SWAC announces '08 preseason baseball honors

Photo: PVAMU's Wrandal Taylor is named Pre-season SWAC Pitcher of the year. The senior is from Ozen HS., Beumont, Texas

MVSU’s Bard, PVAM’s Taylor tabbed for All-Conference selections.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The ballots have been tallied and Mississippi Valley State’s Sean Bard was selected as the 2008 SWAC Baseball Preseason Player of the Year. Wrandal Taylor of Prairie View A&M University, the defending SWAC champions, was named Preseason Pitcher of the Year.

Taylor, a 5-foot-11, 195 pound senior from Beaumont, Texas, helped lead the Panthers to the 2007 SWAC championship. He led the conference in strikeouts with 89 and was second with 92 innings pitched. He was ranked second in the SWAC in wins with nine and fifth in the SWAC with a 4.11 earned run average. Taylor was named Pitcher of the Year in 2006 when he threw 78.1 innings with 75 strikeouts with an average of 8.62 strikeouts per nine innings pitched.

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UMES women's hoops begins important stretch in MEAC

Photo: Corin Adams, sophomore point guard, leads Morgan State with 17.6 points per game (third in the MEAC), 4.7 assists (leading the MEAC) and 4.2 steals (leading the MEAC). Adams is arguably the quickest guard in the league. The 5-7 star is from Madison High School, Brooklyn, NY.

The Hawks could make a big move either way in the next five days, as they take on three of the top five teams, beginning with a trip today to Morgan State, where the Bears (11-7, 5-2 MEAC) are undefeated. Morgan was the first team on the 2007-08 schedule for the Hawks this season, and while UMES (10-8, 3-2) was still trying to find its timing, they had a chance to win, falling 77-71 in a non conference tilt.

"I'm really looking forward to going up and playing Morgan at Morgan," UMES coach Fred Batchelor said. "This is a game that I'm excited about and I believe we're a much better team and a much different team than we were when we first played them. I'm sure that they've improved, as well, but I'm looking forward to getting a chance to play against one of the better teams in the league on their home floor, and I feel very confident that we're going to play well."

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Today's game is at 2 p.m., while the Hawks will head to Coppin on Monday at 5:30 p.m. Both of those games are parts of doubleheaders with the men's team. Wednesday, without the men's team, UMES will begin its game against Delaware State Hornets at 6 p.m. at the Hytche Center.

Delaware State expects Coppin State's best shot

Photo: DSU senior Roy Bright leads the MEAC in scoring with 18.9 ppg. The 6-6/225 all-star is from Durham, NC (Garden City CC), (Mt. Zion Christian Academy).

Hornets approach conference's last-place, first-place teams equally.

DOVER -- Who's more dangerous, last-place Coppin State or first-place Morgan State? For the Delaware State men's basketball team, that answer comes over the next three days with a game at each Baltimore school.

The Hornets begin the series today at 4 p.m. at Coppin State, which has a 4-18 record, 0-7 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. DSU plays Monday night at Morgan State (11-8, 6-1), off to its best start in 29 years. "I think we all have the mindset that we can't lose from here out," DSU junior forward Donald Johnson said. "We have to play both teams like they're No. 1 in our conference."

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Tennessee State University's Dent among Pro Football Hall of Fame finalists

Photo: Atlanta native, Richard Dent #95 is a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The former TSU star was selected in the 1983 NFL Draft, Round 8, Pick 203 by the Chicago Bears.

PHOENIX — Richard Dent knows he can’t go back and change anything. So he’s hoping what he did in his 15 NFL seasons is enough to get him in the Pro Football Hall of Fame when voters meet here Saturday.

The former Tennessee State and Chicago Bears star, the Super Bowl XX Most Valuable Player, is among 15 modern era finalists. “I look forward to the opportunity, I think I am deserving,’’ Dent said. “I feel support from people, people who felt like I should be there and can’t understand why I’m not. “But I’ve done all I can do. My work is done; I can’t come back and make it any better than it is." At the time of his retirement following the 1997 season, Dent ranked third all-time in sacks with 137.5, trailing only Reggie White and Bruce Smith.

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FAMU coach Clark says she has fond memories of WSSU

Photo: Lady Rattler Jarquella Woods, 5-1 freshman guard, Hardaway HS, Columbus, GA.

She had a 111-85 record in seven seasons on the Rams' sideline.

