Pele Paelay
Pele Paelay is a Liberian former professional basketball player. Although he was born in Liberia, he grew up in the state of Maryland before playing at Coastal Carolina University from 2002 to 2006. Paelay was named the Big South Conference Player of the Year in his junior season in 2004–05. Upon graduation in 2006, he began his professional career which has taken him to numerous countries abroad. Paelay is now the assistant coach for the girls varsity basketball team at the Steward School.
High school
Paelay attended Magruder High School in Derwood, Maryland. He graduated in 2002 after starring in both basketball and soccer. On the pitch, Paelay was named the Washington, D.C. Area Player of the Year in fall 2001 after scoring 19 goals, recording 12 assists and leading Magruder to their first ever boys' soccer state championship. He scored eight goals in the playoffs alone, five of which were game winners. Among the game winners, Paelay scored with less than 30 seconds remaining in the state championship game to give Magruder the 3–2 win.In basketball, Paelay led Magruder to a 27–0 record and a state championship during his junior season in 2000–01. He was named the Most Valuable Player of the state Final Four. As a senior, he averaged 17.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game and was named to the Second Team All-Metro and All-County squads. He was also a participant in the D.C. Capital Classic, a postseason all-star game featuring the best high school seniors from the Washington area.