Sports

Henderson hosts AAU games

• Former Westover and NBA star Dontonio Wingfield will coach his Albany Hawks in the first game of the AAU season today against Thomasville.

Paul Dehner Jr.

ALBANY — The AAU season will get underway at the Henderson Gym today.

Just follow the smell.

The Albany Hawks 14-and-under and 18-and-under teams will host teams from Thomasville at the Gym at 701 Wilard St. to open their summer campaign. The first game will be at 11:30 a.m., with a fish fry sandwiched in-between the 18-and-under game to follow.

The event will serve as a fundraiser for the basketball program.

Dontonio Wingfield can attest to the importance of keeping AAU ball alive.

The former Westover, University of Cincinnati and NBA star is the new coach of the two teams and knows today’s event can spawn a long-line of positives in the community.

“It gives the kids something to do,” Wingfield said. “When they are here they stay off the streets.”

These teams are a collection of a recreation team he took to the city championship game this spring.

Among those excited to start this new season are starter for the 18-and-under team, Anthony Cook.

“AAU ball is more free, you can just play,” Cook said. “It is going to be our first game, so we got to come out and play.”

Dequan Green, 14, will play in the first game today and says his team has benefitted in the small amount of time it has been working together.

Today will be the next step.

“We have good chemistry,” Green said. “We just come together to win games and get experience.”

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