Evans inducted into SWAC HOF for officiating

SELMA, Alabama -- Officiating has taken Selma Mayor George Evans all around the country. He’s officiated NCAA Tournament games involving legendary coaches, including Bobby Knight, Jim Boeheim and John Calipari.

He’s officated an Elite Eight game, which is one of college basketball’s biggest contests.

Now, officiating has taken him all the way to the Southwestern Athletic Conference Hall of Fame. Evans was one of seven inducted during a ceremony held earlier this month in Houston, Texas.

“I never dreamed of that,” Evans said. “I never expected to be into the Hall of Fame for the SWAC.”

Evans said it was a humbling experience. It’s not often officials get recognized for their work on the court. Most of the time the best officials find a way to stay out of the headlines and do not impact the final result of a game, so he was surprised to find out the SWAC wanted to honor him.

Given all his accomplishments, he probably shouldn’t have been.

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Former Coppin State, UMES basketball coach John Bates, 'a legend in the MEAC and beyond,' mourned

COURTESY COPPIN STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

BALTIMORE, Maryland -- When John Bates Jr. played basketball and football at Oakland Mills High School in Columbia, his mother, Althea, was in the stands for every game, but his father's attendance was more sporadic. At the time, his father was the head men's basketball coach at Coppin State.

It wasn't until the younger Bates went to South Carolina State to play for the football team there that he understood why his father was frequently absent.

"When I was young, I didn't understand until I went away to college and I realized that coaches are the parents of the kids they have," he said Friday afternoon. "You make a promise to the parents you're going to take care of their kids. That's the life of a coach."

John Bates, who also coached the University of Maryland Eastern Shore men's basketball program, died Wednesday night of an apparent heart attack near his home in Ellicott City. He had turned 77 last Sunday.

Mr. Bates, who began coaching the Eagles in 1974, guided the program to the 1976 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics championship with a 96-91 victory over Henderson State in the title game. That squad set a school record for wins in a single season with 39.

CONTINUE READING

Power and Glory of HBCUs on Display at 1st Celebration Bowl

Celebration Bowl
(MEAC vs. SWAC - This year: North Carolina A&T vs. Alcorn State )
When Saturday, Dec. 19, 2015 Sponsor Air Force Reserve. The game is also managed by 100 Black Men of Atlanta, a service organization dedicated to empowering black youths
Inaugural game 2015
Watch it on ABC
Payout $2 million ($1M per participating conference)
Anticipated attendance TBD (it’s the first year, after all)
Most unusual eligible mascot The Delta Devils of Mississippi Valley State (SWAC)
Coolest ancillary event 5th Quarter. After the game, the crowd sticks around for an encore from each school’s marching band—often a bigger attraction than the game itself.



ALWAYS WATCH IN 1080p HD, WIDE SCREEN

N.C. A&T's Broadway: Aggies, Alcorn State similar in philosophy

ATLANTA, Georgia -- N.C. A&T football coach Rod Broadway sees the Aggies in Alcorn State’s Braves.

Run the ball. Stop the run. Limit game-changing errors.

The Aggies and Braves, who play in the Celebration Bowl Saturday in Atlanta (noon, ABC), have many similarities. Broadway and Alcorn State coach Jay Hopson were assistants at Florida 20 years ago, so they’re familiar in approach.

“They’re very similar to us as far as what they do,” Broadway said. “Alcorn’s coach and I were on the same staff at Florida in ’95. I think his philosophy is somewhat similar to mine in that they’re going to run the ball and they’re going to try to stop the run defensively and try to make as few mistakes as possible.”

A&T (9-2, 7-1 MEAC) earned a share of the league title for the second straight year, just like Alcorn State (9-3, 7-2 SWAC). Both teams have dynamic running attacks – the Aggies are powered by all-America tailback Tarik Cohen; the Braves have Darryan Ragsdale. Success on the ground will be paramount.

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How the Celebration Bowl came into existence

ATLANTA, Georgia -- To fulfill his vision for his conference’s football teams, Dennis Thomas was willing to play a long game of persuading, listening and waiting. The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference commissioner’s patience will be rewarded Saturday when North Carolina A&T and Alcorn State meet in the Georgia Dome for the inaugural Celebration Bowl.

It will be the fruition of a plan first hatched 11 1/2 years ago by leaders of the MEAC, the Southwestern Athletic Conference and ESPN. A former football coach and athletic director, Thomas called it a highlight of his career.

“Absolutely,” he said. “I’m very, very pleased.”

In the college football universe, a bowl game between two teams that couldn’t hold a candle to power-conference competition (Alcorn State was drilled by Georgia Tech in the season opener) may not make much noise. But it carries its own significance. The game matches the champions of the two FCS leagues comprised of historically black colleges and universities. It will be televised on ABC, is expected to draw around 35,000 and will be the first bowl game of the 42-game bowl season.

CONTINUE READING

XU loses by 1 in overtime to ninth-ranked Warriors

XU loses by 1 in overtime to ninth-ranked Warriors

FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida — Jessica Brown's two free throws with eight seconds remaining Thursday gave Indiana Wesleyan a 75-74 women's basketball victory against Xavier University of Louisiana in the opening game of the Cruzin Classic.

The Warriors (11-2) snapped the six-game win streak of the Gold Nuggets (9-3). Both teams are ranked ninth in the NAIA — Xavier competes in Division I, Indiana Wesleyan in Division II.

Brown's free throws resulted in the sixth lead change of overtime. Xavier led 74-73 after Trana Hopkins scored a basket with 12 seconds remaining. After Brown's free throws, the Gold Nuggets were unable to take a shot before time ran out.

Xavier led by 15 points late in the second quarter, by seven in the 37th minute and by two with possession with less than a minute remaining in overtime.

