PGH Circuit Preview: 865 Elite (Triumph Region)

Postseasons across the country are reaching their crescendos. Soon, the attention of high school basketball fans will shift from what teams are doing with their high school clubs and to the AAU circuit over the ensuing few months. This year’s circuit will feature four regions – the Victory Region, the Legacy Region, the Dynasty Region and the Triumph Region. Coach Shanteal Davis is new to the coaching game. Davis said to Prep Girls Hoops that she decided to try her hand at coaching after being asked by parents in the Knoxville area to give it a try. Davis stays grounded in her Christian faith and plans to apply it to how she handles situations as a coach. She is particularly enthralled by the development aspect of coaching. She recently graduated from Milligan University in Elizabethton, Tennessee and is now working on obtaining her master’s degree from Eastern Tennessee State University. 865 Elite will feature three teams – a 14U team, a 15U team and a 16U team. While the 14Us and the 15Us will be more locally based, the 16U team will be part of the Prep Girls Hoops circuit and will compete in the Knoxville Knockout, the Peach Games in Atlanta and the Triumph Region Finals in South Carolina. Here is a look at what the 865Elite 16U roster will comprise of: Bailey Burroughs – 2025 – Clinton HS – One of the many freshmen that made major waves on the Volunteer State’s high school basketball season, the 5-foot-9 forward averaged nine points and just under a block per contest for a Dragons team that finished 16-12 this past season. [player_tooltip player_id="245376" first="Kaydence" last="Black"] – 2024 – Dobyns-Bennett HS – Black is a former AAU All-American from the 2021 travel season when she ran with Tennessee Trotters. Prior to stepping into the high school scene, Black played her middle school ball at John Sevier Middle School in Kingsport. Dvdaya Swimmer – 2026 – Cherokee Middle School (NC) – Davis may be coaching a Tennessee-based travel team, but it will feature at least one North Carolina representative. Along with basketball, Swimmer has partaken in multiple sports throughout her career – including track, cross country, softball and volleyball. Kaylen Schultz – 2024 – Seymour HS – Schultz is another multi-sport athlete ready to hit the travel circuit for 865 Elite this AAU slate. She is coming off a banner season with the Eagles where she was integral in her team finishing with a 29-6 record and the team’s first region championship since 2009. Kelsey Cruz – 2024 – Seymour HS – Having Cruz on the team alongside her Eagles teammate Seymour certainly will help the camaraderie 865Elite will have on the travel circuit. Cruz is another one of the backcourt anchors for the Eagles that led the team to its memorable 2021-22. Ava McSwain – 2024 – Carter HS – McSwain was one of the leading scorers for the Green Hornets last season – and is not the only Carter representative on Davis’ AAU team for this year. She averaged 7.8 rebounds, 5.8 points and just under one blocked shot per contest for the Green Hornets. Emily Mustard – 2024 – Anderson County HS – Volleyball is also the second sport of choice for Mustard outside of basketball. Among her many basketball attributes Mustard will bring to 865 Elite are being a ball hawk, rejecting shots on defense and draining 3-pointers as an offensive threat. Lily Lampkin – 2024 – Carter HS – More Carter representation can be found by virtue of its versatile sophomore who has displayed an ability to play as either a forward or a guard. Lampkin averaged 4.5 rebounds in the 20 games she played last season with the Green Hornets. [player_tooltip player_id="245353" first="Madi" last="Hawk"] – 2024 – Lakeway Christian Academy – The Lions’ star sophomore proved to play a major role in Lakeway Christian finding its first 30-win season since the school first opened its doors in 2018. She averaged 13.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and two steals the previous season for the Lions. Maliyah Glasper – 2026 – Lakeway Christian Academy – Glasper was another key piece in what turned out to be a banner season for the Lions. This past season, she averaged 9.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.7 steals in what was a successful season at Lakeway Christian. Rachael Wilhoit – 2024 – Carter HS – Wilhoit previously ran on the AAU circuit with East Tennessee Air Thunder based out of the Knoxville suburb of Maryville. One would think she is more of a traditional guard, but she possesses skills of a frontcourt player – showcasing her versatility. She averaged 7.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.4 steals a game in 2021-22 for Carter. Cassie George – 2025 – The King’s Academy – George was one of the many star freshmen throughout the state that displayed talent indicative of upperclassmen. Listed as a 5-foot-3 combo guard, she will have games where she will put plenty of points on the board from downtown and will also bolster a team’s rebounding efforts. Davis mentioned that 865 Elite already had a boys team that was on the Prep Hoops circuit, but the boys team had more stops in the Midwest while the girls will be more Southeast-centric. She believes that her 865 Elite 16U bunch is middle of the road in terms of roster size and talent. She says it may not have the deepest of rosters, but it does not have the thinnest of rosters either. In addition, there are teams, Davis knows, that are better than hers as well as those that may not be as good as hers on the circuit. Regardless, Davis says her players will want the challenge. Goals of Davis this AAU rendition will include establishing team chemistry as well as garnering more exposure for the 16U team. Davis emphasized realism on expectations – setting them lofty, but also realistic. She says to Prep Girls Hoops that she would not be where she is today if it were not for going after challenges and trying new ventures.