- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

Coach Walker selected as Arkansas Black Hall of Fame honoree

Ajani Oyindamola — Thu, 13 Sep 2018 14:08:44 +0000

Darrell Walker, head coach of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock men’s basketball team, has been named an inductee for the 2018 Arkansas Black Hall of Fame. Walker will join the at the induction ceremony on Oct. 27 at the Robinson Center Performance Hall in Little Rock, which will offer a variety show featuring comedy, dance, and music. Walker has dedicated his life to Arkansas basketball, playing at the University of Arkansas and now coaching at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. Walker brings with him extensive basketball experience at both the collegiate and professional level. His playing experience includes three years at the University of Arkansas and 10 seasons in the National Basketball Association, followed by a 20-year professional coaching career, including serving as head coach for two different NBA franchises. Walker earned his degree in human resources from the University of Arkansas. He was inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame in 2003 and was enshrined into the University of Arkansas Hall of Honor in 2008. A native of Chicago, Walker played one season at the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith before spending three seasons at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. Under head coach Eddie Sutton, Walker amassed 1,325 points, ranking 18th all-time on the Razorback scoring list, while ranking fourth in program steals (230) and sixth in free throws made (524). He was named a second team All-American and a first team National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-District selection in 1983, helping Arkansas reach the Sweet 16 in both 1981 and 1983. Walker was the two-time Southwest Conference Defensive Player of the Year, being named to the 1983 NABC All-Star game. Walker was the 12th overall pick by the New York Knicks in the 1983 NBA draft, beginning a 10-year NBA career in which he suited up for five different teams. Walker averaged 8.9 points, 4.6 assists and 1.5 steals per game during his professional career, playing for NBA Hall of Fame coaches Hubie Brown, Wes Unseld, Chuck Daly and Phil Jackson. Walker described his years at ��Vlog��ý as important to his learning to become a man. He’s been living in Little Rock since 1983. Although born in Chicago, Walker now calls himself a “native son” of Arkansas. “I’ve tried to always be an ambassador for the state of Arkansas,” Walker said. Walker will be joined by five other inductees, including Kevin Cole, celebrated painter, printmaker, and sculptor; Brent Jennings, a film and stage actor and director; Lt. Gen. Aundre Piggee, the U.S. Army deputy chief of staff for logistics at the Pentagon; Florence Price, the first black woman recognized as a symphonic composer and to have a composition played by a major orchestra; and Mary Louise Williams, an education advocate and sorority and political leader. The Arkansas Black Hall of Fame was established in 1992. Walker and the other inductees will join the Hall of Fame’s more than 140 members. The organization generally inducts five living black Arkansans and one posthumous honoree each year. This year’s posthumous honor went to Price, who died in 1953. Two of Price’s descendants will accept the award on her behalf, and a string quartet will perform some of her music. Price regained national prominence after a person in Chicago found a collection of her work while renovating a home. Price also was a recipient of the Music Teachers National Association Foundation Fellow Award earlier this year after Linda Holzer, a ��Vlog��ý Little Rock professor of music, campaigned for Price to receive the award from the national organization after the state organization, the Arkansas State Music Teachers Association, denied Price entry due to her race nearly a century ago.

