Houston men’s basketball opens season vs. Grambling State

GRAMBLING STATE TIGERS (0-0) at HOUSTON COUGARS (0-0)
Tickets	Ticket Information
Time	7 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 12, 2011
Location	Hofheinz Pavilion (8,479) • Houston, Texas
Radio	Live Streaming  SportsTalk 790 • Houston IMG Sports Network  Tom Franklin, PxP; Elvin Hayes, analyst  Broadcast begins at 6:45 p.m.
Television	Live Streaming
Live Stats	GameTracker
Series History	Houston leads 3-0
Last Time	Houston won 95-53 • Nov. 24, 2007  Hofheinz Pavilion • Houston, Texas
Game Notes	Houston Notes   Grambling State Notes   Conference USA Notebook
Social Media	Facebook • Twitter

Houston, Texas - Fresh off a dominating exhibition win, the University of Houston men’s basketball team begins its 67th season of competition at 7 p.m., Saturday, when it plays host to Grambling State inside Hofheinz Pavilion.

In their lone exhibition contest of the season, the Cougars put on an offensive show for the hometown fans earlier this week. Houston connected on 62 percent of itsshots from the field and nailed at least 60 percent in each half on the way to a 118-70 win against Concordia.

In a game that featured 10 dunks, including eight in the first half alone, it was three Cougars making their collegiate debuts that led the team. Redshirt freshmanguard and nearby Yates High product Joseph Young led all players with 26 points and five 3-pointers.

Junior guard Jonathon Simmons did a little of everything for the Cougars and nearly finished with a quadruple-double. After energizing the Cougar fans with several thunderous dunks, the Houston native finished the night with 21 points, eight rebounds and game highs of nine assists and five steals in only 26 minutes.

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Stanley Jennings leads Albany State to brink of SIAC title

QB Stanley Jennings

Atlanta, Georgia -- Stanley Jennings says it’s not in his nature to be a vocal leader, but there came a point during Albany State’s season when he realized he had no choice. His position, quarterback, demands it. His team needed him to speak up if it hoped to repeat as Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference champions. His coaches prodded him to do it.

“That was one thing I lacked, being a great vocal leader,” said Jennings, a former Marietta High School standout. “I got a little help from Coach [Uyl] Joyner [the offensive coordinator]. He was telling me that everybody is going to look at me because I am the quarterback.”

Eventually Jennings started speaking up, the Golden Rams picked up their play and now they are in position to win another SIAC title. East division champion Albany State (8-2, 6-1 SIAC) faces Miles (6-4, 5-2) in the inaugural SIAC championship game Saturday at Clark Atlanta.

The Golden Rams are seeking their sixth SIAC title in 12 seasons under coach Mike White. A victory Saturday also likely would assure Albany State of its eighth consecutive berth in the Division II playoffs when bids are announced Sunday.

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Georgia Tech men, women sweep FAMU Rattlers and ASU Hornets

Atlanta, Georgia - Georgia Tech opened the season without its most accomplished scorer and in unfamiliar surroundings. The Yellow Jackets had little trouble adjusting to both circumstances and rolled to a 92-59 victory against Florida A&M Friday. Their guards picked up the scoring slack left by suspended swingman Glen Rice Jr. to lead an energetic effort in front of a crowd announced at 2,590 at Gwinnett Arena.

Coach Brian Gregory won his debut for Tech, which finished 13-18 last season.

“Excited to get that first win,” Gregory said. “It's great and something you will always remember. I told the guys how much I appreciated their effort, not only over the last 40 minutes but the last six months. We are asking a lot of these guys and they are doing a good job of responding to it”




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WSSU seniors now reaping the rewards

Winston Salem, North Carolina -- Michelle Fitzgerald-Foster remembers talking to her son, wide receiver Dominique Fitzgerald, about whether he should transfer after a coaching change at Winston-Salem State in the spring of 2009.

She has a vivid memory of her son's response to the prospect of leaving. "He said he was a Ram for life," she said. That decision by Fitzgerald, and similar decisions by several others who are now seniors, are among the main reasons the Rams are in position to win the school's first CIAA title since 2000.

