Early outburst leads SU by UAPB, 15-10

PINE BLUFF, Ark. — The Southern baseball team didn’t get a sparkling effort from its pitching staff Friday. But the Jaguars got enough of what they needed — from reliever Daniel Garcia, from its solid defense and from its suddenly potent offense.

In the opener of a three-game Southwestern Athletic Conference Western Division series, Southern erupted for 14 runs in the first four innings and held off Arkansas-Pine Bluff for a 15-10 victory. It was the first time the Jaguars scored 15 or more runs since March 12, when they opened a three-game road series at Prairie View with a 17-5 win.

It was also Southern’s first game with 10 or more runs since March 27, when the team defeated UAPB 10-7 to complete a three-game sweep in Baton Rouge. Frazier Hall, Wilmy Marrero and B.J. Rowry, the Nos. 3-5 hitters, combined to go 8-for-15 with seven RBIs.

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XU Nuggets beat Union to reach semifinals of NAIA qualifier

Xavier freshman Nicole DeLoach won doubles and singles matches.

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Freshman Nicole DeLoach earned doubles and singles victories Friday to help Xavier University of Louisiana's women's tennis team earn a 5-0 decision against Union (Ky.) in the opening round of an NAIA National Championship qualifying tournment.

The Gold Nuggets (4-17), seeded second, snapped a six-dual losing streak and advanced to a 10 a.m. EDT Saturday semifinal against third-seeded Milligan, a 5-0 winner against Bethel (Tenn.). Cumberland defeated Tennessee Wesleyan 5-2, and top-seeded Martin Methodist beat Reinhardt 6-1 in th other quarterfinals.

DeLoach, paired for the first time this season with freshman Amber Brown, defeated Marah Rice and Meredith Dambrus 8-0 at No. 2 doubles. DeLoach clinched the dual with her 6-0, 6-1 victory over Dambrus at No. 4 singles.

Melissa DeLoach, a senior and Nicole's sister, teamed with Carmen Nelson for an 8-5 victory over Diane Proteau and Ximena Aguilar at No. 1. The Gold Nuggets also earned default victories at No. 3 doubles and No. 6 singles.

XU's women won for just the second time in their last 17 duals and won on the road for the first time since Feb. 11. It was the first time this season the Gold Nuggets won without dropping a match.

Xavier defeated Union (2-9) in the postseason for the second time in three years. The first time was in the opening round of the 2009 NAIA National Championship.

Results

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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XU Gold Rush advance to title match by beating Bethel (Tenn.)

Sean Richardson, left, and Steffen Giles-Osborn
 won doubles and singles matches.

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — The Xavier University of Louisiana men's tennis team defeated Bethel (Tenn.) 6-0 Friday to reach the championship round of an NAIA National Championship qualifying tournament.

The Gold Rush (12-9), ranked 11th in the NAIA and seeded first in the tournament, will play 23rd-ranked and second-seeded Martin Methodist for the championship at 12:30 p.m. EDT Saturday. The winner will receive an automatic berth in next month's national tourney.

Steffen Giles-Osborn, Sean Richardson and Hassan Abbas won in doubles and singles to help the Gold Rush snap a four-dual losing streak.

Giles-Osborn and Sean Richardson scored the first point of the dual with their 8-2 victory over Paolo Vecchi and Eduardo Espinar at No. 2 doubles. It was the first victory in five matches for the XU juniors.

Abbas and Zach Taylor beat Ryan Weatherly and Kristian Takac 8-3, and freshmen Amir Rahbar and Jonathan Aubrey completed the doubles sweep with an 8-6 decision against Joao Souza and Raphael Sousa.

Abbas clinched the dual with his 6-0, 6-2 victory over Souza at No. 1 singles. Giles-Osborn beat Espinar, an All-TranSouth Conference singles selection, 6-2, 6-1 at No. 3, and Richardson topped Weatherly 6-0, 6-2 at No. 5.

Bethel finished 5-14 and lost 11 of its last 12 duals.

Martin Methodist was a 6-1 winner against Cumberland in the other semifinal. Xavier beat Martin Methodist 6-3 on Feb. 18 at Nashville, Tenn.

