Preview: Southern Jaguars at Alabama State Hornets

GAME: Southern University Jaguars at Alabama State University Hornets
WHEN: Saturday, November 12, 2011, 1:00 PM CT
Venue: Cramton Bowl (19,500), Montgomery, Alabama
Records: SOUTHERN (3-6, 3-4 SWAC); ALABAMA STATE (7-2, 7-1 SWAC)
Radio: WVAS-FM 90.7, Jonathan Spells (play-by-play), Tony Fleming (analyst), Robb Taylor (sidelines), Jay Holcey (studio)
INTERNET STREAMING VIDEO - Bamastatesports.com   WVAS-FM 90.7  Live Video  Live Audio  
2011 Alabama State Football Media Guide



THE GAME: The Alabama State Hornets will play their final conference game of the 2011 season when they host the Southern Jaguars. Saturday is the Black Out Game, and the Hornets are encouraging all fans to wear black. Saturday is also the Military Salute Game as we thank those who protect our freedom.

THE SERIES: Southern leads the series over the Hornets, 23-10. Last season, Alabama State ended a four-game losing streak to the Jaguars, winning in Baton Rouge 21-19. The teams have met twice in the SWAC Championship Game, with SU winning 20-9 in 2003, and Alabama State winning the title
game rematch, 40-35 in 2004.

LAST TIME OUT: Alabama State got back on the winning track, winning at Arkansas-Pine Bluff 28-12. Southern lost at Texas Southern, 29-15.

DE JA VU ALL OVER AGAIN?: For the second consecutive season, the Hornets enter their final SWAC game of the season with a possible SWAC Eastern Division title on the line. Last season, Alabama State’s win at Southern, combined with Alcorn State’s loss at Prairie View, clinched the East Title for the Hornets. This season, the scenario is similar. To win the East, Alabama State must
defeat Southern AND have Alabama A&M lose to Jackson State. If both the Hornets and Bulldogs win this week, AAMU must lose at Prairie View next Saturday for Alabama State to win the East.

SWEET HOME ALABAMA: The Hornets will play their final games of the 2011 season in the state of Alabama with home games this week vs. Southern and Tuskegee in the Turkey Day Classic Nov. 24. If the Hornets advance to the SWAC Championship, they would play in Birmingham’s Legion Field.
POLL POSITIONS: The Hornets moved back into the Sports Network/Fathead.com FCS Top 25, coming in at No. 23. Alabama State maintained its No. 2 position in the Urban Sports News Poll, while moving up in several other polls. The Hornets moved up one spot to third in the Heritage Sports
Radio Network poll, one spot to fourth in the Boxtorow.com Media Poll, and one spot to fifth in the Sheridan Broadcasting Network Poll.

NOTABLES
• The Hornets rushed for a season-high 149 yards against the Golden Lions,
the most by ASU since rushing for 212 yards vs. Alabama A&M on 10/30/10.
• RB Tim Clark posted career highs in rushes (10), rushing yards (106) and
touchdowns (three), becoming the first Hornet RB to top the century mark
since Andrew Pitts vs Alabama A&M on 10/30/10 (6-122).
• With three takeaways against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, the Hornets have forced
at least one turnover in 28 straight games (76 takeaways over that time: 31
fumbles/45 INTs).
• SS Markinley Saint Fort made career highs in total tackles (13), solo tackles
(10) and made his first career interception.

By Duane Lewis, Sports Information Director/Football
VISIT: ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY
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XU's Kirk is freshman of year; Hamilton shares coaching honor

Coach Christabell Hamilton
GCAC Co-Coach of the Year 

Moira Kirk
GCAC Freshman of the Year

Patrice Hightower
All-GCAC

Taylor Reuther
All-GCAC

Chinedu Echebelem
All-GCAC

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's Moira Kirk is the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year in women's volleyball, and XU's Christabell Hamilton is GCAC Co-Coach of the Year.

Kirk and teammates Taylor Reuther, Patrice Hightower and Chinedu Echebelem were chosen All-GCAC by the league's head coaches. It's the first time the Gold Nuggets have had four all-conference players in a season.