The Warriors' Jessica Stewart tied the score at 63 with a free throw with 22 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. Xavier's Whitney Gathright missed a 2-pointer at the buzzer, and the Gold Nuggets went to overtime for the third time this season.

Hopkins scored a career-high 21 points, 16 after halftime, and had a season-best three steals. Donyeah Mayfield had 15 points, six rebounds, two assists, two blocked shots and two steals, and Gathright and Joi Simmons had 10 points and three steals apiece. Gathright had seven assists, and Gathright and Mikayla Bates each made a pair of 3-pointers.

After a tie at 14 at the end of the first quarter, Xavier took its largest lead, 33-18, on Mayfield's basket at 2:21 of the second quarter. But Indiana Wesleyan closed the period with seven unanswered points, and Xavier's halftime lead was 33-25.

Mayfield's basket at 3:13 of the fourth gave the Gold Nuggets a 61-54 lead, but the Warriors forced overtime with a 9-2 run that included eight points by Kelsey Key, who finished with a career-high 20.

Chelsea Winner scored 13 points for the Warriors, and Carlee Cottrell had 11. Cottrell grabbed nine rebounds and helped Indiana Wesleyan win the boards 41-35.

Indiana Wesleyan outshot Xavier 47.9 to 35.8 percent from the floor, 56 to 35.3 percent after halftime. The Gold Nuggets were plus-14 in turnovers, committing a season-low nine and gaining 23.

Xavier will play Georgetown (Ky.) at noon EST Friday in the Gold Nuggets' second and final game of this event. The Nuggets' next home game will start at 3 p.m. Jan. 2 against NAIA No. 22 LSU-Shreveport.

NOTES: The game was the Gold Nuggets' first since the end of the fall semester and first since climbing into the national top 10 Dec. 8 . . . The Nuggets are 2-1 in overtime this season. It's the first time since 2006-07 that the Nuggets played three overtime games in a season . . . Xavier is 0-2 all-time against Indiana Wesleyan . . . It was the first time the Nuggets committed fewer than 10 turnovers in a road game since an opening-round victory against Westmont in the 2014 NAIA Division I National Championship.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
twitter.com/xulagold
www.facebook.com/xulagold 

VUU Coach Blow Earns 100th Career Win

ETTRICK, Virginia -- VSU Head Men's Basketball Coach Lonnie Blow, Jr. secured his 100th career win against his former CIAA institution, St. Augustine's University, on December 15 with a final score of 86-63.

Blow came to VSU in 2013 from St. Augustine's with a 62-27 record. Since then, he has lead the Trojans to a current winning record of 38-23, 6-2 this season.

"It is a great feeling to earn such a major accomplishment in my career," said Blow. "This accomplishment is also attributed to the other people that I have worked with through my career to include assistant coaches and student-athletes. They all helped make it happen."

Although Blow earned the victory over his former team, the St. Augustine's Falcons, he feels that it was just another game. "It is always great to go back and see familiar faces and players that you recruited, but when the ball goes up, you have to be ready to play hard," said Blow. "In any game that is played, you have to jump in and do your best!"

This monumental win has added to a week of great honors for Blow. In addition to the Trojans currently holding the highest CIAA men's basketball winning percentage of .750, Blow was also named CIAA Coach of the Week after taking down I-95 rival, Virginia Union University, on December 6.

Coach Blow will be back on the road with the Trojans for their Thursday, December 17 game against the Broncos of Fayetteville State University. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. VSU will round out 2015 on December 19-20 in Daytona Beach, FL for the Embry-Riddle Tournament.

For more information on VSU Trojans men's basketball, follow Trojans Athletics on Twitter @VSUsports, or call 804-524-5030.

COURTESY VIRGINIA UNION UN IVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

AD Overton promises big changes at FAMU in 2016

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- One last time before the New Year, Milton Overton Jr. was peppered with questions from the 220 Quarterback Club.

During the nearly 45-minute conversation on Wednesday at the New Times Country Buffet on Monroe Street, he made some pretty bold statements to the group of Florida A&M sports enthusiasts.

Overton, who started as FAMU’s athletic director on Aug. 3, said he wants to begin work on a new athletic performance center to replace the Galimore-Powell Field House by next year. The field house hasn’t been renovated since it opened in 1983.

He said recruits must see something new when they come to FAMU. Over each of the past two weekends, the football staff has brought in about 20 recruits to visit FAMU’s facilities.

“You all call it a field house, I call it a sports performance facility,” Overton said. “It’ll have an academic center in there for all student-athletes and a new training room for everybody and new weight room for everybody and new locker rooms.”

CONTINUE READING

SC On The Road: What the Celebration Bowl means to HBCUs

ATLANTA, Georgia -- This year's bowl season will kick off a little differently.

Forget teams with six-win seasons or squads teetering along with an interim head coach. The 2015 college football postseason begins with two conference champions squaring off: Alcorn State and North Carolina A&T.

The two FCS programs -- both known as historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) -- will make history when they meet in the inaugural Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl on Saturday at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta (noon ET, ABC).

"That's really a cool deal," Alcorn State coach Jay Hopson said.

The game pits the champions from the MEAC (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) and the SWAC (Southwestern Athletic Conference) in what North Carolina A&T coach Rod Broadway calls the "black college national championship" since both conferences are comprised of HBCUs.

"I'm happy for our guys to have an opportunity to experience a bowl game," Broadway said. "I've been there and done it but for our kids to have the opportunity to experience something like that, it's a beautiful thing, especially with it being the first."

CONTINUE READING

Alcorn looks to separate itself in Celebration Bowl

ATLANTA, Georgia -- Some MEAC games ended with scores of 9-6 and 14-7 this season, which may suggest the conference is a bit more physical and defensive-minded.