Results

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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Howard Lacrosse Drops to Jacksonville in NLC Quarterfinals

Saturday, Apr. 30
Howard  vs. Liberty, 9 a.m. —  Live Stats •Live Video
Jacksonville vs. Davidson, 11:30 a.m. —  Live Stats •Live Video
High Point vs. Longwood, 2 p.m. —  Live Stats •Live Video
Presbyterian vs. Detroit Mercy, 4:30 p.m. — Live Stats •Live Video

DAVIDSON, N.C. – The Howard lacrosse team fell in the quarterfinals of the National Lacrosse Conference Tournament on Friday at Richardson Stadium at the hands of the Jacksonville Dolphins. Senior Desiree Cox and freshman Courtland Lackey led the Bison with three goals a piece in the 22-7 loss.

Lackey got Howard (4-12) on the board quickly with 28:55 on the clock, responding to JU’s Morgan Derner who scored in the opening seconds of the match. Jacksonville (13-4) went on to take a 13-0 run in the first half before Cox and Chastity Dailey recorded late goals. Lackey was the only member of the Bison to record an assist, giving her four points in the game to lead Howard.

Howard’s leading scorers – Lackey and Cox – each dispersed two goals in the second half helping the Lady Bison to hold their NLC opponents 7-4 after halftime. Goalkeeper Amber Meeks recorded 15 saves in the match while Dolphin’s Elizabeth Gatch recorded four.

Overall HU was outshot 46-15 and Jacksonville maintained the draw control advantage 21-10. Cox was credited with four draw controls on behalf of HU. The Lady Bison were narrowly edged in groundballs 28-19. Leading the Bison in groundballs was Sydney Satchell with five. Five members of the Lady Bison recorded a caused turnover.

The loss marked the second time the Lady Bison dropped to the Dolphins this season. The Lady Bison will face Liberty University at 9:00 a.m. Saturday in the double elimination tournament.

For more updates on the Howard lacrosse team during the offseason, visit www.howard-bison.com.

By Tiffany White, Sports Information Assistant
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Hampton's Ellis Selected in NFL Draft Third-Round

Ellis a Jet

Hampton University defensive tackle Kenrick Ellis was taken in the third round of Friday's NFL Draft by the New York Jets. Ellis, 6-foot-5 and 346 pounds, was the 30th pick of the third round and the 94th pick overall.

"God is good," Ellis said from his home in Florida on Friday night. "I feel blessed and highly favored."

Ellis is the first Pirate to be drafted since Kendall Langford was selected in the third round by the Miami Dolphins in 2008. Langford, a defensive end, was the 66th overall selection that season. Ellis had 94 tackles and eight sacks in his senior season at HU. Earlier this week, he said he had some things to work on, like his footwork, to succeed in the NFL, but was looking forward to getting the chance.

Hampton NT Kenrick Ellis has lots of talent.

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Rex Ryan and Mike Tannenbaum made a cameo appearance as themselves Friday night on a taped episode of "CSI: NY." Turns out the New York Jets have been conducting their own crime-scene investigation. Kenrick Ellis represents a big risk for Rex Ryan and the Jets.

About 30 minutes after the TV show aired on CBS, the Jets used their third-round draft pick on massive nose tackle Kenrick Ellis, who is facing up to 20 years in prison on a felony assault charge. Ellis, who allegedly broke the jaw and nose of a man last April in an altercation on the Hampton (Va.) University campus, is scheduled to stand trial on July 12, according to an April 27 story in the Daily Press of Newport News, Va.

Most players are worried about a lockout keeping them from training camp. Ellis could be doomed by a lock-in.

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Albany State University survives long, long day

ALBANY, GA — Albany State interim baseball coach Kenyan Conner was momentarily speechless following Friday night’s SIAC Tournament game against Miles. Then he aptly described his team’s 18-12 win. “Long,” he said about the four-hour game where his team nearly blew a 15-0 lead.

The sixth-seeded Rams hung on and are still alive in the SIAC Tournament, but now they have no room for error entering the final two days of the event.

After committing five errors in a 5-3 quarterfinal loss to the No. 2 seed Stillman College Tigers, the Rams avoided bowing out of the double elimination tournament Friday at Paul Eames Sports Complex by knocking off Miles.

'Bama athletes think about home

ALBANY, GA - Some people who survived those storms in Alabama are in Albany this week at the SIAC Baseball Tournament. While they're playing ball or rooting for their teams, all of them said their hearts are back home.

