The 2014 edition of the iExcel program out of New York will be loaded with talent and experience, and their coach is confident they will be ready for a challenge this spring.
“We had a lot of success last year, and we have about 90 percent of our players back this year, so we hope to have a lot of success,” said veteran iExcel coach Walter Welsh. “We know we are going to be facing great talent at tournaments like the Deep South, and we’re excited about the challenge.”
iExcel will have an early opportunity to showcase its talent in Raleigh, NC, on April 25-27 at the Deep South Classic. 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.
iExcel will bring three squads to Raleigh, and the roster for Welsh’s eldest group has a series of highly regarded athletes. Most notably, iExcel will feature 2015 standouts Kyiarah English (5-4, G), Batouly Camara (6-2, PF), Breannah Cavannah (5-7, G), Jodi Ramil (6-2, C) and Thabitha Dwunfour (P); plus 2016 star Jocelyn Willoughby (5-11, G).
“Kyiarah gained a lot of experience last year playing with (2014 Florida recruit) Isis Young, and we are ready to entrust her with the ball,” Welsh said. “Batouly is a great kid who has worked hard to improve her offensive game, and I think she is one of the best players in the country. Breannah is a player who does a lot of good things for us, and Jodi is a hard working post who is going to surprise some people this summer. Thabitha is a tough inside player who has a nice touch out to 15 feet. Jocelyn is just a sophomore, and she is one to watch. She is working hard, and I think she is going to be one of the top players in her class.”
Welsh isn’t the only one who sees talent at iExcel. The All Star Girls Report has listed five of his players as Top 200 prospects in their class. Among the 2015 players, Camara is at No. 18 (2015), Cavannah is at No. 55, and English is at No. 164. Willoughby is ranked at No. 20 in the 2016 class, and Olivia Ramil (6-2, C) is at No. 145.
“Walter does a good job, and he always has a number of outstanding players,” said ASGR analyst Bret McCormick. “Batouly is a tremendous athlete with a strong body. She can score down low, and she will attack the basket from the high post. Breannah is quick and strong. She will go to the hoop, and she knows how to get to the foul line. Breannah is also an outstanding student. Kyiarah is a quick, explosive point guard with an impressive skill set. She’s a great facilitator for that team. Jocelyn is another big time player. She is a great athlete who can post people up, she great off the bounce, and she has three-point shooting range. Jodi is a strong athlete with great footwork and nice post moves, and her younger sister Olivia is another player to watch.”