Pi Day: state-best 97 3's for XU's No. 14, Wright

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NEW ORLEANS — It's Pi Day, an annual celebration of the mathematical constant Π (pi). The first three figures of pi — the ratio of a circle's circumference to diameter — are 3, 1, and 4: 3.14.
    
It's a great day to work Xavier University of Louisiana's Morris Wright into the equation.
    
The senior guard from Zachary, La., leads Louisiana men's college basketball in made 3-pointers this season with 97 — 18 more than his nearest rival. That's a lot of 3's for a student-athlete who wears No. 14 on his jersey.
    
Wright — a three-time first-team All-Gulf Coast Athletic Conference selection and a former Zachary High School and Baton Rouge Community College standout — will get another chance to add to his total when the Gold Rush (21-12) play Lewis-Clark State (28-4) at 8 p.m. Thursday in the opening round of the Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I National Championship at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo.

2015-16 Louisiana Men's College Basketball:
Leaders in Made 3-Pointers

Made 3's		Name	School
97		Morris Wright	Xavier
79		Adrian Rogers	Southern
64		Christavious Gill	New Orleans
63		DeAngelo Coleman	LSU-Alexandria
63		Malik Morgan	Tulane
61		T.J. Carpenter	Nicholls State
60		James Harvey	McNeese State
60		Rashard Owens	LSU-Shreveport
59		Majok Deng	Louisiana-Monroe
57		Zeke Woodley	Northwestern State

    
More notes about Wright's perimeter performance:

•  Wright's 97 3's are tied for second on Xavier's all-time season list — Mark Stewart made 109 in 2006-07 and 97 in 2007-08 — and Wright's 214 career 3's are second at XU behind Stewart's 299.
  
 •  Among Louisiana players with 40 or more attempts, Wright ranks third in 3-point accuracy this season at .424 (97-of-229). The leader is LSUA's Coleman at .447 (63-of-141). Louisiana's two most prolific 3-point makers this season also are among the most accurate.
  
 •  Wright has an active streak of 40 games making at least one 3-pointer. The last time Wright was shut out was Feb. 14, 2015, at Philander Smith (four attempts). Since then Morris is 114-of-268 (.425) from behind the arc, with 2.85 made 3's per game and three-or-more 3's 22 times.
    
•  Wright is XU's career leader in 3-point accuracy at .424 (214-of-505).
    
•  Wright's single-game high for made 3's is six against Edward Waters on Jan. 24, 2015. Eight times he has made five 3's in a game. The XU game record for made 3's is eight, set by Percy Bland against Louisiana College on Feb. 23, 1989, and tied by Stewart against Mobile on March 7, 2008.
    
•  Wright is 8-of-14 in two games at nationals. He was 4-of-6 against Hope International in 2014 and 4-of-8 against Mid-America Christian in 2015. Stewart (6) and Shaun Dumas (5) were the last XU players to make more than four 3's in a game at nationals. Both did it against Northwestern Oklahoma in the 2007 second round.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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NSU to Play Columbia Wednesday in CIT

NORFOLK, Virginia – The Norfolk State men's basketball team will make its fifth straight postseason appearance and third straight in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT) when the Spartans play at Columbia on Wednesday at  7 p.m. in New York City.

NSU will face a Columbia squad that finished 21-10 overall and 10-4 in the Ivy League. The Lions are making their second CIT appearance in three years. They posted their best conference record in 22 years and their most regular season wins since 1950-51.

The Spartans own a 17-16 overall record this season after finishing in a tie for second in the MEAC at 12-4. NSU advanced to the MEAC tournament semifinals for the third straight year. The Spartan program is the only one in the league to advance to the postseason in each of the last four years, much less five. NSU competed in the NCAA Tournament in 2012, the NIT in 2013 and the CIT in 2014 and '15 in addition to now this season.

"We are honored and excited to be chosen for postseason for the fifth straight year," said head coach Robert Jones. "In a one bid league, being chosen for any sort of postseason is a bonus. A postseason bid acknowledges the overall body of work throughout the whole season. Our seniors can get at least one more game together and our underclassmen can continue to grow and develop for next season."

Live video of the game against Columbia at Levien Gymnasium will be available on www.CollegeInsider.com. The game will also be broadcast locally on Hot 91.1 FM and Star 1310 AM with Ross Gordon on the call.

To order tickets or for more information, visit www.GoColumbiaLions.com.

The CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament was created in 2009. Invitations to the 32-team postseason tournament are extended only to teams outside of the BCS power conferences. There is no formal bracket for the tournament. The match-ups for each round are determined after the preceding round is completed.

The first round of the tournament will be played on Monday through Wednesday. Second-round CIT games will be played Friday through Sunday, quarterfinal games on March 22-24 and semifinal games March 27. The championship game will be played on March 29. The semifinals and the championship game will be broadcast live on CBS Sports Network.

