CLEVELAND, Tenn. — Most college coaches travel far and wide to recruit the best talent for their programs. Lee University women’s basketball coach Marty Rowe doesn’t even have to leave his own county for many of his players.
The 12-2 Lady Flames, a consistent NAIA Division I top-10 team currently ranked eighth, have four players currently from Bradley County: sophomore guard Kally Eldridge and freshman guard/forward Katie Davis from Bradley Central, senior guard Allison Rader from Cleveland High and freshman guard Brooke Hamby from Walker Valley.
“It does make recruiting a little easier,” Rowe said with a laugh. “I’m fortunate to have three great girls’ basketball coaches and programs right here, and I’d have to be crazy not to go after players from here.”
Toss in junior guard Brooke McKinnon from Tellico Plains and redshirt freshman guard Rachel Lockhart from Sequatchie County, and a total of six Lady Flames are from southeastern Tennessee.
The signings aren’t charity cases, either: The five active area players average 36.2 points per game (nearly half of the team’s per-game total), led by McKinnon’s 16.3. She and Rader lead the team with 3.2 assists per contest.
Rowe already has signed Polk County point guard Hollie German and McMinn Central combo guard Madison Lee for next year. Those programs are among the best in East Tennessee.
The success of the Lady Flames under Rowe played a role in both players choosing Lee over NCAA Division I programs. German, for instance, chose Lee over Samford, College of Charleston and Kennesaw State.
The Cleveland school’s proximity played a role as well, especially for Lee.
“The Lee program fits all the requirements I had set about playing at the college level,” the Chargerettes star was quoted on the university’s Web site when she signed. “It was close to home, which makes it easier on my family to see games, and that’s important to me. They have a history of success, and I just felt very comfortable there from the first time I stepped on campus — like it was the place I was supposed to be.”