It was the opposite for the SWAC as some games ended with scores of 70-54 and 53-49, which may suggest the conference is free-flowing and focused on offense.

As SWAC champion Alcorn State (9-3) prepares for a meeting with MEAC champion North Carolina A&T (9-2) in the Celebration Bowl at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Georgia Dome, Braves offensive coordinator Fred Kaiss, who has spent time in both conferences, says there isn’t much difference between the two.

“I don’t know if I buy into all that,” Kaiss said. “I guess you could say we have a little more spread teams, I guess that would be true. But it’s just a different style from coaches. I’m looking at North Carolina (A&T), they’re very athletic, they’re very well-coached. They’re a physical football team, then so is Grambling.”

This is the first MEAC opponent that Alcorn State has faced during Jay Hopson’s time as coach. And stats show their mindsets are pretty similar.

CONTINUE READING

Grambling State Football to Play Arizona in 2016

TUCSON, Arizona --The University of Arizona football program, in coordination with the Pac-12 Conference, announced Tuesday evening the schedule for the 2016 regular season.

The season opener will be Saturday, Sept. 3, at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., for a neutral site showdown against BYU. The Wildcats will then play seven of their final 11 contests at Arizona Stadium, while playing four true road games.

A three-game non-conference slate to begin the season continues Sept. 10 and Sept. 17 against Grambling and Hawai’i. The Pac-12 opener against Washington caps a three-game home stretch on Sept. 24.

Thereafter, the Wildcats will hit the road for two straight weeks at UCLA (Oct. 1) and Utah (Oct. 8), before returning home to face Southern California (Oct. 15).

Arizona, which played 12 consecutive weeks without a bye in 2015, will then receive a bye week on the eighth week of the regular season (Oct. 22). Then, the Wildcats close out the regular season with three of their final five games at home.

Stanford visits Tucson on Oct. 29 for Family Weekend. The Wildcats then travel to Washington State on Nov. 5 before returning home to host Colorado on Nov. 12 for Homecoming. The final road trip is to Oregon State on Nov. 19, before the Wildcats host the annual Territorial Cup against Arizona State on Friday, Nov. 25.

Every football game played at Pac-12 sites will be televised. A combination of the ESPN channels, ABC, FOX and FOX Sports 1 will broadcast 44 games nationally and Pac-12 Networks will offer 35 games to national and international audiences. Exact broadcast schedules will be determined at a later date.

Arizona (6-6) concludes its 2015 season against New Mexico (7-5) this Saturday, Dec. 19, in the Gildan New Mexico Bowl. Kickoff is scheduled for noon (MST) with a live television broadcast on ESPN.

For those traveling to the bowl game, fans are encouraged to purchase tickets directly through the McKale Ticket Office. Tickets are $40 for the public ($15 for UA students) and are available for purchase online now at www.arizonawildcats.com and through the McKale Ticket Office after 9 a.m. through Friday.

For continued coverage of Arizona football, follow the team on Twitter at @ArizonaFBall and on Facebook at facebook.com/ArizonaFootball.

2016 Arizona Football Schedule

Day	Date	Opponent
Saturday	Sept. 3	vs. BYU ^
Saturday	Sept. 10	Grambling
Saturday	Sept. 17	Hawai'i
Saturday	Sept. 24	Washington
Saturday	Oct. 1	at UCLA
Saturday	Oct. 8	at Utah
Saturday	Oct. 15	USC
Saturday	Oct. 22	Bye
Saturday	Oct. 29	Stanford (Family Weekend)
Saturday	Nov. 5	at Washington State
Saturday	Nov. 12	Colorado (Homecoming)
Saturday	Nov. 19	at Oregon State
Friday	Nov. 25	Arizona

COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA ATHLETICS

Eight HBCU Football Players Named To Stats FCS AP All-American Teams

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina — Senior defensive lineman Javon Hargrave was named to the STATS FCS All-American First Team as announced.

Javon Hargrave (6-2, 300, Senior DL, Salisbury, NC, SCSU) earned a spot on the prestigious All-American Team for the second straight year, while earning back-to-back MEAC Defense Player of the Year honors.

Others honor include after aiding the team to a 6-2 conference finish and 7-4 overall mark, while earning national FCS player of the week honors (STATS Inc.), Boxtorow National Defensive Player of the Week, and Stats FCS National Defensive Player of the Week honors. He led the MEAC in sacks (5^th in FCS) and is second in tackles for loss (5^th in FCS).  He recorded 59 total tackles (43 solo), 13.5 sacks, and 22 tackles, 11 quarterback pressures and two forced fumbles.

Johnta' Hebert (5-10, 195, Senior RB, Baton Rouge, LA, PVAMU): Prairie View A&M senior running back Johnta' Hebert was selected to the 2015 STATS FCS All-America First Team.

The Baton Rouge, La. native was selected as an all-purpose back and rightfully so as he led the Panthers in rushing, receiving and all-purpose yardage as the team finished 9-2 in their first season under head coach Willie Simmons.  The spark plug behind an offensive unit which ranked sixth nationally in total yardage (488.5 ypg), Hebert finished second nationally in all-purpose yardage (201.2), 16th in kickoff return yardage (26.3), 18th in rush yards per carry (6) and 27th in rushing yardage per game.  He also caught a team-high 47 receptions and closed out his career with 3,133 rushing yards, 1,301 receiving yards, 3,093 kickoff return yards and 33 career touchdowns.

Hebert was also named the STATS FCS Player of the Week this season after posting a career-best performance of 398 all-purpose yards and four touchdowns at Southern.  He also received All-SWAC First Team honors and was named to the Boxtorow.com All-America team.

