Florida, FAU, South Florida, Florida A&M: Gainesville Regional Preview

COURTESY FAMU ATHLETICS

4. Florida A&M Rattlers (23-23, MEAC automatic)

Florida A&M comes into the Gainesville Regional at the MEAC Champion with a 23-23 record. The Rattlers finished 15-9 in the conference to receive a regional bid for the first time in program history. Head coach coach Jamey Shouppe will have his hands full with an opening game against a national power in Florida, a game with David and Goliath overtones.

FAMU hit .261 as a team, hit 20 home runs and stole 47 bases in 58 attempts, led by Jared Walker (.324/.444/.423) and Marlon Gibbs (.311, 30 RBI, 15 SB).

Having seen FAMU earlier this year in a three game series against USF, don’t be surprised to see coach Shouppe make frequent pitching changes with nine pitchers on the roster that have logged 21 innings or more.

FAMU has an opportunity to measure their program against four of Florida’s more established programs.

Top Hitters:

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Grambling women’s hoops hit with APR penalties

GRAMBLING, Louisiana -- Just when Grambling’s men’s basketball team found its way out of an Academic Progress Rating mess that has hindered the program for the past several years, the women’s hoops team was hit with APR penalties of their own Wednesday.

The NCAA announced the Lady Tigers are among 13 teams hit with Level One APR penalties, which is described as losing “four hours and one day of practice time per week in season.”

Grambling’s APR had been going strong with recent marks of 956 in 2012-13, 977 in 2011-12 and 972 in 2010-11, but that number dipped to 918 in 2013-14. Teams are subject to penalty with anything below 930.

“We’re coming up with a game plan to be able to address these issues so they don’t come up with these issues in the future,” Grambling coach Nadine Domond said. “At the end of the day, this matters and we want to make sure we’re not in that situation.”

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Alcorn basketball hit with postseason ban

LORMAN, Mississippi -- Academic trouble is leading to athletic trouble for Alcorn State and a few other schools in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

Alcorn’s men’s basketball team received a postseason ban for the 2015-16 season when its Academic Progress Report score stayed below the NCAA’s threshold of 930 for the second consecutive year.

APR measures the academic progress of student-athletes. Every Division I team is scored, with student-athletes earning one point each semester they remain eligible and one point for staying in school or graduating.

Teams are subject to NCAA penalties if their multi-year APR falls below 930. Alcorn’s basketball team had a score of 893 in 2012-13, and 839 for 2013-14. The latter is the academic year this year’s APR is based on.

The low APR made Alcorn’s basketball team eligible for a level two penalty, which includes restrictions on practice time and a postseason ban.

No other athletic programs at Alcorn State were sanctioned. The football program, which had a 915 APR in 2012-13, raised that to 931 in 2013-14.

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Former HBCU basketball legend Bob Hopkins dies at age 80

As a player at Grambling State,  Hopkins set an NCAA career record of 3,759 points and has been No. 2 on that list for the past 43 seasons.

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania -- Robert M. "Bob" Hopkins Sr. was a tremendous basketball coach and player. Hopkins, the head basketball coach of Xavier University of Louisiana from 1969-74, died on Friday, May 15, 2015, of heart and kidney disease. He was 80.

Hopkins' Xavier University stint was his longest in 17 seasons as a college head coach — he also worked at Prairie View A&M, Alcorn State, Grambling, Southern and Maryland-Eastern Shore — and it was one of his best. He jump-started an Xavier University program which had resumed in 1967 and produced NAIA District 30 championships and appearances in the NAIA National Championship in 1972 and 1973. His 1972-73 team — led by Donald "Slick" Watts and Bruce Seals, both eventual NBA players — upset top-ranked and unbeaten Sam Houston State 67-60 in the second round of the NAIA's national tournament. Until 2012, the 1972-73 Gold Rush were the only Xavier University team in any sport to reach the NAIA national quarterfinals.

"Once I met the vice president [Anthony Rachal] and president [Dr. Norman C. Francis], I was elated," Hopkins said in November 2013 of his interview with Xavier. "They did everything in their power to enhance the program. They were very supportive. I didn't even have to negotiate with them. We had some great teams at Xavier. We won the City Series. We beat Tulane, a major D-I at the time. You didn't need an airplane and a million dollars a year to make a good program."

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Alabama State Claims Second Consecutive Commissioner's Cup

14-15 Commissioner's Cup Standings

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – The Southwestern Athletic Conference has recognized Alabama State University as the winners of the Sadie Magee/Barbara Jacket Award and James Frank Commissioner’s Cup for the 2014-15 academic year. ASU brought seven SWAC championships back to Montgomery this past year to garner the honors. Texas Southern University won the C.D. Henry Award.

The announcement was made during the league’s annual spring meetings. This is the third consecutive year that ASU has won Magee/Jacket Award, and its second consecutive Commissioner’s Cup.

Magee/Jacket Award
The Magee/Jacket Award is presented to the top women’s athletic program in the SWAC. The Lady Hornets beat their point total from last year, finishing over 20 points ahead of second place with 104. They captured five team titles: cross country, volleyball, indoor track and field, golf, and outdoor track and field.

