After enjoying a successful run in the summer of 2013, the Below The Rim club out of Florida is looking for a repeat performance this year. Coach Carlos Adamson’s team will have a new look, but he is expecting similar results.
“”I’m excited. I feel really good about this team,” Adamson said. “We’re still young, and we’re not very big, but we had a good year last year and we only lost one player from that group.”
That group will make a key appearance at the 2014 Deep South Classic, which will be played in on April 25-27. Now in its 17th year, the Deep South Classic annually hosts many of the nation’s elite travel teams in a field that will eclipse 200 squads, and hundreds of collegiate coaches will be on hand searching for talent. The 2014 event will mark the second year that the Deep South Classic has been held at the Raleigh Convention Center. The venue was a tremendous success in its debut last year, with all games played at one site on 18 courts, and it is in a convenient central location.
The roster for Below The Rim will include several collegiate prospects, with Channise Lewis (2017, 5-9, G) leading the way.
“Channise’s basketball IQ is through the roof,” Adamson said. “She is a very heady player who is a true point guard. She is unselfish and she knows how to get others involved, and she has a great mid-range game and three-point shot.”
Bret McCormick, the analyst for the All Star Girls Report, has Lewis listed as the No. 88 recruit in the Class of 2017.
“Channise is a very skilled combo guard,” McCormick said. “She is very smooth on the court, and she can do it all. She is absolutely a top notch guard.”
In addition to Lewis, Below The Rim will also look to Courtney Parson (2015, 5-8, CG), Michelle Berry (2015, 6-2, F) and Stephanie Mackenzie (2015, 5-8, G).
“Courtney has been playing with us since the eighth grade,” Adamson said. “She is out defensive stopper. We put her on the other team’s best player, and then we don’t worry about it any more. On the offensive end, Courtney attacks the basket very well and she knows how to create her own shot. Michelle is a very athletic player who could be a three or a four. She runs the floor well in transition, plays great defense, and rebounds well.
“Stephanie is just a fireball. She plays with tremendous energy. Stephanie and Courtney set the tone for this team with their passion on the defensive end. They wear down the other team’s guards, and they create a lot of easy points for us with their defense.”
“Parson is a strong, athletic guard who can post you up or attack from the perimeter,” McCormick added. “Berry is very athletic and she has a long wingspan. She has the size to battle inside and she can hit the three. Mackenzie is a quick, smart point guard who has a nice floater in the lane. She anticipates well and she competes.”