The awards were announced Wednesday at a Nashville, Tenn., banquet honoring the eight teams competing in the conference tournament, which will begin Thursday. Xavier, the regular-season champion and No. 1 seed, will play eighth-seeded Edward Waters in the opening match at 10 a.m. in Fisk University's Henderson A. Johnson Gymnasium. If the Gold Nuggets win, they'll play fourth-seeded Talladega or fifth-seeded Tougaloo at 6 p.m. Thursday.

Kirk, a freshman from Dallas, is second in the GCAC and 16th in the NAIA with a .363 hitting percentage. Eight times this season she hit .500 or higher, and she has 12 matches of 10 or more kills. She is Xavier's first GCAC Freshman of the Year since Korey Fondel in 2003, XU's first season.

Hamilton, hired in June, shared the GCAC coaching award with Tougaloo's Shandrea Taylor. Hamilton has led Xavier to a 19-6 overall record and 10-0 in the GCAC. The conference championship and winning season are Xavier's first in four seasons of volleyball. The Gold Nuggets set school records for victories, consecutive victories (8), home victories (8), conference victories and victories on opponents' courts (6).

Reuther, a freshman from Metairie, La., is second in the GCAC and 11th in the NAIA with 0.59 service aces per set. She leads the GCAC with 3.31 kills per set and leads Xavier with nine kill-dig double-doubles, six more than the Gold Nuggets produced in 2010. Hightower, a senior from New Orleans, leads the GCAC with 7.63 assists per set. Echebelem, a freshman from Dallas, ranks third on the Nuggets with 161 kills and 161 digs.

Talladega senior Shalitha Swain was chosen Player of the Year.


By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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Grambling State University coach wins 27th SWAC title

Grambling, Louisiana -- SWAC championships haven't lost any of their luster for Grambling coach Bertram Lovell — not even after 27. Lovell, most of whose titles have come in track and field, said last week's men's cross country crown isn't any less exciting.

"It's something," he said with a laugh. "We just had a great group of kids, and the youngsters did really well, but this is the first time for the guys to win in the last three years. They've gotten to accomplish it in indoors and outdoors, but in cross country we've always gotten nipped at the end, so it was a really sweet experience."

Mississippi Valley edged out the Tigers in 2010, but this time it was Lovell and his team leaving Prairie View A&M frustrated at the Mississippi College course. Lovell, who also earned his 27th SWAC coach of the year honors, said seeing his three seniors, including Darwin Price, finally claim the title before their graduation was special.

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Southern Jags encounter stiff challenge

Baton Rouge, Louisiana -- Stump Mitchell recapped last week's loss to Texas Southern with two words: Riko Smalls. And in short, that was all Southern's second-year coach needed to say to get the point across in the wake of his team's 29-15 loss.

"He was the difference in the ballgame," Mitchell said of Smalls. "He led his team on a couple drives of more than 90 yards. He did it both with his legs and his arm." Indeed.

Smalls completed 26 of 39 passes and torched Southern's defense for 365 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed for 71 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries. "In the secondary there's no question we got victimized this past game," Mitchell said, noting the Jaguars were without starting defensive back's LaMarkius Pettaway and Levi Jackson. "We played a couple guys who had not played before. That showed."



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Sharpless back; Elizabeth City State Vikings primed

Elizabeth City, North Carolina -- For Elizabeth City State’s men’s basketball team, 2010 started out with a lot of promise.

Coming off a Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association championship game appearance, the Vikings were picked to win the Northern Division and tabbed as one of the favorites to capture the league title.

But things did not work out quite the way they hoped. Injuries and inconsistent play plagued ECSU as it finished with an 18-10 record, but with much of the same cast returning for 2011, the league’s coaches have once again pointed to the Vikings as a team to be reckoned with, picking them to finish second in the Northern Division.

ECSU opens its season tonight at home against Southern Virginia.

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SMU Mustangs Open Season At Home Against Alcorn State Saturday

SMU HOSTS ALCORN STATE BRAVES IN SEASON OPENER
Radio: KAAM 770 AM Ray Canaveri (Play-by-Play)
Location: Dallas, Texas (Moody Coliseum)
Live stats and streaming available on SMUMustangs.com

UPCOMING GAMES
SMU opens the season with three games in six days, beginning with Alcorn State in Moody Coliseum on Saturday at 12 p.m. The Mustangs travel to Little Rock, Ark., to face Arkansas-Little Rock in the first road test on Nov. 14 before hosting TCU on Nov. 17 at 7 p.m.

