Hampton's Joyner learned much from family of coaches

Soon after Hampton and coach Ed "Little Buck" Joyner dispatched Norfolk State last weekend in the MEAC tournament semifinals, Joyner made his way to his team's locker room at Joel Coliseum.

As he walked in, he was holding the hand of one of his sons, 5-year-old E.J., and someone asked E.J. if he would be the next branch of the Joyner coaching tree. "He's got a lot more to learn in life before then," his father said, "but why not?"

Joyner, a Winston-Salem native, is still a young coach at age 38, but as the son and nephew of coaches, he's more of a veteran than his age would indicate.



Hampton has played Cinderella role before in NCAA Tournament

Bobby Collins says he has seen the highlight on TV about a thousand times in the past 10 years. Collins, who just completed his fifth season as the coach at Winston-Salem State, was an assistant coach at Hampton in 2001 when the 15th-seeded Pirates, playing in their first NCAA Division I Tournament, upset second-seeded Iowa State 58-57 in Boise, Idaho.

The clip that might make it to television again in the coming days shows head coach Steve Merfeld, now an assistant at Creighton, being lifted by power forward David Johnson after the victory.

"It doesn't seem like it's been 10 years, it seems like it was last year," Collins said earlier this week. "That's one of the most memorable things I've ever been a part of."

"Big Dance" Interviews: Hampton head coach Ed Joyner

Earlier today CHN writer Jon Teitel spent a few minutes with Hampton head coach Ed Joyner, whose Pirates won the MEAC conference tournament to earn an automatic bid. The 16-seed in the West Region, Hampton will take on top-seed Duke in a second round matchup on Friday in Charlotte. 

Jon Teitel: Your father and uncle are both Division II coaches. Who is the best coach in the family?

Ed Joyner: Right now I think my little cousin Steven is the best. He is the woman's coach Winston Salem State, and he just gets to sit around and talk to all of us!

JT: They grew up living next door to Hall of Fame coach Clarence "Big House" Gaines. Did you ever get to meet him yourself, and what is the most important thing you ever learned from him?

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2011 Women's NCAA Tournament Bracket: Hampton Receives No. 13 Seed, Will Play Kentucky Saturday

Hampton University second year Head Basketball Coach
David Six wins triple crown -- NCAA Tournament bid, MEAC
Tournament Champions and MEAC Regular Season Champs. 

The Hampton Pirates have received a No. 13 seed in the Spokane Region and will face the No. 4 Kentucky Wildcats in the first round of the 2011 Women's NCAA Tournament Saturday at 6:30 p.m. in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The game will be televised on ESPN2.

The Pirates qualified for the tournament by winning the MEAC Tournament with a win over Howard. It was Hampton's second-straight conference championship and they lost only one conference game during the regular season.

Kentucky, on the other hand, was arguably the SEC's second-best team behind perennial favorite Tennessee. The Wildcats enter the tournament with an at-large bid with a 24-8 record overall and 11-5 in the SEC.

NCAA TOURNAMENT WOMEN'S BRACKET

LADY PIRATES TO FACE KENTUCKY IN NCAA FIRST ROUND

HAMPTON, Va. – The Hampton University women’s basketball team, fresh off its second straight Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Tournament championship, will face No. 4 seed Kentucky on Saturday in Albuquerque, N.M. in the first round of the 2011 NCAA Div. I Women’s Basketball Tournament.

The game is scheduled to tip off at 6:30 p.m. EST. Television and ticket information will be announced when made available.

The Lady Pirates erupted in jubilation when their name was unveiled on the ESPN broadcast in the Student Center Ballroom. Hampton (25-6) earned a No. 13 seed in the Spokane Region, the highest-ever seed for a MEAC school in the 64-team championship format.  For second-year head coach David Six, the seeding was validating.

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