 

Mike Bello, Asst. SID

NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

Texas Southern earns NIT bid; Play at Valpo

VALPARAISO, Indiana

-- Texas Southern earned the eighth seed and will face one-seeded Valparaiso in first-round action of the National Invitation Tournament at the Athletics Recreation Center on Tuesday evening, at 8:15 p.m. CT on ESPN3.

 

2016 NIT Bracket

The Tigers own an 18-14 overall record and went 16-2 in Southwestern Athletic Conference action, winning the regular season crown by three games. Like TSU, Valpo also fell in the semifinals of its conference tournament. The Crusaders enter the NIT at 26-6 overall and 16-2 in Horizon League play.

The winner will face the winner of the Florida State-Davidson first-round game. Dates, times and sites for games in the second round and quarterfinals will be available as the tournament progresses. The semifinals will be held March 29 and the championship game March 31 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

TSU is making its third straight appearance in postseason play and its second trip to the NIT in the school’s history.  The Tigers fell to Colorado in 2011.  In 2014, they fell to Cal Poly in the First Four and last year eliminated in the NCAA Tournament to Arizona.

This marks the third time that the Crusaders have earned a spot in the postseason NIT, as Valpo previously lost in first-round action in 2003 at Iowa and in 2012 at Miami.UR This year is the sixth straight season that the Crusaders have advanced to postseason play.

 

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SSU Men’s Basketball To Host CIT Game vs. UT-Arlington

WATCH LIVE: http://www.watchcollegeinsider.com/watch/?Live=39

SAVANNAH, Georgia  --  The Savannah State men's basketball team will host the University of Texas at Arlington in the first round of the CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT) on March 16 at 7 p.m. in Tiger Arena.

This will be Savannah State's second appearance in the CIT, having last played in the tournament in 2013.

The Tigers enter the tournament with a 16-15 record. SSU entered the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament as a fifth seed and advanced to the semi-finals where they lost to the eventual MEAC tournament champion, Hampton.

SSU is led by a trio of players in Troyce Manassa, Chris Martin and Lenjo Kilo.

Manassa averages 12.6 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game while Martin averages 12.1 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists while Kilo averages 9.8 points and 5.6 rebounds per game.

UT Arlington competes in the Sun Belt Conference and  has an overall record of 23-10. The Mavericks lost in the Sun Belt semifinals to Louisiana-Monroe.

Kevin Hervey leads four UT Arlington players who average in double figures with 18.1 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game.

This year's CIT features a 26-team field.  The first round of the CIT will take place March 14th-16th followed by the second round March 18th-20th with the Quarterfinals March 22nd-24th. The Semifinals on March 27th will broadcast on the CBS Sports Network along with the Championship Game on March 29th.  Additionally, all games will be streamed lived on SIDEARM Sports which is the number one provider of college athletics.

 The CIT uses the old NIT model in which there is no set bracket. Future round opponents are determined by the results of the previous round.

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TSU Men's Basketball Accepts CIT Invitation; Hosts Ball State in First Round on Tuesday

TENNESSEE STATE (20-10)
vs. BALL STATE (19-13)
CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament First Round
Tuesday, March 15, 2016 | 7 p.m.
Gentry Center | Nashville, Tenn.

POSTSEASON GUIDE: TENNESSEE STATE
GAME NOTES: TENNESSEE STATE | BALL STATE
VIDEO (FREE): CollegeInsider.com (Albert Dawson [play-by-play] and Mark Pittman [color] on the call)
RADIO: 102.1 FM The Light (Albert Dawson [play-by-play] and Mark Pittman [color] on the call)
LIVE STATS: StatBroadcast.com
SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter - @TSU_Tigers | Instagram -@TSUTigers | #BigBlueRising

WATCH LIVE:  http://www.watchcollegeinsider.com/watch/?Live=38

 

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – For the first time in the program’s Division I history, the Tennessee State men’s basketball team wiWll host a postseason tournament game as the Tigers will play the first round of the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament on Tuesday, March 15, at 7 p.m. at the Gentry Center versus Ball State. 

 

“I’m truly pleased that our men’s basketball team will have the opportunity to play in the postseason after what was a very successful year tying our D-1 record with 20 wins,” TSU Director of Athletics Teresa Phillips said. “Actually hosting the game in the Gentry Center will be special. I’m calling for all alumni, students and supporters to show their ‘Blue’ on Tuesday to show this team their support.”

 

TSU, which is 20-10 on the season, has reached the 20-win mark for the third time at the Division I level (1978-79 and 2011-12). With an 11-2 home record, the Tigers have also tied the record for most wins in a season at the Gentry Center, which opened prior to the 1980-81 season.

 

“We are very thankful for the opportunity to participate in this year’s CIT," TSU Head Coach Dana Ford said. "We are excited that our seniors will get the chance to continue their final season here at Tennessee State University. This postseason invitation is a true testament of the hard work and dedication that our players and staff have put forth in bringing back excitement to TSU basketball.”