ABOUT THE MUSTANGS
The Mustangs return three starters from last season, including the top two scorers in Christine Elliott (10.5 ppg) and Samantha Mahnesmith (10.2 ppg). Mahnesmith connected on 55 3-point attempts last season, marking just the 12th time a Mustang hit more than 50 in a season. Alisha Filmore also returns after starting 28 games last season. As a sophomore, Filmore led the conference shooting 41.4-percent from behind the 3-point arc. Akil Simpson earned Conference USA All-Freshman honors after scoring 4.9 points and grabbing 4.2 rebounds per game in her first collegiate campaign.

SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
ALCORN STATE: The Lady Braves return nine letterwinners and all five starters from last season's squad, which went 13-15 overall and 12-6 in the SWAC. Alcorn State also won seven of its last 10 games. Kiara Ruffin led the team last season with 17.79 points per game, but junior Carolinsia Crumbly was the only other player to average double-figures, scoring 14.65 points per game. As a team, Alcorn State averaged 59.3 points per game, while allowing 66.8. Series History: This is the first meeting.

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Elizabeth City State stumbled early, then recovered

Durham, North Carolina -- When Elizabeth City State was 0-2 in September, coach Waverly Tillar admitted, he was a little worried. "I was like, what's going on here?" Tillar said.

But his Vikings (8-2) responded with eight consecutive victories and reached the CIAA title game, where they'll play Winston-Salem State on Saturday with a chance to avenge a 22-17 loss Sept. 3. Elizabeth City's other loss was at top-ranked Delta State, 28-21 in overtime. "Here we are," Tillar said.

Several Vikings players said they were hoping for a chance to play the Rams again, and they got it by winning the CIAA's Northern Division title.

"Basically, we were disappointed in ourselves early in the season," said Daronte McNeill, a junior running back who has 1,435 yards and 20 touchdowns this season and Elizabeth City's career record of 3,332 yards. "We had to sit down and look at ourselves and just figure out what we were missing and what we needed to get over the hump."



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Jenkines signs with Hampton

Clarksville, Tennessee -- With all the attention and focus on Clarksville High and its five senior basketball players signing Division I scholarships on Wednesday afternoon, it may be easy to forget the city had another major college talent heading to a D-I program.

Kenwood held its own signing day, early Wednesday morning, honoring forward Blake Jenkines who signed with Hampton University, adding the total of Wednesday's signings to six.

"I was very excited," Jenkines said. "The entire team came up with me. We were out in front of the whole school and my pastor from my church was there too. I was really excited to have a day like this and grateful."

Jenkines has fought hard to carve out her own niche among what is arguably the greatest assembly of basketball talent the city has produced at one time. And while most of Clarksville's stars couldn't have imagined a day like Wednesday, Jenkines figured it would happen at some point.

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Talent fuels Shaw, Bowie State

Bowie, Maryland -- There are no nights off in the CIAA, one of the country's most competitive Division II conferences. And that isn't expected to change this season.

Shaw, under coach Cleo Hill Jr., is the defending champion and should contend for the title again. Bowie State, ranked eighth in one national preseason poll, will be loaded, and those teams were picked as favorites to win their divisions in the CIAA preseason coaches' poll.

"I really think we can be very good this season," coach Darrell Brooks of Bowie said. "We're deep and pretty athletic, and I really like our experience this year. If we can rebound and defend, we can be a good basketball team."

Bowie State, which reached the second round of the Division II tournament last season, is led by 7-foot center Travis Hyman and point guard Darren Clark. Hyman was the CIAA's defensive player of the year, and Clark had 114 assists and averaged 15.1 points last season.

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Howard’s Calvin Thompson holds out hope for brighter season

Washington, D.C. -- For Howard’s basketball team, this year is all about rejuvenation. Coming off a trying season in which his five starters averaged more than 30 minutes, coach Kevin Nickelberry has brought in a talented freshman class that will give his squad much-needed depth.

Theodore Boyomo — the promising 6-foot-9 Cameroonian freshman who tore his knee in a pickup game before last season — is poised to make significant contributions in the paint. Perhaps most critical of all, though, will be the re-emergence of junior guard Calvin Thompson.