Deon King (6-1, 235 Senior LB, Reston, VA, Norfolk State): In a season full of accolades, Norfolk State senior linebacker Deon King received perhaps his highest distinction yet on Tuesday, when he was selected to the STATS Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) All-America first team, the organization announced. On Wednesday, King followed that accolade up by being selected to the FCS All-America first team of The Associated Press.

King is one of four linebackers listed on the STATS FCS first team. The organization previously administered its All-America awards under the umbrella of The Sports Network. King was one of just three linebackers on the AP first team. Safety Terrell Whitehead was NSU's last AP first-team All-American, in 2009.

King, who last week was named to the BOXTOROW HBCU All-America team, led all of Division I football (FBS and FCS) with 163 total tackles this year. He also had 11 tackles for loss, three sacks, one interception and one forced fumble. He finished sixth in the voting for the STATS FCS Defensive Player of the Year award and capped his career with his third consecutive All-MEAC honor.

The 2015 season marks the third straight year in which a Spartan defender has been named to an FCS All-America first or second team. Linebacker Lynden Trail was named to The Sports Network's first team in 2013 and to its second team in 2014. Trail was a third-team AP pick in 2013 and a second-team selection in 2014.

Willie Quinn (5-5 145 Senior KR, Miami, FL, Southern): Southern wide receiver/return specialist Willie Quinn won two major national awards Tuesday.  The junior from Miami was named a Football Championship Subdivision first-team All-American as well as the Special Teams Player of the Year from programs representing historically black colleges and universities.

Quinn returned four kickoffs and one punt for touchdowns this season. He led the SWAC and is sixth in the FCS in kickoff return average (28.8 yards). He is the Jaguars’ first FCS All-American since wide receiver Lee Doss in 2013.

Khris Gardin (5-7, 158, SO, Morganton, N.C, North Carolina A&T.) is the first first-team All-American punt returner since Curtis Deloatch in 2001. Oddly, enough it is Gardin who has erased some of Deloatch’s single-season records. Gardin is only two yards shy of breaking the NCAA FCS record for punt return yards in a season as the Aggies head to Atlanta to face Alcorn State in the Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl at the Georgia Dome on Saturday, Dec. 19. ABC will air the broadcast live at noon.

Deloatch once held the record with 530 punt return yards in a season.  Gardin is averaging 60.5 punt return yards per game. If Gardin has a big game for the Aggies on Saturday he would break Deloatch’s national per punt return yardage which stands at 26.5. Gardin leads the nation with an average of 22.2 yards per return.  Gardin also holds the school record for punt returns in a season with 30.

Gardin has two punt returns for touchdowns this season – a 71-yarder at Hampton (Oct.3) and an 82-yarder against Howard (Oct. 24). He has seven punts of 40 yards or more. His breakout game was at Hampton when he returned four punts for 203 yards in the Aggies 45-31 win.

Gardin, Cohen and Parker were among 102 players chosen, spread out among 57 schools and all 13 FCS conferences that comprise the three All-American teams. The Aggies head into the Celebration Bowl 9-2 overall and co-champions of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

See Complete Listing Below:

HBCU Players highlighted in RED

2015 STATS FCS ALL-AMERICA TEAM

FIRST TEAM
OFFENSE
QB - Eli Jenkins, junior, 6-2, 205, Jacksonville State.
RB - Marshaun Coprich, senior, 5-9, 205, Illinois State; Chase Edmonds, sophomore, 5-9, 196, Fordham; Kade Harrington, junior, 5-8, 190, Lamar.
FB - Tyler Renew, junior, 5-11, 217, The Citadel.
WR - Jamaal Jones, senior, 6-1, 192, Montana; Cooper Kupp, junior, 6-2, 195, Eastern Washington; Jake Wieneke, sophomore, 6-4, 210, South Dakota State.
TE - Ben Braunecker, senior, 6-4, 240, Harvard.
OL - Clay DeBord, senior, 6-6, 305, Eastern Washington; Joe Haeg, senior, 6-6, 310, North Dakota State; Donald Jackson III, senior, 6-2, 290, Sam Houston State; Corey Levin, junior, 6-5, 305, Chattanooga; Cole Toner, senior, 6-7, 300, Harvard.
AP - Johnta' Hebert, senior, 5-10, 195, Prairie View A&M.
 
DEFENSE
DL - James Cowser, graduate, 6-4, 258, Southern Utah; Javon Hargrave, senior, 6-2, 295, South Carolina State; Tyrone Holmes, senior, 6-4, 245, Montana; Victor Ochi, senior, 6-2, 255, Stony Brook; Noah Spence, junior, 6-3, 261, Eastern Kentucky.
LB - Deon King, senior, 6-1, 220, Norfolk State; Christian Kuntz, junior, 6-1, 210, Duquesne; Darnell Sankey, senior, 6-2, 250, Sacramento State; Myke Tavarres, senior, 6-3, 230, Incarnate Word.
DB - Dee Delaney, sophomore, 6-1, 191, The Citadel; Deiondre' Hall, senior, 6-2, 190, Northern Iowa; DeAndre Houston-Carson, senior, 6-2, 195, William & Mary; Patrick Onwuasor, senior, 6-2, 225, Portland State.

