Former Westside player Kowacie Reeves signs with Pacers

Former Westside basketball standout Kowacie Reeves signed a contract with the Indiana Pacers last week and is set to compete for a spot with the NBA team over the summer.

Reeves, an all-time great Seminole who set the Westside career record for 3-pointers during his time there from 2017 to 2021, first played college ball at Florida before transferring to Georgia Tech, where he averaged a career-best 15.1 points per game in the 2025-26 season. 

The 6-foot-7, 205-pound forward signed an Exhibit-10 deal with the Pacers, allowing him to compete in the Summer League for a spot with Indiana’s main squad or its G-League affiliate later on.

Mercer basketball coach named to Bahamas staff

Mercer assistant basketball coach Nashad Mackey was named to the coaching staff of The Bahamas national team for this summer’s FIBA World Cup qualifiers, the school announced last week.

Mackey, a former player for the national team and a native of The Bahamas, previously coached for the team in the Olympic qualifiers and FIBA World Cup qualifiers. 

“Representing The Bahamas is something I never take for granted,” Mackey said in a Mercer press release. “As a Bahamian, it is a tremendous honor to serve as an assistant coach and contribute to the growth of our national program while representing our country with pride.”

The Bahamas team begins play with a July 3 matchup against Jamaica before taking on Puerto Rico on July 6. Both games will be played at the Kendal G.L. Isaacs National Gymnasium in Nassau, The Bahamas.

Mackey, who joined Mercer this summer as an assistant coach, had previous coaching stops at USC Upstate and UT Martin.

Henley earns payday at Travelers Championship

Macon native and Stratford grad Russell Henley had a solid finish at the Travelers Championship in Connecticut last weekend, tying for 12th to earn a $440,000 payday.

Henley finished 15-under for the tournament, tying with fellow American Sam Burns. His 6-under finish in Round 4 to end the tournament, which included three birdies on the back nine, nearly helped him break into the Top 10.

The solid performance continues a recent positive trend for Henley. Aside from a lackluster showing at the U.S. Open, he played well at the Memorial Tournament in June, won the Charles Schwab Challenge in May and placed third at the Masters in April.

Henley’s next outing will come in The British Open later this month.

Mercer athletes earn academic honors

Mercer sports teams had 99 athletes named to the Southern Conference’s academic all-conference team, the school announced this week.

Mercer had 12 student athletes notch a 4.0 GPA. To make academic all-conference, athletes must have a 3.3 GPA or higher at the end of the semester of their particular sport. 

The Bears’ football team led the way with 23 members of the all-academic team. Members of the basketball, baseball, softball, soccer, golf, cross country, volleyball, tennis and track and field teams all made the list.