After being named second-team all-MEAC in the preseason, Thompson tore his ACL in the team’s second game. The loss of Thompson, who averaged 12 points and 30.5 minutes during the 2009-10 season, was a major blow to an already thin Bison lineup, which ended last season ranked 331st or worse among 346 Division I teams in multiple offensive categories, including scoring (58.4 points per game), assists (9.3) and field goal percentage (.376).

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Stillman coach has eye on making Pioneer Bowl

Coach Teddy Keaton

TUSCALOOSA, Alabama -- If the Stillman College football team can win on Saturday, it will achieve the best record since the school joined the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association.

Stillman will celebrate its homecoming with a game against Concordia of Selma. Kickoff is set for 1:30 p.m.

Under the direction of first-year coach Teddy Keaton, Stillman is 7-3 overall, 5-2 in the SIAC. The Tigers were in contention for a berth in the inaugural SIAC Championship Game until they lost to Miles 9-7 on Oct. 27. Miles, the West Division champion, will play Albany State from the East in the title game, which starts at 2 p.m. at Clark Atlanta University’s Panther Stadium. Miles enters the game with a 6-4 record. Albany State and Morehouse, the East runner-up, are 8-2.

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Alabama A&M women's basketball preview: Tobar gets a little help

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama - One of the best players in the Southwestern Athletic Conference, Alabama A&M guard Whiquitta Tobar was a first-team All-SWAC selection last season after averaging a league-high 18.1 points per game.

 If the Bulldogs are going to be successful this season, coach Altherias Warmley said Tobar has to have a better supporting cast. The league's preseason Player of the Year got very little help from her teammates a year ago, but Warmley believes that will change after watching her team the last month.

"We have eight solid players and we signed one of the best recruiting classes since I've been here," said Warmley, who begins her 10th season Friday when A&M visits Vanderbilt. "Whiquitta was all of our offensive production last year, but we've got some other players that are ready to step up."

Senior Nefayia Watkins, juniors Shundray Davis and Danielle Oneal and sophomore Brittney Stickland will be counted on to take some pressure off of Tobar in the backcourt.

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Kentucky State wins SIAC title

ALBANY, Ga. -- Kentucky State defeated Albany State to win the 2011 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championship on Wednesday. After dropping the first game 23-25, KSU fought back back to claim the next three games (31-29, 25-22, 25-15) and win the crown.

The offense for the Thorobreds was led by Emily Grieshaber, Audrey Sherles, and Erica Coleman with 15, 10 and nine kills respectively. Brittany Stewart had 56 assists while Sherles and Ashlie Jones each had three service aces. The Thorobrettes were led defensively by Markeshia Williams with 17 digs.

For her efforts, Williams was named Libero of the Tournament. Stewart's contribution also extended to the Thorobrettes defense with 13 digs.

Albany State was led in the championship match by Jillian Anderson and Sabrina Garcia. Anderson had 17 kills and Garcia finished with nine. Garcia was voted to the SIAC All-Tournament Team. Teammate Jennifer Johnson had 39 assists and 14 digs in the title game and was voted Setter of the Tournament.

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N.C. A&T coach gets reprimand, will face S.C. State from pressbox

GREENSBORO, N.C. - Rod Broadway sounded like a frustrated head football coach Tuesday morning. Just three weeks ago, he had North Carolina A&T among the leaders in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in his first season at the helm. After three straight competitive road losses, the Aggies (4-5, 3-3) find themselves in danger of finishing under .500 for the eight consecutive year with a loss Saturday at South Carolina State (5-4, 4-2).

"We're getting so close, but we can't close the deal," Broadway said during the MEAC teleconference.

The news only got worse for Broadway later in the day when the conference announced he was being reprimanded for displaying unsportsmanlike conduct during the Aggies' 26-20 loss at Florida A&M. In the statement, MEAC Commissioner Dennis Thomas said "the conference expects all student-athletes, coaches and athletic staff to demonstrate good sportsmanship before, during and after all athletic events."

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Alabama A&M football: Bulldogs ascend to No. 1 ranking in polls

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama - Alabama A&M is the No. 1 ranked black college football team in the country for the first time in school history.

The Bulldogs are No. 1 in the Heritage Sports Radio Network and the Boxtorow polls and are second in the Sheridan Broadcasting Network poll following their 28-14 win over Alcorn State. The SBN poll determines the black college national champion. A&M moved up one spot in all three polls.

