The Washington Wizards stink. You know that already, but the rookie revolution strikes a bit of intrigue going forward. John Wall, Trevor Booker and Jordan Crawford would provide a nice mix of skills for any team but they’re foundational building blocks for the Wizards—and that’s not a bad start. Wall’s skills as a lead man […]
Author Archives: Stephen D. Riley
Special to the AFRO
Posted inSports
Wizards Week 21: Washington Struggles, But Rookies Impress
The losing continued for the Washington Wizards during the week of March 14, but the rookie revolution raged on. The Wizards opened the week with a home stand against the hot Oklahoma City Thunder before closing it with road visits to Chicago and Toronto. Washington dropped to 16-51 after another winless week pushed their losing […]
Posted inHigh School
DeMatha Caps Season with Alhambra Tourney Crown
It wasn’t a perfect season for the DeMatha Stags, but the Hyattsville, Md private school ended the year on a high note. DeMatha made the nearly three-hour trek to Frostburg State University to cap their season by claiming the Alhambra Catholic Invitational Basketball Tournament (ACIT) title with a 53-43 win over Benedictine High School of […]
Posted inCollege
No. 8 Butler Stuns No. 1 Pitt, No. 3 UConn Overcomes No. 6 Cincinnati at Verizon Center
Regional action at the Verizon Center concluded March 19 with two stellar games, as the tournament’s first defeat of a No. 1 seed in a controversial finish and the play of three Big East teams helped push attendance into capacity numbers. No. 8 Butler 71, No. 1 Pittsburgh 70 Two fouls which occurred 25 and […]
Posted inCollege
NCAA Tournament Second Round Recap: Verizon Center Edition
Washington, D.C. hosted the second round NCAA Tournament action on March 17 at the Verizon Center with four games. After three routs and one thrilling finale, District natives hope the third round of the tourney will be a little more exciting than the one they witnessed on opening day. The AFRO recaps two of the […]
Posted inReal Estate
Graduate School USA Signs On as first Major Tenant of New Waterfront Project
Continuing with the design to revitalize Washington, D.C.’s Southwest Waterfront, mayor Vincent Gray announced on March 10 that Graduate School USA signed an agreement to establish what will be called the Center for Education and Training at the heart of “The Wharf” project. The decision to construct a facility makes Graduate School USA the first […]
Posted inSports
Wizards’ Week 20: Against NBA’s Worst, Losing Ways Continue
Another week brought yet another losing streak for the Washington Wizards. This time, however, a three-game slide came in matchups with teams with records below .500, setting a new tone of disappointment for the struggling squad. The usual workweek for the Wizards featured a mix of both narrow defeats and the occasional blowout, and against […]
Posted inSports
Joppy Defeats Cummings in Judges’ Decision
In a lackluster bout full of frustration, William Joppy defeated Cory “Black Ice” Cummings in a 10-round unanimous decision March 12 at George Mason University’s Patriot Center. The Washington, D.C. native didn’t do much, but it was enough to hold off his Baltimore-based opponent. Although he has yet to issue a formal statement, Joppy told […]
Posted inHigh School
Carr, Patterson Advance to Maryland 4A Championship with 67-59 Win Over Roosevelt
Baltimore City’s Patterson Clippers could be called an unconventional basketball team. They attack from the outside instead of the inside, they launch three-pointers instead of layups and their biggest star is actually their smallest player. Behind 5-foot, 7-inch guard Aquille Carr, Patterson took the court at the University of Maryland’s Comcast Center on March 10 […]
Posted inHigh School
Friendly Can’t Recapture Magic, Falls to Milford Mill, 58-37, in State Semifinals
The Friendly Patriots had mounted comebacks before, but never against this caliber of opponent. After erasing an 18-point margin last week to fight their way into the Maryland State finals, Friendly, of Ft. Washington, Md., hoped to recreate that late-game magic against an even tougher opponent. The Milford Mill Millers, of Baltimore County, on the […]
Posted inHigh School
Digital Harbor Washes Away Gwynn Park, 75-45
A brief shoving match late in the fourth quarter appeared to be the most visible resistance Gwynn Park’s Yellow Jackets put up in their 75-45 loss to the Digital Harbor Rams on March 11. The Maryland State 2A semifinal game at the University of Maryland’s Comcast Center was over before it even had a chance […]
Posted inColumnists
The Heat is On: Miami Struggling with Unfamiliar Role of Villains
In every level of sports, there’s a team that fans just love to hate. In college basketball there’s the Duke Blue Devils. In the NFL there’s the Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots. In baseball there’s the New York Yankees. And in basketball there’s the Los Angeles Lakers and now, the newly christened Miami Heat, […]