Coach Debra Clark said she will allow herself to be a little nostalgic when she leads the Florida A&M women against Winston-Salem State at 5:30 today at the Joel Coliseum Annex. Clark, who is in her seventh season at FAMU, was WSSU’s coach for seven seasons, from 1994 through 2001. “It’s kind of ironic that I’m coming back to Winston to play them; it’s going to be interesting,” she said. “I look forward to seeing a lot of folks that I know, so it will be a nice trip.”

“We’ve been hurt by injuries and everything else,” said Clark, whose Rattlers are 9-9 overall and 1-6 in the MEAC. “While it’s nice to be playing Winston, we are trying to get a win and get some momentum.”

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Memory of former Charleston Rocket surfaces at Super Bowl

Photo: Former Texas Southen University great--Michael Strahan, Defensive End, New York Giants.

IF you were a kid growing up in Charleston, West Virginia in the 1960s, chances are you loved the old Charleston Rockets. For us, it was our taste of pro football as we headed to old Laidley Field to watch the Rockets. Coached by Perry Moss, the Rockets competed in the United and Continental Football Leagues with such personalities as linebacker Sam Fernandez, defensive end Coy Bacon, wide receiver Sammy Weir, running back Millard Fleming, wide receiver Darrell Elam and punter Jim Hollingsworth.

To prove the impact that the Rockets continue to have on the football world, the memory of a former Rocket great surfaced in one of the Super Bowl's biggest stars this weekend. In an interview this week, Michael Strahan, the veteran leader of the New York Giants defense, gave credit for his NFL success to his former head coach at Texas Southern University.

That coach was none other than a former Charleston Rocket - standout center Walter Highsmith.

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Dang! We didn't know Walter Highsmith played for the old Charleston Rockets with Coy Bacon. Bacon got famous playing for "the future is now" Washington Redskins coach George Allen. Highsmith would later coach at Florida A&M University, among other stops in his career. Great to see a 15 year veteran and future Pro Football Hall of Famer give credit to his Alma mater, Texas Southern University and his coach (Walter Highsmith) for developing him into the star that he is today.

Highsmith son, Alonzo Walter Highsmith is currently a scout for the Green Bay Packers. He was selected in the first round, 3rd pick overall in the 1987 NFL Draft from the University of Miami (FL) and played six NFL seasons. He also won a national championship during his four years at Miami.

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Super Bowl to salute Doug Williams' feat

Photo: #17 Doug Williams, first African-American to start and win a Super Bowl at Quarterback. The former Grambling State University quarterback is currently employed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a personnel executive.

GLENDALE, Ariz. - We think little of it today, what with Warren Moon in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, with Donovan McNabb and Steve McNair having started in Super Bowls. But there was a time when the words "black" and "quarterback" didn't go so well together.

Doug Williams was the pioneer, at least in regards to the Super Bowl if not in all regards. He wasn't the first black quarterback to start a game in NFL history, but he was the first to become a regular and the first to star on the game's greatest stage.

The NFL will note the 20th anniversary of his MVP performance on Sunday when Williams takes part in the Vince Lombardi Trophy presentation after Super Bowl XLII here between New England and the New York Giants.

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SWAC picks Southern University softball 1st, baseball 2nd

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The Southwestern Athletic Conference released its preseason baseball and softball predictions and all-conference teams Thursday, with the Southern men picked to finish second in Western Division and the SU softball team picked to win the West.

In baseball, Southern was picked behind Prairie View in the West. Prairie View got 12first-place votes and 90 points, while Southern got the remaining eight first-place votes and 85 points. Despite not being tabbed the favorite in the West, Southern baseball players dominated the preseason All-SWAC team.

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Growing Brown has big plans at Jackson State

Meco Brown met Ben this winter. He became very familiar with his buddy Jerry, too. "I gained six pounds," Brown said. "After the season I was eating a lot of ice cream. "But I didn't want to get too fat. I wanted to get solid. Now I'm going get lean, nice abs, ripped."

Brown currently stands as the most recognized high school recruit verbally committed to Jackson State, choosing JSU over Northern Illinois. His 1,313 rushing yards, 2,042 all-purpose yards and 18 touchdowns were pivotal in Moss Point's run to the 4A semifinals - a loss to eventual state champion Laurel. The 5-foot-7, (and now) 185-pounder will have every opportunity to start for the defending Southwestern Athletic Conference champions.

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Mississippi Valley State climbs into SWAC contention

Photo: MVSU point guard Mike Davis, 5-8/160 senior, Los Angeles, CA, Panola J.C.

The Mississippi Valley State men's basketball program didn't get a whole lot of love from its peers entering the 2007-08 season.

