RANGER, Texas - Academically and in athletics, community colleges offer opportunity to students who otherwise might not receive higher education.
One such student on coach Billy Gillispie's Ranger College basketball team is 6-7 freshman forward Johnathan Turner.
Turner is the former Madison star who last March got into a fight with friend, housemate and Wilmer-Hutchins player Troy Causey.
Turner punched Causey, a police investigation determined, resulting in Causey falling backward, hitting his head and suffering a brain injury - from which he died the following day, March 24, 2014.
Turner was charged with murder, but a grand jury reduced the charge to manslaughter. On July 6, Turner pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to seven years' deferred probation.
In August, Turner was accepted into Ranger College. School president Bill Campion said Turner is not on scholarship and that the college "looked into the situation very, very closely."
Campion said that Phil Wade and Lisa Wade, who took in Turner to live with them while prosecutors negotiated his plea deal, continue to be supportive and regularly visit Turner in Ranger.
"He's fulfilled all legal requirements," Campion said. "We couldn't keep him from being here if we wanted to, but we don't want to keep him from being here.
"We want him to be a real success story from here."
At the time of their fight, Causey, Turner and another basketball player, Willie Hollins, were living together in a house that was within none of their schools' attendance boundaries.
That revelation led to a Dallas Independent School District investigation that initially resulted in 15 DISD athletics employees getting fired. Later, DISD changed course and allowed seven of the employees to resign with expunged records and financial settlements.
Turner is coming off the bench for the Rangers. Through the first five games, his best showing is a 17-point, six-rebound performance against the Texas Riders on Nov. 2.
Gillispie has not publicly commented about Turner's presence on the team, referring media questions to Campion.
Campion said Gillispie put together a strong coaching staff and support system, not just for Turner but all players on the roster.
Indeed, some would consider Gillispie's coaching staff to be Division I caliber. It consists of former Memphis, Atlanta and New York Knicks scout Rodney Heard; former Texas Legends assistant Brandon Espinosa; longtime University of North Texas assistant Bill Foy; and Acie Law IV.
Foy won a national championship at Paris Junior College in 2005. Law, 30, played for Gillispie at Texas A&M, is on staff as an unpaid, volunteer assistant and commutes from Southlake.
Campion said Heard oversees the campus dormitory that houses male athletes, including basketball players.
"Billy attracts these kinds of coaches," Campion said. "He's the draw. It's a magnetism."
Twitter: @Townbrad
