Gold Rush prevail at Carey for 1st road win of season

HATTIESBURG, Mississippi — Morris Wright scored 20 points Saturday, including the go-ahead basket with 1:52 remaining, to lead NAIA No. 17 Xavier University of Louisiana to a 64-61 men's basketball victory against William Carey.

It was the first road victory of the season for the Gold Rush (9-3). Xavier is 1-3 on the road and 8-0 at home. It was the Crusaders' first home loss in five games this season.

RJ Daniels scored 12 points for Xavier, and Lucas Martin-Julien and Gary Smith scored 10 points apiece. Elex Carter grabbed a game-high seven rebounds, and Martin-Julien had a career-high four steals.

Donta Pittman scored a season-high 25 points, 17 in the second half, for William Carey (5-5), and Leo Garrett had 11.

Wright scored Xavier's final seven points, including a 2-pointer in the 39th minute to put the Gold Rush ahead to stay. His two free throws with 11 seconds remaining concluded the scoring, and William Carey missed a 2-pointer on its final possession.

Xavier led 31-27 at halftime. The game had nine ties and 12 lead changes.

The longtime rivals will meet again Feb. 11 — two days after Mardi Gras — at XU's Convocation Center. Xavier leads the series 46-32, including nine victories in its last 12 games at William Carey.

Next for Xavier will be LeMoyne-Owen at 6 p.m. Thursday in the JCJ Classic at Memphis, Tennessee.

BOX SCOR

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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Florida A&M's Blount Excelled on the Field and in the Classroom

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- The Florida A&M Rattler football team has faced a challenging season. And that is what makes the accomplishments of one of its players, Akil Blount, a remarkable story of the power of persistence.

Blount played for the Rattlers over the last four seasons as a linebacker. Over the last two seasons, he has been a leader on the Rattler defense, garnering the most tackles on the team in both years. He was also voted All-MEAC for his play during the past two seasons. Off the field, he was majoring in one of the most challenging programs on FAMU’s campus, the business administration track in the School of Business and Industry.

It would be an accomplishment to excel either on the field or in the classroom, but it is rare to have an individual excel at both. Blount, thanks to the summer school scholarship program implemented by FAMU Athletics, will graduate on Friday after just three-and-a-half years. Additionally, he is considered a serious NFL prospect and is invited to play in two of the most prominent senior football player showcases.

Blount has accepted an invitation to play in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl in Los Angeles, which comes with an all-expense paid trip, a week of NFL-caliber practice broadcast on ESPNU and an All-Star game with several scouts on hand.

Staying focused was never an issue for Blount, as he made a promise to his father before he left Pittsburgh, Pa. to come to FAMU.

“I told my dad that when I left home I was going on a business trip to school, and I would be right back. Even through the difficult times, my parents were positive and kept me focused and always offered their support,” Blount said.

Leading by example is Blount’s claim to fame. The soft-spoken linebacker is not one to talk much but shows in his action how to play the game of football and how to navigate through a college curriculum.

The schedule of a student-athlete is one of the most difficult itineraries to manage. From strength and conditioning to class to study hall to team meetings, student-athletes have to endure a grueling schedule, especially in season. Still, dealing with these obstacles was a lesson in organizational skills, time management, and untiring dedication that Blount will always carry with him.

FAMU Director of Athletics Milton Overton applauds Blount for his accomplishments.

“This is a prime example of a student-athlete taking advantage of the opportunities laid before him. His determination in the classroom accents his personal success on the field. As an athletics department, we want to continue to provide opportunities for our student-athletes to be successful. These are the pillars on which we strive to build champions,” Overton said.

Along with Blount’s academic and athletic endeavors, he has been a leader for FAMU’s student-athletes in community involvement. Elected president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) by his peers, he was a finalist for the Allstate Good Works Team this year, which honors student-athletes nationally for performance on the field, academic success, and community service. He was nominated in part because of his participation in the Lunch Buddies Program where he reads to elementary school kids and interacts over lunch. He is also active in feeding the homeless at The Shelter and several other community service events. Under his leadership, the FAMU SAAC was recognized by the Leon County School Board with the Outstanding Partners for Excellence Award.

The son of Pittsburgh Steelers great and NFL Hall of Famer Mel Blount, Akil was a multi-sport star in high school. He was even featured on ESPN in high school playing basketball, making a miraculous last second game-winning bucket. With his business degree in hand after Saturday’s commencement exercises, Blount has laid the foundation for a successful career beyond the footprint of Florida A&M University.

