Florida A&M Men's Basketball Gearing Up For Exciting Season

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- The Florida A&M men's basketball program quadrupled it's win total last season from the year before, going 8-21. This year, the Rattlers hoping for even bigger results, as for the first time since 2014, they can participate in postseason play.

FAMU's APR related sanctions were lifted back in February, so that means head coach Byron Samuels is working with a full scholarship amount. He said there's a buzz in the air, and just about the entire team is here this summer working out and building team chemistry.

Come August 1st, the Rattlers hit the court to prepare for a week long trip to Canada for a tournament, and Samuels said he can't wait to get started.

"I'm excited about it, the kids are excited about it, their parents are excited about it, and we just feel like it's a blessing," he said. "It's another one of those steps. A lot of teams take these trips to get an eyeball on their team. It'll give us a chance to see what we have, to tweak some things and just maybe one step ahead of where we were in the previous two years."

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Former Jags/FAMU QB Quinn Gray making strides at Jacksonville Mandarin

JACKSONVILLE, Florida -- It didn't take long for former Jaguars quarterback Quinn Gray to start having an impact at Jacksonville Mandarin High, where he was hired as head football coach in April.

Gray coached the Mustangs to the New Smyrna Beach 7on7 title this past weekend, upending Palm Beach Gardens Dwyer in the championship game. Gray did no take over an empty cupboard at Mandarin, which went 12-1 last season and made it to the Class 8A region finals, losing to Winter Garden West Orange.



Former coach Brian Braddock left to take the same position at his alma mater St. Augustine, opening the door for Gray, who attended FAMU, to return to the area. Gray was last the head coach at Mableton (Ga.) Whitefield Academy near Atlanta.

"It feels great. We had a long week and our kids have really shown some grit and some intestinal fortitude," Gray said. "I'm proud of these guys, man .. they were challenged and they stepped up to the plate."

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Xavier lands FAMU transfer Bernard

CINCINNATI, Ohio -- Guard Malcolm Bernard announced on Twitter that he will play his final season for Xavier.

The 6-foot-6, 195-pounder will be eligible to play immediately for the Musketeers as a graduate transfer from Florida A&M. Bernard, 22, played two years at Charleston Southern before transfering to FAMU and sitting out a season due to NCAA transfer rules. He then led the Rattlers in points (14.4 ppg) and rebounds (7.1 rpg) last season.

"I'm happy to be a Musketeer and I'm glad I'm getting to spend my last year at Xavier," Bernard told Enquirer.com late Monday. "I'm coming to work with the best and play with the best and win with the best.

"I'm stat stuffer. I like to stuff stats all over. I think that's why Xavier chose me because of how versatile I can be and all the things I can bring to the table."

Bernard told the Tallahassee Democrat in April that he had committed to Richmond, then reportedly rescinded his committment earlier this month. The Miami native then considered Fordham, Miami, Missouri, VCU and Virginia before landing at Xavier.

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FAMU AD: Football season opener still scheduled for Miami

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Florida A&M Athletic Director Milton Overton Jr. on Tuesday said the Rattlers' Sept. 3 season opener against Miami is still scheduled to be played in Miami.

Overton said he spoke with Miami officials early in the day. Those officials confirmed the game is still going to be played at New Miami Stadium, he said. He added the officials said there are "contingency plans" in place and he's expecting to speak with Miami officials again.

New Miami Stadium is undergoing renovations, which has led to fears that the stadium will not be ready by Sept. 1. On July 6, Miami Athletic Director Blake James released a statement via Twitter.

"It's a very complex project and I know the Dolphins are doing everything possible to get it ready in time to play football," he said in the statement. "We are very excited about what these improvements will mean for our fans and gameday atmosphere. We still expect to play all of our games at the stadium. However, we're aware that things could change and if they do we have a contingency plan in place if needed."

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Southern football notebook: Dawson Odums opens up on why he hired Trei Oliver

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Southern football coach Dawson Odums has had his eyes on his new defensive coordinator, Trei Oliver, for a while.