Texas Southern finished second with 83 points and Prairie View A&M University placed third with 76.5 points.

C.D. Henry
The Henry Award is presented to the top men’s athletic program in the SWAC. It was a tight race this year with only five points separating the top three universities. This is the first time in program history the Tigers have won the men’s all-sport award. They finished with 70.5 points after winning three team titles in basketball, indoor track and field, and baseball, and finishing second in three others: cross country, golf, and outdoor track and field. TSU beat out second place Alabama State by just two points.

The Hornets earned 68.5 points and Prairie View A&M finished a close third with 65.5 points.

James Frank Commissioner’s Cup
The Commissioner’s Cup is awarded to the university compiling the highest combined total of men’s and women’s all-sport points. With 104 points from the Magee/Jacket Award and 68.5 from the Henry Award standings, ASU took first place with a 172.5 points. Texas Southern came in second at 153.5 points. And Prairie View earned third at 142 points.

Click here to view a summary of the Commissioner’s Cup and all-sport award points.

COURTESY SWAC MEDIA RELATIONS

TSU Football works to improve academic standing following NCAA Notice of Postseason Ban

NCAA RELEASE

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- Tennessee State University has implemented new programs to improve academic performance of its football-student athletes. This comes following notification from the NCAA’s Committee on Academic Performance that the program will be banned from postseason competition for the 2015 season.

 The notice states that the TSU football program failed to meet the academic standards required by the NCAA Academic Progress Rate. This year marks the first time that a TSU athletic program has ever been issued a post-season ban or Level I penalty since the NCAA started collecting APR data 11 years ago.

“While 14 of our athletic programs have scored at or above the NCAA’s APR benchmark, unfortunately, the football team fell short,” said Teresa Phillips, director of Athletics. “We take the academic progress of our student athletes very seriously and have implemented new processes and procedures for our coaches and students to address this issue and improve the overall administration of the football program. I am confident that these new measures will rectify the problem going forward.”

The sanctions against TSU are a result of the multiyear APR calculations—a four-year measurement covering the academic years 2010-11, 2011-12, 2012-13, and 2013-14. The football team’s multiyear APR score was 915, falling short of the 920 benchmark set forth by the NCAA for limited resource institutions.

As a result, the football program will be subject to a Level I penalty. This penalty reduces the number of hours allowed for regular season athletic related activities – an amount that must be replaced with activities related to academics. Last fall, the TSU athletics department made serious and substantive modifications to the football program to address the APR score decline. Some of the measures include:

• Developing and submitting an improvement plan outlining future expectations;
• Increasing academic support for student-athletes, including the proposed addition of an advisor specifically assigned to football;
• Improving accommodations, support and access to student-athlete tutoring services;
• Relocating to an upgraded facility that includes a larger computer lab, tutoring room and quiet study area;
• Developing a new policy that requires increased study-hall hours for students with GPAs that are below standards;
• Implementing a zero-tolerance policy for class and study hall absences; and
• Requiring head football coach and key assistants to attend the yearly NCAA Rules Seminar

TSU President Glenda Glover issued the following statement regarding the NCAA's announcement citing the university.

“Educating and graduating our student athletes is a top priority for all our programs, including football," said Tennessee State University President Glenda Glover. "It is clear we should have done a better job monitoring the academic progress of our football student-athletes. However, recent changes within our (football) program have already had a significant impact in achieving the success we expect in the classroom. We will strive to maintain that standard as we move forward. Winning on the field is important, but the most important thing to all of us is for our student-athletes to obtain their degrees.”

All intercollegiate sports programs at NCAA member institutions receive an APR score during the academic year. Scores are compiled based on points given for eligibility and retention for student-athletes that receive athletic scholarships and financial aid each semester. Teams lose points when a scholarship player is not academically eligible to play at the end of a semester or transfers without a minimum 2.6 GPA.

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Four schools given postseason ban for poor APR scores in NCAA report

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana -- The NCAA has released its annual Academic Progress Rate scores, and once again, a few schools were not able to meet proper standards.

Four schools who failed to clear the minimum APR multi-year bar of 930 points will be ineligible for postseason play in 2015-16. Those schools: Alcorn State (SWAC), Florida A&M (MEAC), Stetson (Atlantic Sun) and Central Arkansas (Southland). These four schools combined for a total of 19 wins last season.

APR postseason bans have been a constant since its inception more than a decade ago, but at least the number of schools affected is going down. Last season eight programs were barred from postseason play due to poor APR scores. That number's been cut in half, though Central Arkansas and Florida A&M are repeat offenders.

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ASU ineligible for 2015 football postseason for poor APR

Alabama State is the only SWAC school ineligible for postseason.

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- Poor Academic Progress Rate marks continue to haunt Alabama State's football program.

The NCAA reported Tuesday the Hornets are ineligible for postseason play this season due to poor APR results under former coach Reggie Barlow from the 2010-11 academic year to the 2013-14 academic year.

