Powerful FGB Elite Headed For Marietta TOC



The FGB Elite program out of Florida has established itself as one of the nation’s premiere organizations in recent years, and it appears that the club is going to continue that trend in the coming years.

“We have had a great year so far,” said Coach Kenny Kalina. “We’ve played in some great events, and our kids have played very, very well. I’m happy that our older players are going out on a positive note, and we also feel really good about our younger players moving forward.

“In particular, we have had a very successful year with our ninth grade team, which is exciting. We’ve also done a good job of retaining our top players, and we’ve added a number of very good new players.”

FGB will look to continue that success against an outstanding field at the Marietta TOC in Georgia on September 27-28. The event will be held at the Suwanee Sports Academy complex in Marietta.

The FGB prospect list is highlighted by a quartet of phenomenal players from the Class of 2017. That group includes LaDaziah Williams (6-4, F, No. 6 in the class according to the All Star Girls Report), Dekeriya Patterson (5-8, G, No. 20), Jalaysha Thomas (6-3, F, No. 49) and Tameria Johnson (5-4, PG, No. 91).

“LaDaziah and Dekeriya have been the anchors for our younger team, but there is a lot of talent on that roster,” Kalina said. “Everyone is recruiting LaDaziah, and a number of coaches have compared her to Anthony Davis. She is really good now, and her potential is through the roof. It is going to be fun watching her grow into that potential. Dekeriya has unlimited range and a great handle, so she could play either guard spot. She has become a much more consistent player this year, and I think she is going to be very, very good next spring after she gets physically stronger.

“We added both Tameria and Jalaysha this summer, and they are both at Westport High in Ocala, Fla.  Tameria has played very well, and she is getting a ton of mail. Jalaysha is still coming back from an ACL injury. She is going to have a really big impact once she is healthy.”

Bret McCormick, the analyst for ASGR, also had high expectations for the young FGB stars.

“LaDaziah is one of the best players in that class,” he said. “She is a long athlete who runs like a deer, and she has good footwork inside. The sky is the limit for LaDaziah. Dekeriya is a tremendous athlete who is a true scorer. She has a lot of potential because she has the mid-range game, she can get to the rim, and she shoots the three.

“Jalaysha is a strong athlete with good footwork and post moves. She can run the floor, and she will have a good upside when she comes back from the knee injury. Tameria is a lightning quick player who has an aggressive game. She can really attack the basket, and she is a great passer with tremendous court vision.”

In addition to the 2017 stars, FGB has also been getting huge efforts from Jade Lewis (2016, 6-2, SG, No. 118) and Malainna White (2018, 5-9, G).

“Jade was good in the spring, and she has been great in the summer,” Kalina said. “She is shooting the three well, and she has a great frame. Jade has matured this year, and she is playing harder. Malainna is a great athlete who is playing in front of the college coaches for the first time. Her mother played at Clemson, and I think Malainna is going to be our next great star.”

“Jade is an athlete with great size on the perimeter,” added McCormick. “She has three-point range, and she can put it on the deck. Malainna is a tremendous athlete who can really leap. She can rebound and score inside, and she really elevates on her jumper. She plays with a high motor, and she has a chance to become a top notch prospect.”