WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Neighbors' former player to join staff at UA
University of Arkansas women's basketball Coach Mike Neighbors has hired a former player as one of the Razorbacks' three full-time assistant coaches.
Chantel Osahor, a 2017 All-American for Neighbors at Washington, replaces Lacey Goldwire, who was hired away by Tennessee in April. Osahor has spent the past two seasons as a graduate manager at Drake University.
Osahor was drafted 21st overall in the 2017 WNBA Draft but never played professionally because of hamstring and knee injuries.
At Washington, Osahor was a cornerstone of Neighbors' success as a member of his first signing class after he was promoted from assistant coach in 2013. Osahor played in three NCAA Tournaments, including the 2016 Final Four.
In 2017, Osahor tied the Pac-12 record with 519 rebounds. She set a conference record with 30 rebounds in one game against Washington State.
A flat-footed shooter, Osahor averaged 15.8 points as a senior and recorded 30 double-doubles, three shy of the NCAA record in a single season.
She was the second Washington player to score more than 1,000 points and record more than 1,000 rebounds in her career.
Osahor, 23, grew up in Phoenix. She was spotted by Neighbors at a summer tournament in Chicago when Neighbors, then a Washington assistant, mistakenly went to the wrong gymnasium to scout a game.
"We beat absolutely zero people to get her," Neighbors told The Associated Press in 2016. "The recruiting battle was getting her on the phone and getting her to talk because she's not real talkative."
-- Matt Jones
HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS
All-Academic nominations sought
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette is taking nominations for its 2019 high school All-Academic Team.
Seniors who graduated in the 2018-19 academic year and played at least one varsity sport are eligible. Coaches, teachers and administrators may nominate athletes who finished in the top 10% of their class and scored a 25 or higher on the ACT. Parents may not nominate their own children. Please include a contact number, the student's college choice and probable college major in the nomination.
Entries may be emailed to Jeremy Muck at jmuck@arkansasonline.com. The deadline is July 21.
-- Democrat-Gazette Press Services
Sports on 07/06/2019