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| Post play a family tradition Fri, 11 Jul 2008 12:05:35 -0500 Young basketball players often talk about patterning their game after an NBA or WNBA player such as LeBron James, Kobe Bryant or Candace Parker. Western Kentucky freshman center Jasmine Johnson didn’t have to look far to find her NBA role model. In fact, all she had to do was watch a member of her family for inspiration. Johnson is the niece of former NBA forward Dennis Rodman. And while Rodman is probably most known now for his flamboyance off the court, he’s still considered one of the top rebounders in basketball - winning NBA titles with Detroit and Chicago. Johnson admits that having a famous uncle has garnered her quite a bit of attention, including some hazing at times. “It’s my uncle, I can’t change him,” Johnson said. “It’s him. If he wants to be different, then let him be different.” For the most part, though, people are positive when asking about Rodman. “Most people are like, ‘Wow! You’ve got a famous uncle. Can I get his autograph?’ ” Johnson said. “But I really don’t see him that much. He calls some times and we talk to him, but otherwise I don’t talk to him that much. My mom and my granny does though.” Being Rodman’s relative has led to comparisons between the two on the court - something Johnson welcomes. “They compare me enough to him - rebounding wise,” Johnson said. “I want to be better than him, like a better girl version. “I think I do play like him a lot because most of what I do is rebound. I can score if you give me the opportunity. If you want to put me at the point, I’ll try to do a little something-something - a little razzle-dazzle out there. I may not get far, but I’ll do something.” Johnson proved to be a huge force on the boards in her career at DeSoto High School in DeSoto, Texas, getting rebounds at a rate similar to her uncle during his playing days. The 6-foot-3 center led the team with 216 rebounds and 67 blocked shots while scoring 160 points for a DeSoto team that went 37-2 last season. WKU coach Mary Taylor Cowles said Johnson brings plenty of natural ability. “She’s a very positive young lady who works extremely hard,” Cowles said. “There is definitely some athleticism in that family - starting with her mother, as well as her aunt and uncle. We recruited her because we felt like her rebounding ability was one of her best assets. She’s got the body and the ability to be physical for us.” Now in her first week on campus, Johnson said the biggest adjustment has been getting used to a hectic college schedule. But she added the transition has been easier because DeSoto teammate Vanessa Obafemi is also part of the freshman class. “I didn’t really know anybody down here,” she said. “I knew of them from visits, but I didn’t know them. I have somebody to talk to.” As a center, Johnson will be asked to fill the void of former WKU great Crystal Kelly - now a member of the WNBA’s Sacramento Monarchs. But Johnson said she isn’t approaching this season thinking she’ll replace Kelly. “I don’t want to be Crystal Kelly,” Johnson said. “I want to make a name for myself.” With her knack for rebounding, Cowles said there is no reason why Johnson can’t help the Lady Toppers right away. “It’s such an asset,” Cowles said. “She can score and she’s going to be productive for us, but she just has the right mentality about the game. The bottom line is Jasmine wants to contribute any way she can and she’s very confident in her rebounding ability and what she can do in the blocks for us.” |
| Hart wins All-Star bid Fri, 11 Jul 2008 12:05:38 -0500 Corey Hart is headed to Yankee Stadium. The former Greenwood star and current Milwaukee Brewers right fielder was named the final member of the National League All-Star team Thursday after winning online fan balloting. Hart got the news from Brewers manager Ned Yost as he walked into the Miller Park interview room with his two young children after Milwaukee’s 11-1 win over Colorado. A couple minutes into his news conference, about a dozen of his teammates rushed into the room and sprayed Hart and his children with beer, loudly cheering his first-time selection. Hart received 8 million votes and was followed by the New York Mets’ David Wright, Philadelphia’s Pat Burrell, San Francisco’s Aaron Rowand and Houston’s Carlos Lee. Milwaukee supported the outfielder with its “I Hart New York” campaign, and Hart himself did several interviews a day to drum up support. “It was a frustrating experience, but it paid off with all the campaigning. Now, it’s worth it,” Hart told The Associated Press following Thursday’s victory. Hart did not immediately return messages left by the Daily News on Thursday night or this morning. Hart hit his 15th homer in the Brewers’ win