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ELISSA CUNANE – 2018 CAROLINAS CLASSIC
“I never in my wildest dreams imagined that I would be here…” were the words of Elissa Cunane, North Carolina State University’s premier center, after being named Most Valuable Player in the 2022 ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament. Cunane, who played as a high school senior in the 2018 Carolinas Classic All-Star Basketball Games sponsored by House of Raeford Farms FLOCK, catapulted from there to the Elite 8 of the 2022 NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship. Expectations are that Elissa will be a top five pick in this year’s WNBA draft.
Such is the aspiration of many Carolinas Classic alumni to one day play in the Final Four of March Madness and perhaps even reach the pros. Our Springboard to the Pros blog highlights past Classic participants who have achieved success in the professional ranks.
The 2022 Carolinas Classic concluded March 26 in Wilmington, North Carolina featuring the top high school senior boys and girls from North and South Carolina. Besides encouraging these talented student-athletes to use their success as a way to positively influence the younger generation following in their footsteps, Tom Teachey of FLOCK issued a challenge to the players, “Whose dream is big enough to see yourself on the big stage?”
The “Big Dance” always delivers heart-stopping excitement that keeps college basketball fans jumping out of their seats, and it is even more thrilling for those associated with the Carolinas Classic to cheer on former competitors from the event. FLOCK began underwriting the Carolinas Classic in 2018. Here is a look at an amazing 33 Carolinas Classic all-stars from the past four years competing in the 2022 NCAA Men and Women’s Basketball Championships or the National Invitation Tournament:
NCAA – played in 2022 NCAA Men or Women’s National Championship Tournament
NIT – played in 2022 Men’s National Invitation Tournament
WNIT – played in 2022 Women’s National Invitation Tournament
Women
Ahlana Smith: NCAA Final Four
Guard – University of Louisville – 2018 Carolinas Classic (NC)
Olivia Thompson: NCAA Final Four
Guard – University of South Carolina – 2019 Carolinas Classic (SC)
Siniya Rivers: NCAA Final Four
Guard – University of South Carolina – 2021 Carolinas Classic (NC)
Elissa Cunane: NCAA Elite 8
Center – North Carolina State University – 2nd Team All-American – 2018 Carolinas Classic (NC)
Kendal Moore: NCAA Elite 8
Guard – North Carolina State University – 2019 Carolinas Classic (NC)
Jessica Timmons: NCAA Elite 8
Guard – North Carolina State University – 2021 Carolinas Classic (NC)
Tamari Key: NCAA Sweet 16
Center – University of Tennessee – 2019 Carolinas Classic (NC) Most Outstanding Player
Tayanna Jones: NCAA
Guard – University of Colorado – 2018 Carolinas Classic (NC)
D’Asia Gregg: NCAA
Forward – Virginia Tech – 2018 Carolinas Classic (SC)
Elizabeth Kitley: NCAA
Center – Virginia Tech – 2021-22 ACC Player of the Year – 2019 Carolinas Classic (NC)
Asia Todd: NCAA
Guard – University of Central Florida – 2019 Carolinas Classic (NC)
Anya Poole: NCAA
Forward – University of North Carolina – 2020 Carolinas Classic (NC)
Kennedy Todd-Williams: NCAA
Guard – University of North Carolina – 2020 Carolinas Classic (NC)
Jacee Busick: NCAA
Guard – UNC-Charlotte – 2020 Carolinas Classic (NC)
Nyah Leveretter: NCAA
Forward – University of Kentucky – 2020 Carolinas Classic (
Teonni Key: NCAA
Guard/Forward – University of North Carolina – 2021 Carolinas Classic (NC)
Aylesha Wade: NCAA
Guard – UNC-Charlotte – 2021 Carolinas Classic (SC)
Amari Young: WNIT
Forward – Old Dominion University – 2018 Carolinas Classic (SC) Most Outstanding Player
Nia Daniel: WNIT
Guard – University of Alabama – 2019 Carolinas Classic (NC)
Skylah Travis: WNIT
Forward – University of Missouri – 2020 Carolinas Classic (NC)
Men
Rechon “Leaky” Black: NCAA Final Four
Forward – University of North Carolina – 2018 Carolinas Classic (NC) Injured and withdrew
Justin McKoy: NCAA Final Four
Forward – University of North Carolina – 2019 Carolinas Classic (NC)
Dontrez Styles: NCAA Final Four
Forward – University of North Carolina – 2021 Carolinas Classic (NC)
D’Marco Dunn: NCAA Final Four
Guard – University of North Carolina – 2021 Carolinas Classic (NC)
Bobby Pettiford: NCAA Final Four
Guard – University of Kansas – 2021 Carolinas Classic (NC)
Tre Jackson: NCAA Sweet 16
Guard – Iowa State University- 2019 Carolinas Classic (SC) Most Outstanding Player
Trae Hannibal: NCAA
Guard – Murray State University – 2019 Carolinas Classic (SC)
Dean Reiber: NCAA
Forward – Rutgers University – 2020 Carolinas Classic (NC)
Jayden Gardner: NIT
Forward – University of Virginia – 2018 Carolinas Classic (NC) Most Outstanding Player
Jimmy Nichols: NIT
Forward – Virginia Commonwealth University – 2018 Carolinas Classic (SC)
Kadin Shedrick: NIT
Forward – University of Virginia – 2019 Carolinas Classic (NC)
Lucas Taylor: NIT
Guard – Wake Forest University – 2021 Carolinas Classic (NC)
Robert McCray: NIT
Guard – Wake Forest University – 2021 Carolinas Classic (SC)
OLIVIA THOMPSON – 2019 CAROLINAS CLASSIC
TRE JACKSON (#11)
JUSTIN MCKOY (#43)
2019 CAROLINAS CLASSIC
ELIZABETH KITLEY – 2019 CAROLINAS CLASSIC