An ASU graduate, Barlow coached eight seasons from 2007 to 2014 before being fired and replaced by former Bethune-Cookman coach Brian Jenkins.

So ASU won't be eligible to play in the newly formed Celebration Bowl that pits the SWAC and MEAC champions against each other Dec. 9 in Atlanta, NCAA associate Michelle Hosick confirmed Wednesday. An ESPN network is televising the bowl at the Georgia Dome.

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All-America Awards Announced for 2015 NCAA DII Outdoor Season

NEW ORLEANS – All-America honorees for the 2015 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field season were announced Tuesday afternoon by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

Student-athletes earned First-Team USTFCCCA All-America honors by virtue of finishing among the top eight in their events, including as a member of a relay, at this past weekend’s NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Allendale, Michigan.

For the first time, Second-Team honors were bestowed upon those finishing ninth through 12th. Those athletes who qualified for, but could not compete in, the final of his or her event(s) earned Second-Team honors.

The Saint Augustine’s men outlasted Findlay, 53-50, to win their third consecutive outdoor national title, thanks to a nation-leading 12 First-Team All-Americans. Those 12 All-Americans were the best of the meet, regardless of gender.

Eighth-place Texas A&M-Commerce and 11th-place Johnson C. Smith both earned 11 All-America awards.

Saint Augustine’s women also led the way for their gender, posting 11 to tie host Grand Valley State for the national lead.

However, those teams finished eighth and fourth in the final team standings, respectively. It was Central Missouri’s women with nine All-Americans that prevailed over Lincoln (Mo.)’s 10, 59-50, in a team race that came all the way down to the 4×400-meter relay and was decided by a dropped baton by Lincoln.

No individual earned more All-America awards than the meet’s high-point scorer in Salcia Slack of New Mexico Highlands, who came home with five First-Team honors and another Second-Team award. She was the heptathlon champ and runner-up in the two hurdles races.

Four more women finished with three First-Team honors apiece, including high jump champ Erika Kinsey of Central Missouri, 400-meter hurdles champ Tia-Adana Belle of Saint Augustine’s and 100-meter/4×100-meter relay champion Janae Johnson of Lincoln (Mo.). Southern Connecticut State’s Shatajah Wattely also claimed three awards.

Two men shared top honors with four apiece in Waynee Hyman of Johnson C. Smith and Dontavius Wright of Stillman. Hyman was a national champion as part of the 4×100 relay and finished runner-up at 200 meters, while Wright was the national runner-up at 400 meters.

Four more men earned three All-America awards each, including two-time national champion and high-point scorer Emmanuel Matadi of Minnesota State. His teammate Kyran Stewart joined him as a three-time winner, as did Burkheart Ellis, Jr., of Saint Augustine’s and Miguel Barton of Lincoln (Mo.).

The GLIAC was the best-represented conference for the men with 34 First-Team honors, followed by the MIAA with 33 and the Lone State with 31.

For the women, it was the MIAA that came out on top with 35 First-Team honors, followed by the GLIAC with 29 and the CIAA with 23.

Find the list of All-Americans below. The lists are separated by men’s and women’s and First-Team and Second- Team.



2015 USTFCCCA First-Team All-America – NCAA Division II Men (HBCUs)

Patrick Campbell Johnson C. Smith 4×400 Relay
Joshua Cunningham Johnson C. Smith 4×100 Relay
Joshua Cunningham Johnson C. Smith 4×400 Relay
David Ellis Johnson C. Smith 4×100 Relay
Waynee Hyman Johnson C. Smith 200 Meters
Waynee Hyman Johnson C. Smith 400 Meters
Waynee Hyman Johnson C. Smith 4×100 Relay
Waynee Hyman Johnson C. Smith 4×400 Relay
Michane Rickets Johnson C. Smith Long Jump
Rajiv Service Johnson C. Smith 4×100 Relay
Rajiv Service Johnson C. Smith 4×400 Relay
Miguel Barton Lincoln (Mo.) 200 Meters
Miguel Barton Lincoln (Mo.) 400 Meters
Miguel Barton Lincoln (Mo.) 4×100 Relay
Wesley Best Lincoln (Mo.) 4×100 Relay
Roger Blake Lincoln (Mo.) 4×100 Relay
Winston Edwards Lincoln (Mo.) 400 Meter Hurdles
Romone Hill Lincoln (Mo.) 4×100 Relay
Moussa Dembele Saint Augustine’s 110 Meter Hurdles
JaQuan Demiel Saint Augustine’s 4×100 Relay
Burkheart Ellis Jr. Saint Augustine’s 200 Meters
Burkheart Ellis Jr. Saint Augustine’s 400 Meters
Burkheart Ellis Jr. Saint Augustine’s 4×100 Relay
Khari Herbert Saint Augustine’s 400 Meters
Kevaughn Hewitt Saint Augustine’s 4×100 Relay
Immanuel Hutchinson Saint Augustine’s 800 Meters
Daniel Jameison Saint Augustine’s 100 Meters
Daniel Jameison Saint Augustine’s 4×100 Relay
Omar Johnson Saint Augustine’s 400 Meters
David Shaw Saint Augustine’s Triple Jump
De’Mon Anderson Stillman 4×100 Relay
Solomon Atosona Stillman 4×100 Relay
James Bigham III Stillman 4×400 Relay
Michael Newton Stillman 4×100 Relay
Michael Newton Stillman 4×400 Relay
Marcus Victorian Stillman 4×400 Relay
Dontavius Wright Stillman 200 Meters
Dontavius Wright Stillman 400 Meters
Dontavius Wright Stillman 4×100 Relay
Dontavius Wright Stillman 4×400 Relay
Clive Cameron Virginia State 4×400 Relay
Te’Shad Chambers Virginia State 4×400 Relay
Devon Thompson Virginia State 4×400 Relay
Justin Williams Virginia State 4×400 Relay

