Unaka’s Myah Parlier signs with Bryan College

Published 12:45 pm Saturday, October 27, 2018

Unaka junior post Myah Parlier – a player who led the region in rebounding last season – signed a Letter of Intent on Friday morning at the school to play for the Bryan College Lady Lions beginning in 2019-20. Parlier, who has developed into a double-double type player has grown her game steadily since coming in as a freshman, a trait that did not go unnoticed by Lady Lions head coach Jason Smith.

“Well, we always allow our kids to compete,” Smith said. “We never try to put them in a box, and I don’t like setting expectations. She will have the opportunity to come in and compete for playing time, and we like playing freshmen. We aren’t afraid to play the youngsters. We lose a kid who wears the same number 42 and is one of our better rebounders and defenders. We need to replace her and Myah has the skills to help her earn playing time right away.”

Parlier helped lead the Lady Rangers to the Region 1-A title and a spot in the State Tournament with a 28-11 overall record. The Rangers run began with wins over University High and Hampton, and she scored 25 points in the Rangers 53-45 win over Tellico Plains that vaulted them to the substate game against Wartburg.

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“She is a very hard worker,” Lady Rangers head coach Kenneth Chambers said. “She works year round, and she had a great state run last year. She is a great kid and works hard in school, and we expect to use her a lot this year. And if we get to go down the road again this year she will be a big part of why we do it.”

Parlier is the granddaughter of Dayton and Kim Buckles, and she is looking forward to the challenge of playing college basketball next year and tackling her studies in Criminal Justice.

When asked what made Bryan College her choice she said, “I like that they are Christian based and that was important to me. I know that when I get there, I won’t just be a number and a player, I will be a person. It was great to get to state as a team last year, and we were like a big family. And knowing that I will be going into a winning program is important to me.”

Bryan has won the last two Appalachian Athletic Conference women’s championships and have played in the National Tournament three times in the last four years under coach Smith.

Parlier has grown as a player each of her years, and she said, “When I came in as a sophomore, I played like a sophomore. As I got older, the team began to show more trust in me, and I was able to do things like develop a left-handed shot. My real goal is rebounding, but it’s nice to be able to score too.”