New Look Dayton Lady Hoopstars Heading To DSC



The Dayton Lady Hoopstars lost a lot from their 2013 roster, but the program has done a nice job of re-loading.

“We only have two players back from last year, but I’m excited about this group. I’m optimistic that we will do well,” said Coach Jerry Rex. “We had to re-vamp our team, but we brought in a group of players who come from successful high school programs, and they have good high school coaches.”

That unit will debut in a regional tournament in early April, and then they will head to the Deep South Classic, which 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.

Rex will be bringing a team to Raleigh that includes four juniors, five sophomores and one tall freshman.
“We have a very balanced team, and I think we have a team that will draw attention from the college coaches at the Deep South” noted Rex, who currently has nine former players competing at the collegiate level. “I don’t think we have any major Division I recruits right now. At this point, we have a group that would fit in Division II or Division III. I do think we have some kids that, if they work hard, they could develop into Division I recruits.”
Two of the Lady Hoopstars with the most potential are Celena Taborn (2017, 6-3, C) and Bre Graham (2016, 5-6, G).
“Taborn is a good athlete who plays on the low block. She has good hands and she can score down low. She has good potential,” said Bret McCormick, the analyst for the All Star Girls Report. “Graham is a skilled guard with good quickness and strength, and she can shoot the ball.”
(Photo of Dayton’s Jim Jabir by Erik Schelkun)