Fitzgerald, named Wednesday as the CIAA special-teams player of the year, was among those who endured a 1-10 season in 2009. After Kermit Blount was fired and Connell Maynor was hired as coach, 25 players chose to transfer. Fitzgerald, cornerback Alton Keaton and defensive end Akeem Ward were among those who stayed.

"Keaton and I talked about that right after the game the other day," said Fitzgerald, referring to the win at UNC Pembroke. "It's crazy how we've gone from 1-10 to 10-0 in two seasons.

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2011-12 NSU men's basketball schedule has homey feel

Norfolk, Virginia -- For the past six seasons, the Norfolk State Spartans were set up to struggle. Each year, they would pack their bags and hit the road in November and December. There were athletic department bills to pay and schools across the country were offering the Spartans guaranteed money to play at their place. Over that six-year period, they played just eight total home games in November and December, never more than two in a season.

Last year, they had two home games in their first 12 and didn't play their third home game until Jan. 8. This season, the Spartans have six home games before the New Year arrives.

"Obviously, there were financial obligations that we had, and we needed to meet them," Spartans coach Anthony Evans said. "But we also knew it wasn't helping us to be on the road that much. So we worked at seeing what we could do to be at home more this season."

The Spartans ended up with balance. They will play 14 home games, 14 road games, and three neutral-site games when they take part in the Paradise Jam in the Virgin Islands.

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Marquette Hosts Mississippi Valley State in Season Lidlifter

Game Notes | Watch Live Video (MUTube)

MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin - The Marquette University women's basketball team will open the 2011-12 season against Mississippi Valley State at the Al McGuire Center on Saturday, Nov. 12. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. Marquette will stream the game live, free of charge, on GoMarquette.com's multimedia platform, MUTube with Kent Sommerfeld (play-by-play) and Kyle Dlabay (analyst) calling all of the action.

Prior to the game there will be a Marquette rummage sale held on the concourse of the arena. Items being sold include old promotional items and extra t-shirts from the past few years. All items will be priced to sell.

Following the game, the Golden Eagles will have a quick turnaround as they are back in action against Wisconsin, Tuesday, Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. at the Al McGuire Center.

The Golden Eagles claimed a 64-38 win in their exhibition tune-up against Carthage on Nov. 5. The Golden Eagles saw freshmen Apiew Ojulu and Arlesia Morse crack the starting five and contributed 10 and nine points, respectively. Sarina Simmons, the Golden Eagles’ returning leading scorer from 2010-11, contributed a game-high 12 points, seven rebounds, five blocks, five steals and four assists.

The Devilette’s were picked to finish fourth in the SWAC according to the league’s preseason coaches’ poll. Mississippi Valley State returns three of its leading scorers from last season’s squad in Alia Frank, Ka’Neshia Smith and De’Kisha Fondon who averaged 11.5, 10.7 and 9.7 points, respectively. Frank was named to the SWAC’s Preseason Second Team along with Smith who was also named the league’s Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. The Devilette’s finished the 2010-11 season 14-17 overall and 11-7 in conference play.

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Pius X High School baseball players sign college letters of intent with MEAC Teams

Lehigh Valley, PA -- A pair of Pius X High School baseball standouts will be heading south next season. First baseman Jay Maletz and middle infielder Connor Breslin, both seniors, signed letters of intent on Thursday to continue their college careers at the Division I level.

Maletz is heading to Coppin State University in Baltimore and Breslin will play at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore in Princess Anne, Md.

"I'm on the "Be Recruited" website and the coach from Coppin State (Sherman Reed) bookmarked me," Maletz said. "My father said 'why not contact him?' I started a dialogue and it led to a conference call. I went down to visit. We had a meeting, went out to lunch and by the end of the day they offered me a scholarship. It was pretty exciting."

Dylan Dando, Maletz's coach at the Lehigh Valley Baseball Academy, put in a good word for him.

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2011 Road To The SIAC Championship Episode 9

The Clark Atlanta Panthers duel the Stillman Tigers in their last game of the season.