Reid named academic success coordinator for Trojans

Ajani Oyindamola — Tue, 11 Sep 2018 16:06:50 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock Department of Athletics has hired as an academic success coordinator. In this role, Reid will work with both the Trojans’ compliance and academic offices in maintaining an atmosphere of success for Little Rock student-athletes. A former Division I track and field student-athlete, Reid comes to Little Rock after spending the past season as the director of operations for track and field/cross country at the University of Texas. During her time in Austin, Reid handled the day-to-day operations of the program, working in conjunction with the coaching staff with multiple administrative duties, including team travel and planning. Prior to her time at Texas, Reid spent six seasons working in the athletic department at Colorado State University, her alma mater. Reid worked with the Rams football team for two seasons as the director of football administration and community relations after serving four seasons as the director of operations as well as the jumps coach for the Colorado State track and field program. In 2013, while still competing at an elite level, Reid served as a policy research worker in the Colorado State Office of Policy and Compliance. Reid was a standout student-athlete at Colorado State, earning honorable mention All-America honors in the high jump in 2013 as she was a national qualifier in the high and triple jumps. She earned All-Conference honors and holds a number of spots in the CSU track and field record books. Before coming to Fort Collins, Reid earned All-America honors at Johnson County Community College, earning runner-up honors four times at the NJCAA national championships. She was tabbed the USTFCCCA National Field Event Athlete of the Year in both indoors and outdoors in 2012, placing in the top-10 in six different events. A native of Las Vegas, Nevada, Reid was a two-time Mountain West All-Academic Award honoree in 2011 and 2012. She earned her second bachelor’s degree in liberal arts with a minor in media studies and Spanish from Colorado State in 2014. In the same year, she was honored as the NACDA N4A Wilma Rudolph Student-Athlete Achievement Award recipient.

Volleyball team picked fifth in Sun Belt Conference West Division Preseason Poll

Ajani Oyindamola — Thu, 16 Aug 2018 16:40:07 +0000

University of Arkansas at Little Rock volleyball was picked to finish fifth in the Sun Belt Conference’s West Division in the 2018 Preseason Poll. The Trojans tallied 27 points in the poll – five points behind fourth-place UT Arlington and 13 points ahead of sixth-place ULM. Texas State was picked to win the division with 70 points and 10 first-place votes. Arkansas State took second with 58 points and one first-place vote while Louisiana came in third with 51 points and one first-place vote. Over in the East Division, Coastal Carolina was tabbed as the favorite with 67 points and eight first-place votes. Trailing by just four points was South Alabama as they accumulated 63 points and four first-place points. Appalachian State took third with 44 points while Troy was fourth with 37 points. Georgia State and Georgia Southern rounded out the division with 22 and 19 points, respectively. Arkansas State’s Carlisa May was picked as the league’s Preseason Offensive Player of the Year while Texas State’s Micah Dinwiddie was tabbed as the Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. A-State’s Ellie Watkins was named the Preseason Setter of the Year. Little Rock will open the season against Division I newcomer North Alabama at the Jacksonville State Invitational in Jacksonville, Alabama, on Aug. 24. The Trojans returned seven players from last year’s team while they added three junior college transfers and two freshmen.

Warren places fourth at Canadian amateur championship

Ajani Oyindamola — Mon, 13 Aug 2018 14:28:40 +0000

University of Arkansas at Little Rock senior finished fourth among a field of 246 golfers at the 2018 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship. Warren posted a 72-hole total of 11-under 273, finishing seven strokes off the lead. After opening the tournament with a 7-over 78 in the opening round, Warren emerged as the tournament’s hottest, shooting 18 strokes under par the final three rounds. The surge began in round two with a club record 7-under 64, beginning with an eagle on the par-five first hole. Warren would go on to birdie five, six, 10 11, 12 and 18, with a bogey on 17 his only blemish of the day. In round three, Warren got off to another fast start with a birdie on the first hole, followed by an eagle on the fifth on the front nine. Warren registered another eagle on 17 with birdies on 11 and 12 with a sole bogey on 14 to give him a 6-under 65, sitting tied for seventh heading into the final round. A fast start once again was the story of Warren’s final round, opening the front nine with birdies on one, two, seven and eight, putting him at 4-under 32 after the front nine. He would register three more birdies over the back nine on holes 11, 15 and 17, with two bogeys giving him a 5-under 66 and vaulting him to the fourth-place finish. The impressive finish in British Columbia added to a productive summer for Warren, who captured the 2018 Camden Cup in his native Australia back in May. The Picton native used a 7-under 64 to take a five shot victory, qualifying for the 2018 NSW Open this November. Warren ended his first year in Little Rock as the Trojans’ leader in scoring average, posting a 74.27 average competing in all 11 tournaments. He led the team with 11 rounds of par-or-better, finishing fourth at the Duck Commander Intercollegiate. Warren and the rest of the Trojans begin the 2018-19 in just over a month, traveling to Texas for the Lone Star Invitational in San Antonio Sept. 10-11. It will be the first of 10 regular season tournaments for Little Rock, leading up to the Sun Belt Conference Championship in late April.

