Michigan Storm Making First Trip To Deep South Classic



Jeff Taylor has finally decided to see what all the fuss is about, so he will be taking his Michigan Storm program to the Deep South Classic for the first time this year.

“Word travels, and everyone keeps telling me that the Deep South is a great event,” Taylor said. “I’ve been hearing for years that they have a lot of high quality teams, and they have a lot of college coaches. I’m excited about going down there for the first time.”

The 2017 Deep South Classic will be held in Raleigh, NC from April 20-23. The event, which will feature some of the finest travel teams in the nation, will be played at the Raleigh Convention Center. There will be 20 courts in the building, keeping the entire event under one roof in downtown Raleigh.

The Storm will be paced this summer by a trio of 2018 athletes who have already made verbal commitments to Division I schools. Maxine Moore (6-0, F) is headed for Western Michigan, Janara Flowers (5-8, CG) has committed to Indiana State, and Jess Bicknell (5-9, CG) has said she is signing with the University of Detroit.

“Maxine is an inside-outside player,” Taylor said. “She has great footwork and some strong moves on the inside, but she can step out and bury the three to stretch the defense. Janara is a tough kid who has a great athletic frame. Jess is a gym rat with great fundamentals. She can stroke the three, and she handles like a point guard.”

In addition to those committed players, the Storm will also be expecting major contributions from Lasha Petree (6-0, WF, 2018), Jaida Hampton (5-11, WF, 2018) and Graysen Cockerham (5-10, WF, 2018). Hampton is listed as the No. 377 recruit in the Class of 2018 according to the All Star Girls Report.

“Lasha is a versatile player. She is deadly from beyond the arc, but she can also hurt you when she puts the ball on the floor,” Taylor said. “Jaida is a player with an incredible upside. She is super athletic, competitive and tough. I think Jaida is headed for a great summer. Graysen has established herself as one of the best shooters in Michigan this winter. She is flying under the radar right now, but I think she is another player who will have a big summer.”