Snellville, Ga. - A trio of Northeast Mississippi Community College men's basketball players are scheduled to exhibit their various strengths on the court in front coaches that represent some of the top programs in the nation.
Chase Carroll, Desmin Harris and Raheem Sorrell recently accepted invitations to participate in the 2015 JucoReport Elite 150 showcase on Saturday, July 11 in suburban Atlanta at Shiloh (Ga.) High School.
"This is a tremendous honor for all three of those guys," said Tigers headman Cord Wright. "Each of them is coming off good freshmen seasons. It is a great chance to help their recruitment by playing against some of the best in the country."
Carroll nailed numerous clutch shots for Northeast during the 2014-15 campaign. His trey with just over three minutes remaining gave the Tigers their initial lead over rival Itawamba Community College in an eventual victory after they trailed by double digits during a majority of the home contest.
He reached double figures in consecutive mid-November matchups against Martin Methodist (Tenn.) College's junior varsity squad and Volunteer State (Tenn.) Community College. He set career-highs with five field goals and four three-point baskets versus the Pioneers.
The Madison native concluded the season with a nice outing against Holmes Community College in the quarterfinals of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region 23 Tournament. Carroll notched a personal best 15 points in 30 minutes of action at Mississippi College's A.E. Wood Coliseum.
The 6-2, 180-pound guard was a solid 32.6 percent from long distance for Northeast. He averaged 20.3 minutes, 5.2 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game.
Harris was the most prolific three-point shooter for the Tigers during his inaugural year in the City of Hospitality. He finished tied for seventh in the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACJC) in shots made from beyond the arc with 49.
The Corinth High School graduate was phenomenal at the charity stripe as well. He was second on the squad with a 79.5 free throw percentage and at one point made 18 in a row.
He came off the bench during his initial contest in a black-and-gold uniform and scored 12 points to help Northeast defeat visiting Southwest Mississippi Community College in the season opener for both clubs. It was the first of a dozen double-digit performances for Harris last year.
The 6-2, 180-pound guard had perhaps his best outing in the Tigers' second meeting of the campaign versus Mississippi Delta Community College with seven buckets and a career-high 20 points. He also accounted for the best assist to turnover ratio on the team at 1.4.
Sorrell anchored the inside for Northeast and earned the starting nod from Wright 20 times in the post. He featured the best touch on the squad with a 55.2 field goal percentage, which placed tenth among all athletes in the Magnolia State.
He contributed greatly throughout the campaign, but was an integral part of Northeast's triumph at eventual NJCAA National Tournament participant Columbia State (Tenn.) Community College. Sorrell recorded his inaugural double-double with 19 points and 13 boards in a thrilling win by the Tigers.
The Corinth product was sensational for Northeast in the postseason as well. Sorrell accumulated 42 points and 16 rebounds as the Tigers defeated reigning national champion Jones County Junior Colleges in the MACJC State Tournament and also qualified for regionals.
The 6-5, 210-pound forward was second for the Tigers in a number of categories, including 11.4 points per game, 4.8 rebounds each contest and 18 total blocked shots.
The JucoReport Elite 150 has developed an outstanding reputation across the land as one of the most elite invitation only events for rising junior college sophomores and freshman.
Hundreds of coaches from NCAA Division I, II, III and NAIA institutions are expected to attend the competition, which begins with a set of scrimmages at 11:30 a.m. and extends through the afternoon hours.
Among those that are slated to attend this year are instructors from larger schools, including Florida Atlantic University, California Polytechnic State University, Missouri State University, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, East Tennessee State University, Southern (La.) University and Murray State (Ky.) University.