Thursday and is batting .292 with 57 RBIs. Hart’s selection was cause for celebration in Bowling Green. Greenwood head coach Chris Decker, who was Hart’s high school coach, said he still didn’t know how to react. “This is certainly uncharted territory for Greenwood baseball,” Decker said. “Everything that guy gets, he deserves. He is a role model. He is a great dad. He is a great husband. It’s awesome to know he came through our program.” Decker said he did his part to make sure Hart received the final spot. “I texted him the other day and said I sprained some tendons in my index finger from voting so much,” Decker said. As of Thursday night, Decker said he hadn’t spoken directly to Hart. “I’ll text him, just to let him know we’re proud of him, but he knows that,” Decker said. In the American League vote, Evan Longoria of Tampa Bay received 9 million votes and was followed by Jermaine Dye of the Chicago White Sox, Jason Giambi of the New York Yankees, Brian Roberts of Baltimore and Jose Guillen of Kansas City. Longoria had a .281 average, 16 homers and 53 RBIs entering the AL East-leading Rays’ game at Cleveland on Thursday night. “He earned it,” Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said. “He made a strong push in the last month. It’s quite a testament to him.” Major League Baseball said a record 47.8 million votes were cast, more than double last year’s 23.1 million. One more roster spot remained to be filled, with NL manager Clint Hurdle having to decide on a replacement for injured Chicago Cubs outfielder Alfonso Soriano. Colorado’s Matt Holliday, originally selected as a reserve, will replace Soriano in the starting lineup. Hart will be joined by the NL team by fellow Milwaukee teammates Ben Sheets and Ryan Braun - who was voted in as a starting outfielder and will participate in Monday’s Homerun Derby. — The Associated Press contributed to this story. |
| Taylor named BG club’s top man Fri, 11 Jul 2008 12:05:41 -0500 After 14 years in Minor League Baseball, Brad Taylor finally gets a shot at something he’s long wanted to try - building an organization from the ground up. Taylor, 40, was announced Thursday afternoon as the general manager and CEO of Bowling Green’s still-unnamed Single-A club, which will open play in April. Taylor has spent the past nine seasons with the Double-A Trenton (N.J.) Thunder, the last three as general manager and COO. “I think (the Bowling Green organization) has all the potential in the world to be a really great setup,” Taylor said Thursday. “From what I’ve been able to gather, the people down there are hopefully really excited about this. The facility’s going to be first-rate. “I’ve never had a chance to do a start-up situation. ... I’ve done logo changes and things like that, but this is going to be from day one, and that’s real appealing to me.” Taylor, a Virginia native, will run the Bowling Green organization for DSF Sports and Entertainment, the company that owns both the Bowling Green club and the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats. DSF president Rick Brenner said Thursday that he’s known Taylor for several years, beginning from when both worked with the Trenton ballclub. Taylor expressed an interest in the Bowling Green job while DSF was conducting its national search, Brenner said. “Having a first-hand knowledge of what Brad’s morals and values and ethics are, what Brad brings to the table in terms of his creativity and what he brings to the community, it made it ... very obvious that it would just be a great fit for what we want to do in Bowling Green,” Brenner said. Taylor’s duties as general manager differ significantly from the player-personnel responsibilities of a Major League Baseball GM. The Bowling Green club - an affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays - will have no say in who makes up the team’s roster. “It’s not my thing to evaluate and sign talent and move them up the ladder,” Taylor said. “I’m intrigued by the sports marketing and entertainment aspect of it. That’s my job. My job is going to be to come in there and put together a nice staff and to get these people in that town and this whole region a nice night out.” Additionally, Taylor will be involved in the ballclub’s community presence. Taylor expects the team to be a fixture in the area through charitable work and through player and mascot visits to schools, hospitals and youth sports events. Taylor’s Minor League Baseball career began in 1995, when a friend offered him a job with Huntington, W.Va.’s River City Rumblers. From there, he worked with the Cape Fear Crocs of Fayetteville, N.C., before joining the Thunder in 2000 as director of business operations. Brad and his wife, Jennifer, have two young sons, Braxton and Parker. Jennifer Taylor has family near