Maurice Heade and Jayce Cravens have been added to the men’s basketball staff at D2 Henderson State University.
A native of Detroit, Michigan, Heade comes to HSU from Jarvis Christian University, where he served as an assistant for the 2022-23 campaign. In his one year, JCU reached its conference tournament for the first time since 2018.
Heade was placed in charge of team defensive principles as well as being over the developmental program while coaching All-Conference player James Phillips Russell and Freshman of the Year candidate Andrew Holifield.
Prior to joining Jarvis Christian, Heade worked four years as a student assistant with stints at Texas A&M-Commerce (2015-17) and Paris Junior College (2012-14).
While at TAMUC, Heade recruited All-American Malik Albert and played a major role helping the Lions reach the NCAA Division II National Tournament during the 2016-17 campaign.
As a student assistant at PJC, Heade was a part of the 2013-14 regular season championship squad with a 26-8 record. The Dragons also won the Region 14 conference tournament championship that year, becoming the first Region 14 team since 2000 to win both the regular season and conference tournament crowns in the same season.
During that run to the conference championship, Heade coached tournament MVP Trevon Seymore who went on to play at Coppin State University, in addition to Delvin Dickson and Jovan Austin, who continued their playing careers at Bowling Green State University, and Nouhoum Bocoum and Ronnie White, who ended up at Arkansas State University.
Heade earned his bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M-Commerce in 2018.
Cravens comes to HSU from Seminole State College in Seminole, Oklahoma, where he spent the last 4 years as an associate head coach and men’s basketball recruiting coordinator. While at Seminole State, an NCAA DI JUCO institution, SSC made the post season region II tournament each year.
Cravens served as the associate head coach under Oklahoma Basketball Hall of Fame Coach Don Tuley for 4 seasons while being the lead guy to recruit 6’9″ forward Nate Johnson who went on to play and start at 2022-23 Ohio Valley Conference Champion Southeastern Missouri.
In his final two seasons at Seminole State, the Trojans won at least 20 games each campaign, including the 2021-22 season, when they finished 21-8 and made it to the semifinals of the region II tournament. In 2022-23, SSC finished 25-8 and won the region II tournament for the first time is 16 years. That Seminoles team finished No. 1 in the country in rebounds, No. 1 in the nation in field-goal percentage, No. 1 in the nation in field goals made per game, No. 2 in the nation in blocks per game and fifth in the nation in assists per game. Cravens’ overall record while coaching at Seminole state is 71-41.
Cravens is a native of Seminole, Oklahoma, and a tribal member of The Great Seminole Nation of Oklahoma. Cravens was a scholar graduate from Seminole High School in 2014 and was the men’s basketball team captain his senior year where he averaged 22 points and 10 rebounds a game. Cravens was selected as an Indian All-State basketball participant and named MVP of the All-State game.
Craven’s playing career began at Seminole State College, where he played for one year before finishing out his collegiate career at NAIA-member school Southwestern Christian University. Craven’s earned his bachelor’s degree in 2019 in sports management and a minor in biblical studies.
Cravens is the youngest of three brothers and his parents’ names are Chauncey and Armanda Cravens.