2015 USTFCCCA Second-Team All-America – NCAA Division II Men (HBCUs)

Joshua Cunningham Johnson C. Smith 400 Meters
Darius Hyacinth Stillman Triple Jump
Berfrantz Charles Virginia Union 4×100 Relay
Malcolm Morris Virginia Union 4×100 Relay
Artneil Reid Virginia Union Triple Jump
Antoine Whitaker Virginia Union 4×100 Relay
Ed’Treon Wilcox Virginia Union 4×100 Relay

2015 USTFCCCA First-Team All-America – NCAA Division II Women (HBCUs)

Krishanda Campbell-Brown Benedict Triple Jump
Trisana Fairweather Claflin 100 Meters
Trisana Fairweather Claflin 200 Meters
Kimberley Bailey Lincoln (Mo.) 4×100 Relay
Keja Christie Lincoln (Mo.) 4×100 Relay
Yanique Ellington Lincoln (Mo.) 200 Meters
Yanique Ellington Lincoln (Mo.) 4×100 Relay
Jhevere Hall Lincoln (Mo.) 800 Meters
Janae Johnson Lincoln (Mo.) 100 Meters
Janae Johnson Lincoln (Mo.) 200 Meters
Janae Johnson Lincoln (Mo.) 4×100 Relay
Ladonna Richards Lincoln (Mo.) 100 Meter Hurdles
Ladonna Richards Lincoln (Mo.) 400 Meter Hurdles
Quanera Hayes Livingstone 200 Meters
Quanera Hayes Livingstone 400 Meters
Sherri-Ann Ashman Saint Augustine’s 4×100 Relay
Sherri-Ann Ashman Saint Augustine’s 4×400 Relay
Tia-Adana Belle Saint Augustine’s 400 Meter Hurdles
Tia-Adana Belle Saint Augustine’s 4×100 Relay
Tia-Adana Belle Saint Augustine’s 4×400 Relay
Shakinah Brooks Saint Augustine’s 4×100 Relay
Shakinah Brooks Saint Augustine’s Long Jump
Fanta Fofana Saint Augustine’s 4×400 Relay
Ornella Livingston Saint Augustine’s 4×100 Relay
Cherrisse Lynch Saint Augustine’s 4×400 Relay
Amenze Uhunmwangho Saint Augustine’s Long Jump
Raven Covington Winston-Salem State 4×100 Relay
RoDaijah Faucette Winston-Salem State 4×400 Relay
Raven Hamilton Winston-Salem State 4×400 Relay
Ty-Leah Hampton Winston-Salem State 4×100 Relay
Ty-Leah Hampton Winston-Salem State 4×400 Relay
Tajanel McNeill Winston-Salem State 4×100 Relay
Tajanel McNeill Winston-Salem State Triple Jump
Nya Michaux Winston-Salem State 4×100 Relay
Tametris Morrison Winston-Salem State 400 Meter Hurdles
Tametris Morrison Winston-Salem State 4×400 Relay

2015 USTFCCCA Second-Team All-America – NCAA Division II Women (HBCUs)

Krishanda Campbell-Brown Benedict Triple Jump
Carrie Byrd Claflin 4×100 Relay
Chante Durant Claflin 4×100 Relay
Trisana Fairweather Claflin 4×100 Relay
Aliyah Miller Claflin 4×100 Relay
Tovea Jenkins Johnson C. Smith 400 Meters
Yanique Ellington Lincoln (Mo.) 4×400 Relay
Jhevere Hall Lincoln (Mo.) 4×400 Relay
Lovan Palmer Lincoln (Mo.) 4×400 Relay
Willomena Williams Lincoln (Mo.) 4×400 Relay
Amenze Uhunmwangho Saint Augustine’s Triple Jump
Raven Covington Winston-Salem State 100 Meters
Nya Michaux Winston-Salem State 200 Meters

By Kyle Terwillegar, USTFCCCA

RaShid Gaston's transfer decision caught coach by surprise

NORFOLK, Virginia -- Norfolk State coach Robert Jones said Tuesday that he was as surprised as anyone when star forward RaShid Gaston walked into his office recently and asked for his release so he could transfer.