“Commencement is definitely going to be a surreal moment, but something I always envisioned myself doing. I never thought the day would come so soon. I’m just thankful for FAMU, the SBI program, and the football program for the person they have allowed me to develop into,” Blount said.

COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Ram Ramblings: Raising money for scholarships is key for success on the field

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- I admit the tweet I sent out earlier this week was sarcastic, and probably a little over the top. Yet another football coach in the CIAA was fired and I said something along the lines that these schools have to keep cutting back on scholarships yet expect the coaches to win.

Elizabeth City State, Shaw, St. Aug's and Fayetteville State are all looking for head coaches.

That’s where Winston-Salem State is trying to stay ahead of the curve. Two important fund-raisers will take place next month with one helping women’s scholarships and the other helping with men’s scholarships.

Athletics director Tonia Walker created a “She’s Got It Covered, Classy Hat Affair” last year and it raised close to $30,000. That fund-raiser will happen at the Benton Convention Center on Jan. 23 at 10 a.m.

Helping kickoff the alumni basketball weekend for the other fund-raiser will be Stephen A. Smith, a WSSU graduate and former part-time clerk at the Winston-Salem Journal.

Smith, who worked at the Journal during ...

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WSSU fires coach arrested in domestic dispute

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- Jason Mai, an assistant football coach at Winston-Salem State for the last five seasons, has been fired.

Mai’s biography on WSSU’s web site was taken down, and officials would not reveal the reason for Mai’s firing.

“I was let go on Monday,” Mai said by telephone Friday.

Tonia Walker, the athletic director at WSSU, would not give a reason for Mai’s dismissal.

“He’s no longer employed by the university,” Walker said. “It’s a personnel matter.”

Mai, 34, had been suspended since late October after his arrest in a domestic dispute. Mai was arrested Oct. 25, but he coached in WSSU’s homecoming game the next weekend. After his arrest became public, Mai was suspended with pay for the Rams’ final two games, a win over Fayetteville State and a win over Bowie State in the CIAA championship game.

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Power of positive thinking: A&T turns around dreadful start with 4-game win streak

GREENSBORO, North Carolina -- Just who are these guys, anyway?

Are they the bad team that opened the season with seven consecutive losses, including one at home against a Division III team?

Or are they the very good team that reeled off four wins in a row and sits atop the MEAC standings?

The answer is probably somewhere in between, but N.C. A&T coach Cy Alexander says his Aggies (4-7, 2-0 MEAC) know the beginning of a season does not dictate the end.

“There are no championships won in November,” Alexander says. “Championships are won in January, February and March. At no point did we doubt we were going to be a good basketball team. But, yeah, we were concerned.”

The Aggies still have a long way to go, but they take a four-game winning streak to Greenville for a game against East Carolina at 2 p.m. Sunday.

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Southern pulls away from Wyoming

LARAMIE, Wyoming – Trelun Banks scored 21 points with 7-for-14 shooting to lead Southern to a 68-58 win over Wyoming on Thursday night.

Adrian Rodgers added 14 points plus eight rebounds and Tony Nunn scored 10 points for the Jaguars who improved to 6-2. Southern outscored the Cowboys 41-32 in the second half and controlled the glass 45-25.

Banks hit back-to-back three pointers midway through the first half to give Southern, who never trailed in this game, its first double-digit lead, 20-8. Wyoming (5-4) battled back, closing the gap to 27-26 with a three pointer from Josh Adams at the end of the half.

But it was as close as the Cowboys would get the rest of the way. Southern opened the second half with an 8-0 spurt, then broke away with a 10-2 run capped by Banks' layup to make it 58-43 with 4:58 to go and held a double-figure advantage the rest of the way.

The Cowboys were held to just 35 percent shooting (17-of-48) from the field and the same percentage (10-of-29) beyond the arc, while Southern hit 44 percent (27-of-62) and 45 percent (5-of-11), respectively. The victory handed Wyoming, who was led by Adams’ 25 points its first back-to-back nonconference home losses under sixth-year head coach Larry Shyatt.

Adams led Wyoming with 25 points. Last season, the Cowboys made it to the NCAA Tournament and advanced to the second round.

Last month Southern topped Mississippi State 76-72.