Lottie to represent ��Vlog��ý Little Rock on Global Sports Academy European tour

Ajani Oyindamola — Fri, 10 Aug 2018 17:35:56 +0000

University of Arkansas at Little Rock sophomore guard is one of 21 players at the Division I basketball level selected to take part in a 2018 Global Sports Academy tour through Europe. The week-long tour, taking place Aug. 10-17, will visit Brussels, Antwerp, Amsterdam, and London. Lottie will be joined on the trip by players from across the country, representing programs such as Villanova, Kansas, Kansas State, Belmont, Wyoming, and SMU. During his European trip, Lottie and the rest of the squad will play games against various teams while also attending cultural events, performing community service, and visiting historic sites. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me to travel abroad and experience the thrill of international basketball competition, as well as attend cultural events and see some of the world’s most famous historical sites,” Lottie said. “I’m very grateful to have been invited and to represent Little Rock on the international stage.” Founded in 1991, Global Sports Academy has been arranging tours for college and youth teams from the United States and countries around the world to promote international competition and goodwill. The goal of the organization is to not only help the athletes learn valuable lessons through participating in their respective sports in other countries, but allowing them opportunities to become exposed to different cultures, languages and environments. Lottie will provide periodic updates during his time overseas on social media. Follow on Twitter for the latest on Lottie’s European tour, as well as all the latest happenings with your Trojan basketball program.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock undertakes major renovation of fieldhouse

Ajani Oyindamola — Fri, 10 Aug 2018 16:27:53 +0000

University of Arkansas at Little Rock Athletics has announced a major renovation to the Trojan Fieldhouse, one of the original athletic facilities constructed in 1969. The $725,000 project will be funded in part through a generous private donation from the Donaghey Foundation as the fieldhouse will be renamed the Donaghey Athletic Center. The project will provide much needed enhancements while updating areas utilized by Little Rock student-athletes. “The renovation to the Donaghey Athletic Center will provide expanded opportunities for our student-athletes,” said Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Chasse Conque. “This project is crucial to our future success and will aid our coaches in recruiting and competing for championships. We are grateful to the Donaghey Foundation for their generous support in helping us continue to enhance the experience for the Little Rock Trojans and giving our coaches a first-class facility in which to work.” Located inside the Donaghey Student Center, the Donaghey Athletic Center houses coaching offices, locker room and training facilities and support services for the Trojan swimming and diving, soccer, men’s and women’s golf, and men’s and women’s track and field/cross country programs. It also houses the Aquatic Center, the home pool for the Trojan swimming and diving team. The renovations will provide Trojan student-athletes with an updated weight room and athletic training area, as well as the addition of a nutrition center. It will also provide a complete remodeling of coaching and administrative offices as well as locker rooms and common areas. Enhancements will begin in August with the entire projected expected to be completed by December.

