Hoops Roundup . . .
Coppin State duo headed to WNBA pre-Draft campSenior guards Rashida Suber and Shalamar Oakley of MEAC Tournament champion Coppin State have each been invited to the Women's National Basketball Association pre-draft camp held at the University of Tampa April 4-5.
The pre-draft camp will give WNBA coaches and general managers an opportunity to
evaluate the skills of the approximately 40 prospects
that will be attending the camp.
Suber led the Eagles averaging 17.9 points per game, while Oakley was second on the team averaging 17.5 per contest. Oakley was named the 2007-08 MEAC Player of the Year as well as earning Most Outstanding Player honors at the conference tournament. Suber, a three-time all-MEAC selection and last year's conference player of the year, hit the winning shot at this year's tournament championship game. Bothare profiled in the wnba.com draft section of the website.
The WNBA draft will be held on Wednesday, April 9 at the Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbor, Fla., and will be televised live beginning at 1 p.m. on ESPN2.
MEAC Tourney makes more strides in Raleigh
The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) announced that the 2008 MEAC Basketball Tournament increased its attendance by more than 30 percent in the final year of its three-year agreement in Raleigh/Wake County, North Carolina. The tournament welcomed 38,228 basketball fans to the RBC Center including 8,120 attendees to Saturday's championship games.
"To more than double the tournament's attendance in three years shows continued growth and we are elated that we are able to exceed the 2007 attendance by more than 30 percent," said MEAC Commissioner Dennis Thomas.
CIAA Tourney's smashing success continues
According to Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority research, the 2008 CIAA Basketball Tournament (Feb. 24 - March 1) accounted for direct spending of over $20.5 million and a total economic impact of $30.7 million over the one-week period, up nearly 14 percent from 2007 Tournament figures, according to a release this week from the conference.
Overall attendance for the 2008 CIAA Tournament and its official events topped 181,000
up over 10 percent from 2007. According to
the release, party promoters and restaurants
reported double-digit growth during this year's
Tournament week and they are already planning for
bigger things in 2009.
"The CIAA fans are the best in the world," stated CIAA Commissioner, Leon Kerry. "It's very satisfying to see what this week means to Charlotte, CIAA fans, our member institutions and the Historically Black College world." As a result of the combined fundraising efforts of the tournament, the conference is expected to contribute nearly $2.0 million to the CIAA scholarship fund.
The CIAA Ford Fan Experience was wildly popular with CIAA patrons attracting over 35,000 fans over the three-day period. Attendance was up 30 percent from 2007, with Saturday alone drawing over 22,000 fans.
One new addition that spurred spending in Uptown Charlotte was the opening of the LYNX Blue Line. During the week of the CIAA Tournament, there were over 80,000 riders with Friday and Saturday ridership of over 52,000 people. "Those two days were our single busiest revenue days yet," says Olaf Kinard, marketing divisional manager, Charlotte Area Transit Authority.
© 2008 Azeez Communications, Inc.