Box Score

COURTESY SWAC MEDIA RELATIONS

FAMU AD Overton makes tough cuts and key hires as he repairs foundation

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- During his first three months as Florida A&M athletic director, Milton Overton Jr. made a point of meeting with every member of the university’s ailing athletic department.

Like an engineer who needed to inspect every square inch of a shaky building's foundation, Overton wanted see each person and look them in the eye. He wanted to know every member of the department.

So Overton met with everyone, from the senior members of the athletic department’s leadership team, down to members of the grounds crew for Bragg Memorial Stadium.

That process is finished. Now Overton is looking to build the executive team that’ll help him strengthen the foundation for Florida A&M athletics for the present and future. In doing so, athletics can be an asset and a flagship for the university instead of a major financial liability as it has been for years.

He’s started making hires and shifting staff. In a Dec. 9, interview with the Tallahassee Democrat, Overton said he fired former interim AD Earl D’Wayne Robinson, along with some administrative assistants and members of the grounds crew.

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Shaw Head Football Coach Contract Not Renewed

RALEIGH, North Carolina  – The Shaw University Athletics Department announced today the contract for Bears Head Football Coach Robert Massey will not be renewed.

Massey completed four seasons as the Bears head coach, finishing the 2015 season with a 1-9 record. Shaw finished tied for last in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Conference (CIAA), missing the Championship for the fourth time in the last five years. Massey compiled a record of 14-26 during his time at the helm. He has a career record of 16-44 which includes two seasons as head coach at Livingstone College.

Massey was officially introduced as Shaw's head football coach on January 18, 2012 after serving on the Bears football staff for five years, including serving as the defensive coordinator for two years in which he was a part of the 2010 CIAA Championship team.

"We thank Coach Massey for his effort and dedication to the Bears football program and to our student-athletes over the last four seasons," said Director of Athletics Dr. Alfonza Carter. "At this time, we believe the program needs to go in a new direction. We wish Coach Massey nothing but the best for the future."

For the most up-to-date information on Shaw football and its 11 varsity sport teams, visit shawbears.com.

COURTESY SHAW UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Fobbs: ULM interview wasn’t anything major

SHREVEPORT, Louisiana -- Grambling football coach Broderick Fobbs interviewed for the job opening at ULM on Wednesday, although he said Thursday the meeting “wasn’t anything major.”

Speaking to The News-Star on Thursday, Fobbs confirmed he met with ULM on Wednesday in Shreveport to discuss the vacancy that was left by Todd Berry’s firing earlier this year. The meeting lasted a few hours.

“Really nothing to it. They wanted to speak with me and I went and spoke with them,” Fobbs said.

“I’m happy at Grambling. If someone wants to talk to you, you always listen, and that’s what I did. You always listen to what people have to say because you never know if something is going to be worth it.”

KNOE Sports Director Aaron Dietrich first reported Fobbs’ interview with ULM on Thursday morning.

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Commentary: Celebration Bowl grand stage for SWAC-MEAC

ATLANTA, Georgia -- Alcorn State will end the 2015 season in its desired destination — Atlanta.

Back in July at SWAC Media Day in Birmingham, Braves senior quarterback John Gibbs Jr., talked about playing in the first Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl that pits the SWAC champion against the MEAC champion.

"Our expectations, we hold them high," Gibbs said last summer. "We have to follow up on those expectation. If we don't, we fall short of our goal. Our motto is 'Road to Atlanta.' Start in Atlanta and end in Atlanta."

Alcorn State (9-3) opened the season with a 63-point loss at Georgia Tech, but won a second straight SWAC title and will return to Atlanta to face North Carolina A&T (9-2) in the inaugural postseason bowl Dec. 19 at the Georgia Dome. The Aggies shared the MEAC title with Bethune Cookman and North Carolina Central while Alcorn State smashed Grambling, 49-21, in the SWAC title game.

North Carolina A&T won the bowl tiebreaker based on USA TODAY Sagarin ratings of FBS and FCS schools. A&T is 152nd, B-CU is 174th and N.C. Central is 188th.

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SCSU student song raising money for university

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- A South Carolina State University student is helping raise money for the school through music.

Keith Gillard, known as K-G the Artist, wrote the original song I Love my HBCU. Gillard says he was inspired to write the song after the university's accreditation problems. He says he wants to send a positive message about historically black colleges to the public.

