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3rd Annual HBCU Live Xperience Basketball Classic set in Texas

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3rd Annual HBCU Live Xperience Basketball Classic set in Texas


Austin, TX – Huston-Tillotson University’s men’s and women’s basketball programs are set to compete in the 3rd Annual HBCU Live Xperience Basketball Classic on November 8th and 9th, 2024, at the Austin Convention Center. This year’s event will feature The Conference Challenge, pitting teams from the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) against teams from the newly named HBCU Athletic Conference (HBCUAC). Representing the RRAC will be Huston-Tillotson University’s men’s and women’s teams, Jarvis Christian University’s men’s team, and Paul Quinn College’s men’s team. Competing for the HBCUAC will be Wiley University’s men’s and women’s teams, along with Philander Smith’s men’s team. Huston-Tillotson will proudly represent Austin in the men’s and women’s matchups.

Battle of The Border

In addition to The Conference Challenge, the Classic will host the Battle of the Border, which will showcase the Texas vs. Oklahoma rivalry as Langston University takes on Paul Quinn College. The event is capped off with a College and Career Fair, bringing community engagement alongside elite-level basketball. HBCU+, the leading platform for HBCU sports and culture, will be broadcasting the event live, giving fans nationwide access to all the excitement. 

First-Year Head Coach John A. Smith of Huston-Tillotson University stated, “It is such an honor to have our Huston-Tillotson young men participate in this basketball event featuring Historically Black Colleges and Universities with such prestigious tradition on and off the court. Having the HBCU Classic at the Austin Convention Center downtown is a win for fans, providing a centrally located venue that will draw more of a crowd for the student-athletes to perform. We are looking forward to giving our best effort and implementing a playing style to make our alumni and supporters proud as we build foundational blocks in my first year here at HT.” 

Huston-Tillotson Women’s Head Coach Kendall DuCree added, “It’s exciting and an honor to participate in this HBCU Classic. We are not only representing our families and Huston-Tillotson but also the city of Austin. We are looking forward to a great time and experience.”

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Mario Davis, Special Initiatives Manager at the Austin Area Urban League, added, “We are thrilled to showcase the Huston-Tillotson Rams on such a prominent stage. This event is about more than basketball – it’s about community, tradition, and empowering our student-athletes both on and off the court. With HBCU+ as our broadcast partner, we’re excited to bring this celebration of HBCU sports to a national audience.” 

The HBCU Live Xperience Basketball Classic offers a unique opportunity for the Austin community to come together, celebrating the rich heritage and athletic excellence of HBCUs, while enjoying a dynamic weekend of basketball. 

About the Austin Area Urban League

Founded in 1977, the Austin Area Urban League is a nonprofit organization aimed at enriching the lives of citizens within the greater Central Texas Region. The Austin Area Urban League is one of more than 90 affiliates of the National Urban League providing direct services that impact and improve the lives of thousands in the Central Texas region. Aligning with the Empowerment pillars of the National Urban League, the Austin Area Urban League seeks to meet the needs of underserved populations in the Austin and Central Texas region by focusing on programming and services in the areas of Education and Youth Development, Workforce and Career Development, Health and Wellness, Housing and Community Development, and Justice and Advocacy.? ? 

To learn more about the Austin Urban League and how you can support their programming, visit www.aaul.org.? 

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Austin, TX

Austin Exposes New York City’s Broken Housing Market

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Austin Exposes New York City’s Broken Housing Market


Here’s something that would have seemed pretty much inconceivable two years ago: According to Zillow, home prices have now risen more in New York City and its environs since the beginning of 2020 than in metropolitan Austin, Texas.

The trajectory looks a bit different for rents but ends up in almost exactly the same place.



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Austin, TX

ECHO's $350M plan offers to 'effectively end' homelessness in Austin – Austin Monitor

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ECHO's 0M plan offers to 'effectively end' homelessness in Austin – Austin Monitor


Friday, November 8, 2024 by Chad Swiatecki

The city is projected to need $35 million annually over a 10-year period to effectively end homelessness via a plan that emphasizes adding hundreds of permanent supportive housing units while also addressing emergency shelter and prevention steps to keep people from losing their homes.

City Council’s Public Health Committee met on Wednesday and received a presentation from the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition (ECHO) on the recently completed modeling and forecasting of the city’s homelessness trends. The 10-year plan is seen as a way to move the city’s high numbers of chronically homeless individuals back into stable housing while efficiently providing aid to stop at-risk residents and families from losing their homes.

