Three of IMG Basketball Academy’s finest, Alyssa Mann, Briahanna Jackson, and Hayley Alexander have truly excelled throughout this 2011-2012 season. All three were recently selected to the All-Tournament Team for The Girls Night Out Atlanta Showcase. They have brought much pride, respect and prestige to IMG Academies in Bradenton, Florida.
Alyssa Mann signed with Charleston Southern University after an impressive career at IMG Academies
Mann has been nominated as a 2011-2012 McDonald’s All American for her overall strong play at the guard position for IMG Academies. After entertaining offers from a number of Division I schools, the Texas native has elected to join Coach Julie Goodenough at Charleston Southern University.
Said the 17-year-old, “I am looking forward to joining Charleston Southern this coming fall. Coming from IMG Academies, I am used to a family-like atmosphere where you can have one-on-one experiences with your teachers and coaches. At Charleston Southern, all of the coaches and professors know the players personally. There is so much opportunity for growth.”
Mann joined IMG Academies as a freshman and spent the past four years developing as a player under the tutelage of former Division I (Florida, Texas A&M, Texas Christian and South Carolina) and WNBA (San Antonio Silver Stars) coach, Shell Dailey. “Alyssa is not just another player, she is family. She has been here for four years and I have seen her grow mentally, as well as physically – from 95 pounds as a freshman to a lean-muscled, college-ready player,” said Dailey. “Alyssa is a high-energy, hard-nosed player. She’s a leader who can take over the floor and direct. Charleston Southern is fortunate to have her.”
Mann’s father, Rick Mann said, “You can never be too prepared, but it’s almost like she is. The training and facilities at IMG Academies are on par, if not better, than many of the colleges we had visited. She’s completely prepared and will do well at a school similar in size to IMG. We look forward to this next great step for Alyssa.”
“Alyssa’s work ethic is unmatched,” remarked Coach Dailey. “At IMG, she took advantage of everything this unique place has to offer – from training to nutrition to mental conditioning to communication. Apart from her tremendous skills on the court, Alyssa will bring a great deal of character and spirit with her to Charleston. I am so excited she found the perfect fit for the next step in her career.”
Briahanna Jackson signed with UCF after spending her post-grad year training at IMG Academies
After a stellar post-grad year at IMG Academies, Briahanna Jackson has committed to the University of Central Florida (UCF). After turning the heads of BCS Conference teams at a Miami Suns-hosted girls’ showcase, the athletic point guard finally landed on Joi Williams’ emerging squad of Knights as her home team for the 2012-2013 season.
Says Jackson, “IMG Academies has been a great college prep step for me. We are essentially going through a college program with two workouts and a weight room session every day. Most girls at the high school level don’t even get into the weight room. Coach Shell has coached at the college level and knows what to expect, so I feel very prepared.”
Jackson enrolled at the IMG Basketball Academy following her high school graduation to continue her development and prepare for the transition to collegiate ball. Coach Dailey said, “More than 50 schools from the ACC, Big East, Big 12 and other big conferences, came in search of Brihanna, but UCF did an excellent job of recruiting her, and, in turn, they scored themselves a phenomenal player and leader.”