“When I first got the job, I reached out to him,” Odums said.

That was back in 2012, but their relationship goes back farther than that.

The two were former college teammates and have spent time on the same coaching staff at North Carolina A&T, where Odums plucked Oliver from in January to take over the defense.

How was he able to do that?

“Money, money, money,” Odums quipped at last week’s SWAC media day.

Previously, Odums wore two hats as both the coach and the defensive coordinator, and it wasn’t working.

The Jaguars fired three defensive coaches in December, which Odums said helped create some financial wiggle room to hire Oliver.

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Hollins named new Golden Tigers baseball coach

Hollins, a Tuskegee alum, has been with the program as an assistant since 2010

TUSKEGEE, Alabama -- Tuskegee University athletic director Curtis Campbell announced the hiring of Reginald Hollins as the new head baseball coach for the Golden Tigers, replacing Montressa Kirby who's sole focus will now be on coaching quarterbacks for the Golden Tigers football program.

"Coach (Reginald) Hollins has been a part of the resurgence of baseball at Tuskegee University both as a player and a coach," Campbell said. "He has played an integral part of the success that the baseball program has had in the past several years, and I trust he will continue to do that as I know he will. He will also bring in good men of character and continue the tradition of Tuskegee baseball."

Hollins has been with the baseball program as an assistant coach since the 2010 season, helping the team to their first winning record in 13 years. The following year, the Golden Tigers claimed the NCAA Division II statistical championship for triples as they averaged 0.8 per game.

"I am just excited to fill such large shoes and embark on a journey with history already being set for the program," Hollins said. "I just want to continue and build on that; baseball was the first program on campus, and the pedigree that was built from all of the former players and coaches is history in itself."

After a sub-par 2012, the Golden Tigers rebounded by playing for the SIAC Championship for the first time in 24 years. The team made a second appearance in the championship game the following year, 2013.

During his run as assistant coach, the Golden Tigers had 11 players selected either to the all-conference, all-tournament or all-academic teams.

Hollins has served in multiple roles during his tenure with the baseball program.

No stranger to Tuskegee, Hollins was a pitcher and infielder for the Golden Tigers for four years. During his junior season of 2009, he led the team in batting average (.364), and finished second in hitting (.321) during his senior season. Hollins finished third in the nation as the toughest hitter to strikeout, 60th in triples and 14th in walks allowed by a pitcher per nine innings.

Hollins earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Tuskegee University in 2010.

"Being an alum and coming through the program, I have a sense of where the program is and was," Hollins said. "Just knowing what it takes to build a successful program, I am just excited for the opportunity to lead Tuskegee baseball."

For more information on Tuskegee University athletics, follow us on your favorite social media platform @MyTUAthletics and like us on Facebook.

COURTESY TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

CIAA football shifting power

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina -- Change has arrived for CIAA football.

The league has five new coaches and undergoing a shift in power from the South Division to the North, where Bowie State and Virginia Union both earned berths in the Division II playoffs last year. Three Southern Division schools are undergoing dramatic changes as cross-town rivals Shaw and St. Augustine’s reboot with new coaches and Fayetteville State turned to rival Winston-Salem for its new coach, Richard Hayes.

Here’s some of the storylines for 2016:

• Johnson C. Smith’s second year under coach Kermit Blount. The Golden Bulls (4-6) overcame a slow start with a three-game win streak that put them within a game of .500. The key to moving up the pecking order is more consistency on offense, which JCSU lacked last year with freshman quarterbacks Jordan Lane and Harold Herbin sharing the duties. Lane emerged from spring drills as the starter with a full practice period under offensive coordinator Tory Woodbury.

“The order is much quicker, much smoother,” sophomore center Jordan Shaw said during spring drills. “People know their assignment a whole lot more, studying the film. Everything is put together a lot better.”

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Green is Sugar Bowl's Louisiana college Coach of Year

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's Alan Green earned another award Monday when he was named Outstanding College Coach in Louisiana for 2015-16 by the Allstate Sugar Bowl.