The report focuses on expanding housing capacity across emergency shelters, rapid rehousing and permanent supportive housing, with total costs expected to reach around $24.4 million for 550 emergency shelter units, $104.5 million for 2,355 rapid rehousing units and $217.4 million for 4,175 permanent supportive units. The plan proposes an annual, staged investment schedule that anticipates shifts in available funding, such as the expiration of specific federal support from the American Rescue Plan that the city has relied on in recent years.

Kate Moore, vice president of ECHO’s homelessness response system strategy, said the number of chronically homeless people – from 25 percent to 30 percent of those who are in the agency’s management system – is larger than peer cities and other major cities in Texas. Moore said part of that anomaly comes from the city not adding permanent supporting housing units commensurate with its sharp population growth.

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“We’re already seeing an increase in people moving into (new) permanent supportive housing. This will help us address this but we need to keep our eye on this number,” she said. “Despite this large growth in the (Homeless Response) System, we are still playing catch-up. Austin’s inventory of shelter and housing remains the lowest among big cities in Texas and among the lowest among our peer cities.”

Council Member Vanessa Fuentes said she supported the plan, calling the total $350 million cost “a manageable number that we can make if we make the necessary strategic policy proposals.”

The recommended policy steps focus on an “inverted funnel” approach, in which more emphasis is placed on long-term housing and support rather than on simply expanding short-term shelter options. That strategy is intended to reduce the chronic, cyclical nature of homelessness by ensuring that more individuals transition to stable housing rather than relying on temporary solutions.

David Gray, the city’s homeless strategy officer, said his office is looking at what methods other major cities use to fund their homelessness response needs, with corporate giving and philanthropy added to all available sources of public funding.

The city’s next bond package in 2025 or 2026 is expected to include a substantial request for funding for housing and resources related to housing for those experiencing homelessness. Council Member Ryan Alter said the city also has to find approximately $50 million over the next two years to replace the Marshalling Yard emergency shelter and provide the money needed for rapid rehousing services.

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With permanent supportive housing projects typically taking four-plus years to develop, Alter said the city needs to start finding ways to continue adding more permanent supportive housing units beyond those that were paid for in part with federal dollars.

“If we came here today with $100 million, $200 million, pick your number … we would have to start that process today to start meeting the need of 2028 and 2029 if we were acting quickly. These projects just take forever,” he said.

Photo made available through a Creative Commons license.

The Austin Monitor’s work is made possible by donations from the community. Though our reporting covers donors from time to time, we are careful to keep business and editorial efforts separate while maintaining transparency. A complete list of donors is available here, and our code of ethics is explained here.

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Three Teams Have Contacted Former Texas Longhorns WR Johntay Cook

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Three Teams Have Contacted Former Texas Longhorns WR Johntay Cook


AUSTIN — Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian confirmed Thursday that receiver Johntay Cook II has officially left the team, and it reportedly hasn’t taken long for other programs to reach out to the former four-star recruit.

Per reports from Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney, Cook II has already been contacted by the Ole Miss Rebels, Oregon Ducks and Georgia Bulldogs. That is likely to grow by the minute as teams around the country look to begin building a relationship with Cook II ahead of the offseason.

During the high school recruiting process, Cook II narrowed down his five finalists to Michigan, Texas, Florida, Jackson State and Texas A&M in May 2022 but eventually took official visits to both Oregon and Ole Miss later that summer. If reports are true, it appears the interest is still there from the Ducks and Rebels.

Oregon particulary stands out as a potential destination for Cook II due to his relationship with Ducks receiver and former Texas A&M five-star recruit Evan Stewart. The two have been friends dating back to their days playing Texas high school football, as Cook II starred at DeSoto while Stewart played in Frisco.

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The two of them went a bit viral in July 2022 when a clip from a vlog showed Cook II teasing Stewart, who was with Texas A&M at the time, about entering the transfer portal. After spending two seasons with the Aggies, Stewart did exactly that and committed to the Ducks this past January.

If Cook II transfers to Oregon and Stewart elects to stay, there could soon be a Texas-sized trio at receiver for the Ducks, who are also set to welcome 2025 five-star commit Dakorien Moore to Eugene next season.

Time will tell how things play out for Cook II in the transfer portal. But for now, Texas, Oregon and Georgia will keep sights set on winning a national championship.

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Other Texas Longhorns News:

MORE: Steve Sarkisian Comments on Departure of Texas Longhorns WR Johntay Cook II

MORE: Johntay Cook II Confirms Departure From Texas Longhorns

MORE: Jake Majors, Kelvin Banks Jr. Won’t ‘Try Too Much’ Ahead of Florida Matchup

MORE: Texas Longhorns LB Anthony Hill Jr. Named Semifinalist for Major Award

MORE: Former Texas Longhorns RB Jonathon Brooks Expected to Make NFL Debut

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