"I just wanted to put on for my school and all the HBCU because I've just been hearing a lot about HBCU being shut down or threatened to be shut down whether it was us or not,” Gillard said. “I just wanted to make a stand. We're here thriving and we're not going no where.”

The song can be downloaded on iTunes and all proceeds go to the university.

Available on Itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/hbc...



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Morehouse College Senior Prince Abudu Selected to 2016 International Rhodes Scholar Class

Prince Abudu is 4^th Morehouse Student to be Selected

ATLANTA, Georgia -- Morehouse College student Prince Abudu has been selected to the 2016 International Rhodes Scholar class representing his home country of Zimbabwe. The Rhodes Scholarship supports students who demonstrate a strong propensity to emerge as future leaders.

Abudu is the fourth Morehouse student to be selected for the prestigious scholarship to attend the University of Oxford in England. Morehouse is the only Historically Black College represented in the 2016 Rhodes Scholar Class and one of only two Georgia Colleges in this year’s prestigious class. The Rhodes Scholarship provides for two or three years of study at Oxford. Abudu, whose email signature Destinato Alla Gloria, “Destined for Greatness,” best girds his determination to excel. The Morehouse leader plans to pursue a master’s degree in computer science and a MBA at Oxford.

“I’m blessed and excited. This would not have been possible without the support of my family in Zimbabwe and the new family I have been favored with at Morehouse College. This is an opportunity that I have dreamed of all my life,” said Abudu, who grew up on a rural farm in his homeland.

“My studies at Morehouse prepared me for this next endeavor and I am thrilled to begin this new era of achieving academic excellence. This is the Morehouse culture, and I am extraordinarily proud to represent my college,” he added.

Abudu is a highly motivated student leader and an honor student in the College’s Department of Computer Science. The senior, computer science major serves as the Operations Leader for Emergination Africa (www.emerginationafrica.org), an intercontinental youth-driven mentorship program he co-founded in 2012 to provide resources and guidance to African students transitioning to college.

His leadership was recognized when he was selected to participate in an Oprah Fellows Program roundtable discussion with former African presidents from Kenya, Namibia and Mauritius on issues pertaining to democracy and sustainable peace.

In summer of 2014, Abudu interned with Cummins Inc, where he developed a call support tree for technology-related issues for the plant’s IT Department and warehouse users.

Abudu is a Resolution Project Fellow and a member of the Morehouse Model United Nations, the National Society of Collegiate Scholars and the Kutama College Web Design Club. He is also a semi-finalist for the Anzisha Prize Opportunity.

“We are so very pleased that Prince Abudu has been named our fourth Rhodes Scholar! It means a great deal to him and to Morehouse College! Prince’s educational journey has been amazing, as he emerged from a set of exceedingly challenging circumstances in Zimbabwe,”said Morehouse president John Silvanus Wilson ’79.

“He arrived at Morehouse with no small degree of raw intelligence, grit, and a clear and compelling determination to succeed. He has developed into the ‘iconic’ man of Morehouse who is academically, socially and spiritually equipped to lead and do consequential things in the world. We are very proud of him and we are confident that he will thrive at Oxford,” Wilson said.

Morehouse College was the first historically black college (HBCU) to produce a Rhodes Scholar and now is the only HBCU to produce four scholars. Previous Morehouse Rhodes Scholars include Nima Warfield, named in 1994, Christopher Elders, 2001, and Oluwabusayo “Tope’” Folarin, 2004.



COURTESY MOREHOUSE COLLEGE MEDIA RELATIONS

Norfolk State University’s Accrediting Agency Lifts Sanction

NORFOLK, Virginia  — Norfolk State University’s accrediting body, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), notified Interim President and CEO Eddie N. Moore Jr. today that the university has satisfied all of the agency’s accreditation concerns and voted to remove NSU from the probation status. NSU is no longer under the accreditation sanction. Moore received the news while attending the SACSCOC annual meeting held in Houston, Texas.

The SACSCOC Special Committee visited Norfolk State University October 13-15. The committee confirmed the contents of the university’s Second Monitoring Report that was submitted to SACSCOC in September. The outcome of the Committee’s assessment was that there were no recommendations for Norfolk State University based on their review – the best possible outcome for NSU. The university was placed on probation in December 2014, largely for administrative and procedural matters not related to the viability of the university’s academic programs.