Three soccer players named to Sun Belt Preseason All-Conference team

Ajani Oyindamola — Fri, 10 Aug 2018 16:19:31 +0000

Three members of the Trojan soccer team were named to the Sun Belt Preseason All-Conference team, while the soccer team was also picked to finish fourth in the conference standings. Due to their stellar seasons in 2017, senior forward , senior defender and junior midfielder earned recognition on the Sun Belt Preseason All-Conference team. After finishing fourth in the Sun Belt conference last season, the Trojans picked up a conference tournament victory for the second consecutive season. Little Rock finished with a final record of 9-9-3 with a 4-4-2 record in conference play. Little Rock finished with 82 points in the poll, 10 points behind third place Troy (92 points). South Alabama led the way with 117 points, followed by 2017 runner-up Texas State (97 points). Aparicio Gili garnered First Team All-Sun Belt honors for the second consecutive season. The Spanish forward tallied three goals and two assists during her junior campaign. She was instrumental in the attack as she scored a crucial goal in the Trojans’ conference tournament win over Arkansas State. Seifert earned Second Team All-Sun Belt honors in 2017 as she anchored the Trojan defensive back line. While the senior from Potsdam, Germany, was a force in the defense, she also managed two goals and one assist. This included a game-winning goal against UT-Rio Grande Valley. Lastly, Greulich was a First Team All-Sun Belt selection in 2017 as well as a Second Team recipient in the season prior. The Potsdam, Germany, native led the Trojans in points (17) and goals (8). The midfielder recorded a hat trick against Murray State and added a brace against conference foe Georgia State. Greulich was named Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Week on Oct. 24 for her performance against the Panthers. She tallied the most shots and shots on goal for the maroon and silver. Greulich appeared in all 21 games for Little Rock and started all but one. The Trojans open their 2018 season on the road in Conway, when they take on Central Arkansas. The Bears posted a record of 11-10-0 last season with a 7-4-0 record in the Southland Conference.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock baseball team earns Team Academic Excellence Award

Ajani Oyindamola — Mon, 06 Aug 2018 13:55:52 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock baseball team has earned the Team Academic Excellence Award from the American Baseball Coaches Association. The Trojans were one of only 50 schools at the Division I level to earn the recognition and one of just two Sun Belt Conference programs among the list. The list highlights programs who posted a cumulative team GPA of 3.0 or higher for the entire 2017-18 season. The Trojans boast a combined team GPA of 3.27 with 27 members of the 2018 roster holding an overall GPA of 3.0 or better. This is the second time in the last three seasons the Trojans have earned the academic recognition, capturing the honors in 2016 as well. The recognition coincides with the Trojans being named the Sun Belt Conference’s Baseball Team Academic Champion for 2018. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock is coming off a positive 2018 campaign, one which saw the Trojans win 28 games – their most since 2013 – and sit among the leaders of the Sun Belt’s West Division for the majority of the season. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock loses just three players to graduation from this past year, returning the core of its roster as it turns its sights to 2019.

Assistant baseball coach promoted to recruiting coordinator

Ajani Oyindamola — Fri, 03 Aug 2018 14:16:48 +0000

Head coach has announced a promotion for assistant coach , who will take over recruiting coordinator responsibilities for the University of Arkansas at Little Rock baseball team. “We’ve been very pleased with the job coach Sanders has done here in Little Rock in year number one,” Curry said. “His work ethic, along with the ability to evaluate and develop relationships with highly talented student-athletes, made it easy to give him the recruiting coordinator title.” During the 2018 season, Sanders worked extensively with the Trojan outfielders. He served as Little Rock’s third base coach throughout the season and was a key figure in helping Little Rock to an overall record of 28-28, the highest number of wins in a season since 2013. “I’m really thankful to coach Curry for the opportunity to be named recruiting coordinator,” Sanders said. “I’m looking forward to continuing the relationships that we have been able to cultivate with first class high school and junior college programs. We have such a unique situation in Little Rock being in a capital city and in a league like the Sun Belt and it’s an honor to recruit student athletes to play here.” Sanders came to Little Rock in 2017 after spending time at rival Arkansas State, Crowder College and Arkansas-Monticello, where he also assisted with the recruiting efforts.

