Fifteen years ago, Willie Brown started the Lady Warriors program in the Raleigh, NC, area. Brown moved to Charlotte in 2007, and he started re-ignited the Lady Warriors in his new city. In April, Brown and the Warriors will be back in Raleigh for the Deep South Classic.
“We’ve got some very strong teams, and we’re looking forward to competing against the competition we will face at the Deep South,” Brown said.
The 2014 Deep South Classic will be played in Raleigh, NC, 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 Lady Warriors will be talented, but young, this spring. The top prospects for the club will be three players from the Class of 2016, and a quartet of players from 2017.
The trio from the Class of 2016 includes Ja’yon Leak (5-8, PG), Ineesha Hankerson (6-0, F-C) and Kylee Calabrese (5-9, SG).
“Ja’yon is coming off two very good summers,” Brown said. “She is a very good ball handler and she has great court awareness. She is the type of player who can get a double-double with points and assists. Ineesha can get the double-double with points and rebounds. She is a strong rebounder, she is extremely aggressive around the basket, and she can shoot her jumper out to 10 or 12 feet. Kylee is our three-point shooter.”
The Class of 2017 group is highlighted by Eleah Parker (6-4, C), who is rated as the No. 59 player nationally in the class by the All Star Girls Report. Parker is joined by classmates Ariana Nance (5-9, CG), Kelci Mills (5-8, PG) and Lenzi Brown (6-0, F).
“Eleah is a very talented, long athlete,” Brown said. “Ariana is a three-point shooter who is an extremely gifted athlete. Kelci is another three-point shooter who can pass or shoot. Lenzi is another extremely athletic player who rebounds well, and she has a good mid-range game.”
Bret McCormick, the analyst for the All Star Girls Report, gave his perspective on the top Lady Warrior prospects:
Ja’yon Leak: “Jayon is an athletic, strong, attacking point guard who has a nice mid-range game.”
Ineesha Hankerson: “She is a strong, aggressive player who will rebound and score inside, and she has the ability to take it coast-to-coast.”
Kylee Calabrese: “She is a nice athlete, but the main thing with Kylee is her shooting.”
Eleah Parker: “Eleah is a great athlete with a college-ready body. She can score inside, and she has a tremendous upside.”
Ariana Nance: “Ariana is a very quick combo guard who can slash hard to the rim.”
Kelci Mills: “Kelci is an athletic point guard who knows the game. She can score, and she can get others involved.”
Lenzi Brown: “She is a long athlete who is a very good defender. She can score inside and rebound.”
