S.C. State Releases Strong 2016-17 Men's Basketball Schedule

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- The South Carolina State men's basketball team has unveiled its 2016-17 schedule, a slate that includes 10 home games and 13 non-conference opponents.

"This by far is the toughest schedule that we have had in some time," said Bulldog head coach Murray Garvin." We face 12 opponents that participated in postseason play last season, including Syracuse University, which made the Final Four.

"Our non-conference schedule will give our fans a chance to see us compete against some in-state SEC & ACC powers such as South Carolina, Clemson and Southern Conference member Furman University, as well as make trips across the country against some outstanding teams. Garvin stated that last season's success has elevated our program to new heights and in turn the competition level of this schedule is second to none."

The Bulldogs will open the season on Nov.11 against Wichita State in Wichita, Kansas, before hosting St. Andrews University in the home opener Nov. 14 at Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center.

SC State will be on the road for the next four games, starting on Nov. 18 at intrastate South Carolina in Columbia, SC. The Bulldogs then head north to take on ACC foe Syracuse Nov. 22 in Syracuse, NY, before moving to Worcester, MA to take on Holy Cross Nov. 25 and Monmouth University Nov. 26 before returning home on Nov. 30 to face Voorhees College.

The Bulldogs then embark on a six-game road trip, beginning in the sunshine state Dec. 6 at another ACC opponent, the University of Miami in Miami, Fla., before heading southwest to College Station, TX to take on perennial SEC contenders, the Aggies of Texas A&M (Dec.10). Coach Garvin's team then return to the Palmetto State for showdown's with Clemson University (Clemson, SC) on Dec. 13, followed by a matchup at Furman (Greenville, SC) Dec. 16.

Prior to a holiday break, SC State heads west again for a Dec. 22 contest against St. Mary's College in Moraga, CA. Garvin's squad closes out 2016 with a New Year's eve Dec. 31 contest against Jacksonville University in Jacksonville, Fla. in the team's final non-conference appearance.

The Bulldogs open conference play with a three-game road swing at Coppin State in Baltimore, MD on Jan. 4, before heading to Virginia to meet Hampton Jan. 7 and Norfolk State Jan. 9.

A Jan. 14 match-up with Savannah State will kick off a four-game MEAC home stand for SC State, followed by a Jan. 16 encounter against Bethune-Cookman, a Jan 21 clash with Delaware State and Jan. 23 contest against Morgan State.

SC State returns to the road Jan. 28 against Maryland-Eastern Shore in Princess Anne, MD, and Jan. 30 at Howard in Washington, DC, before coming home to Orangeburg to host Norfolk State on Feb. 4 and Hampton on Feb. 6.

February 11 and 13 will see the Bulldogs on the road against North Carolina Central in Durham, NC and rival North Carolina A&T in Greensboro, NC, respectively. SC State closes out its regular-season home schedule Feb. 18 against Coppin State and Feb. 25 against Florida A&M, the home finale, before the regular-season wrap-up on the road Mar. 2 at Savannah State.

"We look at this schedule, not as a great challenge for our
basketball team but more as a great opportunity to showcase our program and South Carolina State University on a National level." Garvin noted. "Of course, MEAC play will be as fierce as it always has been and we look forward to seeing Bulldog fans at the games from around the country."

The 2017 MEAC Basketball Championships will be held March 6-11 at the Norfolk Scope Are
na.

For more information on SC State Athletics visit www.scsuathletics.com or call the Office of Athletic Media Relations at (803) 536-7060.

SOUTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

S.C. State must survive early challenges to make run at another MEAC title

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- South Carolina State coach Buddy Pough joked that he should fire the person responsible for the Bulldogs’ 2016 football schedule.

Of course, that would mean Pough would have to dismiss himself.

The Bulldogs, coming off a 7-4 season and a respectable 6-2 mark in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, should be league contenders this fall.

That is, if they can survive the first month of the season.

With the university and athletic department financially strapped, Pough had to schedule what in the business are known as “money games” to generate revenue for the cash-starved football program.

Not only do the Bulldogs open the season with three straight games against FBS teams, including Clemson, but all three games are on the road.