Florida A&M Open 2011-12 Campaign Against Georgia Tech

FLORIDA A&M RATTLERS AT GEORGIA TECH YELLOW JACKETS
DATE: November 11, 2011
GAMU TIME: 8:00 PM ET
TV: ESPN3.COM

|  | Watch Live |  CLICK -- Watch on ESPN3

Atlanta, Georgia -- Georgia Tech will open its 2011-12 season and play its first game under new head coach Brian Gregory at 8 p.m. Friday night against Florida A&M at the Arena at Gwinnett. The game is the nightcap of a double-header involving the Yellow Jackets' women's team, which will open its season at 5:30 against Alabama State.

Tech hired Gregory, who enjoyed a successful eight-year run as the head coach at Dayton, as its head coach last March. The new Yellow Jackets' skipper compiled a record of 172-94 at the Atlantic 10 institution, guiding the Flyers to two NCAA Tournaments and three berths in the NIT, which they won in 2010.

Gregory inherits two returning starters and nine letterwinners from a team that went 13-18 overall, 5-11 in the Atlantic Coast Conference, a year ago. Two of the three leading scorers from last season are gone - Iman Shumpert going in the NBA Draft, where he was the 17th overall selection, and Brian Oliver, who transferred to Seton Hall.

Tech's returning players, however, have combined to start 120 games in their careers. Back are juniors Glen Rice, Jr., a 6-5 forward from Marietta, Ga., and Mfon Udofia, a 6-2 point guard from Stone Mountain, Ga., sophomore forwards Jason Morris (6-5, Augusta, Ga.) and Kammeon Holsey (6-8, Sparta, Ga.), and sophomore centers Daniel Miller (6-11, Loganville, Ga.) and Nate Hicks (6-10, Panama City Beach, Fla.), who combined to score 51 percent of Tech's points in 2011-12.

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Johnson tweaking lineup as Florida A&M Rattlers open season

Tallahassee, Florida -- An exhibition basketball game can reveal so much, as Florida A&M's first-year coach Clemon Johnson found out.

Among his discoveries were that Avery Moore is a shooting guard, not the one to run the point. Johnson also said the Rattlers might have done better against Albany State if Amin Stevens was playing power forward instead of small forward.

"I was trying to put our best players on the floor, but I had to put people in positions that they weren't ready to play," said Johnson, whose return to FAMU as head coach of its men's team was ruined by a four-point loss to the Rams last week. "They looked good in practice against each other but when the game came it was different."

Johnson is hoping that he'll be much closer to finding the right combination of players when FAMU plays a stretch of four games against major and mid-major programs during the next 10 days. They begin today at Georgia Tech, then a visit by Stetson to the Lawson Center will be followed by games against Providence and Rice.



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Texas Southern opens season at Baylor Bears

Date	Fri., Nov. 11 | 9 p.m. CST
Location	Waco, Texas | Ferrell Center (10,284)
Tickets	Purchase Tickets Online
TV	None
Live Video	Watch Online
Radio	ESPN Central TX | Sirius 137 | Listen Online
Live Stats	Gametracker
Game Notes	Baylor

Waco, Texas -- No. 12/12 Baylor opens the 2011-12 regular season with three home games in a five-day stretch beginning Friday against Texas Southern at 9 p.m. Live video (All-Access subscription required) will be available at BaylorBears.com.

Baylor enters the 2011-12 season with its highest preseason rankings in program history. Baylor is ranked No. 12 in both the AP and USA TODAY/ESPN Preseason Top 25 polls released in October.

• Baylor is ranked in both the AP and USA TODAY/ESPN Preseason Top 25 polls for the second consecutive season.
• Baylor is one of only two Big 12 schools to be ranked in each of the last five seasons (Kansas).
• Baylor is 7-1 in season openers ninth-year head coach Scott Drew. Baylor's lone season-opening loss under Drew came when the Bears opened with a 79-61 loss at Texas Tech in 2006 (no non-conference schedule due to NCAA sanctions).
• Baylor is 7-1 in home openers under head Drew, 13-2 in the Big 12 era and 19-4 all-time in Ferrell Center history.
• Since the start of the 2007-08 season, Baylor is 91-47 (22.8 wins per season) and has made three postseason appearances (2008 NCAA, 2009 NIT, 2010 NCAA) and posted three consecutive 20-win seasons.
• Baylor was picked third in the 2011-12 Big 12 Men's Basketball Preseason Poll, which is tied for its highest preseason selection (also picked third in 2008-09).
• Baylor has made at least one 3-point field goal in 619 consecutive games -- the second-longest active streak in the Big 12.

