Athletic SC 76ers Primed For Nashville TOC



Few teams in the country can equal the level of raw athleticism opponents encounter when they meet the SC 76ers. The 76ers roster is highlighted by Christian Hithe (2016, 5-9, G), but that is just one piece of the puzzle for Coach Roger Wiley.

“We have a lot of talent, and they are playing well together,” Wiley said. “We’re playing hard, and we’re playing great team defense. Those things can take you a long way.”

Wiley will be taking the SC 76ers to the Nashville Tournament of Champions, which will be played from July 10-13. The event, which will feature some of the top travel teams in the country, will be played at the HoopTown venue.

Four 76ers who will be looking to break out in July will be Malia Rivers (2016, 5-6, PG), Tembre Moates (2016, 6-0, F), Asiah Jones (2016, 6-3, C) and Jaelyn Murray (2017, 6-2, PF).

Rivers and Moates are both effective on the perimeter. Rivers is a quick guard with a nice pull-up jumper and the ability to attack the rim. Moates is an athletic leaper who can take the ball coast-to-coast, and she can hit the three.

“Malia is a very heady scoring point guard,” noted Wiley. “She has great body control and a great mid-range game, and she is very good in transition. She is a floor general with natural instincts on both ends of the court, and she is an excellent three point shooter.

“Tembre is coming back from an injury, and she started the summer a little slowly. She has a great vertical — she can easily grab the rim — and a knock down jumper. She is strong and she runs very well, so she can score inside or on the perimeter.”

Jones is a post player with a great wingspan, impressive hands, and fleet feet. Her partner in the paint, Murray, is another long athlete. Murray can score inside and step out to 17 feet, and her athleticism gives her tremendous potential. She is listed as the No. 129 prospect in the Class of 2017 by the All Star Girls Report.

“Asiah has a strong body, and she is really coming along,” Wiley said. “She is extremely long, and she has a knack for blocking shots. She has a great motor, and she is going to fight you for everything in the lane. She is a big part of our defense, and she is developing a nice Hakeem Olajuwon style hook.

“Jaelyn is a versatile player who can knock down the three, score with her mid-range game, or post you up. She will battle inside, and she handles the ball well. She is playing up with our top team, and she was having some trouble with turnovers, but she’s working on that and she is improving.”