Louisville, which was another factor in his decision to accept the Bowling Green job. In addition to family connections, Taylor said he felt a connection to the city. “I made a covert visit down there, and gosh, from the stores to the restaurants to the gas stations, everybody was great,” Taylor said. “You get a vibe when you go to a town, and I got it.” DSF and Taylor have not yet settled on a specific start date in Bowling Green. Taylor said he’s eager to begin by at least September, but Brenner said the Trenton Thunder deserves time to find Taylor’s successor. “We’re in a very small industry, so our gain cannot be their loss at any level,” Brenner said. “So they’re conducting a nationwide search for their top guy. ... When you get great people, sometimes you have to wait for them, and that’s certainly the case here.” Still, Taylor said he’ll probably get to work even before he gets to Bowling Green. “I might be out of sight, but I won’t be out of mind,” Taylor said. “I’ll be on the phone with some folks I’m sure and starting to do a little leg work there. I’m really excited to get started.” |
| Blann, Koller fare well at junior amateur Fri, 11 Jul 2008 12:05:44 -0500 Former Bowling Green High School golfer Seth Blann fired a two-round score of 140 to finish second Thursday in the boys’ 17- to 18-years-old division at the 2008 Kentucky Junior Amateur Championships at the Lindsey Golf Course in Radcliff. Blann, who will play for the University of Kentucky next year, finished regulation play tied with Union’s Cody Martin, but fell in a playoff. In the girls’ 16-18 event, former Russellville star and two-time state champion Nikki Koller, who will play for the University of Arizona next season, won by four shots with a score of 140 at Bardstown Country Club. Also at Bardstown, Glasgow’s Laura Harris tied for 11th in the 16-18 group with a 159, while Kylie Foushee, also of Glasgow, shot a 176 to take 19th. Bowling Green senior Robert Kirby finished third in the boys’ 17-18 event, firing a 143, while classmate Bryan Jaska finished in a tie for 29th place with a 156 at Lindsey. Michael Tooley, also of Bowling Green, finished tied for 38th with a 159. In the boys’ 15-16 division, Greenwood’s Cameron Beal shot a 158 to tie for 17th place. Bowling Green’s Jared Brown tied for ninth in the boys’ 11-12 division with an 88, while Russellville’s Colton Richardson shot a 200 in the boys’ 13-14 division to take 30th. In the girls’ 14-15 division, Blair Dennison of Glasgow finished tied for 12th with a 175, while Bowling Green’s Morgan Elliott finished 17th with a 197. Bowling Green’s Mallory Vaughn shot a 90 to take seventh in the girls’ 13 and under division, while Madeline Rogers, also of Bowling Green, shot a 97 to finish ninth. Central golf tryouts upcoming Warren Central High School will be holding tryouts for both the boys’ and girls’ golf teams on July 21 at the Golf Course at Riverview. Both tryouts will begin at 4 p.m. |
| Football camps upcoming Fri, 11 Jul 2008 12:05:45 -0500 Six different football camps featuring in-depth and hands-on instruction from the Western Kentucky football staff begin next week on campus. The camps are structured by age gropes and feature options for students ranging from those entering first grade through 12th grade. Fans may attend the 7-on-7 tournament July 19, which will be at the Intramural Complex. All other camps are at Houchens-Smith Stadium. Some camps offer both overnight and day-camper options, and spots are still available for each camp. |
| Kentucky Blast split two at nationals Fri, 11 Jul 2008 12:05:45 -0500 The Kentucky Blast girls’ AAU 16-and-under team split its first two games this week at the AAU National Tournament in Orlando, Fla. In game one, Warren East’s Ashley Rainey finished with 27 points and six rebounds in a losing effort as the Blast fell to the Arkansas Mavericks 65-63. Henderson County’s Alyse Poindexter added 10 points and 10 rebounds. In the second game of pool play, the Blast rebounded with a 69-37 win over the Tennessee Extreme. Leading the way again was Rainey with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Poindexter had 14 points and 11 rebounds. Louisville Butler’s Tiara Hopper finished with nine points and six rebounds. The Blast continues pool play this afternoon against the Middle Atlantic Comets, a Pennsylvania-based team. |
| Tale of Bobby and Rich Fri, 11 Jul 2008 03:20:00 EST A couple of years ago you'd have been hard-pressed to find two hotter college football coaching names than Rich Rodriguez and Bobby Petrino. |
| It's Prince and Redeem the Dream Team Fri, 11 Jul 2008 03:45:00 EST After three straight failures to capture gold in international competitions, USA Basketball has retooled its strategy -- and Tayshaun Prince has been one of the biggest beneficiaries. |