Gaston, a 6-foot-9, 240-pound rising senior, is leaving NSU after finishing second on the team in scoring last season, at 15.5 points per game, and second in the MEAC with 9.6 rebounds per game. His destination is unknown.

Gaston came to Jones about three weeks ago to request his release, Jones said, saying he wanted to play for a higher-profile school and enhance his professional possibilities.

"He felt like he would have a better chance to play in the NBA if he played at a higher level," Jones said.

Gaston, a Warren, Ohio, native, was traveling Tuesday and wasn't available for ...

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SHS golfer signs with SSU Tigers

STATESBORO, Georgia -- In front of friends, family and fellow golfers, Statesboro High School’s Jordan Woody signed his national letter of intent to attend Savannah State University on a golf scholarship Tuesday afternoon in the school’s media center.

The Blue Devils’ senior was all smiles for his big day and wasted no time thanking everyone for his accomplishment.

“I would like to thank God and my family for putting golf in my life, and I would like to thank Statesboro High for letting me compete with them and thank Savannah State and Coach (Art) Gelow for letting me compete (Division I),” Woody said after signing to play with the Tigers.

Woody’s uncle attended Savannah State, which played a big role in his decision to don the Tigers' blue and orange for the next four years.

“They have a really good golf team and I had the opportunity to hit a couple with Coach Gelow and he gave me the opportunity to come play with them next season so I said ‘hey why not?” Woody said, laughing.

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TSU's Welz ready to shake up regional

"No Fly Zone" 
Courtesy: TSU Athletics

HOUSTON, Texas -- When a center fielder is nicknamed "No Fly Zone" by the coaching staff and his teammates embrace and encourage the moniker, it says a lot about the player. Especially when he lives up to the billing.

Zach Welz was named the most valuable player of the SWAC baseball tournament in New Orleans that was won by Texas Southern. In earning the conference's automatic berth in the 64-team NCAA tournament, the Tigers were sent to the College Station regional, where they play top-seeded Texas A&M at 6 p.m. Friday.

Welz relishes the nickname that was bestowed on him by assistant coach Anthony Dilligard.

I like it," Welz said. "It shows they have a lot of confidence in me playing the outfield. It's been fun. I made a few diving catches and a few catches at the wall. The pitchers are always real thankful."

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Chicago Football Classic 2015 Release Schedule

CHICAGO, Illinois -- The 18th Chicago Football Classic will welcome the Bears of Morgan State University vs. the Bison of Howard University at Soldier Field on September 26, 2015,

SOLDIER FIELD!!! LET'S DO THIS!!!

NFL Hall of Famer donates $500,000 to Morgan State University

WILLIE LANIER

RICHMOND, Virginia -- Morgan State University was good to Willie Lanier. Now Mr. Lanier is being good to Morgan State.

The historically black university in Baltimore announced that Mr. Lanier has given a $500,000 gift to establish the Willie E. Lanier Sr. Endowed Lectureship in Business Ethics.

Starting in 2016, the lectureship will provide a two-year award to a selected faculty member in the university’s Earl G. Graves School of Business and Management who conducts research in business ethics, according to Dr. Fikru Boghossian, dean of the school.

Mr. Lanier is a 1967 graduate of Morgan State who went on to become a Hall of Fame linebacker with the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs. He made his mark in business as president and CEO of Virginia-based Lanier Group LLC, an investment firm.

He also serves as chair of the Morgan State University Foundation.

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Paine assistant Chase Campbell named new Lions head coach

HEAD COACH CHASE CAMPBELL
Courtesy: Paine College Athletics

AUGUSTA, Georgia -- The search for a new coach at Paine College is over and they didn't have to go far to find the new man in charge as assistant Chase Campbell has confirmed he's taken over as new coach of the Lions.

Campbell had been an assistant with Jimmy Link this past year and now takes over the team after Link was hired at Clayton State.

Campbell has plenty of connections with Paine, having gone to school there and was even a student assistant a couple of years ago.

Look for him to make the smooth transition into the head coaching gig and will have plenty to work with. Remember, Paine doesn't graduate a single player and they won the SIAC regular season title.

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Bryan Henry column: Watching FAMU history unfold on television fun

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- The text arrived from a good friend early Monday morning saying, "You're heading to Gainesville bro."

And, a few hours later, it was official. We, the Florida A&M Rattlers, were placed in the NCAA Gainesville Regional, where we will open against host and No. 4 national seed Florida on Friday.

We could not be more excited. For the first time in the history of FAMU baseball, we will be participating in a NCAA Regional Tournament.

I was relieved to find out where we were going, but honestly, I wanted to stay in town. For me personally, it would have been an awesome experience to coach in a regional tournament at Florida State, where I played my collegiate career and got my coaching career started.

I love FSU with a passion and just thought how awesome that would've have been. Another huge reason I wanted to stay was to be home and sleep in my own bed. We kept hearing how we wanted to travel to get the "whole experience." Our last bus trip was 16 hours long and that was the "whole experience" I could handle for the year.



