Beaufort County gets a new prep basketball program

Throughout the years, prep basketball programs have been instrumental in producing some of the top talent on television today. Players like Carmelo Anthony, Ty Lawson and Andrew Wiggins, this year’s first-overall draft pick, used these institutions to increase exposure and accelerate their road to the NBA.

Geographic pockets in eastern North Carolina, like Beaufort County, are ripe with athletic talent, but scouts and college recruiters are commonly turned off from rural areas without high-enrollment schools, ones that usually attract an elevated level of competition. A standout player limited to a rural Class 1-A school will not garner the same attention as an athlete of equal skill playing at a metropolitan 4-A school. Those from smaller high schools often participate in summer showcases and attractive offseason leagues to boost their reputation, like Northside center Edrice Adebayo, a five-star recruit according to ESPN.

“I don’t feel it’s because we don’t have the talent. I feel like our talent hasn’t been marketed enough — given an opportunity to be exposed and seen,” said JR Guilford, associate pastor at Deeper Life Ministries in Washington.

This fall, Guilford decided to form his own prep team, the Deeper Life Warriors, with the ultimate goal of earning more athletic scholarships for local athletes by enhancing their exposure. And unlike the Huntington Preps or Oak Hill Academies of the world, Guilford’s program is completely free of charge and allows students to still attend their local high schools. Deeper Life simply provides an alternative to conventional high school basketball.

Deeper Life, like some other prep squads across the country, is independent from the NCHSAA or NCISAA, allowing the team some leniency in scheduling opponents. It is made up of students from Washington, Greenville and the surrounding area and, Guilford says, “We have to adhere to every NCAA eligibility requirement.” Each player must maintain a certain academic standard and can’t play in tournaments for money.

“Our goal is to graduate 100 percent of our kids and get them to college,” Guilford said. “We don’t promise them Division I colleges, but we promise we’ll get them somewhere.

“Our main focus is not athletics. It’s that these young men have an opportunity to get a college education. I tell them all the time, there are only 450 jobs in the NBA and the odds of you getting one are slim. I’m a realist with them. That’s not something everybody is going to do, but you can go to college and make something of yourself.”

With the parents’ permission, Deeper Life works with local high schools and monitors each child’s academic performance. Guilford, who has assumed the role of athletic director for Deeper Life, says he makes sure each student is ACT ready and fitted with a personal tutor if needed.

Former semi-pro basketball player John Lampkins, a common presence in the Washington Youth Basketball League, is the brains behind the Warriors’ game plan and will coach Deeper Life through a tough slate of scheduled games this winter.

The Warriors will open their inaugural season in Durham against Mount Zion Christian Academy. Other notable games on the schedule include Freedom Christian Academy in Fayetteville, Elite Prep Academy in Winston-Salem and The Oakwood School in Greenville. The team recently participated in the Southeastern Challenge Showcase in Greensboro on Oct. 18.

“Not only did they get to play in front of scouts (in Greensboro), but also the junior colleges who were there got to see them,” Guilford said. “There were 70-100 college coaches in attendance. It was a really good experience.”

The program is funded by scholarships from local businesses, as well as Deeper Life Ministries, Guilford said. The team’s home games will be played at Chocowinity Middle School.

“We really are about helping the kids, that’s really our focus and our coaches aren’t even paid,” Guilford said. “It really is truly a blessing to our community.”