Despite going unpicked in Wednesday's WNBA draft, Eastern Michigan guard Ryan Coleman will still be given the chance to prove her worth at her sport's highest level after signing a free-agent training camp deal with the Detroit Shock.
Coleman, a Detroit native, led the Eagles to their third consecutive 20-plus win season while averaging 16.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4 assists a game. Coleman was also named Kodak/WBCA Honorable Mention twice in a career that included one Mid-American Conference tournament title and two MAC West crowns. The fifth-year senior is also the first Lady Eagle to ever sign a contract of any sort with a WNBA team since the league's creation ten years ago.
After watching the draft on television, Coleman had left to workout before being contacted by EMU coach Suzy Merchant, who told her about a call from Shock coach Bill Laimbeer and the offer to play at the pro level.
Coleman provides the WNBA with some much needed MAC representation as she is currently the league's only player to hail from the mid-major-laden conference.
The Shock, who won the WNBA championship in 2004, have a roster filled with all-star talent in Katie Smith, Deanna Nolan and Kedra Holland-Corn but have still been looking for another guard to add to the team's depth.
Despite passing on Coleman in the third round for Zane Teilane of Western Illinois, Laimbeer and the Shock made their interest in the hometown favorite with Wednesday's offer. Coleman's draft stock may have been hurt slightly by the fact that she was not invited to the league's annual pre-draft combine, an event she was invited to last year but decided to return to EMU as a fifth-year senior.
Coleman will start battling for a roster spot at Detroit's training camp, which is slated to open May 1.Thompson takes over Ball State coaching position
The search for Ball State's next men's basketball coach ended last week as it was announced that Arkansas assistant Ronny Thompson will be assuming the duties left vacant by the recently fired Tim Buckley.
Thompson, the son of legendary Georgetown coach John Thompson, heads into Muncie with plenty of basketball experience. The new Cardinals' mentor has served as an assistant under former Kent State coach Stan Heath at Arkansas for the past three years. Prior to his time in Fayetteville, Thompson served as an assistant on his father's staff at Georgetown from 1998 until 2003 when his older brother took over the program.
On the court, Thompson played for the Hoyas under his father and was named team captain as a senior in 1992. He also helped take Georgetown to two Sweet 16 appearances and an Elite Eight.
Thompson will take over a Cardinal squad that finished 10-18 a year ago, their worst record in over two decades.
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