ‘Oh my gosh, I miss my dad,'” Kara said. “I mean, not only in everyday life, but wow, I really miss my dad with basketball. That, I think, really helped solidify his decision pretty quickly. Not only do I really want to play for Coach Beard, but I love the aspect of being able to be with my dad and get some of that time back that he’s missed living apart from him last year and this year.”
Patton Pinkins recovers from injury for senior season
The distance was especially noticeable last December. Ten games into his junior year, Patton dislocated his right knee. He underwent season-ending patella realignment surgery.
Patton said his first major injury improved his mental toughness. He became a better teammate, he said, and showed he can impact the game from off the court.
Al said communication was key in the beginning of recovery, and he credited Patton’s fortitude. That continued throughout the rehab process.
“He really pushed forward,” Al said. “He didn’t have very many down days, didn’t take very many days off. He came here to Oxford for the months of June and July and probably took three days off, that we forced him to take off. So give him credit. He really worked at it and put himself in a situation to where he could get back to where he was before he got hurt.”
Patton returned to the court earlier this month and proceeded to score 41 and 49 points in his first two games. It’s the start of what he hopes will be a memorable final campaign.
It’s guaranteed to be so for Kara, who gets to see Patton and her middle son, freshman Pryce, play on the same team.
“I get really emotional even talking about it,” Kara said. “It’s so fun to watch, and as a mom it’s just priceless to see them being able to have this time together and become even closer. They’ve always been great brothers to each other, but them having this special time together Patton’s last year of high school, it’s just awesome.”