The Sugar Bowl-sponsored Greater New Orleans Sports Awards Committee selected Green, who led XU men's tennis in May to second place at the NAIA's national tournament in Mobile, Ala. It was the first XU team in any sport to reach the championship round of an NAIA national tournament and the first XU men's team to advance past the quarterfinals. The Gold Rush were voted No. 2 in the postseason NAIA coaches poll.

"It's truly an honor to win this award considering the candidates and the sports," Green said. "I could not have done this without the help of my assistant and players on the team. My athletics director, SID and administration also played a key support role in all of our accomplishments this year. This is an award for Xavier."

On Friday the Gold Rush were named an NAIA Scholar-Team for producing a collective 3.03 GPA during the 2015-16 academic year.

Green and other recipients — including the winners of the Corbett Awards, which recognize the top male and female amateur athletes in the state — will be honored at the Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame Banquet Aug. 6 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

According to Sugar Bowl records, Green is the first from Xavier to win one of the annual awards.

"I am so glad to hear that news," said three-year XU letterman Tushar Mandlekar. "This season was really special and I would like to thank coach Green for all his help and support. He deserves this award because of the hard work he has put in on and off the court during all these years. Congratulations, coach!"

The Sugar Bowl award is Green's third this year. In May he was named ITA/NAIA Region IV Coach of the Year and ITA/NAIA National Coach of the Year. Green, who will enter his 14th season at Xavier in 2016-17, has received 12 awards for coaching XU's men and 10 for his work with the XU women's team.

Previous winners of Outstanding College Coach in Louisiana include five NCAA-champion coaches, including LSU's Les Miles and Paul Mainieri, and Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame members such as Dale Brown of LSU and Eddie Robinson of Grambling.


Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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UMES wins appeal; Subritzky eligible for play in 16-17

PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland -- Moengaroa Subritzky was supposed to get several awards at a banquet hosted by the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.

During the 2015-16 season, Subritzky, 23, led the Hawks' women's basketball team in three-point percentage, three-pointer's made, steals and was an All-MEAC First Team selection. She was instrumental to the Hawks' success as a redshirt sophomore.

But when Subritzky stood up to collect her honors, her teammates told her no. They wouldn’t let Subritzky go up to accept her senior awards at The Harry’s, an annual awards event for all student-athletes at UMES.



“They were like, ‘What are you doing? Sit down,’ so I just sat down,” Subritzky recalled with a laugh.

Although Subritzky had just finished her second season in maroon and gray, the NCAA viewed her as a senior. But her teammates were optimistic. Subritzky and the school had submitted an appeal to the NCAA in an attempt to get her back one year of her eligibility.

The Hawks’ confidence paid off earlier this month.

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Fallen Baton Rouge officer was nephew of JSU QB great

JACKSON, Mississippi -- Fred Jackson, whose name is known by many football fans in Jackson, tweeted something Sunday that echoed in the hearts of many people.

"Montrell Jackson was a great young man, my nephew. A great father and husband. He will be missed by so many," the former Jackson State University standout wrote.

Fred Jackson, a native of Baton Rouge, played quarterback at Jackson State from 1968-1971, earning All-SWAC honors. He led the conference in passing his senior season.



Fred Jackson's son, Jeremy, played wide receiver at Michigan from 2010-13. His youngest son, Josh, plays quarterback at Virginia Tech. Josh Jackson's Tweet was one of the first to identify Montrell Jackson as one of the fallen.

Montrell Jackson was one of the Baton Rouge officers who was killed in the attack on police Sunday morning. He was 32, a new father, and someone who loved his community and took his 10 years with the Baton Rouge Police Department seriously. He was killed alongside fellow BRPD officer Matthew Gerald and East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Deputy Brad Garafola.

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Searching for a championship, Southern QB Austin Howard "poised for a major breakout year"

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Southern coach Dawson Odums did not mince any words when asked about the importance of junior quarterback Austin Howard, who was named to the preseason All-SWAC first team at last week’s media day.

