Deep South Newcomer NEX Elite Has Familiar Faces



After working with the Bay State Magic program for over a dozen years, Pat Russell has created his own organization just south of Boston, and NEX Elite has lofty ambitions.

“We are in this to build a program that can compete on the national level for years to come,” said Russell. “We’ve got six teams, and we believe that they will all be competitive at the highest level.”

The first important challenge for NEX Elite will come at the Deep South Classic, which will be played for the 19th time in 2016. The Classic will run from April 21-24 in Raleigh, N.C., and it will once again be held at the magnificent Raleigh Convention Center. The entire event will be played under one roof, with action flowing on 20 courts.

NEX Elite has talented players up and down it’s six team rosters, but the players with the most notoriety right now are Jen Worden (2017, 5-11, CG), Haley Blasetti (2018, 5-10, PG), Meg Raab (2017, 6-2, P) and Meg Donovan (2017, 5-10, G).

“Jen really does it all. She shoots the three, handles it, defends and rebounds,” Russell said. “Haley is a point guard who is already getting a lot of attention. She is very good at controlling the tempo, handling the ball and running the offense. Haley can also get to the basket, and she has a nice pull-up jumper.

“Meg Raab is a good back to the basket post with soft hands, but she can step out to 15 feet comfortably. Most of all, she is a gamer who really rebounds the basketball. Meg Donovan can hit the the deep three, and she is a good ball handler.”