Watts, Wilson to Participate in NJCAA All-Star Game

Coach Franqua Bedell will take two of his TCC women’s basketball players to the
NJCAA later this month.
Photo courtesy TCC Athletics

By Karl Hunt,
TCC Sports Information

Four Tallahassee Community College Eagles have been selected for the 2015 NJCAA Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Association All-Star Weekend that will be held July 23-26 at Northwest Florida State College in Niceville, Fla.

 
Two of those selected have decided to participate in this month’s event.

 
Eboni Watts and Lawriell Wilson will represent the Eagles in this year’s game while head women’s basketball coach Franqua Bedell was selected to coach one of this year’s team.

 
“I think it means a whole lot for the program,” says Bedell. “We had four ladies all together chosen so that to me is huge and two have decided to accept the invitation. It means a lot to the program because it shows that we are steadily moving in the right direction. We are producing kids that can play at the next level and that coaches want to see.”

 
Watts will return for her sophomore season after a very successful freshman campaign that saw her named Second-team All-Panhandle Conference. An excellent all around guard, Watts played in all 31 games last season averaging 20 minutes a game. With 8.4 points and 3.4 rebounds a game, she provided a spark off the Eagles’ bench.

 
Speaking of Watts, Coach Bedell feels that she has what it takes to be a successful player at TCC and beyond.

 
“This is going to be a breakout year for her,” Bedell added. “She has a high level, high major division 1 game, and I really think she is going to bring shooting, pull up range, and some leadership this year that we are going to need.”

 
The other returning player selected to represent TCC is a redshirt freshman Lawriell Wilson. This year’s All-Star game will be the first competitive game Wilson will have participated in after missing last season due to a knee injury suffered in the 2014 Louisiana State High School Championship game.

 
Coach Bedell is excited for the opportunity that awaits Wilson and feels that she is one of the best guards to come out of New Orleans last year.

 
“She is very explosive, has a nice jump shot, a nice pull-up game and a high IQ,” Bedell said. “It’s going to kind of be her coming out party.”
”I think she has a chip on her shoulder to show everybody that she is ready to go.”

 
Along with both players, Coach Bedell was selected to lead one of the teams at the All-Star game but views it more as an opportunity to be around his players and others in the basketball community.

 
“[Having] the opportunity to be around my players and watch them interact with other people [and] just get the opportunity to sit down and add value to other people in a non-basketball setting [is] exciting.”