HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL
Russellville to honor Williamson
Corliss Williamson hauled in numerous accolades and awards as an All-American forward for the University of Arkansas and as a 12-year NBA veteran. On Jan. 31, the 46-year-old will have a night all to himself in a place where his playing career started.
The Russellville athletic department will hold a "Corliss Williamson Night" when the Cyclones take on Little Rock Christian, where Williamson's son Creed is a sophomore forward. In between the boys and girls games, the school will hang Williamson's No. 34 jersey that he wore in high school from the arena rafters. The jersey also will be mounted along a wall inside the facility.
Williamson was a three-time all-state section at Russellville from 1989-1992. He also was named the Gatorade Arkansas Player of the Year during his junior and senior years, and he played in the 1992 McDonald's All-American game before his three-year run at Arkansas.
He was selected to the SEC's All-Freshman team in 1993, and led the Razorbacks to their first national championship the next season. Williamson was a two-time SEC Player of the Year pick and was drafted in the NBA's first round by the Sacramento Kings in 1995. He also won the league's Sixth Man of the Year award (2002) and an NBA title (2004) with the Detroit Pistons.
-- Erick Taylor
HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETICS
All-Star coaches selected
The Arkansas Activities Association announced the coaching staffs for the Arkansas High School Coaches Association's All-Star football and volleyball teams Tuesday.
Harrison Coach Joel Wells and Searcy Coach Mark Kelley will coach the football All-Star teams. Wells will coach the West All-Stars, while Kelley will lead the East All-Stars.
Wells' assistants for the West include Van Buren Coach Crosby Tuck, El Dorado Coach Steven Jones, Ozark Coach Jeremie Burns, former Prescott coach Tommy Poole, Magazine Coach Doug Powell and Harrison assistant Chris Keylon. Kelley's assistants are Forrest City Coach Rich Trail, Jonesboro Westside Coach Bobby Engle, Osceola Coach Robert Hooks, Harding Academy Coach Neil Evans, Fordyce Coach Tim Rodgers and Searcy assistant Lance Little.
The All-Star football game will be held June 27 in Conway.
Jonesboro Coach Craig Cummings and Hackett Coach Bridget Freeman will coach the volleyball All-Star teams.
Cummings, the East's coach, will be assisted by Morrilton Coach Patti Hill, Mount St. Mary Coach Jorge Martinez and Walnut Ridge Coach Janna Berry. Gravette Coach Britney Davis, Greenbrier Coach Katie Huff and Booneville Coach Janice West will assist Freeman on the West team in the All-Star volleyball game June 26 at the Farris Center in Conway.
COLLEGE SPORTS
UAPB set to name new AD
The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff announced Tuesday that it will name a new athletic director today.
UAPB Chancellor Laurence Alexander is scheduled to hold a news conference on campus in Pine Bluff at 2 p.m. A school spokesman declined to comment Tuesday on who the new athletic director is when the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reached out.
UAPB has been without a permanent athletic director for a little over four months, after the school abruptly fired Melvin Hines on Sept. 18. Hines had been on the job for a little over a year. Alexander had said in a statement at the time, "As with all faculty and staff, Mr. Hines participated in an annual evaluation, which revealed that it was time to move in a new direction."
Executive senior associate athletic director Keith McCluney has been serving as the school's interim athletic director.
-- Trenton Daeschner
BASEBALL
Travs announce 2020 coaching staff
A day after new Manager Dave Berg was formally introduced at the club's annual Hot Stove Banquet at the Marriott in downtown Little Rock, the Arkansas Travelers on Tuesday announced the rest of their 2020 coaching staff.
Alon Leichman will serve as the team's pitching coach, and Joe Thurston will be the hitting coach.
Leichman, a native of Israel, worked under Berg in 2019 as the pitching coach when the two were at Low-A West Virginia. Thurston, a native of Fairfield, Calif., was with short-season Everett last year.
Berg managed Low-A West Virginia last year and has seven years total of minor-league managing experience.
All three are in their fourth year with the Seattle Mariners organization.
-- Trenton Daeschner
SWIMMING AND DIVING
Arkansas' Hopkin earns SEC honor
Anna Hopkin of the University of Arkansas was named SEC swimmer of the week Tuesday.
Hopkin set two Arkansas pool records with her NCAA A-cut time in the 50-meter freestyle (21.58 seconds) and her NCAA B-cut time in the 100 freestyle (47.40).
SOFTBALL
Arkansas ranked 21st in preseason poll
The University of Arkansas is ranked 21st by D1Softball.com in its preseason rankings.
Arkansas is coming off a 38-20 season where it lost to Tulsa and BYU in the regional tournament in Stillwater, Okla.
The Razorbacks were picked to finish seventh in the SEC earlier this month.
-- Democrat-Gazette Press Services
Sports on 01/22/2020