The Stillman College baseball Tigers from Tuscaloosa had a former teammate killed in the tornadoes that flattened their town. Three members of the Miles College baseball Bears from Birmingham lost their rental homes at school, while two players' families lost their homes.

Many of the fans at today's games lived through the killer storms. Katie Watkins' fiance is one of the coaches for Stillman College's baseball team. She was in her apartment in Northport during the tornadoes. "He had gone to be with a girl, to protect her...

Defending champion Rams open 2011 SIAC tourney today at home

ALBANY, GA — When Albany State junior shortstop William Smalls talks, interim baseball coach Kenyon Conner said his team listens. That was clear during Wednesday afternoon’s practice when Smalls spoke about preparing for this week’s SIAC baseball tournament, which starts today at Paul Eames Park.

“We are ready to play, man,” the SIAC Player of the Year candidate said. “Just like in the military, get your soldiers up and get ready to go to war.” “War” starts today at 10 a.m. when the No. 6 Rams (25-23 overall, 10-5 SIAC) host No. 3 Tuskegee (16-15, 11-4) in the opener of the eight-team, double-elimination tournament.

The Rams, who have won 11 of their last 18 games, hosted and won last year’s SIAC Tournament. Conner said pressure to repeat lingers in the back of his players’ minds.

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READ RELATED ARTICLES:
Stillman College student killed by tornado
The Crimson White confirms 8 student deaths

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XU Rush, Nuggets seek automatic bids at NAIA qualifier

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — The postseason begins Friday for the Xavier University of Louisiana tennis teams in a qualifying tournament for the NAIA National Championship at Champions Club.

The event is for conferences which did not qualify for automatic bids to the national tournament. But automatic bids will be awarded to the men's and women's champions of this two-day tourney.

Coach Alan Green, middle, hopes to take his women
 to the NAIA National Championship for the fourth
 consecutive year and his men for the third straight year.

The Gold Rush (11-9), ranked 11th in the NAIA coaches poll, are seeded first in the four-team men's bracket and will play fourth-seeded Bethel (Tenn.) (5-13) at 1:30 p.m. EDT. XU's women (3-17), still receiving votes in the national poll, are seeded second out of eight teams and will play seventh-seeded Union (Ky.) (2-8) at 10 a.m. EDT.

XU seeks its fourth consecutive berth in the women's draw of the NAIA National Championship and its third consecutive berth in the men's field. The national tournament will start May 17 in Mobile, Ala.

"That's a primary goal every year — to get our teams to nationals and then see how far they can go," eighth-year XU Coach Alan Green said. "There are automatic bids on the line. We want to get those bids this weekend and, in the case of our men, not have to depend on an at-large selection."

XU's men reached the top 10 for the first time in the program's history on March 8 and stayed there for two additional polls. A 6-3 victory at Vanguard on March 4 was the Gold Rush's first against an NAIA top-10 opponent.

NAIA National Championship Qualifying Tournament (seedings in parentheses) MEN Semifinals — Friday Xavier (1) vs. Bethel (Tenn.) (4) Martin Methodist (2) vs. Cumberland (3) WOMEN Quarterfinals — Friday Xavier (2) vs. Union (Ky.) (7) Milligan (3) vs. Bethel (Tenn.) (6) Martin Methodist (1) vs. Reinhardt (8) Cumberland (4) vs. Tennessee Wesleyan (5)

The Gold Nuggets have dropped six straight and 15 of their last 16 duals. But after playing the entire regular season with just five players, walk-on freshman Courtney Martin was added to the postseason roster to help the Nuggets avoid forfeits at No. 3 doubles and No. 6 singles.

Seniors Hassan Abbas (13-6 singles, 13-7 doubles) of the Rush and Melissa DeLoach (7-15 singles, 11-11 doubles) of the Nuggets lead their respective teams in combined victories.

Martin Methodist, ranked 23rd in the men's poll, is seeded second in the qualifier. XU beat Martin Methodist 6-3 in Nashville, Tenn., on Feb. 18.

