by darren reese
sports editor
Laiken Morrow always knew she wanted to play basketball on the collegiate level. It was all about finding the right fit.
She finally found it when she visited King College.
The North Greene senior held a signing ceremony Friday morning to announce she would be continuing her basketball and educational career at the Bristol school next fall.
"It's close to home, and it's a Christian college, and I get to play basketball there," Morrow said, citing the reasons why she chose King.
She also looked at several other schools, including ones that offered her opportunities to play volleyball, which she also excels at.
But in the end, she had no reservations about her decision.
"I really liked it the best," she said. "The coach was up front about everything and made me feel welcome."
Morrow has had a tremendous career up to this point. Her resume consists of three straight All-District honors and two All-Region recognitions. She was the North Greene team MVP last year and was also named to the Greeneville Sun's All-County squad.
The Lady Huskies are currently 9-1 on the 2012-13 season with Morrow contributing 12.8 points and eight rebounds per game. The six-foot post player is 50 points away from reaching the 1,000-point plateau for her career.
North Greene head coach James Buchanan said King College is getting a well-rounded individual, both on and off the court.
"As a coach, you have a lot of seniors come and go," Buchanan said. "Some you wish you could hold on to more than others."
"Laiken is one of those we wish we could hold on to for several years to come. The best part about her is she is a great kid. She is easy to coach and has never shown any signs of disrespect."
North Greene advanced to the Class A state championship game Morrow's sophomore year.
She became more of a focal point of the offense last year when standout guard Mendy McNeese went out early in the year with a season-ending injury.
"Laiken has always been a great defensive player, a great rebounder, but she has really picked it up on the offensive end as well," Buchanan explained. "She has improved every year she's been here."
"She's almost irreplaceable. When Mendy got hurt last year, we had to change our style and play more of an interior-style game and Laiken handled it really well."
King College athletics compete at the NCAA Division II level and are a member of Conference Carolinas.
The women's basketball team is coached by Josh Thompson.