Norfolk State has been fully and continuously accredited since it first became eligible for accreditation in 1969. “Today’s news ensures that Norfolk State will continue toward improvement, growth and a culture of assessment,” said Moore. “Norfolk State University has emerged a much stronger institution; an institution well-positioned for a brighter future.” Moore also thanked students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends of Norfolk State for their support.

For more information, visit the NSU website at nsu.edu or call the Office of Communications and Marketing at 757-823- 8373.

Report: Wheeler Brown to be JSU's athletic director

JACKSON, Mississippi -- Jackson State interim athletic director Wheeler Brown sat down with The Clarion-Ledger last month and explained his desire to remove the interim tag from his label and become the university's permanent athletic director.

It appears he'll get his wish.

Footballscoop.com reported on Thursday morning, per a source, that JSU is "promoting Wheeler Brown from interim AD, to the full-time AD role."

Later Thursday morning, a JSU source was able to confirm that Wheeler would be named full-time athletic director. In recent weeks this has been considered the likely move, according to sources.

"I would definitely like to become the permanent athletic director," Brown said last month. "I don't think you get to this point in your career as an athletic administrator and not strive to be the top administrator in the department. This is by far the best job in the SWAC without a doubt and one of the better AD jobs, I think, in the country."

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The Bodyguard': Armstrong fills WSSU Rams' need in the middle

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- “The Bodyguard” is the best way to describe Keith Armstrong’s role with the Winston-Salem State Rams.

As for whether that description becomes a nickname, freshman Jemel McAllister thought it had a good ring to it.

“I don’t know if Keith will like that nickname but that’s kind of what he is for this team,” McAllister said. “He’s also been like a big brother who watches out for us, so that’s been good.”

Armstrong, who is 6-foot-7 and built like a Mack truck at 235, has filled a need for coach James Wilhelmi in the middle. As a graduate transfer with his degree from East Carolina in communications, Armstrong’s work ethic and his ability to rebound in traffic is just what the Rams need from him.

One of the luxuries Wilhelmi has with Armstrong should show up more in the heat of the CIAA play in January and February. Heading into hostile gyms is a little easier with a post player who can score on the inside and get those important rebounds.

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FAMU's Overton making staff changes, former interim AD Robinson fired

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- FAMU Athletic Director Milton Overton Jr. on Wednesday confirmed he is reorganizing the university's athletic department. That reorganization includes the firing of former interim AD Earl D'Wayne Robinson.

Robinson served as interim AD from Jan. 13 until Overton was hired. Before that, he was FAMU's Director of NCAA Compliance.

In a Wednesday phone interview with the Tallahassee Democrat, Overton wouldn't go into specifics, but said some administrative assistants and grounds crew members were also fired. He added the decision to let Robinson go was not made "lightly."

"In an effort to build a championship culture in the Department of Athletics, transformational changes must occur," Overton said an in an email to the Democrat.

"As we work toward enhancing our programs and enabling success on and off the field, it is important that we reduce risk and liability in regards to preventing NCAA violations and increase revenue and reduce athletics debt obligations. In order to successfully accomplish these crucial tasks, a restructure of the athletics enterprise was required.

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Rick Cleveland: Pairing of Alcorn State, Hopson was a blessing

HEAD COACH JAY HOPSON
ALCORN STATE UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL
COURTESY: ASU ATHLETICS

JACKSON, Mississippi -- When Alcorn State first offered its head football coaching job to Jay Hopson in April of 2012, he turned it down. What has happened since should be a book and then a movie.

Problem is, even Hollywood might consider the story a bit inconceivable.

The Alcorn football program was a train wreck. The previous year’s team had won just one conference game. Seven or eight of the top returning players had decided not to return. Fan support? Fewer than 500 fans had shown up for Alcorn’s final home game in 2011.

Hopson, a two-time cancer survivor who had grown up in nearby Vicksburg, wanted to be a head coach, but this wasn’t, he first thought, the right fit. The facilities were poor. The recruiting budget was worse. The salary pool for assistant coaches was worse still. And then there was this: If he took the job, Hopson would be the first white coach in history of the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

Hopson, only a year removed from the defensive coordinator’s job at Michigan, turned the job down and began to contemplate a life outside football. Weeks later, Alcorn called him back. The negotiations resumed. Alcorn gave some. Hopson gave some. This will make a really long story short: He took the job on May 31, 2012. Says Hopson, “I just decided that I was supposed to do this.”

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College football is rigged against black head coaches

Fewer than 8 percent of top coaches in the biggest football programs are black.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- It’s the holiday season, and in college football, that’s also the season for hiring and firing head football coaches.

