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The Post Game includes Lute Olson ’56 in list of notable North Dakota athletes

the post game - logoSports news site The Post Game recently included former Augsburg College basketball player and legendary coach Lute Olson ’56 in an article about notable athletes from North Dakota.

Olson was born and raised near the Minnesota-North Dakota border before attending Augsburg. After graduating, he went on to become the head coach of the University of Arizona men’s basketball team. As the article points out, Olson’s teams made it to the Final Four a total of five times, winning the national title in 1997.

Read 9 Notable Athletes From North Dakota: Carson Wentz, Phil Jackson And More on the Post Game site.

Devean George ’99 offers his take on Kobe Bryant’s retirement in Star Tribune article

Minneapolis Star Tribune - logoThe Minneapolis Star Tribune recently interviewed former Augsburg College basketball player and retired NBA star Devean George ’99 about the upcoming retirement of legendary Los Angeles Lakers player Kobe Bryant. George, who retired in 2011, played his first seven seasons in the NBA alongside Bryant.

George said that he knows Bryant is ready to retire from professional sports because he has seen familiar signs from his own retirement. “What I’ve seen him go through this year, you can see the flame is not there and he knows it’s time,” he said. “It’s the old cliché: Father Time, no one can beat it. There comes a time where no one wins. Basketball is a young man’s sport. It’s that simple.”

Read George: When it’s time, it’s time on the Star Tribune site.

Basketball program founded by Jennifer Weber ’11 gets specially designed uniforms, MN Daily reports

MN Daily - logoThe Minnesota Daily recently covered the Cedar Riverside Community Traveling Basketball program, which provides coaching, practice, and competition for six teams of local boys and girls ranging from sixth to 10th grade.

The program was founded by Augsburg College alumna Jennifer Weber ’11, who recognized a need for such programs. “The kids here in the neighborhood need more quality programming,” she said. “The kids want it. They go to open gym all the time.”

Another need Weber recognized dealt with a lack of functional athletic attire that was culturally acceptable for the many Muslim girls in the program.

Luckily, design students from the University of Minnesota had already been working to solve that problem. Working with the players and other partners, the students designed uniforms with adjustable hijabs, knee-length skirts and breathable leggings. A grant from the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station provided funding to donate the completed uniforms to the program.

The article concludes with a statement from coach and co-founder Muna Mohamed ’16, an exercise science senior at Augsburg who grew up in the neighborhood.

“These girls are getting an opportunity to have culturally appropriate clothing, at the same time … [as] enjoying sports,” she said. “They don’t have to worry about fixing their scarves. They don’t have to worry about ‘How can I play basketball and also respect my culture?'”

 

Stan Nelson ’43 to receive Bud Grant Distinguished Minnesotan Award

Legendary Minnesota athlete and coach Stan Nelson ’43 will add another honor to his career, having earned the Bud Grant Distinguished Minnesotan Award  from the National Football Foundation. The award, named after the former Minnesota Vikings coach, will be given at the ninth Minnesota Football Honors event April 17.

Nelson had a successful athletic career at Augsburg College, having earned letters in football, golf, baseball, and basketball. In 1942, he served as the football team captain and was named all-MIAC. After graduating from Augsburg, he earned a master’s degree from the University of Minnesota and began a career as a coach. He held coaching positions in Zumbrota, Farmington, and Anoka, where he coached for 26 years.

Read Award in honor of Bud Grant to go to Anoka legendary coach on the ABC Newspapers site.

KARE 11 news airs segment on development project spearheaded by Devean George ’99

Kare 11 - logoKARE 11 news staff recently interviewed former NBA player Devean George ’99 about The Commons at Penn Avenue, a mixed-use building development in north Minneapolis that George has been working on for four years. The building includes upscale low-income housing and will be the site of a co-op grocery store that will open this summer.

George compared the complexity of completing the project with the effort required to join the NBA.

“This has been really difficult. It was a little bit like pre-draft for me,” George said. “Coming from a small school I had to prove myself and play well all the time. It was similar to that.”

Watch and read Retired NBA players builds housing complex in north Minneapolis on the KARE 11 site.

Devean George ’99 redevelopment project featured in Star Tribune

Minneapolis Star TribuneA redevelopment project by Auggie Devean George ’99, a former professional basketball player, was the focus of a Star Tribune business article by Neal St. Anthony. The story explores George’s childhood growing up on the North Side of Minneapolis, the inspiration for his commitment to his community, and also includes quotes from Augsburg College President Paul Pribbenow. Read “Developer Devean George is a player in North Side redevelopment.”

Keeping up with the Auggies

winter_athleticsIf you want to catch some of your favorite Auggie athletes during the winter break, check out their upcoming schedules below (home games bold). For complete schedules, results, live audio, and more, see the Athletics website.

Men’s Basketball

St. Olaf College — Jan. 3, 3 p.m.

at Concordia College-Moorhead — Jan. 5, 7:45 p.m.

St. John’s University — Jan. 7, 7:30 p.m.

Macalester College — Jan. 10, 3 p.m.

Women’s Basketball

St. Olaf College — Jan. 3, 1 p.m.

at Concordia College-Moorhead — Jan. 5, 5:45 p.m.

at College of St. Benedict — Jan. 7, 7:30 p.m.

Macalester College — Jan. 10, 1 p.m. Continue reading “Keeping up with the Auggies”