 

The CIT will feature a 32-team field with all 31 games set to be played at campus sites. The first round of the CIT will take place March 14th-16th followed by the second round March 18th-20th with the Quarterfinals March 22nd-24th. The Semifinals on March 27th will broadcast on CBS Sports Network along with the Championship Game on March 29th. Additionally, all games will be streamed lived on SIDEARM Sports.

 

Tennessee State will be making its third appearance in the CIT after falling to Mercer in 2012 and Evansville in 2013. Overall, it will be the program’s fifth postseason appearance at the D-1 level with trips to the NCAA Tournament in 1993 and 1994.

 

Ball State enters the CIT with a 19-13 overall record under the direction of former Arizona assistant James Whitford, who is in his third season as head coach in Muncie, Ind. Hailing from the Mid-American Conference, the Cardinals earned the sixth seed in the MAC Tournament before falling to Miami (Ohio) in the opening round. The Ball State offense features three players averaging double figures including Franko House and his 12.5 points per game.

 

TSU has faced Ball State twice, beating the Cardinals during the 2005-06 season and the 2006-07 season.

 

For tickets, please visit the TSU Ticket Office located on the first floor of the Gentry Center or call (615) 963-5841.

 

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Jackson State faces Sam Houston in postseason tournament

HUNTSVILLE, Texas -- Jackson State and Sam Houston State, two teams eliminated from their conference tournaments by buzzer-beating baskets, will meet in a CollegeInsider.com Tournament post-season first round game Monday at 6:30 p.m. at Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum.

In just his third season as head coach, Wayne Brent has his Jackson State participating in post-season player for the first time since 2007 when they defeated Alabama State.

JSU brings a 19-15 record to the game Monday night. Raeford Worsham, who scored 17 points and pulled down 12 rebounds in the championship final, leads JSU.

Live Stats

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The Bearkats fell 79-76 to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Friday night after an Islander three-pointer with seven seconds left. Jackson State lost to Southern 54-53 on a last second basket Saturday in the finals of the Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament.

With no starters returning from last year’s 26-9 squad that reached the CIT second round, three reserve players stepped up as starters this year. Juniors Aurimas Majauskas and Dakarai Henderson lead the team with scoring averages of 14.2 points each. Both were 2016 All-Southland Conference selections.

Sophomore Jamal Williams adds 9.3 points per game and ranks high in the Southland with 4.7 assists per game as the Kats’ point guard. Transfer Jovante’ Spivey and red-shirt freshman Albert Almanza have posted scoring averages of 8.4 and 6.8 points per game, respectively.

Two years ago, Sam Houston defeated Alabama State 71-49 in the CIT first round and lost to San Diego 77-72 in the second round. Last season, the Bearkats knocked off UNC-Wilmington 87-71 in the CIT first round before falling 71-70 to Louisiana-Lafayette.

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Hampton University Pirates Takes On No.1 Seed Virginia Cavaliers in March Madness

COURTESY HAMPTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

HAMPTON, Virginia – The Hampton University men's basketball team, fresh off its second straight MEAC Tournament title, will take on No. 1 seed Virginia in Raleigh, N.C. on Thursday in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Game time is set for approximately 3 p.m., and the game will be shown live on TruTV.

The winner of that game will face either No. 8 Texas Tech or No. 9 Butler in the round of 32.

The Pirates (21-10) won their second straight MEAC Tournament crown on Saturday with an 81-69 win over South Carolina State in the Norfolk Scope Arena. Reginald Johnson, Jr. was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, while both he and Quinton Chievous were named to the All-Tournament Team.

Johnson and Chievous were also both First Team All-MEAC selections.

Hampton is making its third NCAA Tournament appearance under head coach Edward Joyner, Jr. and its sixth overall. The Pirates have NCAA Tournament wins in 2001 (the historic upset over Iowa State) and 2015 (over Manhattan in the First Four).

The bracket was revealed Sunday evening, and Virginia was awarded the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Region. The Cavaliers (26-7) are coming off a 61-57 loss to North Carolina in the ACC Tournament final on Saturday. Before that, the No. 4/4 Cavaliers had won five straight.

Redshirt senior guard Malcolm Brogdon is averaging a team-high 18.7 points per game for Virginia, while redshirt senior forward Anthony Gill is averaging 13.3 points and a team-best 6.1 rebounds per contest. Junior guard London Parrantes is averaging 11.0 points a contest.

The ACC coaches and media both elected Brogdon as the league's Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year.

The Cavaliers are averaging 70.4 points per game, while giving up just 59.7 points a night.

The Pirates are 0-7 all-time against Virginia, with six of those seven meetings in Charlottesville. The two teams last met in 2013, with the Cavaliers winning 69-40.

Hampton is 1-14 against schools currently in the ACC.

For more information on Hampton University basketball, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.

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