Except if you’re a black college football coach hoping to be a head coach, it’s mostly just the season for firing.

Last week, one of the few black head football coaches in the NCAA’s Football Bowl Subdivision, Ruffin McNeill at East Carolina University, was fired. His record was 42-34, along with a 30-18 conference record. The winning percentages, respectively, are 55 percent and 63 percent.

Around the same time, college football writers were praising the University of Iowa for its patience with head coach Kirk Ferentz, who is being lauded for his performance this year. Ferentz has an overall winning percentage of 60 percent, and a conference winning percentage of 56 percent. Ferentz is in his 17th season at Iowa. Before this current 12-1 season, his overall winning percentage was 58 percent — comparable to McNeill’s.

Iowa, however, had to endure seasons where Ferentz won one, three and four games. McNeill never won fewer than five. As any knowledgeable college football fan knows, East Carolina’s budget is not even half of Iowa’s. McNeill’s salary at East Carolina wasn’t even within the top 60 in the country, while Ferentz has perennially been one of college football’s highest paid coaches.

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READ RELATED:
Ruffin McNeill Was Offered A Contract Extension By ECU, But Turned It Down Because It Low-Balled His Assistant Coaches

FSU Head Football Coach Lawrence Kershaw Relieved of Duties

FAYETTEVILLE, North Carolina -- The Fayetteville State University department of athletics has announced that head football coach Lawrence Kershaw has been relieved of his coaching duties, effective immediately.

Kershaw recently completed his third year at the helm of the Broncos football program following a 24-22 loss to Winston-Salem State (Nov. 7) that concluded a 4-6 regular season finish. He has an overall coaching record of 15-15 (.500) at FSU.

Kershaw was officially introduced as the 15th head coach on Jan. 22, 2013 after serving as the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, FL for five years.

We are tremendously grateful for the hard work, dedication and contributions Coach Kershaw and his staff have made to both Fayetteville State University and our community; however, after conducting a detailed evaluation of our football program, I have made a decision to move in a different direction," said Director of Athletics Anthony Bennett.

Defensive coordinator David Bowser has been named the interim head coach. Bowser has been a member of the FSU football coaching staff since the 2000 season. In addition to serving as the current defensive coordinator, he has been the running backs coach and recruiting coordinator. Bowser is the longest tenured assistant coach at Fayetteville State.

"Our goal will be to move expeditiously in our search for an individual to lead our football program,” added Bennett. “We believe that we will be able to attract strong candidates who have the skills and desire to lead our program to greater heights.”

COURTESY FAYETTEVILLE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

John L. Smith announced as KSU's head football coach

FRANKFORT, Kentucky -- President Raymond M. Burse and Kentucky State University are pleased to announce John L. Smith as the new head football coach of the Thorobreds. Smith, who has been a high-profile staple in Kentucky as a former head coach at the University of Louisville from 1998 to 2002, was introduced in a press conference Monday in the Exum Center.

Smith comes to Kentucky State with more than 40 years of college coaching experience and more than 20 years as a head coach. He has posted a 150-113 record at six schools as a head coach, including, most notably, stops at Louisville, Michigan State University, and the University of Arkansas. Most recently, Smith has spent three seasons at Division II Fort Lewis College, where he inherited a team that had been 0-10 in 2012 and posted a 7-4 record this year, equaling the program's best record in 40 years.

"I have the utmost respect for Coach Smith," Burse said. "I have followed his career for a long time, and he has proven that he knows how to win. I trust that he will transform our football program. He is a proven leader and will be a role model for our students."

Upon accepting the position, Smith is looking forward to returning to Kentucky and looking forward to making a positive impact on the Kentucky State football program.

"I'm excited, excited, excited," Smith said. "It's a great opportunity, and Kentucky State is a football program with huge upside. It's a program I look at and think there's a lot we can do. A big part of that is being able to talk to President Burse and knowing he will support the program 100 percent. I think Kentucky State is a great fit for me, and I think I'll be a great fit for Kentucky State. I want to make sure of two things when a young man comes to play football at Kentucky State, that he leaves with a degree and that he leaves as a winner."

Prior to his time at Fort Lewis, Smith served as special teams coordinator and linebackers coach at Arkansas from 2009-11 before serving as the team's head coach for one season in 2012. He also spent four seasons at Michigan State, where he went 22-26 from 2003-06 and won Big Ten Coach of the Year honors in 2003.