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NSU Spartan Basketball Adds Craig to 2015 Recruiting Class

DEVARUS CRAIG
Courtesy: Odessa College

NORFOLK, Virginia  –  The 2015 Norfolk State men's basketball recruiting class expanded by one more on Friday, when head coach Robert Jones announced that junior college transfer Devarus Craig has signed a national letter of intent to join the Spartans for next season.

Craig is a 6-foot-8, 255-pound forward who competed last year at Odessa College in Texas. A native of Murfreesboro, Tenn., he will have two years of eligibility remaining beginning in 2015-16.

"Devarus adds much needed size and strength to our front line," said Jones. "He is a bruiser inside who also has good range on his jump shot, which should keep defenses honest. He has a tremendous work ethic which will bode well for his future success. We look forward to seeing him in a Spartan uniform."

Craig averaged 9.5 points and 5.2 rebounds in 29 games last year for Odessa, which finished the season 20-9 overall. He connected on 57.3 percent from the floor and 65.9 percent from the free throw line while also adding 18 blocks, 13 assists and 11 steals on the year. He scored a career-high 20 points in a game twice, including in a win over Southwest Texas Junior College when he also had a career-best 10 rebounds.

He also competed at Columbia State Community College in Clifton, Tenn., in 2012-13 as a freshman. Craig posted 8.3 points and 4.8 rebounds per game in just six games that season before missing the rest of the year due to injury. He shot 18-of-31 (58.1 percent) from the floor and also made 14-of-20 (70.0 percent) from the free throw line while adding five assists, four blocks and two steals.

Craig played at Riverdale High School in Murfreesboro, Tenn.

He is the sixth player to join the Spartans as part of the 2015 recruiting class. Shooting guard Jonathan Wade and small forward Preston Bungei, a pair of junior college players, signed earlier this month. JC point guard Brian Kelley and incoming freshmen center Moses Toriola and power forward Alex Long signed back in November.

Mike Bello, Asst. SID
COURTESY NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Basketball | RaShid Gaston leaving Norfolk State

NORFOLK, Virginia -- Norfolk State forward RaShid Gaston has requested and been granted his release and intends to transfer, a school spokesman confirmed Monday.

The 6-foot-9, 240-pound Gaston finished second on the team with 15.5 points per game last season as a junior. He said via Twitter that he has not made a decision on where he'll go.

If he goes to another Division I school, he'll have to sit out a year.

Spartans coach Robert Jones declined to comment on Gaston's status Monday.

Gaston earned second-team NABC All-District 15 honors after ranking second in the MEAC in rebounding (9.6) and field goal percentage (62.6). He compiled 18 double-doubles and averaged 1.4 assists and 1.2 blocks per game.



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College Station Regional Preview: TAMU, Texas Southern, Cal, Coastal Carolina

COLLEGE STATION, Texas — With the Fighting Farmers of Texas A&M securing a Regional in College Station, but not a National Seed (a source of some consternation to the Aggie faithful), their run to Omaha, or at least Fort Worth, begins with SWAC champions Texas Southern Tigers, the third in the PAC12 Cal Golden Bears, and the second in the Big South Coastal Carolina Chanticleers.

The college baseball world is familiar with Texas A&M’s march to the post season, a 45-11, 18-10 in SEC play campaign that saw them go undefeated until March 21, but not always the methods they exacted to get there.

Texas Southern
The other Lone Star Component, Texas Southern University, went 31-17 overall and 16-7 in the SWAC and claimed the championship. Senior Robert Garza hit a nifty .348 with 31 RBI, and freshman Gerreck Jimenez hitting .333. Seven Tigers total broke the .300 mark.

While not capable of being the big, swingaway type teams that sometimes dot the D1 landscape, the Tigers did prove impressive on the basepaths, collecting 74 stolen bases, a whooping 40 more than the Aggies.

The Tiger moundsmen pulled together for a group ERA of 4.47, with sophomore Ryan Rios going 6-1 with a 2.92 ERA to lead the team.

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Allen and McMillian signs to continue career at Prairie View A&M

Lanikki McMillian 

FULTON, Mississippi – The Itawamba Community College women's basketball program announced that Lanikki McMillian has signed a National Letter of Intent to continue her career at Prairie View A&M University.

"It feels great," said McMillian. "They (Prairie View A&M) have a good things going and I just wanted to be a part of that."

McMillian, a 6' forward, was named as an alternate to the MACJC All-Star squad after averaging 6.5 points and 4.7 rebounds in 28 games in his final season under Coach Nanci Gray.and
"She has been a great kid to have in our program," said Gray. "Every day she was a positive influence and in practice she made kids work hard in the post and she's going to be a great asset to Prairie View and I'm excited that she's getting that opportunity."

The Pontotoc native helped the Lady Indians reach the NJCAA National Tournament and capture the NJCAA Region 23 Championship. The Lady Indians finished 23-5 and won the MACJC North Division title.