| Iowa wing player's stock rising quickly on recruiting trail Fri, 11 Jul 2008 02:01:00 EST Harrison Barnes already was considered among the nation's top 10 college basketball prospects in the Class of 2010. The junior-to-be from Ames (Iowa) Senior High School had an excellent showing at the recent Nike Hoop Jamboree and NBA Players Association Camp. |
| Maggette-Davis swap official after signings Fri, 11 Jul 2008 01:49:00 EST The Golden State Warriors acquired free agent Corey Maggette yesterday, signing away the Los Angeles Clippers' scoring leader. |
| Bats fight off Bisons, strikeouts in 2-0 win Fri, 11 Jul 2008 03:20:00 EST The Louisville Bats overcame a 10-strikeout performance by Buffalo starter Frank Herrmann to beat the Bisons 2-0 last night. |
| Reds are gone with the wind, win 12-7 Fri, 11 Jul 2008 03:03:00 EST The Chicago Cubs' friendly confines were even nicer to a visiting team, for once. David Ross hit two of Cincinnati's seven homers with the wind blowing out at Wrigley Field in a long-ball barrage that included Ken Griffey Jr.'s 605th, and the Reds avoided a series sweep with a 12-7 victory. |
| Ex-Churchill publicist Edgar Allen dies at 84 Fri, 11 Jul 2008 03:04:00 EST Edgar Allen Jr., a well-known Tennessee sportswriter who later spent a decade as Churchill Downs' director of publicity, died Wednesday in Nashville. He was 84. |
| Report: Churchill Downs spring handle off 11.5 percent Fri, 11 Jul 2008 02:02:00 EST Total handle for Churchill Downs' spring meeting, which ended Sunday, dropped 11.5 percent from 2007, according to a report on The Blood-Horse's Web site. |
| '02 juvenile champion Vindication euthanized Fri, 11 Jul 2008 03:04:00 EST Vindication, who won the 2002 Breeders' Cup Juvenile and was voted champion 2-year-old, was euthanized yesterday after the discovery of an irreparable gastric rupture. |
| Perry near the front again at John Deere Fri, 11 Jul 2008 03:04:00 EST Kenny Perry of Franklin, Ky., continued his best run in more than two decades on the PGA Tour, firing a 6-under-par 65 yesterday in the first round of the John Deere Classic that has him one stroke off the lead. |
| PREP BASEBALL: Elizabethtown upends Central Hardin Thu, 1 May 2008 23:03:08 -0500 ELIZABETHTOWN What a difference two weeks can make. |
| PREP BASEBALL: John Hardin sweeps North Hardin Thu, 1 May 2008 23:03:06 -0500 RADCLIFF It’s been said that hitting is contagious and the John Hardin Bulldogs certainly had a bad case of it spread through the team Thursday night. |
| PREP SOFTBALL: Krupinski, Central Hardin shut out John Hardin Thu, 1 May 2008 23:03:06 -0500 CECILIA Having been shut out in their previous two games, the Central Hardin Lady Bruins were in a little bit of a funk. |
| PREP SOFTBALL/BASEBALL ROUNDUP: Lady Panthers fall; Mayfield moves to 7-1 Thu, 1 May 2008 23:03:07 -0500 The slumping Elizabethtown Lady Panthers lost for the 10th time in 13 games, falling to visiting Warren Central on Thursday, 3-1. |
| BOYS'/GIRLS' PREP TENNIS RESULTS: Thursday's Matches Thu, 1 May 2008 23:03:07 -0500 Results from Thursday's area high school tennis matches: |
| Thomas headed to Eastern Kentucky Matt Thomas made countless big plays on the football field and basketball court for the Ashland Tomcats. |
| Drew Hall returns to MSU as baseball assistant A former Morehead State and Major League Baseball pitcher is returning as an assistant coach with the Eagles. |
| A step closer The North Laurel 11 year old All-Stars beat South London 8-3 in the winner's bracket finals of the district tournament in Middlesboro. |
| Family Feud When North Laurel Blue and Knox County hooked up in Thursday night's Minor League tournament game, one family had to root for both sides. |
| Doorcars return to London Dragway If you like fast, really fast cars, then visit the London Dragway this weekend for exciting Outlaw Doorcar action. |
| Bats fall silent The North Laurel Green Minor League All-Stars were eliminated from action with a 13-8 loss to Harlan. |
| North Laurel rolls past Jackson Co., 11-1 The North Laurel Junior League All-Stars downed Jackson Co. 11-1. |
| BC opens football practice Barren County opened its football practice in helmets and shorts Thursday in preparations for the 2008 season. |
| LOCAL SPORTS BRIEFS BCHS boys golf meeting is today at 4 p.mGlasgow soccer meeting is set for July 14Barren County girls golf practice starts July 15 BCHS girls cross country practice starts July 16GMS football practice starts July 14BCMS football practice begins July 14Stockton hoops camp runs July 14-16 |
| Bats advance in World Series The Barren River Bats and 31 other teams from 10 different states are in Knoxville, Tenn. to compete in the 12U AA USSSA World Series. |
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