In addition to the Big Ten Coach of the Year award, Smith was a national finalist for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year award in 2000. He has made 12 postseason bowl or playoff appearances, and he is one of just 19 coaches in collegiate football history to take three different schools to bowl games.

Before his time at Michigan State, Smith went 41-21 at Louisville from 1998-2002, a stretch that included five straight winning seasons, five straight bowl appearances, and two conference championships. Smith also has head coaching stops at Utah State University as well as the University of Idaho, where he went 53-21 from 1989-94 and left as the school's winningest head coach.

An Idaho Falls native, Smith holds a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education and Mathematics from Weber State University, where he was a linebacker and quarterback in his collegiate playing days. He also holds a Master of Science in Physical Education from the University of Montana.

In addition to his head coaching experience, Smith has served in various assistant coaching roles at Idaho, Weber State, and Montana, as well as with the University of Nevada, University of Wyoming, Washington State University, and the St. Louis Rams.

COURTESY KENTUCKY STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION 

WVSU Tops UVA-Wise to Give Poore Milestone Win

INSTITUTE, West Virginia -- It was one of the biggest milestones of West Virginia State men’s basketball coach Bryan Poore’s career, and his jacket and tie didn’t live to see it.

Those were long gone by the start of Monday night’s second half between the Yellow Jackets and the University of Virginia College at Wise. Poore said the jacket often comes off because it gets so hot on the court. The tie normally doesn’t. He shed that at halftime because State’s early play had him hot under the collar.

By the end of the game, Poore had cooled off. And he was the winningest coach in program history.

The Yellow Jackets’ 85-65 win Monday night against UVa-Wise gave Poore, in his 17th season at the helm, his 289th win as State’s head coach, breaking his tie with Mark Cardwell for the most coaching wins in WVSU men’s hoops annals.

“It’s awesome, it really is,” said Poore after his players hoisted him on their shoulders and carried him off the court. “I was just here kind of conducting it, but the players I’ve had through the years are the guys who got me these wins. The players play. But it is special.”

Cardwell coached both football and basketball at State, graduating from the school in 1925 as a two-time football All-American. His 1948 men’s basketball team finished 30-0 and was named national champion among historically black colleges.

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Gold Nuggets reach top 10 for first time since 2013

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana reached the top 10 in the NAIA Division I Women's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll for the first time since the 2012-13 season. The Gold Nuggets climbed from 21st to ninth in the poll, which was announced Tuesday.
     
Xavier (9-2) has won 3-of-4 games against ranked NAIA DI teams, including Shawnee State and Langston on consecutive days and Our Lady of the Lake in a fourth-quarter rally from 17 points down. Xavier was behind all three opponents in the preseason ranking but has leapfrogged all three. Our Lady of the Lake is tied for 10th, Shawnee State is 12th, and Langston is 18th.
     
The top-10 appearance is the Nuggets' first since Feb. 26, 2013, and it's their highest ranking since they were ninth on Jan. 8, 2013. The climb of 12 places is the largest in Bo Browder's 17 seasons as head coach.
     
The poll is the first of the regular season since the preseason ranking Oct. 27. The next top 25 will be announced Jan. 5.
     
The Gold Nuggets are taking fall-semester final exams this week. They'll resume their schedule Dec. 17 against Indiana Wesleyan — ranked ninth in NAIA Division II — at 11 a.m. EST in the Cruzin Classic at Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The next home game will start at 3 p.m. Jan. 2 against NAIA No. 22 LSU-Shreveport at the Convocation Center.

