The NC Spartans appears to be headed for a breakout in the coming years. The program has a talented group of young players who won their age division at the Deep South Classic last year, and they appear to headed for even greater heights.
“We’re very excited because we have a lot of elite level talent in the club now,” said Coach Chris Meadows, who also runs the acclaimed Momentum Skills Academy in Charlotte. “When you look at our young kids, they won the Deep South Classic last year, and most of those kids are moving up to the next level this year. They have a special group that is super competitive, and I think they are going to accomplish a lot.”
The 2014 Deep South Classic 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 young guns for the Spartans are led by a trio of perimeter prospects who were playing up last year. Journey Mohammad (2018, 5-3, CG), Courtney Meadows (2018, 5-4, CG, she is listed fourth nationally in her class by the All Star Girls Report) and Janay Sanders (2018, 5-9, W) are currently in the eighth grade.
“Journey can really shoot the ball. She is especially good shooting off the dribble,” noted Meadows. “Courtney (the coach’s daughter) is one of the fastest guards in the country going baseline to baseline with the basketball. We has great vision and a nice pull-up jumper. Janay is a very athletic slasher from the perimeter, and she plays with a very high motor.”
In addition to the three 2018 prospects, Meadows is also expecting big things from Mya Caldwell (2017, 6-0, SG).
“Mya is a very smooth basketball player,” the coach said. “She is a long athlete with a strong skill set, and she has a silky smooth jump shot.”
Bret McCormick, the analyst for the All Star Girls Report, gave his perspective on the Spartan stars:
Journey Mohammad: “She is an athletic scoring guard who can score off the bounce, and she can shoot the three.”
Courtney Meadows: “Courtney can flat play. She is very quick with tremendous ball skills. Coaches have to see her play.”
Janay Sanders: “Sanders is very athletic, and she can attack the rim.”
Mya Caldwell: “I have her ranked at No. 50 in her class. She is a good, long athlete with good skills. She has an all-around game, and she does it all well.”