CONTINUE READING 

from THE EDITOR Dwight Floyd: FAMU vs. Tuskegee University Football Game Three Pre-season Pick

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- I would like to say that Tuskegee playing FAMU is like FAMU competing against Miami, but that is not quite the case.

Tuskegee is ranked in Division II polls and has the potential to beat a Division 1 team. It has happened before!

Tuskegee will not beat FAMU 53without FAMU’s help though. Should FAMU come to the game focused and ready to go all out, they should, that is, they are supposed to win this game.

At halftime Tuskegee will attempt to beat FAMU at their own game. The one thing that the Tuskegee band won’t be able to do is mimic the FAMU sound. No one will leave the stands at halftime and FAMU will take the show.



CONTNUE READING

'I'm having a blast': Former Spurrier QB coach Mangus likes life with S.C. State program

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- For more than a month now, G.A. Mangus has been making the trip from his home in Columbia to Orangeburg for South Carolina State football activities and practices.

The quarterbacks coach for Steve Spurrier at South Carolina for the past seven seasons has yet to get a signed contract with the SCSU program, but Bulldog head coach Buddy Pough says he is sure the contract will be taken care of by the athletic department in the near future.

“I think he’s (Mangus) right on the verge (of being under contract),” Pough said with a smile after a recent workout. “Maybe in the next month or so we will have it all straight; maybe by the time we play game three, we will have it all straight.”

The same goes for former South Carolina and Philadelphia Eagles defensive back Cory Peoples, most recently cornerbacks coach at Charleston Southern. Both Mangus and Peoples were positioned directly behind the backfields of their respective sides of the ball during the entirety of the first scrimmage of the preseason at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium.

CONTINUE READING

ULM Know A Foe: Southern

MONROE, Louisiana -- The countdown begins today with the Southern Jaguars.

The 2016 season opener marks the first ever meeting between ULM and Southern. ULM is 6-0 all-time against SWAC schools, including a 3-0 records against Southern’s archrival Grambling. The Warhawks last faced a SWAC opponent in 2013 when they beat Grambling 48-10 inside JPS Field at Malone Stadium.

A look at 2016: Coming off last season’s disappointment, Odums returns a relatively talented roster by SWAC standards. Tillery led the conference in rushing with 1,211 yards and 14 touchdowns. The Jaguars return seven total starters on offense including Howard, who finished third in the SWAC in passing with 2,292 and 16 touchdowns to four interceptions. New defensive coordinator Trei Oliver has a capable pass rusher to work with in Tiller, who led the SWAC with 10 sacks. Johnson was an all-conference selection last season at defensive back. Southern was once again prohibited from going through spring practice this offseason due to NCAA sanctions related to poor APR scores.

CONTINUE READING 

Camp is over, but QB competition still alive at JSU

JACKSON, Mississippi -- Training camp is over at Jackson State.

The quarterback competition marches on for another day though.

Tony Hughes declared all five of the Tigers quarterbacks are still in the mix to be named the starter. JSU's season opener at UNLV is just 10 days away.



"We'll make an announcement before the first game (who) that will be," Hughes said. "We'll sit down as a staff and make that decision, but right now we have two weeks to make that (call)."

LaMontiez Ivy, who is is the incumbent at the position and the most experienced option, started throughout the spring and was the first-team quarterback in JSU's first scrimmage.

CONTINUE READING

Gulfport’s Cleveland Ford finds right fit at Alcorn State

GULFPORT, Mississippi -- Expectations are high at Gulfport — both externally and internally.

With the Admirals projected to be a Class 6A contender again this season, quarterback Cleveland Ford felt it best if he went ahead and ended his recruitment. Sunday, the senior athlete committed to Alcorn State over interest from Texas Tech, Southern Miss, South Alabama, Louisiana-Lafayette, Georgetown and others.

“I just have a lot of things going on and I wanted to get it out of the way so I could focus on football and the season coming up,” Ford said. “I just felt like it was time. I didn’t want to prolong it and have them think I wasn’t as interested as I really am.”

Ford’s athleticism was on display a year ago when he passed for nearly 1,000 yards and seven touchdowns, and rushed for another 231 yards and three touchdowns.

CONTINUE READING