Congratulations to Lady Rams Carlee Adkins and LJ McDaniels on their nomination to the All-District Basketball Team after a great season.
We're so proud of you both!
- Girls Varsity Basketball
Grace Christian Academy is pleased to announce the hiring of Dominic James Wright and Angela Phillips Wright as their next high school girls' co-head basketball coaches.
Dominic James was a star point guard at Marquette, an All-American, and a former Big East Rookie of the Year. Angela, originally from Oak Ridge, TN, played high school basketball under legendary coach Jill Prudden, leading her team to two state championship appearances. She began her college career as a 4-year D1 starting point guard for the University of Kentucky and Indiana State University.
Grace Christian Academy is pleased to announce the hiring of Dominic James Wright and Angela Phillips Wright as their next high school girls' co-head basketball coaches.
They are a well-known local duo of basketball royalty — and one of a handful of husband-and-wife coaching tandems in the state. They may be better known as Neek + Ang, owners of Jesus is Bigger Than Basketball, who have trained over 1,000 players throughout their ministry.
Dominic James was a star point guard at Marquette, an All-American, and a former Big East Rookie of the Year. He claimed Marquette University’s "Create For Others" Award and Dwyane Wade Legacy of Leadership Award, ranking second all-time in games played (129) and assists (632), third in points (1,749), and fourth in steals (238). He currently resides in the Marquette University Hall of Fame and holds the record for having played in the most games in Marquette history, more than 30 minutes per game ever since he arrived on campus. Dominic later went on to play professional basketball overseas for right at a decade earning multiple championships and Player of the Year awards across the globe, including winning the Fiba 3x3 World Masters for the Qatar national team.
Angela, originally from Oak Ridge, TN, played high school basketball under legendary coach Jill Prudden, leading her team to two state championship appearances. She began her college career as a 4-year D1 starting point guard for the University of Kentucky and Indiana State University. Phillips started 54 consecutive games in her two-year career at Kentucky, including all 34 games during the 2004-05 season. She averaged 4.6 points and 28.6 minutes per game as a sophomore and led the team in assists in both seasons. She went on to be a 2-year starter & captain for her junior and senior seasons at Indiana State University.
“We are thrilled to be able to bring such experienced basketball players and spiritual leaders to Grace Christian Academy. The duo has an unrivaled work ethic, and it’s their passion to not only develop each player’s fundamental and advanced basketball skill sets but also to partner in a way that builds stronger families and stronger faith. They will lead our program with integrity, competitiveness, and intensity. This is an outstanding hire for the GCA community.” GCA Athletics Director Marcus Dilligard stated.
After their world travels with professional basketball, Wright and Phillips founded Neek and Ang, LLC, “Jesus is Bigger Than Basketball,” a basketball development program including training, camps, 3x3 League, and other events, as well as Christian character development. They would later be hired as men’s and women’s assistant basketball coaches at Oak Ridge High School under the direction of Aaron Green and Paige Taylor.
“We believe that Jesus is bigger than basketball. And that belief shapes our approach to player development and drives our mission to change the culture of basketball,” said the Wrights. “There is a solid foundation in place for the Lady Rams, and it is our job to build upon that and grow a winning culture for the program.”
Congratulations to Lady Rams Carlee Adkins and LJ McDaniels on their nomination to the All-District Basketball Team after a great season.
We're so proud of you both!
Congratulations to GCA Lady Rams Basketball Coach, Tim Smith, who surpassed his 500th career win as a head coach when the Lady Rams beat Knoxville Christian School! Their next win over Concord Christian was win #501 for Coach Smith and we're so excited to recognize him for this amazing milestone.
Coach Smith has been coaching for thirty years and considers himself blessed to have had such a rich experience teaching and coaching young adults in the sport that he loves. Congratulations, Coach Smith!
Photo: Mark Cooper Photography
The GCA Varsity Basketball teams finished their seasons with five players being named to the All-District Teams. With new coaches and young teams, the future looks bright for both programs!
The Varsity Girls team finished 6-11 on the season. Jade Barfield (Sr), Maria Hawkins (Sr) and Carlee Adkins (So) were named to the All-District team.
The Varsity Boys team finished 5-19. Johnny Eller (Sr) and Dylan Doerfler (So) were named to the All-District team.
Congratulations to both teams and these outstanding players for their hard work and determination!
GCA senior, Cassie Peters, recently scored her 1,000th career point as a Lady Ram. We're so excited to see her reach this milestone!
Congratulations to GCA senior, Cassie Peters, who scored her 1,000th career point during the recent game against Cosby High School. Cassie began the 2018 season with 957 points so the coaching staff correctly anticipated that she would reach this milestone early in the season.
Cassie has been a multi-sport athlete since elementary school and has proven to be a valuable asset to any team that she's a part of. Her tenacity and skill, along with a strong work ethic, have enabled her to succeed.
We're so proud of you, Cassie, and look forward to seeing God's plans for your life unfold as you prepare for graduation and this next season of life.
Interested in being a sponsor for the GCA Girls Basketball program? We've got options to fit your personal and organizational needs to promote your business at our athletic events.
Check out the link below and learn more about the wide variety of sponsorship levels. Thank you in advance for your support!