"ICC has been more than I expected," said McMillian. "There were high and lows, but we came through it all and I'm proud of my team and all that we accomplished this season."

McMillian will join Lady Indian teammate Jeronia Allen (Mindan, LA) and the Lady Panther program that finished 14-18 overall and 10-8 in their conference and fought their way to the semi-finals of the SWAC conference tournament.

Jeronia Allen

ICC sophomore guard Jeronia Allen signed a National Letter of Intent to continue her basketball career at Prairie View A&M University.

"She brings positive energy to the floor every day," said Lady Indians' head coach Nanci Gray. "She can score from the outside, but can drive the lane as well and Prairie View is getting a great guard."

Allen averaged 11.6 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.7 assist per game last season and earned a spot on the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior College (MACJC) North All-Star roster.

The 5'9" guard helped lead the Lady Indians to the MACJC North Division title, and her 16 point performance in the championship game at the regionals helped capture the NJCAA Region 23 crown to reach the NJCAA National Tournament.

"She has grown so much during her two years here," said Gray. "I expect greatness from her as she continues to pursue excellence on and off the court."

Allen will join Lady Indian teammate Lanikki McMillian (Pontotoc) in the Lady Panther program.

COURTESY ITAWAMBA COMMUNITY COLLEGE SPORTS INFORMATION

Former XU Gold Rush Coach Bob Hopkins Dies at age 80

NEW ORLEANS — Robert M. "Bob" Hopkins Sr., the head coach of Xavier University of Louisiana men's basketball teams from 1969-74, died May 15, 2015, of heart and kidney disease. He was 80 years old.

Hopkins' XU stint was his longest in 17 seasons as a collegiate head coach — he also worked at Prairie View A&M, Alcorn State, Grambling, Southern and Maryland-Eastern Shore — and it was one of his best. He jump-started an XU program which had resumed in 1967 and produced NAIA District 30 championships and appearances in the NAIA National Championship in 1972 and 1973. His 1972-73 team — led by Donald "Slick" Watts and Bruce Seals, both eventual NBA players — upset top-ranked and unbeaten Sam Houston State 67-60 in the second round of the NAIA's national tournament. Until 2012, the 1972-73 Gold Rush were the only XU team in any sport to reach the NAIA national quarterfinals.

"Once I met the vice president (Anthony Rachal) and president (Dr. Norman C. Francis), I was elated," Hopkins said in November 2013 of his interview with Xavier. "They did everything in their power to enhance the program. They were very supportive. I didn't even have to negotiate with them.

"We had some great teams at Xavier. We won the City Series. We beat Tulane, a major D-I at the time. You didn't need an airplane and a million dollars a year to make a good program."

Hopkins was 82-45 in five seasons as Xavier. The Gold Rush were 22-5 in 1971-72 and 21-6 in 1972-73. Three of the Gold Rush's four NAIA national tourney victories occurred during Hopkins' tenure. His 16-year record as a collegiate men's head coach was 252-183. He also coached Grambling's women to a 10-18 record in 1983-84.

Hopkins left XU to join his cousin, legendary center Bill Russell, on the staff of the NBA's Seattle SuperSonics. He was a Sonics assistant for three years and head coach for the first 22 games of 1977-78. Hopkins fell in love with Seattle, bought a house in suburban Mercer Island, Wash., and settled there.

"Good, bad or whatever, he made me who I am," Watts told the Seattle Times newspaper. "And I know a whole lot of people owe an awful lot to Bob Hopkins."

Hopkins was born Nov. 3, 1934, in Jonesboro, La., and was a standout basketball player at Grambling during the 1950s. There he became the first collegian (in December 1955) to score 3,000 career points. He set an NCAA career record of 3,759 points and has been No. 2 on that list for the past 43 seasons. He is No. 4 in NAIA career points — during Hopkins' playing days, Grambling held dual membership in the NCAA and NAIA — and he still holds the NAIA and NCAA Division II career record of 3,309 field-goal attempts. Hopkins played four NBA seasons with the Syracuse Nationals (now the Philadelphia 76ers) and averaged 8.2 points and 5.6 rebounds in 273 games from 1956-60. He scored 44 points in a game against the Boston Celtics.

Hopkins is a member of at least six halls of fame. He was inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame in 1963, the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 1978 and, in 2009, the Grambling Legends Hall of Fame and the Jackson Parish Sports Hall of Fame in his hometown. In 2013, Hopkins was inducted into the SWAC Hall of Fame and the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.

Hopkins was married to his wife, Beverly, for more than 55 years. They met at Grambling, where Beverly was a roommate of Hopkins' sister. Other survivors include four children, four grandchildren and one great grandchild. A memorial service was held May 22, 2015, at St. Monica Catholic Church in Mercer Island. In lieu of flowers, the Hopkins family requests that donations be made to the Bob Hopkins Scholarship Fund, c/o Kappa Alpha Psi Foundation, 516 22nd Ave. East, Seattle, WA 98112.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
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Ritsche says WSSU baseball program is in good shape

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- Historic seasons don’t come around that often.