Martin Methodist's 18th-ranked women are seeded first. The Gold Nuggets are seeded one spot higher than Milligan, even though Milligan received 39 more points than XU in the most recent national poll.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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Arizona distance runner Fakler signs with Xavier Gold Nuggets

NEW ORLEANS — Catherine Fakler of Phoenix, Ariz., and Xavier College Preparatory Roman Catholic High School has signed a women's cross country scholarship with Xavier University of Louisiana.

Fakler (pronounced FOCK-ler) has best times of 19 minutes, 22.68 seconds for three miles and 20:44.70 for 5,000 meters. She recorded her 5K best at the Nike Cross Nationals Southwest Regional at Gilbert, Ariz., in November.

Catherine Fakler

Other best times for Fakler include 5:24.98 for 1,600 meters and 11:55.52 for 3,200 meters — both recorded during the current outdoor track season — and 2:28.38 in the 800.

As a sophomore in 2008, Fakler finished 33rd out of 154 runners in Arizona's Class 5A Division I state meet. She was the Gators' fourth fastest finisher and helped XCP win the team championship.

Fakler has a 4.0 grade-point average at XCP and a composite ACT score of 30.

"I am very excited to have Catherine join our women's cross country program," XU Coach Joseph Moses said. "I expect her to be one of our top three runners this fall."

Xavier's other female signee for 2011 is Zahri Jackson of Kingwood, Texas.

Xavier University competes in the NAIA's Gulf Coast Athletic Conference and won the last five GCAC women's and men's team championships.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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Two NC High School standouts sign with Johnson C. Smith

Charlotte, NC – The Johnson C. Smith University men's basketball program has announced the signing of Reginald LaTrez Shuford and Marcus Walker for the 2011-12 season.

Reginald LaTrez Shuford also known as Trez Shuford is a 6'3, 170 lbs, point guard from nearby Hickory, North Carolina. Shuford played for Shawn Johnson at Hickory High School. In his senior year, Shuford led the Red Tornadoes to a 26-4 overall and 11-1 league record. He received all-conference and all-district honors for performance on the hardwood.


Videographer: tw56059

Shuford has been described as an athletic-slasher with great ball handling ability. He has a solid inside jumper, but like most young player could use more work. Shuford will have a familiar face in the backcourt; he and sophomore guard Trevin Parks (Hickory, NC) were teammates at Hickory High.

“We're excited to have this young man come abroad; because of the versatility and rotation options he may provide,” said head men's basketball coach Stephen Joyner, Sr. “Shuford is a good rebounder at his position, he gets up and down the floor well, and make good decisions with the basketball. He should immediately challenge our current guards for playing time and may allow us to move Trevin to the two-guard position in some situations.”

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Videographer: tueforumclt; JC Smith spearheads corridor renewal. Torrey Feimster and Malcolm Graham from Johnson C. Smith University address the Tuesday Morning Breakfast Forum April 19, 2011. In this segment, Graham describes five J.C. Smith initiatives in the Beatties Ford Corridor all running concurrently, some with near-term completion dates. 

Pierce leads Saint Augustine's Falcon in CIAA finale

Joe Pierce is putting the finishing touches on a career that began with shoulder pads, but ended with spikes aluminum. “I was recruited for football,” said Pierce, a graduate of Wetumpka High (near Montgomery, AL). “It didn’t work out, so I tried out for baseball. Ever since then, that’s all I’ve been playing.”

Pierce capped his senior season at Division II Saint Augustine College with commanding performance during the 2011 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association baseball tournament. The senior Falcon was one of five chosen as part of the All-Tournament team.

“This was a pretty good year for us,” said Pierce. “We started off slow, but got everything together.” The No. 2 seeded Falcons (36-18) dropped back-to-back games (7-6, 3-0) to conference newcomer Winston-Salem.

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WSSU's Corders waiting for chance at the NFL

Juan Corders of Winston-Salem State hasn't made an appearance in any of the endless mock drafts on the internet. But he still hopes for the chance to make an NFL roster.

Corders, a 6-foot-2, 250-pound defensive end from Durham, has spent the past several months working hard to get noticed. He graduated from WSSU in December with a double major in business management and marketing. He also played in two HBCU all-star games, and he plans to keep his cell phone close in the coming days.



"At one of the all-star games, there were some scouts showing interest," said Corders, an All-CIAA selection last season. "I've got nothing concrete, but I feel like something will come along after the draft, and I'll get a shot."