NAIA Division I Women's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll(first-place votes in parentheses — records through Dec. 6) Rank Team Record Points Last 1 Vanguard (8) 4-0 219 3 2 Westmont 8-1 209 5 3 Montana State-Northern 8-1 199 6 4 Campbellsville 8-3 193 1 5 Bethel (Tenn.) 8-3 187 4 6 Carroll (Mont.) 11-1 186 24 7 Freed-Hardeman 5-3 174 2 8 Benedictine (Kan.) 9-1 170 15 9 Xavier 9-2 157 21 10-tie MidAmerica Nazarene 5-1 156 9 10-tie Our Lady of the Lake 4-2 156 tie-7 12 Shawnee State 10-2 152 16 13 Oklahoma City 4-3 127 tie-7 14 Lyon 6-2 122 17 15 Cumberland 8-3 112 12 16 Columbia (Mo.) (1) 9-0 111 RV 17 John Brown 7-3 103 RV 18 Langston 6-2 102 18 19 The Master's 6-2 99 14 20-tie Rocky Mountain 9-2 80 NR 20-tie Martin Methodist 8-2 80 20 22 LSU-Shreveport 5-2 70 25 23 Pikeville 9-0 60 22 24 Wayland Baptist 3-3 51 10 25 Great Falls 7-3 45 11 Dropped from rankings:  No. 13 Loyola, No. 19 Lewis-Clark State, No. 23 Baker. Others receiving votes:  Baker 41, Talladega 40, Lewis-Clark State 28, Loyola 18, Wiley 16, Lindsey Wilson 10, Hope International 5, Culver-Stockton 4, Central Methodist 3 Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director XULAgold.com XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA  twitter.com/xulagold www.facebook.com/xulagold

Gold Rush climb to 17th, improve poll streak to 52

NEW ORLEANS — Eight victories in the first 11 games, including a 4-0 record against NCAA Division II opponents, helped Xavier University of Louisiana climb into a tie for 17th Tuesday in the NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll.
     
The Gold Rush, 19th in the preseason, share the position with Martin Methodist. Xavier is in the top 25 for the 52nd consecutive time — the longest active streak in the division — and the 65th time in the last 66 polls.
     
Xavier defeated NCAA D2 opponents Spring Hill, Miles, LeMoyne-Owen and Clark Atlanta by an average of 11 1/2 points. All the victories were at home, where the Gold Rush are 8-0 this season.
     
Xavier is one of two Gulf Coast Athletic Conference teams in the top 25. The other is Talladega, which dropped from third to 11th. For the first time since Dec. 10, 2013, four GCAC teams received votes. Dillard and Tougaloo were among the "others receiving votes."
     
Unbeaten Pikeville received 9-of-10 first-place votes and replaced defending champion Dalton State at No. 1. There are nine top-25 teams which weren't ranked in the preseason, including No. 6 William Penn, which competed in NAIA Division II last season.
     
The rankings are the first of the regular season. The next rankings will be announced Jan. 5.
     
The XU men are taking fall-semester final exams this week. They'll resume their schedule at 7 p.m. Saturday against William Carey in Hattiesburg, Miss. The next home game will start at 5 p.m. Dec. 29 against LSU-Shreveport in the Gold Rush Holiday Classic at the Convocation Center.

NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll (first-place votes in parentheses — records through Dec. 6) Rank Team Record Points Last 1 Pikeville (9) 10-0 250 2 2 Georgetown (Ky.) (1) 11-0 237 6 3 Freed-Hardeman 9-1 233 9 4 Arizona Christian 10-1 227 4 5 Columbia (Mo.) 10-0 219 16 6 William Penn 11-1 210 RV 7 Lewis-Clark State 10-1 196 13 8 LSU-Alexandria 8-2 185 5 9 Dalton State 6-2 184 1 10 Hope International 7-1 180 7 11 Talladega 12-3 178 3 12 Wayland Baptist 8-1 175 12 13 MidAmerica Nazarene 8-2 145 21 14 Westmont 6-2 126 17 15 Southwestern Assemblies of God 8-2 118 24 16 Carroll (Mont.) 6-2 117 RV 17-tie Xavier 8-3 113 19 17-tie Martin Methodist 7-3 113 11 19 Lindsey Wilson 9-2 109 NR 20 Texas Wesleyan 7-2 102 RV 21 Vanguard 7-0 90 RV 22 Wiley 6-2 82 NR 23 Langston 6-3 80 RV 24 Avila 8-3 61 NR 25 Montana State-Northern 8-2 54 NR Dropped from rankings:  No. 8 Evangel, No. 10 Mid-America Christian, No. 14 (tie) William Carey, No. 14 (tie) LSU-Shreveport, No. 18 Campbellsville, No. 20 Philander Smith, No. 22 Benedictine (Kan.), No. 23 Montana Western, No. 25 Our Lady of the Lake Others receiving votes:  Auburn Montgomery 41, Campbellsville 32, Mid-America Christian 26, Dillard 21, Biola 17, Mobile 15, Park 9, Tougaloo 8, William Woods 3 Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director XULAgold.com XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA  twitter.com/xulagold www.facebook.com/xulagold