Winston-Salem State’s baseball team, while it fell short of its goal of reaching the Division II College World Series, completed its best season in school history.

The Rams, who will likely be a preseason top 25 team next season, went 42-15 for the most wins in school history.

Coach Kevin Ritsche, who just completed his fifth season, is 182-93 overall and the Rams have won the last five CIAA titles.

Before heading into summer break Ritsche sat down at the Bowman Gray Stadium field house to talk about this past season and to look ahead.

Q: Coming off the school’s best season in history what is the mindset as you look ahead to next spring?

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FAMU hazing death attorney facing complaint from Florida Bar

ORANGE COUNTY, Florida — 9 Investigates has learned the attorney representing the family of Florida A&M University hazing victim Robert Champion is facing a serious complaint by the Florida Bar Association.

Attorney Christopher Chestnut is accused of lying to the court, having runners solicit grieving victims at funerals and charging excessive fees.

Channel 9's Lori Brown learned that the complaint could have serious ramifications.

Chestnut's website boasts that his is a multimillion-dollar law firm that represents clients around the United States. The site says he has been acknowledged by President Barack Obama as a national emerging leader.

One of Chestnut's high-profile cases involved representing the family of Champion in a civil case against FAMU.

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DI Baseball Committee releases field of 64 teams for 2015 tournament

NDIANAPOLIS, Indiana -- The field of 64 teams competing for the 2015 NCAA Division I Baseball Championship was announced Monday by the NCAA Division I Baseball Committee.

The national top eight seeds are UCLA (42-14), LSU (48-10), Louisville (43-16), Florida (44-16), Miami (Florida) (44-14), Illinois (47-8-1), TCU (43-11) and Missouri State (45-10). The top eight seed for Missouri State marks a first for a Missouri Valley Conference institution.

Interactive Bracket    Printable

The ACC and SEC lead all conferences in the number of teams in the championship field with seven. The Pac-12 has six institutions, while the Big 10 had a league-record five selected.

Making the tournament for the first time includes Radford of the Big South Conference, Florida A&M of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, Houston Baptist of the Southland Conference and Cal State Bakersfield of the Western Athletic Conference. Overall, 27 of the 64 teams were in the field last year.

Miami (Florida) is in the field for the 43rd consecutive year, extending its own record. Florida State is making its 38th consecutive appearance, second all-time. Other long consecutive streaks: Cal State Fullerton (24), Rice (21) and Arkansas (13).

Each of the 16 regionals features four teams, playing a double-elimination format. The regionals are scheduled to be conducted from Friday, May 29, to Monday, June 1 (if necessary). Selection of the eight super regional hosts will be announced at approximately 11 p.m. ET June 1.

The 69th Men’s College World Series begins play Saturday, June 13, at the TD Ameritrade Park Omaha in Omaha, Nebraska.

2015 AUTOMATIC QUALIFIERS
CONFERENCE	TEAM	RECORD	YRS*	W	L	PREV. APP.
American East	Stony Brook	34-14-1	5	7	10	2012
American Athletic	East Carolina	40-20	27	31	53	2012
Atlantic Coast	Florida State	41-19	53	178	117	2014
Atlantic Sun	Lipscomb	39-18	2	1	2	2008
Atlantic 10	VCU	37-22	11	11	20	2010
Big East	St. John's (N.Y.)	39-14	35	63	62	2012
Big South	Radford	43-14	1	0	0	First
Big Ten	Michigan	37-23	22	59	43	2008
Big 12	Texas	30-25	57	233	114	2014
Big West	Cal St. Fullerton	34-22	37	146	78	2014
Colonial	UNCW	39-16	7	9	12	2013
Conference USA	FIU	29-29	11	8	21	2011
Horizon	Wright St.	41-15	5	1	8	2011
Ivy	Columbia	31-15	5	1	8	2014
Metro Atlantic	Canisius	34-28	2	0	2	2013
Mid-American	Ohio	36-19	11	14	20	1997
Mid-Eastern	Florida A&M	23-23	1	0	0	First
Missouri Valley	Missouri St.	45-10	9	14	17	2012
Mountain West	San Diego St.	40-21	12	10	22	2014
Northeast	Sacred Heart	23-30-1	4	0	6	2012
Ohio Valley	Morehead St.	38-20	3	2	4	1983
Pacific-12	UCLA	42-14	20	60	30	2013
Patriot	Lehigh	25-29	2	0	2	2006
Southeastern	Florida	44-16	31	85	64	2014
Southern	Mercer	35-21	3	1	4	2013
Southland	Houston Baptist	28-25	1	0	0	First
Southwestern	Texas Southern	31-17	3	1	4	2008
Summit	Oral Roberts	41-14	25	34	48	2012
Sun Belt	La.-Lafayette	39-21	15	27	30	2014
West Coast	Pepperdine	30-27	28	58	54	2014
Western Athletic	Cal St. Bakersfield	36-22-1	1	0	0	First
*Includes 2015

COURTESY NCAA.COM