Corders participated in the NFL Pro Day at Wake Forest in March and did fairly well, bench-pressing 225 pounds 21 times and running the 40-yard dash in 4.88 seconds.

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Saint Augustine's Falcons Release 2011 Football Schedule

Raleigh, N.C. - Five home games highlight the 2011 Saint Augustine's College football schedule which was released Tuesday.

The Falcons are looking to build off last season's 9-2 record and second-place finish in the CIAA's Southern Division. They capped the 2010 year by defeating Fort Valley State 20-9 to take home the Pioneer Bowl title. The nine victories set a modern school record for season wins.

Led by Head Coach Michael Costa, the Falcons host Catawba in the season opener on Sept. 3. They hit the road the next two weeks with games against New Haven on Sept. 10 and Saint Paul's on Sept. 17. The contest versus Saint Paul's kicks off the CIAA portion of the schedule.

The Falcons return home Sept. 24 to play Lincoln (Pa.) before hitting the road again to visit Fayetteville State on Oct. 1. They finish the second half of their schedule with three of the final five games at home starting with Winston-Salem State on Oct. 8. The Falcons step out of conference for the final time during the season for an Oct. 15 matchup against West Georgia.

The homecoming game will be Oct. 22 against Johnson C. Smith followed by an Oct. 29 home contest against Livingstone. The Falcons wrap up the regular season against crosstown nemesis Shaw on Nov. 5 at Durham County Stadium, which is the host site of the CIAA Championship Game on Nov. 12.

2011 Saint Augustine's College Football Schedule

Date	Opponent	Location	Time
9/3/11	CATAWBA	RALEIGH, NC	1:30 p.m.
9/10/11	at New Haven	West Haven, CT	1:00 p.m.
9/17/11	*at Saint Paul's	Lawrenceville, VA	1:00 p.m.
9/24/11	*LINCOLN (PA.)	RALEIGH, NC	1:30 p.m.
10/1/11	*at Fayetteville State	Fayetteville, NC	6:00 p.m.
10/8/11	*WINSTON-SALEM STATE	RALEIGH, NC	1:30 p.m.
10/15/11	at West Georgia	Carrollton, GA	2:00 p.m.
10/22/11	*JOHNSON C. SMITH#	RALEIGH, NC	2:00 p.m.
10/29/11	*LIVINGSTONE	RALEIGH, NC	1:30 p.m.
11/5/11	*at Shaw	Durham, NC	1:00 p.m.
11/12/11	CIAA Championship	Durham, NC	1:00 p.m.

*CIAA Games

# - Homecoming


By Saint Augustine's College Sports Information Office
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NCCU coach has a speedy plan for success

DURHAM, N.C. -- N.C. Central football coach Henry Frazier III made the mistake once of trying to adopt someone else's offensive system. At the time, he had just accepted his first head coaching job at Bowie State in Maryland. He was hired three weeks before the start of the season and announced that it was easier for him to learn an old system rather than have his player's adapt to a new one.

"I got to looking at what they were doing, not that it was bad, but it wasn't me," Frazier said. "If I can't be authentic, then there's no need of me doing it. So I scratched that idea."

Frazier takes his own ideas to N.C. Central - and they are forward thinking. At Prairie View A&M, his previous coaching post, his teams ran a no-huddle offense, snapping the ball with 10 seconds left on the play clock. He has an even faster version for the Eagles.


Videographer: NCCU Eagles

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Defending champion ASU Rams open 2011 SIAC tourney today at home

ALBANY, GA — When Albany State junior shortstop William Smalls talks, interim baseball coach Kenyon Conner said his team listens. That was clear during Wednesday afternoon’s practice when Smalls spoke about preparing for this week’s SIAC baseball tournament, which starts today at Paul Eames Park.

“We are ready to play, man,” the SIAC Player of the Year candidate said. “Just like in the military, get your soldiers up and get ready to go to war.”

“War” starts today at 10 a.m. when the No. 6 Rams (25-23 overall, 10-5 SIAC) host No. 3 Tuskegee (16-15, 11-4) in the opener of the eight-team, double-elimination tournament. The Rams, who have won 11 of their last 18 games, hosted and won last year’s SIAC Tournament. Conner said pressure to repeat lingers in the back of his players’ minds.

