The Augusta Sports Report - Episode 1

Tipping Off the Basketball Season with Buck Harris and Keenan Mann

We teamed up with Augusta Podcasts, LLC, to bring to you a weekly show that digs deep into the area’s sports scene, beginning with the first week of the high school and college basketball season. We hope you enjoy, and we hope to connect with you again next week!

Show Outline:

Part 1 - Introducing Buck and Keenan

Introducing Jones County head coach Buck Harris, an Augusta native whose basketball journey began when he starred for Westside High in the 1980’s. Buck played junior college basketball in Texas before finishing his playing career at Augusta University, where he graduated in the early 90’s. Buck spent 9 seasons as an assistant coach for Augusta University, and he spent another 6 years combined as an assistant at South Carolina State and Campbell, both Division I schools.

Harris went on to be a head coach for Laney, Baldwin County, and now Jones County, where he is entering his third season. He organized this Saturday’s (November 13) “Hoopin’ in Middle Georgia” invitational tip-off tournament, which will include many of middle Georgia’s best boys and girls teams being matched up against many of the Augusta area’s best programs, like Butler, Grovetown, Westside and Greenbrier on the boys side, and Cross Creek and Butler on the girls.

Then we turn to our in-studio guest, Keenan Mann, a former teammate of Buck’s at Augusta University who is one of the very best players in the history of Augusta area basketball. After starting at Richmond Academy alongside Chuck Graham (Florida State) and under legendary coach Don Brock, Mann was recruited by another former Musketeer Gerald White (Auburn) to play for Clint Bryant at Augusta. Keenan finished as the all-time leading scorer at the college and he is still one of the school’s top five all-time leaders. He is one of four players in the program’s history to have his jersey retired. After earning his MBA in Business Management, Mann has enjoyed a greater than 30-year business career working for multinational companies like Electrolux and Husqvarna before recently founding Mann Advisory Services, a unique financial advice practice that is accessible to almost everybody, and not only people with considerable investable assets or current income.

Part 2 - How Saturday’s “Hoopin’ in Middle Georgia” came together

Buck describes how he put together this Saturday’s “Middle Georgia vs Augusta” invitational. The event is loaded with teams that are ranked in the top 10 in the state. It includes a defending state champion, as well as several teams that could make deep postseason runs come February and March.

Part 3 - Previewing Augusta’s opener Friday against Mount Olive

We discuss Augusta University’s talented team that will benefit greatly from the return of sharpshooters Miguel Arnold and Troy Cracknell, not to mention the steady transformation of 7’1” center Tyshaun Crawford and the unparalleled leadership qualities of three year starting point guard Tyree Myers and defensive juggernaut Darren Lucas-White.

Conclusion - Meet the Lady Jaguars

We close with footage from a recent “open practice” that was hosted by head coach Millette Green. We hear the advice given to the high school players, coaches and fans in attendance by veterans Kennedi Manning, Kiera Howard and Jaelyn Autman. And the show closes with words from head coach Millette Green about the teams philosophy this season.