Grenada High School girls basketball coach Kendrick Conley said it wasn’t a hard decision five seasons ago to move then eighth-grader Carlei Brown up to the varsity roster.
Now, the senior has complied a solid career with more than 40 games scoring double figures in points and rebounds. Conley has helped develop Brown into a solid post player, who has played herself in to a next level competitor. She will take her talents an hour up the road to Northwest Mississippi Community College in Senatobia, after signing a scholarship to play for the Lady Rangers.
“Moving her to high school in the eighth grade was an easy decision,” Conley said. “They would walk the ball down the court in junior high, throw it inside to her and she would score easily. I knew she had a chance to develop into a solid player with some work.”
Conley is excited to see his star player get a chance at the next level.
“Carlei is one of my favorite players ever,” he said. “She works extremely hard and holds herself accountable when she doesn’t perform to expectations. She has worked hard on her craft each year.”
One of Conley’s first projects for Brown when she moved to the high school team was adding strength.
“The first thing we had to do was get her in the weightroom to get stronger,” he said. “She also needed to learn how to play in transition, which was something she didn’t do in junior high. We worked on her defense and ball handling skills, which she does an outstanding job of as a post player.”
Brown saved her best season for last as a Lady Charger, averaging 18 points, 13 rebounds, 2.7 blocks and 2 assists per game in helping GHS to a 14-5 record this season.
Selecting Northwest CC was an easy decision for Brown when it came down to where she wanted to continue her playing career.
“I’m excited about attending Northwest Mississippi Community College to continue my education and my basketball career,” she said. “I love the campus, facilities and coaches.”
Brown knows there are areas of improvement needed to her game as she prepares for the next level of play.
“I know that I’m going to have to be able to develop a mid-range jump shot to go with my inside game,” she said. “I just want to work hard to make all facets of my game better.”
Brown is undecided on her major once at the college level.