The Delta Devils were fresh off a first-place Southwestern Athletic Conference regular season finish. In fact, they were a poor first half away from beating Jackson State in the SWAC Tournament and playing eventual national champion Florida in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

But MVSU was still predicted to finish fourth in the league's preseason poll. The squad may be currently sitting in that No. 4 slot, but the Delta Devils have won four of their last five.

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Florida A&M (8-11) travels to Winston-Salem State to face Rams (7-11)

Photo: Lamar Twitty, completed a double-double Monday against Delaware State, finishing with 20 points, 11 rebounds and five assists. The 6-4/200 junior guard is from Boyd Anderson HS., Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

WINSTON-SALEM, NC - The Winston-Salem State University Rams return home to Winston-Salem, NC to face the Florida A&M Rattlers on Saturday evening at the Joel Coliseum Annex at 7:30 pm in MEAC men's basketball action as WSSU looks to snap a three-game losing streak. The match-up between the two teams, the second ever meeting, marks the first action between the two proud HBCU's in over a year.

Florida A&M enters into the contest riding a three-game win streak as the Rattlers look to extend their consecutive games won streak to a season-high four games.

The Rams will be broadcast the contest versus the Rattlers live on the radio on WSNC 90.5 FM. WSNC is the flagship station of the Rams Radio Broadcasting Network and will carry all WSSU games live on the radio in the greater Winston-Salem, NC area and worldwide on the Internet at www.WSSU.edu. Alan Chavous will provide all the play-by-play action with Kim Spears providing the color analysis.

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SCSU up to nine commitments

Photo: Oliver "Buddy" Pough, head football coach, South Carolina State University Bulldogs.

As National Signing Day draws closer, the list of verbal commitments gained by South Carolina State continues to grow. Currently, a total of nine high school seniors have indicated their intentions to sign with the Bulldogs this Wednesday. Joining Carvers Bay defensive tackle Dyrell Porcha (6-3, 260) on the list Thursday was Shrine Bowl and Associated Press All-State defensive back Derek Belin of Class 3-A champion Wilson. A 6-0, 180-pound senior, Belin tallied 87 tackles and had three interceptions for the 12-3 Tigers.

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Short List of Bulldog Oral Commitments

1. Dyrell Porcha, 6-3/260, DT
2. Derek Belin, 6-0/180, DB
3. C.J. Missick, 5-10/200, LB
4. Ronell Ferguson, 6-2/240, DE
5. Arnett James, 6-3/240, DE
6. Gary Grace, 5-11/225, RB
7. Larry Patterson, 6-5/260, OL
8. Justin Garrick, 6-4/280, OL
9. Yari King, 5-9/170, DB
10. Marquel Goodman, 6-2/175, DB

MSU Coach Todd Bozeman featured in latest "ESPN The Magazine"

Photo: Coach Todd Bozeman (in black shirt).

BALTIMORE, Md. – Morgan State men’s basketball coach Todd Bozeman is featured in the recent (Jan. 28th) issue of ESPN The Magazine in an article by Jerry Bembry entitled “Older and Wiser.” The article talks about Bozeman’s coaching success at the University of California and his excitement about building something special at Morgan State from the ground up.

Bozeman's Morgan State Bears are currently leading the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference with a 6-1 conference record, 11-8 overall, ahead of Hampton University (5-1, 11-7), Norfolk State University (5-1, 9-9) and North Carolina A&T State University (4-2, 10-9).

Delaware State runners to attend Millrose Games tonight

DOVER -- Six members of Delaware State's indoor track and field team have been invited to compete in the Millrose Games tonight. DSU sprinters Larrone Moore and Lee Barnes will join women's 1,600-meter relay team members Nekisha Franklin, Cuquie Melville, Tiffany Green and Kendra Mayer in the event at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

The Millrose Games attract top collegiate track and field athletes and potential Olympians. Moore and Barnes will compete in the men's 60-meter dash. Moore has two first-place finishes this indoor season, with a best time of 6.84 seconds in the 60. Barnes ran a season-best 6.95 in the 60 in the Great Dane Classic in New York last weekend. Moore and Barnes have qualified for next month's IC4A championships in the 60-meter dash.

ESPN is scheduled to provide live coverage of some Milrose Games events.

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Retired NFL players angry about pensions

Many expressing frustration about lack of respect from league and union.

