TN Team Pride Returning To Deep South Classic



The Tennessee Team Pride program has done its share of traveling over the years. Coach Chris Brown has seen his share of cities and gyms. In his opinion, one event stands above the rest.

“The Deep South Classic is simply the place to be. Everything about it is perfect,” Brown said. “Some places, you might even need to cross a river on a ferry to get to your gym. At the Deep South, it’s all in one great location, everything is run on time, there is great competition, and the coaches pack the sidelines.”
The 2015 Deep South Classic will be played in Raleigh, NC on April 24-26. The Deep South Classic, which annually features the nation’s top travel programs, will once again have the entire tournament in one facility — the tremendous Raleigh Convention Center.
Tennessee Team Pride will once again be loaded with elite talent in 2015. Among the top prospects in the program will be Jasmine Bond (2016, 6-4, F, rated at No. 163 in her class by the All Star Girls Report), Sarah Pierce (2016, 5-9, SG), Haylee Croom (2016, 5-10, W) and Carleigh Short (2016, 5-6, PG).
“Jazz if a terrific athlete and she is very good academically,” Brown said. “She can defend the rim with her length, but she can also step outside. If she is open and in her rythmn, she’ll hit the three, and she can also create in space. Plus, with her length she defends and rebounds. Sarah has the quickness to slash and create, and she has good shooting range. She is a really good teammate, and she plays very hard on the defensive end.
“Haylee is an athlete who rebounds very well for her size. She is a player who rebounds outside her zone because she is always going after the ball. She is a fierce competitor, and she takes on the toughest defensive assignments. Offensively, she can go to the rim, and she has a nice mid-range game. Carleigh is a guard who will take care of the ball and facilitate it. She loves to run the offense, and she will always get the ball in the right place, but she will knock down the shot if you leave her open.”
Bret McCormick, the analyst for ASGR, also added his perspective on the Team Pride leaders.
“Bond is a long athlete with an inside-outside game,” McCormick said. “She is a fundamentally sound player, and her stock is on the rise. Pierce is an intelligent player who understands the game. She can put it on the floor, and she can hit the three. Croom is another fundamentally sound player who knows the game. She can post up, and she can be effective beyond the arc. Short is a quick point guard who sees the floor. She handles the ball well, and she has three-point range.”