“He’s the best in the conference,” Odums said. “Look at the numbers.”

The numbers present a pretty compelling case. Howard finished with the best passer efficiency in the league last season, at 155.8, while completing a SWAC-high 65.4 percent of his passes.

He finished the season with 16 touchdowns against four interceptions through the air and added another eight scores on the ground.

It was an impressive season, especially for a sophomore who has never benefited from spring practice as a college football player.

But there’s still one number that is missing when Odums looks at Howard’s résumé.

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Football Gameplan's FCS Kickoff 2016 MEAC Season Preview

COURTESY FOOTBALL GAMEPLAN

Simmons has Prairie View A&M on rise

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – Better sooner than later.

Willie Simmons didn’t put a time frame when he’d turn Prairie View A&M into a serious SWAC contender, but did so in his first season as head coach as he led the Panthers to an 8-2 record.

“The thing I told the team in our first-team meeting was that we’ll be successful when everyone buys in,” Simmons said Friday at SWAC media day. “I said, ‘I don’t know when that will be. It might this year. It might be next year. It might be five years down the road,’ but I said when everyone in this room buys in to what we’re trying to build here, we’ll be successful. They bought in last year.”

Now the former Clemson quarterback looks to lead Prairie View to its first conference title since 2009. Riding a six-game winning streak that includes a win over two-time defending SWAC champion Alcorn State, the Panthers have been picked to win the SWAC West this season.

Prairie View was picked to finish fourth last year, but went 8-1 in conference play with loss coming to SWAC West champion Grambling. The Panthers haven’t lost since under the 35-year old Simmons.

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SWAC coaches, players call for change after recent shootings

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – Brian Jenkins didn’t hesitate to say how his players have been affected by the recent fatal shootings involving black men and police in Louisiana, Minnesota and Dallas.

“You’d be surprised how many of our young people are actually scared,” the second-year Alabama State coach said at SWAC Media Day last week. “They’re actually scared. No one should have to live in fear.”

Jenkins is one of many in the Southwestern Athletic Conference who expressed concern about the recent events that have provided a serious reality check about what has always been an issue in America.

“To have to drive around and immediately become frightened if you see blue lights, that’s a hard way to live, but that’s happening in this day and time,” Jenkins said. “Why is it happening? We don’t know. How do we stop it should be our main thing.”

Grambling senior safety Guy Stallworth’s outlook on the situation is simple, yet heartfelt and poignant.

“First the world needs to understand no matter what color you are, you’re still a human,” he said. “White, black or blue. Everyone is still a human.”

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WTXL Road Trip: Florida A&M Is Lifting Big Weights And Hoping For Big Results

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Milton Overton, Jr's accomplished quite a bit in first year as Athletic Director at Florida A&M University. The men's basketball team's postseason ban was lifted, and football can participate in spring practice starting in 2017.

Overton also brought several ideas from where he came from- the University of Alabama. One of those ideas? Parker Brooks, the new Director of Strength and Conditioning for the Rattlers, and Brooks has big goals when it comes to lifting big weights.

"I don't have to wear a suit," laughed Brooks as to the biggest perk to his job. "I can wear sweatpants and a gym shirt. I get to work out with the strongest dudes in Tallahassee. It doesn't get much better than that!"



Coming from where Brooks has been, that's saying a lot. He arrived in January from Alabama, where he spent six seasons grooming the Crimson Tide, and he's taken that elite level of play and brought it to Tallahassee.

"Speed is king," he said. "We do a lot of Olympic lifting, so we're running the same program and the strength and conditioning that Alabama does. They trust in the process because they've seen the results."

The Rattlers are hoping those results, transfer to the football field. FAMU's coming off a 1-10 2015 campaign, one they're ready to avenge, and it all starts in the weightroom.

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Lincoln’s Legends & Legacy: Lincoln product Henry Lawrence (FAMU), Manatee County’s most successful NFL player

Through the Tunnel: Henry Lawrence earned All-America status as a junior at Lincoln Memorial High but was benched as a senior at Manatee High School because of Race.

