When the Lady Reign program was created in the Chicago area two years ago, the mission for the club was simple.
“We wanted to teach the girls the real game of basketball, and we wanted to do what we could to give them more exposure to college coaches,” said Coach Lawrence Jackson. “We want to go to the best events possible, because that’s where we can get that exposure, and it gives our girls the chance to play against the best competition in the country. We want to play against those teams and those players because that’s how you learn what you need to work on. That’s how you improve your game.”
The Lady Reign will get everything they are look for at the 2015 Deep South Classic. The event will be played in Raleigh, NC on April 24-26. The Deep South Classic, which annually features the nation’s top travel programs, will once again have the entire tournament in one facility — the tremendous Raleigh Convention Center.
Leading the way for Lady Reign in Raleigh will be a quartet of very talented young athletes. In the 2016 class, the program’s standouts are Nautica Preston (5-6, G, rated as the No. 248 recruit in her class by the All Star Girls Report) and Vakah Blake (6-0, PF). Jackson also expects strong performances from some younger prospects, including Cecelia Mosley (2018, 5-4, PG) and Brooklynn Fort-Davis (2019, 5-11, W).
“Nautica is a very smart point guard and a great floor leader,” Jackson said. “She can drive to the basket hard, and she distributes the ball well. But, if you leave her open, she will knock down the perimeter shot. Vakah is a monster rebounder. She just has a knack of getting to the rebounds. She is also great off a screen and roll.
“Cecelia is a floor leader and a fierce defender who plays with a lot of intensity. She can defend for you from baseline to baseline, and she is like having a coach on the floor. Brooklynn is a penetrator who can shoot the jump shot, and she can also post up. That makes her very hard to defend. I really think Brooklynn has the potential to develop into a Top 100 recruit.”
ASGR analyst Bret McCormick also added his review of the Lady Reign standouts.
“Preston is a quick guard who is a good ball handler and passer. She knows the game, and she has deep three range,” McCormick said. “Blake is an athletic power forward with a high motor. She is very aggressive on the boards. Mosley is a quick, heady point guard. She leads her team, and she plays good defense. Fort-Davis is a long athlete with an inside-outside game.”