Harrogate, TN -- Lincoln Memorial University women's basketball hosted an ELITE camp on Saturday, hosting multiple high schools from various locations in Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Kentucky. Attendees participated in drills and exercises to help prepare them for collegiate level basketball.

Head coach Devan Carter was elated with the turnout, highlighting the importance of development, while maintaining a positive atmosphere and long-lasting experience.

"We have a lot of Knoxville schools here," said Carter. "We have Bearden here, Catholic, Greeneville High School, Jefferson Forest, John Marshall, and a little bit from everywhere." Carter went on to expound upon some familiar faces." A lot of these kids have been here before, and they keep coming back," he said. "What we try to do is use this as an opportunity to teach high school kids the college level, and a lot of these kids have been here more than once."

"When I lived in Greeneville, my neighbor who lived next door to me is here," he said with a laugh. "I remember when she was in the sixth grade, and now she's in high school and is being recruited. We just try to put on a camp where the kids can come and learn about the college game so that they aren't blind-sided when they get to college." Carter also highlighted the importance of making the camp fun. "With this ELITE camp, I just want to make sure the kids have a good experience. I think that is our main focus. I remember being younger myself and going to John Beileine's camp in Richmond. I went every year because I had a phenomenal time. We want to teach these kids how to play basketball, and to play to the best of their abilities, while also making sure we have a lot of fun."

Carter highlighted the excitement of camp attendees as well as the excitement exhibited by his players who instruct the camp. "They love getting to come out and interact with out players," he said. "Our team gets really into it. They just love it and it's a great opportunity for our players to communicate and impart a bit of their leadership experience on the subsequent generation as well."

With so much talent attending the camp, Carter elaborated on the importance of recruiting his "own back yard." "There is a lot of talent here today," said Carter. "There is a lot of talent in this region of the country, and you have to recruit your own back yard. The last two years, we've singed at least one player from our ELITE camp. We have one coming in 2024 that's committed that we found at ELITE camp. It's a great opportunity for us to evaluate and a great opportunity for some of these kids to get some extra exposure. Sometimes things get lost in the shuffle in AAU. You've got too many courts, too many teams, and a coach may miss you. This is a more intimate atmosphere because it's a lot of one-on-one instruction working directly with our players and staff. I think it's a great opportunity to earn scholarship dollars, roster spots, or whatever it is, while having a blast at the same time."