"When I got this job, my goal was to see Alabama A&M sitting on top of the polls," A&M coach Anthony Jones said. "When we won the (SWAC) championship, we were ranked No. 3. Now, for us to be No. 1 in some polls, that's another accomplishment for this football team and I'm honored to be a part of that."

A&M is also ranked No. 1 in The Heritage Group poll and is No. 3 in the Urban Sports News poll. "Anytime you can say you were No. 1, it helps," Jones said. "We go after quality kids. Those kids want to be associated with winners ... winners on the field and winners in the classroom. Whenever you can put that out there, it's a feather in your cap."




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Gold Nuggets beat Badgers for Browder's 300th victory at XU

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana -- Senior center Keldra Hall had 18 points and nine rebounds Tuesday to lead NAIA No. 16 Xavier University of Louisiana to a 64-54 women's basketball victory against Spring Hill and give Bo Browder his 300th victory as coach of the Gold Nuggets.

Browder, in his 13th season, is 300-102 and has reached 20 victories 11 times.

"It's all about who's in your program," Browder said. "I've been blessed to have a wonderful assistant coach in Darrilyn Broussard since the start of my third season. And of course you can't win without good players, and we've had many contribute to our success."

 XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
2011-12 GOLD NUGGETS BASKETBALL TEAM
Click Here for Roster
(Click photo to enlarge)

Jasmine Grant had 13 points, including three 3-pointers, four assists and three steals for Xavier (2-0), and Brandi Young had 10 points and five assists.

Cassandra Mitchell had 16 points and five rebounds for Spring Hill (0-1), and April Bradford had nine points and two blocked shots.

Xavier trailed 16-9 midway through the first half before taking the lead for good at 1:15 on SiMon Franklin's basket. The Gold Nuggets led 35-30 at halftime and led by 14 twice in the final 10 minutes.

Both Hall and Mitchell scored 11 first-half points.

The victory was Xavier's 12th in a row at home. Xavier defeated Spring Hill for the 37th time in the past 41 meetings and leads the series 47-11.

It was the collegiate regular-season debut for Spring Hill head coach Karen McConico, an assistant at High Point the past seven years.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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Xavier University of Louisiana presents AL JARREAU

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Southern University takes on Alabama State Saturday in SWAC

Baton Rouge, La. — Take a look around Southern University, and you'll see all the telltale signs. Grass is changing colors. Leaves have started to vanish. Short-sleeve shirts are the next to go. Football season is almost over, and on The Bluff, it's been mostly long and disappointing.

At 1 p.m. Saturday in Montgomery, Ala., when the Jaguars (3-6, 3-4 Southwestern Athletic Conference) face Alabama State in the Cramton Bowl, they'll be heavy underdogs against a strong, balanced team that's very much in the hunt for a SWAC title.

It's a meeting of two teams who have essentially traded places. A decade ago, Southern was one of the premier teams in black College Football; Alabama State was little more than an also-ran.

In fact, only two years ago, Hornets coach Reggie Barlow felt his seat getting a little warm. His program was dealing with scholarship losses and a ban from the SWAC Championship Game — just as Southern is now. Now, Alabama State is a powerhouse. Southern is an also-ran.

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Norfolk State again one win away from first FCS playoff bid

NORFOLK, VIRGINIA -- Norfolk State is one victory shy of securing its first Football Championship Subdivision playoff appearance. Oh, so close. But not nearly as close as four years ago. The 2007 Spartans faced Delaware State in a winner-take-all game for the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference's automatic postseason bid. Entering the fourth quarter, they led 21-3.

They lost 28-21 in overtime. "All part of the growing pains you have to go through," seventh-year coach Pete Adrian said Tuesday. "I try to keep that in the back of my mind," linebacker Hasan Craig said. "That really hurt. It was like having your heart taken out."

Craig, a fifth-year senior, is the only member of this year's squad who played in that contest. Suffice to say, he'll share that experience with teammates as Norfolk State prepares for Saturday's game at Morgan State (5-4, 4-2).



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Creighton Basketball Opens Friday vs. North Carolina A&T

Omaha, Nebraska -- Creighton University opens the 2011-12 regular-season with a game on Friday, Nov. 11 vs. North Carolina A&T to open play in the Dale Howard Classic. Tip-off at CenturyLink Center Omaha (17,260) in Omaha, Neb., is set for 7:05 p.m.