SPECIAL TEAMS
PK - Nick Dorka, sophomore, 6-0, 180, William & Mary.
P - Ben LeCompte, senior, 5-10, 196, North Dakota State.
KR - Willie Quinn, senior, 5-5, 145, Southern.
PR - Khris Gardin, sophomore, 5-7, 158, North Carolina A&T.
LS - Joshua Appel, junior, 6-2, 250, Indiana State.
---
SECOND TEAM
OFFENSE
QB - Jacob Huesman, senior, 6-2, 220, Chattanooga.
RB - Jacobi Green, senior, 5-9, 192, Richmond; De'Angelo Henderson, junior, 5-8, 205, Coastal Carolina.
FB - Andrew Bonnet, senior, 6-3, 250, North Dakota State.
WR - Emmanuel Butler, sophomore, 6-3, 210, Northern Arizona; Tyler Dube, graduate, 6-0, 170, Sacred Heart; Brendan Flaherty, junior, 6-2, 200, Holy Cross.
TE - Beau Sandland, senior, 6-5, 250, Montana State.
OL - Erik Austell, junior, 6-3, 285, Charleston Southern; Jonathan Burgess, senior, 6-2, 305, Liberty; Julie'n Davenport, junior, 6-7, 315, Bucknell; Casey Dunn, junior, 6-3, 285, Jacksonville State; Mitch Kirsch, junior, 6-6, 300, James Madison.
AP - John Santiago, freshman, 5-9, 170, North Dakota.

DEFENSE
DL - Keionta Davis, junior, 6-4, 260, Chattanooga; Dino Fanti, senior, 6-1, 265, Eastern Illinois; P.J. Hall, sophomore, 6-1, 270, Sam Houston State; Karter Schult, junior, 6-2, 265, Northern Iowa; Chima Uzowihe, senior, 6-2, 250, Liberty.
LB - Andrew Ankrah, sophomore, 6-4, 234, James Madison; Kourtney Berry, junior, 6-0, 215, Alabama State; Don Cherry, senior, 6-1, 240, Villanova; Stephen Hodge, graduate, 6-2, 196, Fordham; Brett McMakin, junior, 6-4, 232, Northern Iowa.
DB - David Jones, junior, 6-1, 187, Richmond; Miles Killebrew, senior, 6-3, 230, Southern Utah; Harlan Miller, senior, 6-1, 180, Southeastern Louisiana; Donald Payne, junior, 6-1, 215, Stetson; Wallace Scott, senior, 6-1, 211, McNeese State.

SPECIAL TEAMS
PK - John Lunsford, senior, 6-1, 180, Liberty.
P - Ryan Hawkins, senior, 5-11, 185, Northern Arizona.
KR - Lorenzo Jerome, junior, 5-11, 185, Saint Francis.
PR - Ellis Onic II, sophomore, 5-6, 163, Northern Colorado.
LS - Joseph Smith, junior, 6-3, 200, Charleston Southern.
---
THIRD TEAM
OFFENSE
QB - Case Cookus, freshman, 6-4, 200, Northern Arizona; Vad Lee, senior, 6-1, 225, James Madison.
RB - Tarik Cohen, junior, 5-6, 173, North Carolina A&T; Troymaine Pope, senior, 5-9, 205, Jacksonville State.
FB - Joe Protheroe, sophomore, 6-0, 230, Cal Poly.
WR - Brian Brown, junior, 6-1, 198, Richmond; Anthony Warrum, junior, 6-2, 190, Illinois State; Justin Watson, sophomore, 6-3, 210, Penn.
TE - Eric Saubert, senior, 6-4, 242, Drake.
OL - Quinton Marsh, senior, 6-3, 310, McNeese State; Garrick Mayweather, senior, 6-3, 319, Fordham; Sean Meehan, senior, 6-5, 300, North Dakota; Brandon Parker, sophomore, 6-7, 279, North Carolina A&T; Nick Ritcher, senior, 6-6, 304, Richmond.
AP - Justice Shelton-Mosley, freshman, 5-10, 170, Harvard.

DEFENSE
DL - Mitchell Jeter, senior, 6-0, 275, The Citadel; Chris Landrum, graduate, 6-3, 260, Jacksonville State; O.J. Mau, senior, 6-2, 319, Gardner-Webb; Greg Menard, sophomore, 6-2, 239, North Dakota State; Derek Rivers, junior, 6-5, 255, Youngstown State.
LB - Aaron Brown, senior, 6-0, 220, Charleston Southern; Tyler Drake, senior, 6-2, 220, Penn; John Hugunin, 5-11, 232, Drake; Cory Magwood, senior, 6-2, 232, Furman; James Rentz, junior, 6-1, 230, Sacred Heart.
DB - James Bradberry, senior, 6-1, 213, Samford; Casey DeAndrade, junior, 5-11, 212, New Hampshire; Jermaine Hough, senior, 5-10, 185, Jacksonville State; Jevon Elmore, Central Connecticut State, junior, 5-10, 185; Clayton Ewell, senior, 6-1, 195, Bucknell.

SPECIAL TEAMS
PK - Chris Moore, senior, 6-0, 215, Northwestern State.
P - Chris Fraser, junior, 6-2, 211, Cornell.a
KR - Devin Brown, junior, 5-8, 155, Coastal Carolina.
PR - Makinton Dorleant, senior, 5-11, 185, Northern Iowa.
LS - Kameron Canaday, senior, 6-4, 230, Portland State.M


COURTESY THE SPORTS INFORMATION DEPARTMENTS AT PRAIRIE VIEW A&M, SOUTH CAROLIINA STATE, SOUTHERN, NORTH CAROLINA A&T AND NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITIES. 

XU''s Jackson picked as voter for Bevo Francis Award

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana men's basketball coach Dannton Jackson has been selected as a voter for the inaugural Bevo Francis Award.
     
The award will be presented annually to the men's basketball player who has the finest overall season among small colleges in NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, NAIA Division I, NAIA Division II, the NCCAA and the USCAA.
     
Jackson, 282-120 in his 13th season as head coach of the Gold Rush, is one of four NAIA coaches on the 16-member selection committee, which will compile watch lists in January, February and March. The January watch list will consist of 100 student-athletes. The award will be presented in April.
     
