The Wiggins Waves program out of San Diego first crossed the country to compete in the Deep South Classic way back in 2002. The DSC has gone through a venue change since then, but Wiggins Waves is still producing outstanding talent, and they are still playing in the Deep South Classic.
“I guess we have missed a couple years since that first time, but we haven’t missed many,” said Coach Terri Bamford. “When we started going, they were playing the games at the major universities in the area — Duke, NC State and North Carolina. That set up gave our kids an opportunity to see those campuses, and that was a great experience for them.
“Now, and they have the whole event under one roof, and that’s outstanding. The college coaches just love being in one venue because they never have to worry about missing games traveling from one site to another. For the programs with more than one team, playing in one venue makes everything so much easier.”
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.
The veterans for the Waves this year are led by Mai-Loni Henson (2016, 6-0, G), a Washington commitment who is rated as the No. 86 recruit in her class by the All Star Girls Report, and Alaysia Styles (2017, 6-2, W), who is listed at No. 26 in her class by ASGR. The Waves will also rely on Kecia Oakry (2016, 5-9, PG).
“Mai-Loni is a player who can run the point, and she can battle down low. She leads our high school team in scoring and assists, which says a lot,” Bamford said. “She can shoot the three, she has a great mid-range game, and all of her skills are high level. Alaysia is a special player. She has the mid-range game and three-point range, plus she can attack the basket and even play with her back to the basket. Kecia is a true point guard who does a great job of getting the team into our offense. She is very good at creating opportunities for the other players.”
ASGR analyst Bret McCormick also gave his viewpoint on the Wiggins Waves veterans.
“Henson is a strong athlete who has the ability to post up and rebound inside, but she also has the mid-range and the three-point shot,” McCormick said. “Styles is a long, smooth athlete with an inside-outside game. She is an aggressive player who can score in a lot of different ways. Oakry is a good athlete who serves as a facilitator. She really knows how to play the game.”
