Woodville — Tip McKenzie didn’t let the flu keep him from an outstanding weekend of basketball.

The Wilkinson County Christian Academy freshman played four games at the USA Junior Nationals High School Basketball Competition at Millsaps College in March, and his performance earned him an invite to the USA Junior Nationals International Sports Festival in late summer.

“He was sick going into that weekend,” said Shedrick McKenzie, Tip’s father. “He missed a track meet earlier in that week because of the flu, and we almost didn’t make it up there. The first game he played, he said, ‘Daddy, my chest is hurting.’ I just told him to play through it.”

Shedrick said his son isn’t the type of person who would willingly sit on the bench, so playing through the pain was a natural reaction.

After that first game, Tip said he started feeling better with every play, and that showed on the court.

Tip was invited to the sports festival at the University of Illinois in Champaign, Ill., July 27 to Aug. 2 for highly talented high school basketball players.

His dad said 12 to 20 athletes were selected from the more than 200 kids playing at Millsaps College that weekend.

“I couldn’t believe it,” Tip said. “They really did have some good players up there. I was really happy.”

McKenzie, who averaged 17.7 points and 10 assists per game for the Rams this season, has also been invited to the Ten Star All-Star Camp in Commerce, Texas, June 14-18.

That elite camp is for upper level athletes who have a strong desire to play basketball after high school. Tip’s own father played basketball at Alcorn State University, and the game is in his blood.

“I bought him his first basketball when he was 2 months old,” Shedrick said. “That’s his first love.”

Tip was an MPSA All-District 6-A selection, starting every game for the Rams this season.

WCCA coach Ray Olive said he’s only had one other player, James Reed, nominated to the USA Junior Nationals camp, and he holds all the scoring records for the school.

Tip, he said, is well on his way to passing Reed, almost without even trying.

“It’s almost to the point where I try to bring more out in him in the season,” Olive said. “He knows he could be the man, but he doesn’t want to be the man as far as leading and showing everyone else up. He would much rather pass the ball than shoot, which is a tremendous quality in today’s athletes. But when it’s on the line, he’ll step up and do the job.”

Olive said even though it’s early to start analyzing Tip for college play, he feels any high school athlete with the desire to play at the next level can find a team.

And the exposure Tip will get with the national camps can only help him — and the team.

“It’s a great opportunity for him to showcase his abilities on a larger scene than what he would get here during regular season games,” Olive said. “It’s a big boost to our program to have someone that could get national exposure, and it will still help the others out by maybe bringing a little more attention to this area and the team.”

Tip attributes his success so far to his family and coaches, who encourage him to work hard everyday.

He said he learned a lot from the coaches at the first competition, especially on defense, and hopes to learn more this summer.

“They taught me not to chase the player around — let them come to you,” he said. “They taught me how to stay on, but away from, the other player and not play so close to them.”

Tip also plays football for the Rams and runs the relays and the 100-and 200-meter dashes for the WCCA track and field team.

But basketball is the game he is most passionate about, and his father said it shows in his dedication.

“He works so hard,” Shedrick said. “I always tell him if you work hard you’ll get rewarded in the end. While all the other kids are out goofing off, he’s playing basketball.”