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Xavier camp for ages 6-16 scheduled for June 27-30

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana will offer a four-day basketball camp June 27-30 for boys and girls ages 6-16 at The Barn.

Cost per camper is $125, which includes lunch the first three days and a camp T-shirt. Campers may not be high school graduates.

Xavier men's basketball coaches Dannton Jackson and Alfred Williams will conduct the sessions with the help of their players.

A non-refundable $25 deposit is due by June 23, with the registration balance due on the camp's first day.

Contact Williams at (504) 520-6778 or awilli39@xula.edu for more information. Camp documents are available online at  www.xula.edu/athletics/camps.


By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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Gatson, Johnson Homers Not Enough to Beat Towson

TOWSON, MD. – The Howard softball team fell to the Towson Tigers in the opening game of the recently scheduled doubleheader, 5-2 on Wednesday afternoon. The Bison were unable to bounce back from the loss as the second game went unfinished as a result of weather and darkness.

Emily Johnson got points on the board first for the Lady Bison with a leadoff home run to left center. Several HU errors, however, gave the Tigers a chance to answer back with two runs in the bottom of the first and two more in the bottom of the fourth.

Samantha Gatson got Howard back on board and delivered a solo-homer to kick off the fifth inning, making it a 4-2 game. Towson went on to shutout the Lady Bison for the remainder of the game and tallied their final run in the sixth on a two-out RBI double by Rachel Miller.

Both Gatson and Johnson split the mound, but the loss went to Gatson who pitched four innings and gave up four unearned runs, four hits and two walks. She struck out one batter while Johnson took down three in her two innings in the circle. Johnson gave up one earned run on two hits. Katie Lingmai pitched the entire game for the Tigers and recorded nine strikeouts while eight Bison players garnered a hit.

The Bison topped the Tigers in hits, 8-6.

Up next, the Lady Bison softball team will look to sack a win over MEAC opponent Morgan State at home on Saturday, April 30 in the final stretch of the regular season. For more updates on the Howard softball team, visit www.howard-bison.com.

By Tiffany White, Sports Information Assistant
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Xavier Gold Rush to conduct tryouts Saturday at The Barn

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana will conduct men's basketball tryouts for the 2011-12 season on Saturday, April 30 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at The Barn.

Participants must bring an academic transcript. The tryout is open to current XU and junior-college students and to 12th-graders graduating in 2011.

The Barn, Xavier's gymnasium, can be found on online maps by using 3999 Short Street and the 70125 zip code.

Contact assistant coach Alfred Williams at (504) 520-6778 or awilli39@xula.edu for more information.

Xavier was 27-6 in 2010-11, ranked 17th in the final NAIA Division I poll and qualified for the Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I National Championship for the fifth time in seven seasons.

PDF brochure

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Informaiton Director
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13 Shocking Stats That Show How NCAA Schools Are Failing At Diversity

Lack of diversity has plagued college sports for decades, and last year was no different. Minorities are well-represented on the field, but the top leadership tiers of the NCAA and its schools remained outrageously skewed toward white males.

The Institute of Diversity and Ethics in Sport under Dr. Richard Lapchick at the University of Central Florida releases studies annually about the nation's major sports leagues, including college sports.

Two of its college studies are its College Bowl Study and Division I Campus Leadership Study, which focus on the level of diversity in positions of power throughout the NCAA.

Click here to see the stats >

The TIDES study excludes Division-I's SWAC and MEAC, which are conferences made of up official "Historically Black Colleges and Universities" founded before 1964, but "predominantly black" institutions are included.

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NSU to alternate two QBs to start season

Norfolk State's Chris Walley endured an up-and-down first season. During his second year, the NSU quarterback will be up and down in the lineup.

After watching transfer Nico Flores through three weeks of spring practice, Spartans coach Pete Adrian said he expects to play both quarterbacks during the first four games of the season. That stretch will serve as something of an elongated warm-up to the meat of the MEAC schedule. It includes a game against West Virginia, other non-conference games against Virginia State and Charleston Southern and the conference opener against lightly regarded Howard.

"We'll use two quarterbacks," Adrian said. "Walley ran the ball well and Nico threw the ball well this spring. We'll see how it goes in the first part of the season. If it works out well, they won't have a problem with it. They just want to go out and win."