The award is named for Clarence "Bevo" Francis, a 6-foot-9 center who was a prolific scorer for Ohio's Rio Grande College (now the University of Rio Grande) more than 60 years ago. Francis averaged 46.5 per points per game — still the NCAA all-division season record — in 1953-54. Francis also holds scoring records in the NAIA. Francis died in June at age 82.
     
The website smallcollegebasketball.com is the sponsor of the Bevo Francis Award.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
twitter.com/xulagold
www.facebook.com/xulagold 

Alcorn hopes rest pays off in bowl

LORMAN, Mississippi -- Usually when a team puts together a strong performance, a coach would want to play a game as soon as possible to keep the momentum going.

But that’s not true for Alcorn State and offensive coordinator Fred Kaiss as the Braves (9-3) prepare for a matchup with North Carolina A&T (9-2) in the Celebration Bowl at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.

“Most cases you would say that, yeah, I’ve been eager to get this game going, but we were pretty banged up,” Kaiss said. “The few days we gave them off before we started practice, I think was a blessing. The biggest thing I was nervous about was we were really beat up going into the Grambling game … but we came out of the game better than when they went in. And we had a few days to let them heal up, so we’re in good shape.”

Alcorn State’s receiving corps has been bitten by the injury bug, according to Kaiss, and then there’s the high ankle sprain suffered by standout quarterback John Gibbs Jr. in the win against Southern on Oct. 31.

Receiver Marquis Warford has stepped up and made some big plays down the stretch. On the first play of the game against the Jaguars, Warford took a handoff and raced 78 yards for a touchdown.

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Celebration Bowl a welcome windfall for N.C. A&T

GREENSBORO, North Carolina -- The N.C. A&T football team leaves Wednesday for Atlanta and the great unknown of the Celebration Bowl.

But this much is known: The payday promises to be a bigger windfall for A&T than any possible trip to the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs in years gone by.

And that’s why the MEAC gave up its automatic qualifier status in the national playoffs to make this bowl game against the SWAC champion a reality.

A&T will play Alcorn State in the inaugural Celebration Bowl at noon Saturday inside the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. The game, which has picked up a title sponsorship for the Air Force Reserve, will be broadcast nationally on ABC.

ESPN Events guarantees each of the two HBCU leagues $1 million to play in the bowl game.

“It’s a pretty good deal for us,” A&T athletics director Earl Hilton said.

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Ladies of the Hill Fall 64-60 to Lady Golden Bears

MOBILE, Alabama -- The Spring Hill College (SHC) women's basketball team dropped a 64-60 outcome to Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) opponent the Miles College Lady Golden Bears at the Arthur R. Outlaw Recreation Center on Monday evening.

The Lady Golden Bears (6-2, 3-0 SIAC West) trailed the Badgers 6-0 just 2½ minutes into the game, but rallied to take an 8-7 lead off a layup by Brittney Smith at the 3:48 mark of the period and never trailed again. Miles built as much as 10-point lead at 44-34 with just under four minutes left in the 3rd period, but SHC rallied for a 10-1 run that sliced the deficit down to 45-44 with 8:26 left in the game.

Miles answered right back with a jumper and layup to reclaim a 5-point advantage and would not let SHC get closer than 3-points over the final six minutes of play.

Badger forward Brittney Davis posted her season-high of 17 points to lead all scorers in the contest while center Leah Washington and guard Jennifer Clark each added 10 points. Washington tallied a double-double effort as she also hauled in a game-high 10 rebounds.

Spring Hill shot 37.5% (21-56) for the game and 28.6% (2-7) from 3-point distance while out-rebounding the Bears by a 40-32 margin. Turnovers proved to be the crucial difference in the game as SHC lost 18 turnovers to nine steals by Miles who converted the Badger turnovers int
o 21 points.

For Miles, Larian Scott and Javonne Brown came off the bench to post 17 and 12 points respectively as the Bears shot 45.1% (23-51) from the field and were 2-of-5 (40%) from long distance. Miles lost the ball 14 times to seven Badger steals that resulted in 13 points.

The Badgers (2-6, 1-1 SIAC West) next will host non-conference opponent the Southern University in New Orleans (SUNO) Lady Knights (2-6) on Wednesday beginning at 5:30 p.m. in the Arthur R. Outlaw Recreation Center..

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Spring Hill Badger men suffer 73-58 loss to Miles

MOBILE, Alabama – The Spring Hill College (SHC) men's basketball team suffered a 73-58 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) West Division loss to the Miles College Golden Bears on Monday night at the Arthur R. Outlaw Recreation Center.

The Golden Bears (5-4; 3-0 SIAC West) bolted out to a 38-25 lead at halftime and held as much as a 20-point advantage at 51-31 with 13:05 left to go in the game. SHC twice cut the lead down to 12 points with 9 and 4 minutes remaining on the clock, but could get no closer.

SHC was paced by redshirt freshman guard Sawyer Glick with 20 points and an 8-for-16 effort from the field. Senior guard Jarrett Calhoun pitched in for 11 points and junior center Dejan Stefanovic hauled in nine rebounds. The Badgers shot 42.1% (24-57) overall and 31.8% (7-22) from 3-point land, but suffered 16 turnovers against 11 steals that the Bears turned into 13 points.

Miles had four players reach double digits in scoring led by Josh Samuels and Shaquille Cook with 15 points each as Maiscei Grier and Joshua Johnson each added 11 points. Johnson earned a double-double by also handing out 10 assists. Miles edged out a 33-32 advantage in rebounds and lost 13 turnovers to four Badger steals that resulted in 15 points for SHC on the other end.

The Badgers (1-7; 0-2 SIAC West) next host non-conference foe the Alice Lloyd College Eagles (4-5) in the Arthur R. Outlaw Recreation Center on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.