Ken Riley (Florida A&M University) of Bartow, Florida is one of the lucky ones. He played 15 years for the Cincinnati Bengals without injuring a knee. At age 60, Riley feels pretty good. He has yet to tap into his NFL pension. But he knows many players of his era haven't been so fortunate, and he's not sure they're getting enough help from players of this era.

"I went through four NFL strikes," said Riley, who retired as a player in 1983. "Guys make a lot more money now, and that's great. But a lot of guys paved the way for them, and the least they can expect is for the players of today to appreciate it." Riley, now an administrator at Winter Haven High School, says there should be no disconnect between active and former players.

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Grambling State stockpile offensive line prospects

Grambling's stockpile of offensive line prospects grew by two more, as Demetrius Porter (6-5, 280) out of Marksville and Georgia's Sanford Banks (6-5, 303) pledged. That makes five new commitments toward a remade GSU front four so far.

Banks, a one-star recruit out of Carver (Columbus, Ga.) High, was listed at 5:93 in the 40-yard dash by Scout.com. Rivals, which called Banks the No. 68 recruit in Georgia, also listed interest from Alabama-Birmingham, South Florida and Wake Forest.

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His Own Man: WSSU freshman is emerging from shadow of brother

It's easy to understand why freshman Isiah Tucker of Winston-Salem State plays with a chip on his shoulder. He has always been in the shadow of his older brother, P.J. Tucker. But he has lived with it his whole life and doesn't mind talking about it.

P.J. Tucker, a former star at Texas who now plays in Israel, is just two years older than Isiah. And at 6-5, he can do almost everything on the court - one reason that the Toronto Raptors made him the 35th pick in last year's NBA Draft. However, P.J. played in just 17 games for the Raptors, and is now playing overseas with hopes of getting back to the NBA.

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Evans agrees to 3-year deal as Norfolk State basketball coach

Photo: NSU first year head basketball coach Anthony Evans.

When Norfolk State takes the floor for Saturday’s big men’s basketball game against Hampton University, it will do so without its interim head coach. Instead, Anthony Evans will coach Saturday with the interim tag removed. Today, Norfolk State announced that Evans was named permanent head coach and was given a three-year contract through the 2010-11 season.

Evans and assistant coaches Lonnie Blow and Robert Jones have guided the Spartans to a 9-9 overall and a 5-1 mark in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. NSU is tied with Hampton for second place in the conference, one-half game behind Morgan State in the standings.

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Super Strahan 'a very long way from Texas Southern University

"When I was a boy, I didn't dream of Super Bowls," Michael Strahan said. "I was dreaming just to have a job and get out of my parents' house."

Seven Pro Bowls and two Super Bowls later, it's hard for Strahan to truly grasp just how his journey landed him here. He spent much of his childhood in Germany because his father, Gene Strahan, was stationed there as a major in the U.S. Army. Michael played one year of football at Westbury High School before attending Texas Southern University.

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Bethune-Cookman see endowment growth

Photo: Bethune Cookman University President, Dr. Trudie Kibbe Reed.

Bethune-Cookman University is the only school to earn a bullet as a fast-riser in this week's issue of the Chronicle of Higher Education.

President Trudie Kibbe Reed and her board have infused energy and ideas into the fundraising effort, growing the endowment at the end of fiscal year 2007 to $42.9 million, a 21.2-percent growth.

"We asked alumni to give every month, as if they were tithing in church,’’ Reed told us this morning. “We went from 7 to 64 percent in alumni giving."

Reed said the endowment has gone from $24 million when she started in 2004 to about $47 million, but the recent market downturn has it back down to about $44 million.

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Football scheduling mix-up costs Alabama State Hornets

Photo: Alabama State University Hornets Interim Athletic Director Ron Dickerson.

Alabama State interim athletic director Ron Dickerson likes to map his days out weeks in advance and hates surprises. Unfortunately, his school's 2008 football schedule -- which Dickerson finalized months ago -- is in shambles now with the discovery of two games both scheduled for Sept. 6, 2008. It will now cost the university several thousand dollars to resolve the problem.

Part of the problem stems from the Southwestern Athletic Conference's decision in spring of 2006 to go from a nine-game mandate within conference -- meaning every SWAC team was forced to play each other -- to a seven-game mandate.

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It is great to see that FAMU is moving away from the classic games. The Rattlers are already committed to two of the largest--the Florida Classic with Bethune Cookman and the Atlanta Football Classic with Tennessee State. We would prefer to see FAMU play the Florida FBC teams like Miami, Central Florida, South Florida and Florida that can pay the $350,000-$400,000 market rate guarantee for an FCS game.

South Carolina State is playing at Central Florida and Clemson this season. Norfolk State is playing at Kentucky and Delaware State is playing for the second consecutive season at Kent State. It's all about the money for MEAC programs and a few are moving in the right direction in scheduling games with the FBC teams for the big payouts and the higher grade competition.

Grambling snatches one -- and it's a big one -- from Saban

Photo: Grambling State University head football coach Rod Broadway is loading up on blue chip players for '08.

Grambling State has picked off a massive offensive tackle commitment from under the nose of Nick Saban and the University of Alabama. Greg McGrue, a 6-8, 360-pound Huffman (Birmingham, Ala.) High prospect, also reported interest from Auburn, Georgia, Purdue and Southern Mississippi.

He is a two-star Scout.com prospect, and ranked No. 34 overall in Alabama by Rivals -- which called McGrue a “massive offensive lineman with superior strength. Could be more flexible and quicker but nobody pushes him back and he uses his hands well.”

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This guy runs a 5.4/40 and once he completes Coach Broadway program in the weight room, he will be bigger than a tractor trailer. That's out-recruiting the competition, Grambling State. He's a clear cut blue chip!

Jackson State Comegy off road, critiquing recruits

Photo: 2007 SWAC Football Championship Coach, Rick Comegy, Jackson State University.

Comegy has been racking up the frequent flyer miles with a trip two weeks ago to accept an award in Washington D.C. and spending last week in California coaching the Southeast team in the American Heritage Bowl.

The Tigers currently have 15 commitments on top of four mid-year signees. Mississippi Delta Community College 6-0/205 cornerback Recardo Hines gave his verbal to Jackson State last night. He is a one-star juco prospect by Scout.com and runs a 4.47 40.

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MEAC wants to hold tourneys at Old Dominion instead of Scope

NORFOLK, VA - The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference would like to hold its men's and women's basketball tournaments at Old Dominion University's Ted Constant Convocation Center next year rather than Scope. Mayor Paul Fraim said Tuesday that MEAC officials, including commissioner Dennis Thomas, made the request at a recent meeting, saying they prefer the modern amenities of the Constant Center.

Vice Mayor Anthony L. Burfoot's response was blunt, especially when MEAC officials asked the city to pay their rent at ODU: "If the tournament is coming to Norfolk, it needs to come to Scope," Burfoot said he told them. Thomas was unavailable for comment.

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Background

Old Dominion University opened the Ted Constant Convocation Center for the 2002-2003 basketball season. "The Ted" has 8,600 fully cushioned seats, 16 luxury suites, and a state-of-the-art scoreboard. In addition to being used for home basketball games, the Constant Center hosts family-oriented events as well as concerts and lectures. (See Seating Visuals of "The Ted" by clicking on this link and click the seat location you desire: http://constantcenter.com/seating/viewer/event_type/

View Constant Center photos: http://constantcenter.com/photos/?album=3

Opened in 1971, Norfolk Scope is the host to a wide variety of events, including Ringling Bros and Barnum and Bailey Circus, conventions, concerts and family shows. Scope is proud to be the home of the Norfolk Admirals of the AHL and Arena Racing USA. Scope has an exclusive in-house caterer, Aramark, who runs Showcase Restaurant and will help with any catered event. (See Seating Chart: http://mediacache.eventbooking.com//7074_Seating_Scope_Basketball.gif).

A few words of advice for Commissioner Thomas--hold your ground on this issue. MEAC fans and players have no interest in attending the MEAC Basketball Tournament at a second rate facility. You do not see the NCAA, or any other conference in America holding their tournaments at outdated facilities. If it (the Scope) wasn't good enough for Old Dominion University or the Harlem Globetrotters, it's not an appropriate venue for the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament.

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Nickelberry has Hampton winning with defense

Photo: Hampton University Pirates men's head basketball coach Kevin Nickelberry (Virginia Wesleyan '86).

The Pirates excel defensively, whether in passive zone, half-court trap or overplaying man-to-man. Among the 328 Division I teams ranked in the NCAA's statistics, Hampton is 31st in scoring defense and 39th in field-goal percentage defense. But if basketball were all slides, steals and switches, no one would play or watch. Scoring is not only necessary but also cool. It's why we play pick-up at the Y and watch Sports Center morning, noon and night.

Here the Pirates are lacking. They rank 269th nationally in scoring, 288th in field-goal percentage, 295th in 3-point percentage and 314th in free-throw percentage. Wall Street's recent numbers aren't that bleak.

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