PALMETTO, Florida -- Henry Lawrence’s life depicts the plight of the Lincoln High football program and how the players used camaraderie to overcome adversity.

A NFL first-round draft pick and three-time Super Bowl winner with the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders, Lawrence is the most successful professional football player Manatee County ever produced.

First, he had to conquer the effects of racism that almost derailed his career in high school and cost him significant money as a professional.

The offensive lineman played on the last Lincoln High football team in 1968. That year as a junior, he earned first-team All-American honors as a two-way lineman who played defensive end, tackle and tight end.

Integration came the following year and nearly the entire Lincoln team came to Manatee High to play the 1969 season. Most wound up on the bench and many quit. The coaching staff at Manatee was not prepared for the new era and treated the Lincoln players as second-class citizens not good enough to warrant playing time.

Lawrence was a standout defensive end who could terrorize quarterbacks and a person who believed in standing up for his rights regardless of the personal consequences.

After three games, he went to head coach Jack Mackie and explained his concerns about how the black players were being treated. The response: He was benched for the rest of the season. At 6-foot-4, 225 pounds, Lawrence was replaced by an 155-pound white player at defensive end.

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Tennessee State Ebo Ogundeko Named Media Preseason Player of the Year, Tigers Picked Sixth

NASHVILLE. Tennessee - The Tennessee State football team was picked to finish sixth in the Preseason Media Poll for the Ohio Valley Conference, while redshirt-junior defensive end, Ebo Ogundeko was selected as the Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.

The Tigers received 60 total points, behind Jacksonville State (135), Eastern Kentucky (111), Eastern Illinois (105), UT Martin (93) and Southeast Missouri (63). TSU is picked to finish ahead of Murray State (52), Tennessee Tech (37) and Austin Peay (19).

Tennessee State is coming off their first non-winning season since 2011 after finishing 4-6, 1-6 in the OVC. Head coach Rod Reed enters his seventh season and will rely on 65 returners from last year's team, including six offensive and eight defensive starters.

Ogundeko collected 52 tackles in his first season with the Tigers after transferring from Clemson. The redshirt-junior registered 10 tackles-for-loss and five sacks, while forcing a fumble and picking up three quarterback hurry’s. The Brooklyn, N.Y. native was the lone Tiger to earn First Team All-OVC honors for in 2015.

The Tigers will report for fall camp on Aug. 4 in preparation for the John Merritt Classic on Sept. 3.

2016 Media OVC Preseason Football Predicted Order of Finish
1. Jacksonville State (15 first-place votes) - 135 points
2. Eastern Kentucky - 111
3. Eastern Illinois - 105
4. UT Martin - 93
5. Southeast Missouri - 63
6. Tennessee State - 60
7. Murray State - 52
8. Tennessee Tech – 37
9. Austin Peay - 19

Preseason Offensive Player of the Year: Eli Jenkins (QB), Jacksonville State
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year: Ebenezer Ogundeko (DE), Tennessee State

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Baltimore's Keron DeShields (TSU) to Begin Pro Career in Italy

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- Former Tennessee State men's basketball star Keron DeShields (Baltimore, Md.) signed his first professional contract to play the upcoming season with Latina Basket in Italy.

The guard, who is a native of Baltimore, Maryland, led TSU with 16.5 points per game during the 2015-16 season. A prolific scorer, DeShields poured in 1,110 career points during his collegiate career that included three seasons at the University of Montana before transferring to Tennessee State. He sat out the 2014-15 season at TSU per NCAA transfer rules and played his final season with TSU in 2015-16.

“Thank you to my TSU family for helping me along the way these past two years: my teammates, assistant coaches, teachers, administration, compliance and the media personnel for pushing me to be the best I can be and allowing me to be myself,” DeShields said. “I want to thank Dana Ford for letting me play my game and teaching me the importance of defense and AD Teresa Phillips and Associate AD Valencia Jordan for giving me a chance to be part of their athletic department and wear the TSU uniform with pride and dignity.”