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Ram Ramblings: Important stretch for WSSU coming this week

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- If Winston-Salem State goes on to have a good enough season to get into the Division II NCAA Tournament it may look back on this week as the reason why.

The Rams play three key games before Christmas starting with tonight’s game at UNC Pembroke.

The Rams will then follow that up with home games against Montreat on Wednesday and Fairmont State on Saturday. While the Gaines Center will be virtually empty for those home games because the students are gone on break, those are very important.

If the Rams don’t win the CIAA title and the automatic berth it will come down to their regional ranking. And winning these nonconference games in December will go a long way toward that goal.

Coach James Wilhelmi and the Rams are 5-2 with one of those losses coming to Pembroke at home in overtime.

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N.C. A&T opponent Alcorn State took similar path to Celebration Bowl

GREENSBORO, North Carolina -- The football program was in a downward spiral.

There were five consecutive losing seasons under four head coaches before the university found its man.

Since then, the turnaround has been surprisingly quick. And now the once-moribund program has won back-to-back conference titles and is headed for a new bowl game.
Sound familiar?

It’s the story of Alcorn State, the team N.C. A&T — which has a similar story — will play in the inaugural Celebration Bowl at noon Saturday in Atlanta’s Georgia Dome.

“We’ve battled through some adversities,” Alcorn coach Jay Hopson said at a news conference last week, “but we’ve battled through strong, and I’m proud of this team getting back here.”

The bowl game shapes up as a matchup of strength vs. strength.

A&T (9-2) features the No. 2 rushing defense among the nation’s 123 FCS teams. The Aggies surrender just 84.5 rushing yards per game.

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Kellenberger: At least Jackson State got this hire right

JACKSON, Mississippi -- What are you going to do when Alcorn State has passed you on the field, and lapped you in recruiting? If you’re Jackson State, you go and get some of what those guys have.

Which is why Jackson State’s hire of Tony Hughes as its new football coach is so impressive. Unlike Harold Jackson, the first and only notable line on the resume is not, “Played at Jackson State.” Hughes has family that went to JSU and said he’s attended plenty of Jackson State-Alcorn State games in the past, but make no mistake about it: he’s not a SWAC man. He is, however, a good football coach and a hell of a recruiter, and shouldn’t that be the only two things that really truly matter?

Just look at what Alcorn did hiring Jay Hopson after two decades spent in major college football, or Grambling and Broderick Fobbs. They were hires made outside of SWAC circles, and both have paid off with SWAC Championship Game appearances this season.

“Those guys didn’t have any HBCU experience when they took over their programs and they’ve taken the conference by storm,” Jackson State athletic director Wheeler Brown said.

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Tony Hughes is new JSU head football coach

JACKSON, Mississippi -- Jackson State University’s Director of Athletics Wheeler Brown announced the hiring of Tony Hughes as the football program’s 19th head coach during a Monday morning press conference in the Lee E. Williams Athletic and Assembly Center Hall of Fame Room.

“Today is a great day to be a Tiger,” Brown said. “Coach Hughes brings over 31 years of experience to the position, and we expect great things from him and from our football program.”

Hughes, a Mississippi native, comes to Jackson State from Mississippi State University, where he spent seven seasons as a key member of the Bulldogs football coaching staff. Hughes is known as one of the top recruiting coordinators in the nation. In 2015, 247Sports.com tabbed him as one of America’s top 10 recruiters after Mississippi State hauled in one of the nation’s top 16 classes, according to recruiting services. In the spring of 2013, he was named assistant head coach.

According to Rivals.com, the 22 National Letters of Intent MSU received on 2015 Signing Day made up the Bulldogs’ best since 2003. Fifteen of the signees hailed from Mississippi. Local recruiting will be a top priority for Hughes at Jackson State. He plans to focus on recruitment within a 150-mile radius of the university.

“We will recruit players from the state of Mississippi and the local Jackson area,” Hughes said. “I believe that there are enough players in the state. If we recruit right and evaluate right, every year we will field a great football team.”

“As soon as this press conference is over with, I’ll be on the phone making some calls to get us some football players in here.”

Working formula: honesty and respect

“I’m telling you right now that I don’t have a magic wand in my pocket. I don’t have a crystal ball. I can’t predict how many wins we will have, but I know hard work, discipline and toughness. I know that formula works. When we put those ingredients together as the basic foundation of our program – honesty, treating women with respect and not using drugs and weapons and not stealing from each other – you will see a team that you are very proud of.”

“With all of us working together, we can achieve success as we move forward. I’m proud to be here today and excited to be here today.

In addition, Hughes has a knack for identifying players from Mississippi that go on to become NFL prospects. This is true of first-team All-American linebacker, Benardrick McKinney, who was once a two-star high school quarterback in Tunica before being drafted by the Houston Texans in 2015.

While at Mississippi State, Hughes developed the Bulldogs’ safeties corps into one of the Southeastern Conference’s hardest-hitting units. Hughes is known for a hard-nosed defense. Following the 2014 Orange Bowl season, two of his safeties signed NFL free agent contracts, including his son, Jay – a testimony to his development of Mississippi’s talent at the Division I level.

In 2006, Hughes was named one of the Top 25 college football recruiters in the nation by Rivals.com. His first two years at the University of Mississippi were spent tutoring defensive backs while spending quality time with tight ends.

He spent two seasons at Louisiana Technical University and spent 10 years coaching at Hinds Community College in Raymond, Miss., where he served as the defensive coordinator and secondary coach. Hughes coached eight players who later went on to the NFL.

Before working at Hinds, Hughes’ first full-time coaching position on the collegiate level was at the University of West Alabama, 1992-93. Hughes coached seven years in the Mississippi high school ranks, serving as offensive coordinator and running backs coach at Hattiesburg High School, 1988-91. He spent two seasons as the defensive secondary coach and boys track coach at South Natchez High School in 1986-87. His first high school coaching job was at Philadelphia High School in 1985.