About This Event
The Dale Howard Classic is a five-team event that includes Creighton, North Carolina A&T, Iowa, Chicago State and Campbell.

Creighton and Iowa each play three home games and one neutral site contest against each other in Des Moines Iowa. Tickets for the Iowa-Creighton game on Nov. 20 in Des Moines can be purchased at www.dahlstickets.com or by phone at (866) 553-2457. The other three schools have three road games and one home game in the event.

Radio Broadcast Information
KXSP (“AM 590 - Omaha’s ESPN Radio”) will broadcast all Creighton men’s basketball games during the 2011-12 season, including Friday’s game. T. Scott Marr and former Bluejay Nick Bahe will call the action. The audio is also webcast live at www.AM590espnradio.com.

Video Webcast Available
Creighton University Athletics and Jump TV will present a live, pay-per-view video webcast of approximately 10-15 games this season, including Friday. To sign up for the video webcast, fans can register by going directly to http://www.gocreighton.com. Cost for a monthly pass is $10.95 and a four-month pass is $34.95.
Once registered, fans will only need to log-in with their password on gameday. The video stream includes audio of either the radio or television broadcast as well.

Scouting North Carolina A&T
North Carolina A&T went 15-17 last season and return four starters and nine lettermen from that group. The loss, however, is a big one, as Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference performer Thomas Coleman and his 17.0 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.7 blocked shots per game are gone.

Leading the returners is a pair of double-figure scorers in the backcourt, Nic Simpson (13.3 ppg.) and Marc Hill (10.8 ppg., 3.1 apg.). Both men made 50 or more three-pointers last season as well. Other returning starters include forwards Adrian Powell (8.1 ppg., 4.1 rpg.) and Austin Witter (5.7 ppg., 0.8 bpg.). The Aggies are picked seventh of 13 teams in the preseason MEAC poll.

Scouting Creighton
Creighton returns 10 lettermen and three starters from last year’s 23-16 team that reached the championship series of the College Basketball Invitational. CU beat Rockhurst, 81-42, in their only exhibition last Sunday.

After leading the team in scoring (14.9 ppg.) and rebounding (7.2 rpg.) as a freshman, sophomore forward Doug McDermott enters the 2011-12 season with preseason all-MVC and All-America hype.

The other two returning starters, senior guard Antoine Young (13.1 ppg., 5.0 apg.) and junior center Gregory Echenique (10.5 ppg., 5.8 rpg., 1.8 bpg.), are honorable-mention preseason all-Valley selections as well.
Creighton has eight men on the roster who did not see the floor a season ago, highlighted by junior Gonzaga transfer Grant Gibbs and redshirt freshman Will Artino. Among Creighton’s talented freshman class are Austin Chatman, Avery Dingman, Geoff Groselle and Nevin Johnson.

The Coaches
Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) is entering his second season as head coach at Creighton, after leading the Jays to a 23-16 mark last year. McDermott has previously been a head coach at Iowa State (2006-10), Northern Iowa (2001-06), North Dakota State (2000-01) and Wayne State (1994-2000). He owns a career mark of 303-211 in 17 previous seasons and is 172-147 in 10 previous Division I campaigns. McDermott is assisted by Darian DeVries, Steve Lutz and Steve Merfeld.

Jerry Eaves (Louisville, 1986) enters his ninth season at North Carolina A&T, where his 87-160 record also doubles as his career mark. He’s assisted by Phillip Stitt, Scott Bollwage and Walter Booth.

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Bluefield State: Lady Blues seeking return to respectability

BLUEFIELD, West Virginia — J.J. Oliver is thinking big. Real big. Bluefield State women's basketball has managed just 48 win over the last 10 years. Oliver thinks the days of just being happy with a rare victory are over.

Oliver wants the Lady Blues to challenge for the West Virginia Conference championship, tall words for a squad that has won 10 games just once since 1999, and lost an average of 22 games per season since then. Bluefield State has won just 24 league games since ‘03.



“If we don't win a conference championship then we didn’t attain our goal so it is not a successful season,” said Oliver, in his second season at Bluefield State. “Moral victories are over with at Bluefield State. “It is no longer just enough to compete in games, or just enough to just win a couple of games. The barometer is to win a championship and, on another level, a national championship.”