For the Tigers, DeShields scored in double figures 27 times and had seven games with 20 or more points.

For his efforts at TSU, DeShields earned First Team All-Ohio Valley Conference honors and a place on the OVC All-Newcomer Team. He was also named NABC First Team All-District 19, BOXTOROW First Team All-America and TSU Male Athlete of the Year.

DeShields is set to begin preseason camp with his teammates in Italy on August 22 to get ready for the start of the season on Oct. 2.

“This first professional contract means a lot to me because I can now take care of my son’s wants and needs,” DeShields said. “It shows true resiliency on my end because the odds were stacked up against me my whole life coming from a city like Baltimore, but with my family, friends and mentors, I'm now a role model to our community. I can be a voice for the kid that comes from the bottom and works his way to the top and I'm not done yet.”



COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Lincoln’s Legends & Legacy: Upcoming football season marks 50th anniversary of LMHS Ray Bellamy’s historic signing with Miami that broke down racial barriers

Lincoln Memorial Ray Bellamy broke the color barrier in major college football in the Southeast. Bellamy was the first African-American on a football scholarship at University of Miami.

PALMETTO, Florida -- Ray Bellamy sat in a holding cell waiting for help to arrive. His crime: Riding in a car driven by a white female, who was giving him a tour of the University of Miami campus.

When Bellamy signed with Miami in 1966 to become the first African-American to play college football in the Southeast, the Lincoln High School graduate knew things would happen that would defy his sense of logic and justice.

But he had the resolve to respond without anger. He understood breaking barriers would not come without encountering obstacles meant to crush his spirit.

It’s why Miami chose Bellamy when school president Dr. Henry King Stanford decided it was time for his university to give an athletic scholarship to its first African-American.

School officials put out the word they were looking for someone similar to Jackie Robinson, who broke Major League Baseball’s color barrier in 1947. Robinson was articulate, a college graduate and a person who had the strength to handle harassment without striking back. At the time, this last point was crucial. Bellamy and Robinson shared some traits.

The son of illiterate migrant workers, Bellamy was a three-sport standout, an excellent student, the student council president at Lincoln High School in Palmetto. His classmates in the Class of 1967 voted him most likely succeed.

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Howard Bison Men's Basketball Early Pick to Win MEAC by CBS

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WASHINGTON, D.C. -- It has been reported by CBS that Howard University is projected as one of the 65 teams to make the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. The Bison, who return all five starters, including senior guard James "J-Byrd" Daniel, III, the nation's leading scorer in 2016, to go along with some quality depth, are ranked 141st among all Division I programs in the pre-season projections.

Howard will be tested early and often as it embarks on its most challenging schedule in more than decade. The Bison have early road games against George Washington, Georgetown, Maryland, VCU and Old Dominion.

The winner of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Tournament receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Bison last reached the tournament during the 1991-92 season.

HOWARD UNIVERSITY 2016-17 MEN'S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE

