The Walter Prather Celtics out of Atlanta have enjoyed a strong campaign during the 2014 travel season, and the top story has been the Celtics’ rising stars.
“We feel great about the way this summer has gone,” said Coach Renardo “Nard” Hudson. “All of our teams have been playing well, and we are especially happy about the way our younger kids are playing. Some of them are playing up with our Black team, but they have all been very impressive this summer.”
The Celtics will look to continue their strong play against an outstanding field in their own backyard at the Marietta TOC in Georgia on September 27-28. The event will be held at the Suwanee Sports Academy complex in Marietta, just outside of Atlanta.
The leader of the Celtics’ youth movement is Taylor Sutton (2018, 5-6, PG, rated at No. 53 nationally in her class by the All Star Girls Report).
“Taylor joined our program and just fit right in. It was like she had been playing with the team for two or three years,” Hudson said. “She is a great athlete with a lot of ability, and I think she is going to be a very, very special player.”
ASGR analyst Bret McCormick also had high praise for the talented floor leader.
“Sutton is definitely a major D-I recruit,” McCormick said. “She is explosive and great in the open court. She understands the game, and she has a terrific mid-range game.”
Hudson is also expecting big things from other youngsters in the program, including Zimaya Passmore (2019, 5-6, G) , Tehaya Lyons (2018, 5-7, PG) and Devin Wilson (2018, 6-0, F).
“Those are three young players who are going to be very, very good,” Hudson said. “Those are the key players in the group, but I could go on and on because we have some much talent.”
“Passmore is very quick, she has a good handle, she can penetrate, and she can hit the three,” added McCormick. “Lyons is a lefty with a nice floater in the lane. She can attack the rim with either hand, and she will hit the three. Wilson is a good athlete who can run the floor. She rebounds well and she can score inside.”
Among the Celtic veterans, Hudson has seen impressive improvement this summer from Vash Perry (2016, 5-7, PG, No. 166), Taylor Mason (2017, 5-9, SG, No. 52) and Bria Bass (2017, 6-0, PG).
“Vash is a point guard with a rare ability to handle the ball, and she is developing into more of a scoring point guard,” the coach said. “Taylor is a special kid who was flying a little under the radar at the start of the year. She has a great all-around game, and more and more schools are starting to see her ability. Bria is another high major kid. She shoots the ball very well and she is developing an all-around game.”
McCormick is also familiar with the trio.
“Perry is a very quick point guard who handles the ball and sees the floor,” he said. “She is a good defender and she can shoot the three. Mason is another big-time prospect who is a strong, aggressive athlete. She really elevates on her jumper and she can score in traffic. Bass is a two-three type. She is a good, strong athlete who can attack the rim and score from the perimeter.”