The Hollywood Eagles out of Florida may be young, but they will enter the 2014 travel season with leadership that is battle tested.
“Our team is going to rely on some ninth graders, but most of them competed at the 17-and-under level last year when they were in the eighth grade. I am very confident that they will do a great job this year,” said Eagles coach Richard Walker.
The Eagles will get their first major test at the 2014 Deep South Classic, which will be played in Raleigh, NC, on April 25-27. Now in its 17th year, the Deep South Classic annually hosts many of the nation’s elite travel teams in a field that will eclipse 200 squads, and hundreds of collegiate coaches will be on hand searching for talent. The 2014 event will mark the second year that the Deep South Classic has been held at the Raleigh Convention Center. The venue was a tremendous success in its debut last year, with all games played at one site on 18 courts, and it is in a convenient central location.
The Eagles will be led this spring by a talented trio that includes two precocious youngsters. Terissa Russell is a 6-2 player from the Class of 2015, and she will be joined by two prospects from the Class of 2017 — Shante Walker (5-10, WF) and Mackenzie Sadakap (5-10, G).
“Terissa ia very athletic. She can grab the rim right now with no problem,” Walker said. “She is a strong rebounder, she runs the floor very well, and I think she is going to do a lot of good things for us this year. I think both Shante and Mackenzie will be Division I recruits, and Shante should be a Top 100 type player. Shante can play any position but center because she can do it all. She is a strong rebounder, a good passer, and a shooter who can hit the three. Mackenzie has a very good three-point shot, and she can slash to the basket.”
All Star Girls Report analyst Bret McCormick is anxious to watch more of the Eagles’ stars.
“Shante is an athletic wing. She can score inside and out to the three-point arc, and she will rebound,” McCormick said. “Mackenzie is an athletic shooting guard who can attack the rim, and she is effective from three-point range. Terissa is a great athlete who scores around the rim and runs the floor. She has a good upside.”