Date	Opponent	Location	Time/Result
2K Classic
11/11/2016	University of Michigan	Ann Arbor, MI	TBA
11/14/2016	Marquette University	Milwaukee, WI	TBA
11/18/2016	IUPUI	Indianapolis, IN	TBA
11/19/2016	Gardner Webb/Eastern Mich.	Indianapolis, IN	TBA
11/26/2016	Georgetown University	Washington, DC	TBA
12/3/2016	American University	Washington, D.C.	7 pm
12/7/2016	University of Maryland	College Park, MD	TBA
12/10/2016	George Washington University	Washington, D.C	7 PM
12/14/2016	Jacksonville State University	Washington, DC	7 PM
12/16/2016	Shenandoah University	Washington, DC	6 PM
12/18/2016	Central Pennsylvania College	Washington, DC	7 PM
12/22/2016	Old Dominion University	Norfolk, VA	TBA
12/27/2016	Virginia Commonwealth University	Richmond, VA	TBA
12/30/2016	Harvard University	Cambridge, MA	TBA
1/4/2017	Florida A&M University	Washington, DC	7 PM
1/7/2017	Columbia University	New York, NY	TBA
1/14/2017	University of Maryland Eastern Shore	Princess Anne, MD	12 PM
1/16/2017	Coppin State University	Washington, DC	7 PM
1/21/2017	North Carolina A&T State University	Greensboro, NC	4 PM
1/23/2017	North Carolina Central University	Durham, NC	7:30 PM
1/28/2017	Savannah State University	Washington, DC	4 PM
1/30/2017	South Carolina State University	Washington, DC	7 PM
2/4/2017	Florida A&M University	Tallahassee, FL	4 PM
2/6/2017	Bethune-Cookman University	Daytona Beach, FL	8 PM
2/11/2017	Hampton University	Hampton, VA	8 PM
2/13/2017	Morgan State University	Washington, DC	7 PM
2/18/2017	North Carolina A&T State University	Washington, DC	6 PM
2/20/2017	North Carolina Central University	Washington, DC	7 PM
2/25/2017	Norfolk State University	Norfolk, VA	8 PM
2/27/2017	University of Maryland Eastern Shore	Washington, DC	8 PM
3/2/2017	Delaware State University	Dover, DE	8 PM
MEAC Tournament
3/7-12/2017	TBA	Norfolk, VA	TBA

COURTESY HOWARD UNIVERSITY BISON ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

FSU Head Football Coach Richard Hayes to Appear on the Overtime Sports Show

DURHAM, North Carolina – Fayetteville State University head football coach Richard Hayes, Jr. will be a guest on The Overtime Sports Radio Talk Show this week. The show will air live on Monday, July 18th at 6:30 p.m.

Hayes will take the helm of a football program that finished last season 4-6 overall and 4-3 in the CIAA. The Broncos have competed for the Southern Division crown for the previous two seasons.

Hayes brings over 15 years of coaching experience into the leadership role of the football program at FSU. Prior to taking charge at Fayetteville State, Hayes served as the defensive coordinator for the 2015 CIAA champion Winston-Salem State Rams. He won three CIAA Championships (2011, 2012, 2015), made four conference championship appearances (2011-12; 2014-15), and complied a record of 60-13 as a member of the Rams coaching staff.

The Overtime Sports Show airs Monday through Friday from 6:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. The show is based out of Durham, NC, and showcases high school, college, and professional sports in the surrounding area.

Mike Wood serves as the host of the Overtime Sports Show. Those interested in the interview with Coach Hayes can tune in live with the following link: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/the-overtime-sports-show/2016/07/18/the-overtime-sports-show-with-mike-wood .

COURTESY FAYETTEVILLE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Brewton Jr. Added to Chowan's Women's Basketball Coaching Staff

MURFREESBORO, North Carolina -- The Chowan University athletic department along with Head Women's Basketball Coach LaToya Jones announced the addition of Eric Brewton Jr. to the coaching staff. He will serve as an assistant coach with the women's basketball program.

Jones noted, "I am excited to welcome the final piece to an amazing staff. Eric is a young, energetic, purpose-driven, hard worker by design. His experience at Middle Tennessee State University will benefit our program greatly. He is going to do great things in this profession as he continues to grow in various roles. Eric comes from a very successful program and that mentality will carry over in the future success of this program".

Brewton Jr. added, "First, I'd like to thank God for blessing me with the opportunity to be Assistant Women's Basketball Coach at Chowan University. I am looking forward to working with Coach Jones, the student-athletes, and the entire Chowan family. I will help build a winning and successful women's basketball program for years to come".

Prior to coming to Chowan, Brewton Jr. served as a student assistant, manager, and video coordinator at Middle Tennessee State University. In that capacity, he recruited men's practice players, oversaw other student managers, coordinated transportation and handling of equipment and apparel, organized personnel clips, and scouted opponent game film.

Brewton Jr. has also worked the AAU circuit since 2012. He hires and manages court staff and assists with game management.

Brewton Jr. graduated from Middle Tennessee State in May of 2016 with a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Communication.

He resides in Murfreesboro.

