A powerful inside game and lethal perimeter shooting that earned her a double-double average this season, Meridian’s 6-foot guard Debreasha Powe hasn’t gone unnoticed. 

In the two months since Powe’s sophomore season with the Lady Wildcats ended, she’s received scholarship offers from several Division I schools, including Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Southern Miss and Alabama. She said the last several weeks have been quite wonderful.

“It’s been a great feeling,” Powe said. “I’m just blessed.”

Powe said she was surprised to get an offer from Mississippi State but was thrilled. It’s been the culmination of her continuing progress in basketball that hasn’t since let up. 

“I’ve been growing as a player, and my coaches have helped, too. Coach (Deneshia) Faulkner has been developing me to be this great player and to have mental toughness, so it’s been a challenge but it’s also been a pleasure,” she said. “I enjoy it because I love the sport so much, so I’m enjoying the process.” 

Powe scored 17 points and added 12 rebounds per game last season helped lead Meridian to a 29-2 season, which included a 16-game winning streak that ended in the semifinals of the MHSAA Class 6A state tournament. Faulkner, head coach of the Lady Wildcats, said her strengths off the court and her talents as a player are what have caught the eye of top-tier college programs. 

“Debreasha’s just naturally a hard worker. It’s just a personal goal of hers to get better, and her coachability, I would say, is her strongest skill,” Faulkner said. “Her coachability, her work ethic, her leadership skills and attitude during good times and bad times have brought a lot of attention to her.” 

Faulkner also said the looks Powe has been getting from Division I schools — she’s also collected offers from Vanderbilt and Georgia Tech — is a benefit for all of Meridian and said it will be good for the future of her young team.  

“It’s been a while since Meridian has gotten this type of exposure,” she said. “I think it’s good for the kids coming up, and I think it’s going to create a good name for the program as a whole, and hopefully it’ll draw attention in the near future.”

Powe said receiving all of her offers hasn’t been overwhelming or added pressure as she’s enjoyed speaking with college coaches and building relationships with them. With two more years of high school basketball left, Powe said it’s just more time to improve and become even more dominant.  

“I just look at it as, I have two years to get better, two years to grow with my team and as a player, and I’m ready for it,” she said. “I’m just coming in with my head held high and being open-minded.”

Said Faulkner, “She’s going to be amazing by the time she’s a senior.”