Student-athlete looks forward to future as sports trainer, coach

Ajani Oyindamola — Tue, 10 Jul 2018 13:41:37 +0000

Brandon Brady, who is pursuing a master’s degree in sport management at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, can’t imagine a better future than to help young student-athletes pursue their dreams. completed his last year as a member of the Trojan men’s basketball team in 2018 and plans to make a career of helping high school and college student-athletes, the same way his father and coaches did for him. Being a basketball player is a matter of family pride for the Bradys. His father, Dexter Brady Sr., has coached basketball for more than two decades. His older brother, D.J., attended school at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and was a high school basketball standout in Dallas, Texas, while his younger sister, Morgan, plays basketball at the University of Tulsa. Brady’s older brother, Jeremy, went a different route and played football at the University of Tulsa. “I started playing basketball when I was 3 years old,” Brady said. “I grew up watching my brothers. Both of them were athletes, and my dad coached me all the way until I was 16. He had his own Amateur Athletic Union team, so I played for him. I traveled all around the country to compete in tournaments against the top players in the nation.” He credits his family full of athletes for giving him the inspiration, drive, and support to pursue his passion for basketball. “I’d just like to say my family has been a great part of my success. That great foundation has made me spread my wings,” Brady said. “My brothers give me that competitive drive, and I try to follow in their footsteps. My biggest mentor is my dad. He has made sure that we were smart, took care of our grades, and got a good education. I asked him for a lot of advice on life and on the basketball court.” Having played basketball on his high school teams at Red Oak High School in Texas and Pulaski Academy in Little Rock, Brady played basketball at Eastern Oklahoma State College as a freshman and Lyon College in Batesville as a sophomore. Brady had always dreamed of playing Division I basketball in college. In 2015, he made the decision to transfer to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and earned his place as a Trojan as a walk-on member of the team. “I transferred to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock because all my family is here, and it was close to home,” Brady said. “I could be closer to my parents, and I wanted to play at the Division I level. I wanted to push myself. I first played at junior college level then at the NAIA level , but I wanted to see if I could play with the top players in the country at Division I level, so I came to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock.” As a student-athlete, Brady’s best moments come from bonding with his teammates and coaches while traveling around the country. There is one moment that stands out as the most memorable of his time as a student-athlete. He served as the Trojans student manager during the 2015-16 season, when the team made it all the way to March Madness. “My most memorable experience was when Coach Beard was here, and we won a record 30 games and went to the March Madness tournament,” he said. “At the Sun Belt Conference tournament, we won the whole game and it was great excitement when they displayed our name for the March Madness. We went to Denver and played against Purdue. That was the best experience I had.”

Brandon Brady

He also enjoyed being active in the community. Basketball team members often volunteered at Arkansas Children’s Hospital and area schools, giving eager students game tickets as well as advice about going to college and encouraging them to listen to their teachers. Brady graduated in 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. By that time, he had already started a personal sports training business, B. Brady Skills Training, for high school and college basketball players, primarily with student-athletes from his high school alma mater, Pulaski Academy. The experience inspired him to earn his master’s degree in sport management, which he will earn in 2019, having decided that a future as a trainer and coach was in the cards. He is also looking forward to an internship with the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Athletics Department to gain more professional experience during the upcoming school year. “I have been doing the training business for three years. I go back to my old high school, and I reach out to players and do training sessions to develop their game. I teach them things I have learned over the years to help them out,” Brady said. “I plan on working in college coaching or high school coaching and growing my skills training business. Maybe I should pick one but staying around basketball is the biggest thing.” Brady said that mentors like his father and his high school coach, Roger Franks, and college coaching staff over the last six years have made a positive impact on him. Little Rock, helped him develop basketball skills and a love of the game, which he wants to share with fellow student-athletes. “Basketball is a peaceful, active thing. Whenever you play, a lot of other stuff doesn’t matter,” he said. “It takes your mind off the stresses of life. It’s a beautiful game to play. Basketball teaches you life lessons. You can play basketball, and it can teach you about hard work, how to communicate, how to stay disciplined, and how to be responsible. That’s what I love about basketball.”

- University News Archive - ����Vlog��ý Little Rock