COURTESY CHOWAN UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Howard Bison Predicted to Win MEAC Northern Division Crown

HOWARD UNIVERSITY WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL TEAM 2016
Courtesy: Howard University Athletic Media Relations

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Coming off winning the 2015 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Championship, the Howard University volleyball team was predicted to take the Northern Division title in a vote of the conference's head volleyball coaches and sports information directors, as announced on Friday. Bethune-Cookman was selected to win the Southern Division.

Additionally, junior outside hitter Khaila Donaldson was named the league's Preseason Player of the Year. Donaldson is joined on the 2016 MEAC Preseason Team by senior libero Morgan Marlbrough.

Howard topped the preseason poll with 163 total points and 19 first-place votes. The Bison are looking to claim their third consecutive Northern Division crown after recording an 18-14 overall record last season, including going 11-1 in MEAC play. Under the guidance of head coach Shaun Kupferberg, Howard took home the 2015 MEAC Championship and made its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 1994.

Donaldson had a breakout sophomore campaign in 2015, leading the team with 405 kills (3.49 kills/set) while coming in second in service aces (34) and digs (322). She received numerous honors for her outstanding season, including MEAC All-Tournament honors and being named the tournament's most outstanding player.

Marlbrough topped the squad with a career-high 493 digs for a team-best 4.25 digs per set last season. She finished her junior year with 27 matches with at least 10 digs, including 16 straight outings. She also ranked third on the team with 109 assists and tallied 25 aces.

The Bison open up the regular season on the road in the DC Volleyball Challenge, facing George Mason (8/26), Georgetown (8/27) and American (8/27) during the two-day event in Washington, D.C. and Fairfax, Va.

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UDC's Oudat Sisters, Lana and Yara Featured in Lacrosse Magazine

SPARKS, Maryland  – The University of the District of Columbia's Lana and Yara Oudat are featured in the June 2016 issue of Lacrosse Magazine in a story entitled "Finding Refuge: Oudat Sisters Find Home in Lacrosse" written by Matt Hamilton.

Lana, who graduated from UDC with a BS in Architecture this past May, and Yara, a rising junior defender entering her third season with the Firebirds women's lacrosse program in 2017, fled from Syria with their mother four years ago. As the civil war escalated there, the sisters discovered an unlikely source of solace here. Lacrosse.

The following article originally appeared in the June 2016 issue of Lacrosse Magazine, the flagship publication of US Lacrosse, the sport's national governing body. Join more than 450,000 US Lacrosse members today and have Lacrosse Magazine delivered right to your mail box.

Finding Refuge: Oudat Sisters Find Home in Lacrosse

Photo courtesy of Brian Schneider - Lacrosse Magazine

Yara Oudat doesn’t need to look far on most game days. There, in the front row, she’ll find her mother, Lama, and her sister, Lana. She’ll hear them, too, screaming louder than anyone else at the University of the District of Columbia women’s lacrosse games.

Lama Oudat is still learning English, but she’s an expert in the phrase, “Go Yara!” and once mastered, “Go Lana!”

“She finds me before I find her,” said Yara Oudat, a 21-year-old defender for the Firebirds. “She also takes pictures of me every single game. It’s embarrassing.”

Lana Oudat, 24, remembers a time when her name was the subject of her mother’s chants. She was a midfielder for UDC before graduating last year. Unlike her sister, she found a way to enjoy the adulation.

“You know how some people, they don’t want their mom to scream so loud?” she said. “I don’t care. I love it. I feel support because she’s always there for you.”

Lama Oudat has been there every step of the way, but now it’s a new world. She’s no longer driving her daughters to basketball practice like she did when they were younger. Now, lacrosse is what strings this family together.

The Oudat family has been a mainstay in the UDC program for three seasons now. Win or lose — the Firebirds are 1-33 since debuting in 2014 — the Oudat family continues to take in the moment.

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INTERVIEW: John Grant - AFR Celebration Bowl

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Executive Director of the Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl John Grant joins the SWAC Digital Network during its annual football media day.



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