Norfolk State's offensive line still a work in progress

After concluding three weeks of spring practice, Norfolk State is set on four of its five starting offensive linemen. But the group will still face plenty of questions next fall.

"Obviously, that whole group is going to need game experience," coach Pete Adrian said. "Until you start playing, you don't really know what you have."

Kendall Noble, the only returning starter, will begin the year at left tackle, while Michael Kay, who got significant playing time last season, will start at center. Blake Matthews and Kenneth Johnson took hold at left and right guard, respectively. Still to be decided is who will play right tackle. Adrian said three or four players are in the mix.

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Louis Williams, standout on 29-2 XU Gold Rush team, dies

Louis Theodore Williams
March 26, 1960 - April 20, 2011

NEW ORLEANS — Louis Williams, the leading scorer on Xavier University of Louisiana's 29-2 men's basketball team in 1981-82, died this past Wednesday (April 20) in Houston at age 51.

Williams died in his sleep of natural causes, his sister Dawn said.

A 6-foot-4 forward and a native of Gulfport, Miss., Williams averaged 17 points and 6.9 points per game and shot 57.4 percent from the floor to earn NAIA All-America honorable mention for Coach Denny Alexander's Gold Rush in 1981-82. Xavier lost its opener, then won 29 in a row to tie a school record for consecutive victories in one season. The XU men were 12-0 in league play during the first season of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference, won the NAIA District 30 playoffs to qualify for the NAIA National Championship and ranked third in the final NAIA coaches poll.

"A tremendous athlete with fantastic leaping ability and a soft but deadly jump shot." Alexander said of Williams. "Capable of being unstoppable at times . . . sometimes he's downright awesome."

Williams was one of three freshmen from Alexander's 1979-80 team to reach 1,200 career points at Xavier. The others were Eugene Johnson and Alvin "Bo" Dukes. Williams played through his junior season and finished with 1,206 points — which still ranks him 17th on Xavier's career list — and 527 rebounds in 86 games.

Williams averaged 11.8 points and 5.1 rebounds as a freshman. As a sophomore he averaged 12.8 and 6.1 rebounds and blocked 67 shots — still a Gold Rush season record — for a 21-8 team which won the NAIA District 30 playoffs and qualified for the national tourney for the first time in eight seasons.

His single-game highs included 34 points at Paul Quinn on Jan. 11, 1982, 17 rebounds at Dillard on Feb. 14, 1981, and nine blocked shots against Philander Smith in the Arkansas-Pine Bluff Tournament on Dec. 19, 1980.

As a senior at Harrison Central High School in 1978-79, Williams averaged 19 points and 16 rebounds.

"Sweet Lou was the best," Dawn Williams said. "He was everyone's best friend. He would sit on his front porch and talk to everybody who passed by."

Williams is survived by six daughters and 16 siblings. A Mass of Christian burial will start at 10 a.m. Monday (May 2) at St. Therese of Lisieux Catholic Church, 3521 19th Street in Gulfport, MS 39501, phone 228-863-0642. Burial will follow at Monroe Memorial Park at the corner of Canal and Hutter roads in Gulfport. In lieu of flowers, the Williams family requests donations to Dawn Williams accounts at Wells Fargo Bank or Hancock Bank to help defray funeral expenses.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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Hampton Pirates bulk up with three basketball signee

Ed Joyner's 2011 recruiting class at Hampton University is proof it pays to be persistent — and that it helps to be a little lucky.

In addition to Phoebus product Dashawn Stitt, who verbally committed to Hampton in January, Joyner also has signed two players from Quality Education Academy in Winston-Salem, N.C., which went 26-4 and finished the 2010-11 season ranked No. 1 in North Carolina and No. 25 in the country by MaxPreps.

The Pirates were originally focused on recruiting 6-foot-5 shooting guard Keron Brown, who averaged 14 points and six rebounds last season, Joyner said. Dwight Meikle, his 6-8 power forward/guard combo teammate who averaged 15 points, eight rebounds and two blocks, verbally committed to St. John's in November.

But when Meikle was released from that commitment last Wednesday, Joyner was waiting.

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Videographer: wworldp; Hampton University Campus Tour

Videographer: wworldp; Emancipation Oak at Hampton University

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