4/17/2010 12:33:15 PM
New York, N.Y.----The VERSUS cable network will air its third NBA Development League Playoff game on Saturday, April 17, live at 3:00 p.m. EDT, with the Austin Toros hosting the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. Former Wingate University All-American Sean Barnette is a member of the Vipers’ squad.
Barnette earned the South Atlantic Conference Athlete of the Year Award two years in a row. As a senior, Barnette was a first team Daktronics NCAA Division II All-American in 2008. A third team Daktronics All-American in 2007, Barnette was one of only three student-athletes to repeat from the previous year’s team. Barnette was also a first team NCAA Division II All-American as named by the Basketball Times magazine.
Barnette, former Rice standout Mike Harris and their Rio Grande Valley Vipers teammates travel north to take on the Austin Toros in a Lone Star State Battle in the first game of the semi-finals of the 2010 NBA D-League playoffs. A Houston Rockets affiliate, the Vipers advanced to the semi-finals by defeating the Reno Bighorns in three games.
The Vipers will look to continue their Western Conference domination. The Toros are led by San Antonio Spurs assignees Curtis Jerrells (Baylor) and Alonzo Gee (Alabama). The Toros have their eyes on the team’s second NBA D-League Finals appearance in three years. They advanced to the semi-final match-up by topping the Dakota Wizards in three games.
Peter Young will serve as the play-by-play announcer for the telecast. He will be joined in the booth by analyst Eric Musselman.
Young’s on-air play-by-play and hosting experience has extended across more than 20 different sports, including the trials for the 1998 and 2002 Winter Olympic Games. Musselman currently serves as an NBA analyst for Fox Sports Radio and as a color commentator for college basketball games on Comcast Sports Net California. Musselman also has extensive NBA coaching experience serving as the former head coach of the Sacramento Kings and the Golden State Warriors and as the former assistant coach for four NBA teams.
VERSUS’ presentation of the NBA D-League provides fans with greater access to the game and its players through microphones worn by players and coaches; in-game interviews; locker room access including pregame, halftime and postgame speeches; and innovative camera angles. All NBA D-League action on VERSUS is presented in HD.
WINGATE UNIVERSITY
Founded in 1896, Wingate University is a private four-year co-educational institution of 2,159 students offering active learning opportunities through personalized instruction, world travel, career discovery and community service.
Wingate offers more than 40 undergraduate majors in arts and sciences, business, communication, education, fine arts, music and sport sciences. It also offers graduate degrees in business, education, physician assistant studies and sport administration. In addition, the school awards the doctor of pharmacy and the doctor of education degrees.
Bulldog student-athletes compete in 17 NCAA Division II sports. Wingate University has won the South Atlantic Conference Echols Athletic Excellence Award for the past three years.
Wingate University is ranked number three among NCAA Division II Academic All-America® producing schools in the 2000’s with 34 honorees during this millennium. Only Pittsburg State (Kan.) University and Truman State (Mo.) University have produced more Academic All-America® honorees during this time period. Wingate’s 43 Academic All-America® honorees (lifetime) is tops among all SAC schools.