NORTH CAROLINA VS. SOUTH CAROLINA
BY EARL VAUGHAN JR. | CityView Sports Columnist
One coach and two athletes from Cumberland County will be in Wilmington Saturday to compete in the annual Carolinas Classic All-Star basketball game pitting the top senior boys and girls players from North Carolina against their South Carolina counterparts.
Jack Britt’s Nattlie McArthur will serve as assistant coach for the North Carolina girls. Playing for McArthur and North Carolina will be Cape Fear High School product Jayda Angel, who is committed to Elon College. Ari Fulton of Westover will be on the North Carolina boys’ team.
Tip-off for the girls’ game is at 3 p.m. at Wilmington’s John T. Hoggard High School with the boys’ game immediately following. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for students and children.
Both North Carolina teams, especially the girls, had to make some late roster changes.
“It’s a little hectic trying to find the right puzzle to fit the girls that you have,’’ McArthur said. “The staff was able to make some moves and get some pieces that we feel will come up and play together and compete as best we can.’’
It will definitely be a challenge for both the boys and the girls teams to get to know each other and mesh in the short time they’ve got to work with.
All the teams and coaches arrived in Wilmington Thursday and had only three practices each as a group before hitting the court for the games.
“The girls that are coming in are usually pretty athletic, easy to learn what you want them to do,’’ McArthur said.
She hopes the team will bond with off-the-court activities, like doing some activities in the community, hanging out together and watching some of the NCAA tournament on television.
“We’re going to have fun representing North Carolina,’’ McArthur said. “This is a big deal to them. Go out there and do what you know to do, and that’s play basketball. Go hard. Give it all you’ve got. The rest will take care of itself.’’
While Angel developed a reputation as a scorer with her whopping 33.9 per game average, McArthur said she's more than just a point machine.
“If you go and look at how many assists she had and how many steals she had, she’s such a team player,’’ McArthur said. “She loves for her teammates to be involved. That’s one of the things I don’t hear enough about when it comes to Jayda Angel.’’
Angel said the biggest challenge will be getting to know her teammates. “What can they do?’’ She said. “Can they shoot? What’s their greatest ability? I know we’re going to make the best out of it.’’
Following the game Angel plans to enroll in summer school at Elon in June. “I would love to get some one-on-one workouts and training, keep getting ready for the next level,’’ she said.
Star-caliber players sometimes skip opportunities for games like this one, but Westover’s Fulton considers it a great experience.
He helped lead Westover to the NCHSAA version of the Final Four this season, averaging 19.1 points and 10.9 rebounds per game, leading Westover in both categories.
“I’m thankful to represent North Carolina,’’ he said. “I get to compete against high-level players and that’s exciting.’’
He agrees chemistry will be crucial in the short time the players will be together. “You have to soak in and get to know a group of guys before you play with them,’’ he said.
Fulton has already committed to the New Jersey Institute of Technology and plans to go there this summer after making things official with a signing ceremony scheduled for April 17.