Don't think it can happen? Then don't expect to play for Oliver, whose Blues struggled with a lack of numbers last season, finishing with a 3-24 record. That was actually an improvement over a 1-26 mark in 2010.

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Xavier again collects one point apiece in NAIA polls

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana — For the fourth straight week Xavier University of Louisiana received one point in both of the NAIA Cross Country Coaches' Top 25 polls. Rankings were announced Sunday and are the last before the NAIA National Championships at Vancouver, Wash., on Nov. 19.

The Gold Rush tied for 38th place in the men's rankings, and the Gold Nuggets tied for 42nd in the women's.

Both the Rush and the Nuggets will compete in the national meet with automatic bids by virtue of winning team titles at the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Championships on Oct. 22

Oklahoma Christian's men are No. 1 for the fifth consecutive poll, and Azusa Pacific's women are top-ranked for the eighth consecutive time. The defending national team champions are the men of No. 4 Southern Oregon and the women of No. 2 Cal State San Marcos.
A postseason poll will be announced Nov. 23.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS 
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 

Davenport working to keep SSU motivated

Savannah, Georgia -- Savannah State’s Steve Davenport has become part head football coach, part psychologist heading into the final two weeks of the season. The Tigers (1-8) have lost five in a row by an average score of 38.4 to 9.2. They haven’t scored a touchdown in their last nine quarters.

“Obviously, it’s difficult to keep reassuring your kids that things are going to get better, but that’s all you can do,” said Davenport as SSU prepares for Bethune-Cookman in Daytona, Fla., on Saturday.

The Tigers’ chances for a win faded quickly last Saturday against Norfolk State, which clinched the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship. SSU’s Chris Strong fumbled the opening kickoff and two plays later, Norfolk scored. Forty-two seconds into the game, the Tigers trailed 7-0.

Davenport said SSU had another key play go against ...

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FAMU Still In Contention for Playoff Birth

Tallahassee, Florida -- FAMU's win over North Carolina A&T eliminated the Aggies from playoff contention. The Rattlers are one of three teams left vying to be MEAC Champions.

"We're trying to get to these playoffs," says senior wide receiver Kevin Elliott. "If we win out there's a good possibility we will get to the playoffs."

However, if Norfolk State wins its season finale, the Spartans will be crowned champs. The question at hand for the Rattlers then becomes, should two teams from the MEAC be invited to the playoffs.

"Looking around the conferences this year, a lot of the stronger conferences have teams with more loses that normally have stronger records,' adds junior defensive tackle Padric Scott. "I think the competition level right now is going to be up for grabs.


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Xavier's Denzell Erves selected GCAC Player of the Week

NEW ORLEANS — Denzell Erves is a can't-miss winner.

The Xavier University of Louisiana junior, who made all 10 of his shots from the floor Wednesday in a season-opening victory against Carver, is the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Week in men's basketball for Oct. 31-Nov. 6.

He's the GCAC's first honoree of 2011-12 in that sport.

Erves, a 6-foot-7 forward from Vicksburg, Miss., and a graduate of Vicksburg High School, did not attempt a 3-pointer or a free throw. He was 6-of-6 from the floor in the first half and finished with a career-high 20 points and 10 rebounds in 31 minutes. It's his second double-double with the Gold Rush.

Xavier defeated Carver 88-69 for its 16th consecutive victory in a season opener.

Erves is the second Gold Rush player to reach 20 points and 10 rebounds in a game since the start of the 2008-09 season and the first to do it at The Barn since Jarrel Lake had 20 points and 11 rebounds against Wiley on Nov. 10, 2007.

Eugene Johnson set the Gold Rush record for field-goal accuracy when he made all 13 of his attempts against West Alabama on Jan. 6, 1981. The best perfect-floor-shooting night for the Gold Rush this past season was Wanto Joseph's 7-of-7 against Tougaloo at The Barn on Jan. 22.

This is Erves' first GCAC weekly award. The Gold Rush earned the honor three times in 2010-11, including current XU players Jamaan Kenner and Anthony Simmons.

Xavier is playing tonight at seventh-ranked Vanderbilt — the second exhibition game in three days for the Gold Rush against an NCAA Division I opponent — before returning home to play St. Thomas (Fla.) at 6 p.m. Friday at The Barn. The St. Thomas game will tip off one hour earlier than originally announced.


By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS