Milwaukee's Fresh Coast Classic Announces 2010 Participants

Milwaukee, WI – The Fresh Coast Classic Basketball Tournament announced that the following Historically Black Colleges and Universities will participate in the 2010 basketball tournament:

Bowie State University (Bowie, MD), Clark-Atlanta University (Atlanta, GA), Johnson C. Smith University (Charlotte, NC) and Saint Paul's College (Lawrenceville, VA) will compete for this year’s championship title.

Scheduled to take place in Milwaukee at Wisconsin Lutheran College, 8800 West Bluemound Road, November 26-27, the Fresh Coast Classic is far more than a basketball game; it’s an unforgettable experience that brings the legacy of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to Milwaukee.

This year’s event will feature four HBCUs playing in four games over a 2-day period with 2009 Fresh Coast Champions, Clark-Atlanta University, defending its title. The four HBCU teams will participate in semifinal games on Friday, November 26 with the championship and consolation games taking place Saturday, November 27.

“We are excited about the outstanding match ups for this year’s Fresh Coast Classic basketball tournament,” said Harold Scott, Chairman of the Fresh Coast Classic. “This is the fourth year of the tournament and we believe this year is going to be the best one yet. The Fresh Coast Classic is gaining momentum and has proven to be more than a basketball tournament; it’s a celebration of our country’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities that commemorates academic achievement, tradition and sportsmanship. It’s a weekend filled with something for everyone.”

Traditionally, the Fresh Coast Classic has been an HBCU Classic, but this year’s event will expand to include eight area high school games that will follow the City/Suburban Holiday Classic format, in which a Milwaukee City Conference school will be paired against a Milwaukee area suburban school.

In addition, back by popular demand, the Fresh Coast Classic College & Resource Fair will provide Milwaukee youth and families the opportunity to explore the many educational options at HBCUs throughout the United States. In 2009 16 states were represented by over 40 HBCUs and local colleges and universities.

For more information on the 2010 Fresh Coast Basketball Classic and the College & Resource Fair please visit http://www.freshcoastclassic.org or call (414) 550-0939.

Wide receiver Eric Weems fights for position

FLOWERY BRANCH, GA -- Wide receiver Eric Weems made the Falcons' roster last season and played in all 16 games. He also won the punt- and kickoff-return jobs. With Harry Douglas returning from knee surgery and the drafting of rookie Kerry Meier, Weems, who signed in 2007 as an undrafted free agent from Bethune-Cookman, knows he's in another battle to make the roster.

"My mindset is to always compete," Weems said. "No job out here is safe. I'm going to go out here and fight hard every day." Weems averaged 25.3 yards on 48 kickoff returns, which was ninth in the NFL for players with 30 or more returns. Tampa Bay's Clifton Smith was tops in the league with a 29.1 average. Weems averaged 10 yards on 27 punt returns, which was 10th in the league for returners with 25 or more returns. Philadelphia's DeSean Jackson led the league with a 15.2 average.

READ MORE, CLICK TITLE.

JCSU Golden Bulls going to use pass-first spread offense

Steve Aycock is taking an aggressive approach to his second season as Johnson C. Smith football coach. When the Golden Bulls opened practice Saturday, the roster was overhauled with an infusion of first-year players to challenge for starting jobs. There's a new offensive coordinator - former Olympic, West Charlotte and Chester (S.C.) coach Maurice Flowers - who'll push a more dynamic attitude.

The changes are necessary for a program that's produced three consecutive 3-7 seasons. To break the streak, Smith will have to rebuild a tattered defense that allowed more than 30 points per game last season and an offense that scored fewer than 19 an outing. The Bulls have some work to do before the Aug. 28 opener at Elizabeth City State, starting with finding answers to these questions:

READ MORE, CLICK TITLE.

Alabama State holds first practice session

ASU Coach Reggie Barlow had 93 players report for first day of football practice.

MONTGOMERY, AL - Calling it an acclimation practice was exactly what the Alabama State University football team experienced on their first day of practice in boiling temperatures. The session was originally scheduled for 3 p.m. but was pushed back to 7:30 p.m. due to the extreme heat conditions.

"We have five days in jersey's and shorts so we can use these days to get the players acclimated to the hot weather," head coach Reggie Barlow said. "We want to be smart with the guys and give them the ability to compete when they are not so drained because of the hot weather."

A total of 93 players were on the field for the first day of practice with 45 of those being returnees. Needless to say, there were several new faces around the team as practice began and there will be a lot of evaluation to go along with the first few days without the pads.

"I am thrilled about the team we have this year," Barlow said. "We have a good mixture of young guys and a lot of older guys. We want to see what the players that were here in the spring retained from spring practice, but we also have to see how some of the new guys will be able to help us."

READ MORE, CLICK TITLE.

SU Jaguars’ practice pace faster this year

Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows that it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning a lion wakes up. It knows that it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death. It doesn’t matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle: When the sun comes up, you’d better be running.

—origin unknown

Every so often, during the first three days of preseason football camp at Southern University, players placed their hands on their hips between periods, then strolled to various spots on the practice fields. The coaching staff was not impressed. Take, for example, Friday afternoon’s session. About halfway through, when too many players straggled on their way to team drills, the squad got a quick, blunt and alarmingly loud reminder from first-year coach Stump Mitchell and his assistants.

In so many words, the message went like this:

READ MORE, CLICK TITLE.

READ RELATED ARTICLES:

Southern defense holds early edge at camp
Southern holds first fall practice
Jaguars kick off practice
Jaguars hit campus
Keys: A new year, a fresh start for Wells
Reporting day arrives for Jaguars

Saint. Augustine's Falcons have more experience

After finishing the 2009 football season in third place with a 4-3 conference record, St. Augustine's will rely on veterans this season. The Falcons have back 17 starters and 38 lettermen in all from a team that produced a 4-6 record overall, and for the first time in five years, they will have stability at quarterback.

The team also has four returning All-Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association players: senior linebacker Mark Hall, senior offensive lineman Ricky Rodriguez, redshirt sophomore quarterback Joaquin Green and sophomore wide receiver Tyron Laughinghouse. Despite all the experience, the Falcons still have questions that need to be answered if they want to come out with more victories this season:

View the Schedule



READ MORE, CLICK TITLE.

WSSU 'officially' accepted back into CIAA

The NCAA has granted Winston-Salem State its re-admittance to Division II. WSSU, which spent four years in transition to Division I, decided to halt that process last September. WSSU was also granted re-admittance into the CIAA.

Jimmy Jenkins, the president of Livingstone College and the chairman of the CIAA board of directors, said: "I speak on behalf of my colleagues as I express our excitement about the fact that Winston-Salem State University has returned." The Rams spent 61 years in the CIAA before leaving following the 2004-05 academic year.

APR punishment leaves Tigers short on practice time

Jackson State football players will get a slight reprieve in practice time this fall, but that's not necessarily a good thing. Because of the program's low Academic Progress Rate, Jackson State will be restricted to 16 hours of practice a week - four fewer hours than the NCAA normally allows. Fall practice begins at 3 p.m. today, and putting together a plan to work within the 16-hour framework could be an issue for coach Rick Comegy and his staff - especially since the team is installing a new offense.

"We're going to get the best out of those 16 hours. We know what we want to get it in," Comegy said. "We don't like it, but it fits. We can make it fit." Along with practice time, JSU was penalized with a reduction in scholarships. The program was restricted to offering 23.7 scholarships during February's signing class. Football Championship Subdivision teams are allowed to offer 30 scholarships per signing class.

READ MORE, CLICK TITLE.

NCAA denies Grambling QB's petition for another year of eligibility‎

Greg Dillon, show in photo as #1 in GSU game with Oklahoma State in 2009 was denied a sixth year opportunity by NCAA. Dillon played a total of two years in college football career.

Greg Dillon’s college football career is over. The Grambling quarterback’s petition for a sixth year of eligibility has been denied by the NCAA, leaving Grambling without its two-year starting quarterback for the upcoming season. “From where I sit, it’s a big injustice,” Grambling head coach Rod Broadway said on Friday. “But we’ll have to live with it.”

Dillon began his collegiate career as a walk-on for ULM in 2005. He then transferred to Grambling, and won the starting job as a walk-on in 2008. Grambling finished the 2008 season 11-2 and captured a SWAC Championship with Dillon under center, and last season Dillon led the Tigers to a 7-4 record and a win in the Bayou Classic.

READ MORE, CLICK TITLE.

SSU football players report to training camp

Savannah State University quarterback Kurvin Curry was not among the 79 football players who reported to preseason training camp Thursday. Curry, a 6-foot-1, 216-pound sophomore last season, was academically ineligible to participate in spring practices this year and last year. The Hart County High School graduate returned to his home in Hartwell after the spring semester.

"We're looking to move forward with A.J. (DeFilippis) as our quarterback," SSU interim head coach Julius Dixon said Thursday night. "I haven't spoken with Kurvin. I know that I would like for him to come back to school and finish what he started." Last Friday, Dixon said he believed Curry would be academically ineligible to play this season. SSU players were instructed to report from 1-5 p.m. Thursday. Dixon said a couple of players with transportation issues called him and were granted permission to arrive today. The Tigers' first practice is Saturday at 8:45 a.m.

READ MORE, CLICK TITLE.

Southern ‘D’ holds early edge at camp

SU Jaguars defensive coordinator, O'Neill Gilbert.

Fresh from a pair of beatings after the first two days of preseason practice, Southern center Ramon Chinyoung spotted his nemesis in the parking lot of the A.W. Mumford Field House late Thursday night. Walking toward the double doors, Chinyoung locked eyes with defensive coordinator O’Neill Gilbert. “Hey, coach O’Neill,” he said, pointing at Gilbert with his helmet. “Nice job today.”

As the Jaguars geared up for meetings and looked ahead toward their third day of football practice — they plan to wear shoulder pads for the first time today — first-year head coach Stump Mitchell made something crystal-clear: During team drills, the offense did not live up to his standards. Gilbert’s defense did. Mitchell offered a tip of the cap. Gilbert’s reaction: pleased, but not satisfied.

“We need to get stronger; we need to get in better shape; and we need to get in the playbooks,” Gilbert said. “We still have a ways to go in terms of learning what we’re looking for in the defense. We haven’t arrived. We just need to keep on, day by day, getting stronger and faster and continuing to learn.”

READ MORE, CLICK TITLE.

Albany State Rams start prepping for season

Albany State University head coach Mike White.

ALBANY, GA — The A.J. McKenna era is over, so when coach Mike White and the Albany State University football team took the field for their first practice Thursday morning, one of the main things on their mind was the open quarterback spot. It’ll be tough to replace McKenna, who led the SIAC in passing yards per game (184.3) last season, but White said one of the three players vying for the spot — Wayne Campbell, Stanley Jennings and Chris Payne — should fit in nicely.

“They’ll be alright,” White said. “I don’t know if any of them will beat A.J.’s (numbers) — the size, the athlete, the combination A.J. had was really rare — but I think somebody will fill his shoes and definitely take care of the offense.” Campbell returns from last year’s team, Jennings is a transfer from Southwest Mississippi Community College and Payne is a redshirt player who originally signed with ASU in 2006.

And while Thursday was the first time the coaches were able to see them all together in action, White said he already knows they’ll follow plays better than McKenna did. “These are a little more coachable guys,” White said. “A.J. was a pretty intelligent kid, but he was a guy who always wanted to throw the ball deep. He would have a guy wide open in his face and he would try to force it deep. “He had that trouble all season. It was hard to get him to see that.”

READ MORE, CLICK TITLE.

MEAC coaches aware of FAMU's Ukpai

NORFOLK, Va. — Florida A&M sophomore quarterback Martin Ukpai isn't going to be surprising anyone this season with his combo-threat abilities. He put that on display in the final game last season when he was pressed into action in place of injured Curtis Pulley. He wowed the Florida Classic crowd and left quite an impression that coaches around the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference couldn't avoid noticing. None of them were ready to call him the second coming of Pulley during the conference's Media Day, but he seemingly has gained their respect.

That much was obvious when coaches talked about what they had to look forward to during the coming season. "We need to be especially cognizant of the fact that this guy is a very good football player," said South Carolina State coach Buddy Pough. "He will only get better. It will be interesting to see how much he improves by the time he gets to us."

READ MORE, CLICK TITLE.

Shaw Bears need a quarterback

RALEIGH, NC -- After losing to Fayetteville State 29-28 in the last minutes of the fourth quarter on Oct. 10 and giving up a chance at the division title, the Shaw football team is looking to make up for the missed opportunity. The team plays its season-opener at home and then goes on the road for five consecutive games. Shaw then comes home for three games before finishing off conference play against St. Augustine's on Nov. 6. Coach Darrell Asberry's team gets another shot at Fayetteville State at home.

The Bears have a veteran offensive line that has back all but three starters from a group that led the CIAA in scoring offense and total offense. But there are questions elsewhere on the team. Shaw hopes to have answers before its opener against Virginia Union on Sept. 4.

1. Who will be the team's new quarterback?

READ MORE, CLICK TITLE.

WSSU Maynor excited about camp‎

When Connell Maynor put away his golf clubs, it meant one thing -- time for football practice. Maynor, who plays to a 2 handicap, will open his first preseason camp as Winston-Salem State's coach -- and his first as a head coach -- at 9:30 a.m. Saturday. "I'm excited about the start of camp," Maynor said. "I want to get out there and see how the guys have been doing in offseason conditioning and while they might not be in full football shape yet, they should be close."

The Rams, coming off a 1-10 finish last fall, have a lot of holes to fill after losing nearly 30 players from last season. Some graduated, but others transferred or didn't have their scholarships renewed. The turnover turns WSSU into an unknown commodity in its return to the CIAA. Maynor was hoping to have veteran Akeem Ward back to lead the defensive line, but Ward, a junior who started the last two seasons, is academically ineligible.

"It's unfortunate, but no one player is bigger than the team," Maynor said. "We have to overcome that loss of Akeem. He would have helped us, but we have to move on."

READ MORE, CLICK TITLE.

BEST DEFENSE: Grambling football heads to fall camp with offensive uncertainty

The Grambling football team reports for fall camp Friday, and on Saturday the Tigers will hold their first training camp practice in preparation for the 2010 season. The team is in a familiar position, but not necessarily a comfortable one. The Tigers have some uncertainty at quarterback but should be strong on defense. It's the same situation the team faced in 2008, when incumbent quarterback Brandon Landers was ruled ineligible just weeks before the start of training camp.

Greg Dillon eventually won the starting job vacated by Landers, and while Dillon and the GSU offense worked out the kinks, the defense paved the way to an 11-2 overall record and a SWAC Championship. Now Dillon's eligibility is up in the air, and Grambling might need to follow the same script if it is going to challenge for a conference title in 2010.

READ MORE, CLICK TITLE.

Taraji P. Henson’s ‘From the Rough’ to start filming story on TSU coach

Actress and singer Taraji P. Henson is a descendant of Matthew Alexander Henson, discoverer of the Geographic North Pole. She was born in N.E. Washington, D.C., and earned a B.A. degree from Howard University in Theater Arts. Henson played the role of Queeni in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2009.

Independent motion picture company Gyre Entertainment will begin production of the sports drama, “From the Rough,” starring Academy Award Nominee Taraji P. Henson in New Orleans October 4, 2010.

“From the Rough” is based on the remarkable true story of the first female head coach of an NCAA Division One men’s golf team, Dr. Catana Starks at Tennessee State University. Henson plays the fictional character Cassandra Turner who represents Starks in the film. Turner is a female coach at a historically black college/university (HBCU) who faces an uphill battle as she attempts to establish the school?s first men?s golf team.

“The extraordinary film explores one’s ability to transform life’s rough circumstances into distinct advantages,” said Pierre Bagley. “It confronts issues of race, gender, class, and cultural barriers in ways that are provocative, and sometimes hilarious.”



READ MORE, CLICK TITLE.

A&T anxious to work on rebuilding

Year 2 of N.C. A&T’s rebuilding campaign is underway.

The Aggies reported to preseason camp on Sunday; the first practice was Tuesday. “My coaching staff is excited about getting out there,’’ said second-year coach Alonzo Lee. “We believe the players have really put in the hard work necessary to be successful, so we are eager to see how that translates to the field.”

Two Aggies – safety Justin Ferrell and cornerback Quay Long (West Charlotte High) – earned first-team All-MEAC preseason honors. The Aggies ranked ninth in the nation in pass defense last season. Ferrell, who led the conference with six interceptions, started the season at cornerback before moving to safety. “Justin makes us a team that can really get after you blitz-wise because he can cover like a corner,’’ said Lee. “It gives us a chance to play a little more man coverage. His presence really makes us a better defense.”

READ MORE, CLICK TITLE.

Gentlemen, you have to prioritize!!!

What I learned from Coach Kermit Blount

While playing football at Winston-Salem State University, I remember my head football coach Kermit Blount saying “Gentlemen, football is a metaphor for life. But this not pep rally, this is a pep reality." In those team meetings or so-called pep "realities", coach Blount would give us (players) a little dose of reality and a few lessons on life.

I can still hear him in his cool baritone voice like Billy Dee Williams in "Lady Sings the Blues" say: “Gentlemen, you are going to have to learn how to prioritize......and find out what's more important to you: school or girls, football or foolishness, coming to practice or playing video games." "But regardless of what you decide to do, you must prioritize...gentlemen."

Yeah, those team meetings or "pep realities" with coach Blount seemed more like church than a college football meeting. Because he rarely talked about the X's and O's, blocking schemes, or defensive assignments. He focused more on telling players to call their moms, staying out of trouble, and looking out for one another.

READ MORE, CLICK TITLE.

FAMU football will not settle for second

Just as quickly as the question was posed for a reaction to Florida A&M being picked to finish second in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, linebacker Brandon Hepburn fired off his response. Just the reference of South Carolina State being predicted to win the conference for a third consecutive season was enough to get Hepburn fired up.

"I don't really care what they had to say," Hepburn said Tuesday. "We worked too hard during the summer and me and my brothers are going to the championship. Point blank. Period. That's all I have to say about it." But he went on. "We're not being No. 2 — at all. The MEAC is ours and it's time to reclaim what is ours. If you don't want to be the best, why do we play football?"

FAMU will actually have to play football like it didn't play last year when it finished 8-3 and and finished in second place for the second straight year. The Rattlers finished as predicted last season, but the previous year they beat the odds in coach Joe Taylor's first season at the helm by finishing second instead of seventh as was predicted.



READ MORE, CLICK TITLE.

FVSU Wildcats make their return to practice field

FORT VALLEY, GA — The first day of football practice at Fort Valley State was like most of the ones at nearly every college throughout the land: fairly routine and injury-free. Everybody head coach Donald Pittman expected to be in uniform was there Wednesday for the first day of practice, and the returning Wildcats came back in shape. But Pittman and his staff will have a little less stress as they prepare for the season and the opener Aug. 28 at Miles College.

“I’ll tell you what the most important part of it is,” said Pittman, beginning his second season at FVSU. “The president, Dr. (Larry) Rivers, he gave us an opportunity to come in two days before (camp) started and gave us the chance to register and get cleared and do all of those things.

“We don’t have to worry about that at the end. It’s all cleared now.” Pittman and his predecessors regularly went through August camp with players having to wait on a variety of administrative and financial aid issues to be cleared with players. And often, some of those matters weren’t taken care of before the season started, so a player might miss a game or more.

READ MORE, CLICK TITLE.

JSU Tigers ready to make amends for 3-8 season‎

When he signed with the Jackson State football team in 2006, Antonio Colston had heard the stories about Tigers fans - how some go to games just for the halftime shows. "I knew that a lot of fans come strictly for the band," Colston, a senior offensive lineman from Mobile, said in an interview last week. "I never knew it was so strong until we started losing."

Marked by a season-ending loss to in-state rival Alcorn State and poor attendance figures, last year's 3-8 record came with something else: embarrassment for players. "It really hurt my heart," safety Kerry Hoskins said last week. "We were a better team than that."

Players were not allowed to talk to reporters Wednesday, the first day they reported for fall camp in preparation for the Sept. 4 season opener against Delta State. Ninety players reported to campus, said school spokesman Wesley Peterson. Coach Rick Comegy, who was also not available for interviews, spoke through the spokesman.

READ MORE, CLICK TITLE.

Nickelberry's time in Libya pays off for Howard‎ University

As the former coach at Hampton and an ex-assistant at Clemson and a handful of mid-majors, Kevin Nickelberry never has been able to pick and choose his recruits from a selection of top-level prospects. But even for a coach who has spent many of his days in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, Patriot League and Northeast Conference, recruiting never was as tough as it was at his last job.

Before he was hired as coach at Howard in May, Nickelberry scoured dusty gyms trying to assemble a scrappy team that could hold its own against the best competition on the continent. Only those dusty gyms - some of which didn't even have doors - were scattered across Libya. "I use the word 'gym' loosely," Nickelberry said. "There's a floor, there's dirt and there's dust all over."

After resigning under pressure at Hampton following the 2008-09 season because he hadn't won enough, Nickelberry landed a job as the coach of the Libyan national team for four months as the country hosted its first FIBA African Championships.

READ MORE, CLICK TITLE.

Former GSU's Gary 'Big Hands' Johnson dead at 57

Gary “Big Hands” Johnson, a Chargers Hall of Famer and one of the most dominant defensive tackles in club history, died yesterday, two weeks after suffering a stroke. Johnson, also a member of the College Football Hall of Fame after an outstanding career at Grambling State University, died at LSU Medical Center in Shreveport, La., the city in which he was born. He was 57.

Johnson was the eighth player chosen in the 1975 draft and played for the Chargers from 1975-84 before finishing his career with San Francisco in 1984 and 1985. Johnson was voted an All-Pro in 1980 (when he had 17 1/2 sacks) and 1981 and was named to the Pro Bowl in four straight seasons (1979-82). The Chargers won the AFC West in three of those seasons and made the playoffs in all four.

READ MORE, CLICK TITLE.

Back to work for the North Carolina A&T Aggies‎

GREENSBORO, N.C. — He is N.C. A&T’s most decorated returning football player, the kind of guy any coach would eagerly build his defense around. And yet, Justin Ferrell stood on the lush, manicured grass of Aggie Stadium on Tuesday morning and pointed out his own flaws. Drenched in sweat from A&T’s first football practice under the August sun, Ferrell vowed to be better.

“I really looked forward to this practice because my last two years, as a freshman and sophomore, I really didn’t show the passion I should have,” Ferrell said. “I didn’t show the intensity in practice I should have to get better, to take heed to what the coaches are putting forth to make us better in life and on the field.” This from a first-team All-MEAC defensive back. This from a player who volunteered to move from cornerback to safety last season to help his team. This from the guy who led the league with six interceptions last season.

READ MORE, CLICK TITLE.

RELATED LINKS:

• Gallery:Photos from the first day of practice
• Html:N.C. A&T football: Official site