- Created on 19 March 2013
Update on Injured Hawks Cheerleader Kristen
Atlanta Hawks cheerleader Kristen was seen last night by physicians at Atlanta Medical Center and released following examination, according to a release from the Atlanta Hawks.
Earlier in the evening, she suffered a fall, landing on her head and neck during a performance between the third and fourth quarter of the Hawks' game against the Dallas Mavericks.
Kristen, whose last name was not provided by the team, was removed from the court on a stretcher after falling.
Hawks coach Larry Drew said that she was doing better.
Check the homepage of the Atlanta Daily World for a video of how Kristen sustained the injury.
- Created on 18 March 2013
Atlanta Dream Signs Sydney Carter To Training Camp Contract
The Atlanta Dream recently announced the team has signed Sydney Carter to a training camp contract.
Carter, a 5-6 guard, was a standout at Texas A&M, helping the Aggies win the 2011 NCAA National Championship while being named the Most Oustanding Player at the Dallas Regionals that season. A three-time co-captain for Texas A&M, Carter was twice named to the Big 12 All-Defensive Team.
Carter averaged 11.2 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists as a senior, earning All-Big 12 Second Team honors. She was honorable mention All-Big 12 as both a junior and sophomore, and was a member of the Big 12 All-Freshman Team. She most recently played in one game as a rookie with the Chicago Sky in 2012.
"Sydney is an excellent ball-handler and scorer," said Dream Head Coach and General Manager Fred Williams. "Her speed and quickness enable her to get to the rim, score or pass. She will be a good addition to our squad."
The two-time Eastern Conference Champion Atlanta Dream will tip off its sixth season in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) on May 25 at Philips Arena.
Photo courtesy of Big12sports.com
- Created on 18 March 2013
SIAC Coach of the Year Grady Brewer Reflects on Bittersweet Ending to Morehouse's Basketball Season
Hometown favorites, the Morehouse Maroon Tigers, fell to the Benedict College Tigers in the finals of the 80th Annual SIAC Men's Basketball Championship.
In a dog fight that kept hostile fans in the Frank L. Forbes Arena on edge throughout the evening, Morehouse's missed opportunities on free throws and sloppy play with turnovers led to their demise as Benedict captured their second consecutive SIAC Basketball Championship, 68-60.
"It was a battle," Benedict Coach Fred Watson said. "Morehouse is a physical team, well coached and ran a lot of good stuff. They schemed us out of what we wanted to do. It took us a little while as a team to figure out what we needed to do.
The loss by the Maroon Tigers may mean the end of a season, but also recaps one of the most successful seasons in school history, thanks to newly named SIAC Coach of the Year, Grady Brewer.
Brewer and his team were predicted to finish sixth in the east division during the preseason after wrapping up the 2011-2012 season at 8-19, with a loss in the first round at last year's conference tournament. Going into the new year, Morehouse began living up to low expectation by starting the season 1-5.
Out of nowhere, the Maroon Tigers went on a school record-tying 14-game winning streak and posted a 15-2 conference record, earning them a share of the SIAC East Division regular season title with Benedict.
"Any time you win 19 out of 22 ball games, you've done a great job," Brewer said. "We just hope that the NCAA Division II selection committee will allow us the opportunity to play."
The 2012-13 basketball season was Brewer's thirteenth as head coach at Morehouse, after serving 13 seasons as an assistant to the legendary Arthur McAfee, who coached 35 seasons at Morehouse, compiling more than 450 wins.
Players named to the All-Tournament team from Morehouse were center Andrae Nelson, who had 20 points, and guard Darrius Williams scoring 17 points and grabbing 11 rebounds in the championship game.
"It was a good run, felt good being back on court," Williams said. "My team played hard. We have a lot of guys coming back next year, so we're just going to take this loss right here and we're going to be ready to respond for next time."
By winning the conference tournament, Benedict automatically receives a bid to play in the NCAA Division II National Basketball Tournament. Morehouse, who was ranked sixth in the South region, did not receive an at-large bid by the tournament committee and ended its season on the sour note of losing in the championship game. But Brewer doesn't see it as a defeat.
"Great players make great coaches at any level," Brewer said reflecting on this season's accomplishments. "It's a sweet victory for the people in Forbes Arena because it's nice to see them able to come to a playoff game and for a championship game because in the past we haven't been past the first round. I love these guys. I love them all. They're going to get their chance."
- Created on 18 March 2013
Atlanta City Council Could Vote on New Stadium Monday
The Atlanta City Council is scheduled to meet Monday afternoon and could vote to move forward with plans of a new Falcons stadium.
Although the stadium is not on the agenda of topics to be discussed during Monday's session, the subject matter may still be brought up.
If agreed upon by the council, the city would embark upon a plan to put down $200 million in hotel-motel tax revenue in order to build the $1 billion retractable roof facility.
"This will be one of the best stadium deals of its type in the country, bar none. And we're actually getting more out of the deal than we would if we were to renovate the existing dome," Atlanta City Councilman Michael Julian Bond told WAGA.
Some believe the stadium deal is being rushed and are hesitant about moving forward.
"We are talking about a proposal that was put on the city council halfway through this week that's an inch thick. And there's no way that they could possibly read through it, retain it, understand everything in it and vote on it as quickly as this thing is moving forward," William Perry of Common Cause, a watchdog group, said.
The proposal was announced 11 days ago and has already been approved by the Georgia World Congress Center Authority. The only potential road blocks after the City Council's approval would be Friendship and Mount Vernon Baptist Churches, two places of worship that would have to be bought out and moved.
"Once we do have a proposal from the city, that will be something we will bring forward to the congregation to review, discuss and then vote," Lloyd Hawk of Friendship Baptist Church said.
If the churches refuse to be bought out, the city may possibly look into an alternate location north of the Georgia World Congress Center.
- Created on 16 March 2013
Hawks Sign Shelvin Mack to Another 10 Day Contract
The Atlanta Hawks have signed guard Shelvin Mack to a second 10-day contract, Hawks President of Basketball Operations/General Manager Danny Ferry announced today.
The 6-foot-3, 215-pound point guard has appeared in five games for the Hawks, totaling eight points, four rebounds and three assists in 30 total minutes. In the Hawks' win against the Los Angeles Lakers on March 13th, Mack scored seven points on 3-5 (.600) shooting and dished out two assists in 14 minutes.