From the Marine Corps to the gridiron

Hughes served his country in the United States Marine Corps, 1981-84, and received an honorable discharge. He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at the University of Southern Mississippi in 1984, working with defensive backs. He played football and ran track at Forest High School, 1974-76, and played defensive back at St. Paul’s College, 1976-77, and was a defensive back for the Southern Miss Eagles, 1977-78.

He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology in 1980. He is an active member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), serving as a member of the Mississippi FCA State Board of Directors in 1999; president of the Mississippi FCA Coaches Council in 1998; and vice president of the Mississippi FCA Coaches Council in 1997.

Hughes is married to the former Marion McCaleb of Meridian, Miss., and the couple has two sons, Jamison and Jay. Jay had the prestigious honor of being the only SEC football player to represent the league at the 2015 NCAA Convention.

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TSU Earns 64-52 Win Over Grambling in HBCU Legends Hardwood Classic

CHICAGO, Illinois  – Stifling defense and a balanced attack carried the Tennessee State men’s basketball team to a 64-52 victory over Grambling State on Saturday afternoon at the Kroc Center as part of the HBCU Legends Hardwood Classic. Redshirt senior Keron DeShields (Baltimore, Md.) paced the offense with 16 points on the day.

For the Tigers (6-2), it is their fourth win in a row, marking their longest winning streak since the 2012-13 season. Grambling State falls to 2-7 on the year. Eight games into the season, TSU already has more wins (6) than last year's total (5).

“I thought in the first half, our starters came out and defended pretty well,” second-year TSU Head Coach Dana Ford said. “We held them to 33 percent from the floor and we almost held them under 20 in the first half, which is always encouraging. We had a chance to play a lot of guys who haven’t been playing and we need our guys to get better. I felt like this was a good opportunity for some guys to play some extended minutes.”



TSU held Grambling to 21-for-62 (33.3 percent) shooting from the field and ran out to a 32-20 halftime lead. It is the fourth consecutive game holding an opponent to 20 or fewer points in the first half for the Tigers.

On the offensive end, sophomore Darreon Reddick (Belleville, Ill.) tallied 11 points with Tahjere McCall (Philadelphia, Pa.), Johnny Woodard (Dululth, Minn.) and Wayne Martin (Brooklyn, N.Y.) adding nine points apiece. Martin also secured a team-best 11 rebounds for TSU, which finished with a 43-34 rebounding edge.

TSU never trailed in the game, and led by seven with two minutes left in the opening half. The Tigers were able to gain control thanks to a 7-2 run to close the half.

In the second half, Tennessee State led by as many as 21 points on two occasions, the last coming on a layup from Demontez Loman (South Port, N.C.) with 14:37 left for a 47-26 advantage. For Loman, who turned in another solid performance with eight rebounds, it was his only basket of the game.

TSU maintained a double-digit advantage throughout the second half.

The Tigers will have a quick turnaround with a road game at Stetson on Monday, Dec. 14. Tipoff from the Edmunds Center in DeLand, Fla. is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET (6 p.m. CT).

TSU Head Coach Dana Ford

“We like to be more of a balanced team so people have trouble defending us. I thought tonight with the zone, it slowed us down a little bit. Only couple of guys were really able to get into a rhythm. I don’t think Wayne Martin got into the normal rhythm that he gets into. It was good to see Darreon Reddick make some shot, and obviously Keron DeShields carried us.”

On having a balanced offense.
“It was a great experience. We got into town yesterday and our guys got deep dish pizza. We’re going to take them to a Chicago Bulls game tonight. We have a lot of alumni here in the building and it was very nice. It’s been a great trip.”

On playing in Chicago

TSU Guard Darreon Reddick
“I thought we played hard. Coach told us to be ball tough. They play hard, so we had to move the ball around and get a good shot.”

On how the offense played.
“It feels good (to be 6-2). Last year we won five games, so going around school everyone asks how we are doing, and it’s good to say we are 6-2. We are playing with confidence and it feels good.”

On holding a 6-2 record through eight games.

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S.C. State defeats Jacksonville 81-74

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- The Bulldogs had six players in double figures, with senior forwardDarryl Palmer leading the way recording his first double-double of the season with 13 points and a game-high 10 rebounds to lead SC State to an 81-74 victory over Jacksonville Saturday,

"I couldn't be happier with my guys on getting this win," said SC State head coach Murray Garvin. "I have to give credit to my assistant coaches and managers for getting these guys ready it was a total team effort."

South Carolina State improves to 5-5 overall, 1-1 MEAC, while Jacksonville falls to 4-6 on the season.

The Bulldogs totally dominated on the boards, out-rebounding the Dolphins 47-33, while shooting almost 80% (19-of-24) from the charity stripe. The Bulldogs bench outscored JU 26-15 and led the way in second chance points 16-4.

Sophomore guard Ed Stephens scored a team-high 14 points, while teammates seniorGabriel McCray and Eric Eaves (seven (7) rebounds) each had 13 points. Sophomore forward Tashombe Riley had a solid performance with 12 points and seven rebounds.

Redshirt senior forward Luka Radvoic finished with 10 points and six rebounds, while sophomore point guard Ty Soloman dished out a game-high nine (9) assist and six (6) points.

South Carolina State returns to action on a three-game road swing beginning with Duquesne University (12/6) in Pittsburg, PA at 7 p.m., followed by St. Bonaventure (12/19) in Olean, NY at 2 p.m. and then East Carolina (12/22) in Greenville, NC in a 7 p.m. start.
 
For more information on South Carolina State Athletics, visit www.scsuathletics.com

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