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Orlando East River OL Ivan Rios will take his talents to FAMU

Orlando, Florida -- Ivan Rios Jr. has just one scholarship offer. There could be more on the way, but the East River offensive lineman doesn't need to see any more offers. Rios, who plays guard for East River, liked his visit to Florida A&M so much that he nearly committed on the spot.

"When I went to visit the school, I loved it up there," Rios said. "It was a great experience and the coaching staff was great and the speeches they gave about academics and being focused was great … I just like their team overall."

Rios, 6-foot-5, 280 pounds, is part of one of the best offensive lines in the state. The Falcons' front five is anchored by 6-foot-8, 350-pound tackle Adam Duckett and bookended on the other side by tackle Josh Farr (6-5, 250), while the other guard is Micah Cross (6-1, 285) and the center Jacob Bear (6-0, 285).



But Rios knows there could be more formidable linemen to compete against for a spot on the field once he arrives at FAMU. "There are some pretty big boys over there, but I don’t think it’s a problem," Rios said. "I think I can go over there and start soon."

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TONIGHT: NCCU Eagles at North Carolina - Charlotte

Charlotte, North Carolina -- The Eagles of North Carolina Central University tipoff the 2011-12 campaign against in-state foe Charlotte. This will be the first official contest for NCCU as full NCAA Division I members after finishing the reclassifying process and receiving word from the NCAA and the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference that the Eagles are eligible for postseason play.

NCCU SPORTS NETWORK
Play-by-play voice of the NCCU Sports Network, Chris Hooks, and color analyst Joe Simmons will call the action live from Halton Arena beginning at 7:15 p.m. online at NCCUEaglePride.com. Just simply go to the GameCentral Icon on the home page and enjoy the action. You can also follow the game live on twitter by following @ NCCUAthletics and putting in #NCCUChar as a hashtag.

THE SERIES
NCCU and Charlotte have never met on the hardwood. The Eagles are 2-1 against current A-10 opponents despite losing its last contest against league member Duquesne 97-79 on Dec. 22, 2008. The Eagles have previously beaten Xavier (85-68) on March 1, 1954 and Rhode Island (77-70) on Jan. 27, 1969.



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2011 Road To The SIAC Championship Episode 10

The Mighty Golden Rams of Albany State face off against The Wildcats of Fort Valley State in the Fountain City Classic.

DSU Hornets Host Wilmington U. in 2011-12 Opener

DOVER, Delaware -- The Delaware State University men's basketball team tips off the 2011-12 season at home against in-state rival Wilmington University tomorrow. Game time is 4:00 p.m. following the DSU/Wilmington women's basketball contest in Memorial Hall.

The Hornets are looking for a fresh start after an 9-21 overall record last season. DSU returns three starters and is expected to dress nine newcomers for the season opener.


NAIA Wilmington returns its top five scorers from a team that posted an 8-18 record last season.

Topping the list of DSU returners are point guard Jay Threatt (sr.) and reigning MEAC Rookie-of-the-Year Casey Walker. Threatt averaged 9.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 3.1 steals last season. He led the MEAC in assists, steals and assist-to-turnover ratio during the 2010-11 campaign.

Threatt needs nine steals and 119 assists to hold DSU career records in each category.

Walker was tops on the Hornets and 11th in the MEAC in scoring at 13.4 points per game last season. He also ranked among the league leaders with 73 three-point field goals a year ago.

Delaware State head coach Greg Jackson is in his 12th season with the Hornets.

This will be the fifth meeting between Delaware State and Wilmington. The Hornets have won the previous four games, including a 60-44 victory in the last meeting on November 16, 2009.

Virginia Cavaliers battle South Carolina State at John Paul Jones Arena Sunday

 Charlottesville, Virginia -- The Virginia men's basketball team's season-opening game with South Carolina State at John Paul Jones Arena on Sunday (Nov. 13) will be carried on ESPN3, ESPN's live multi-screen sports network. Joe Beninati will handle the play-by-play and Dan Bonner is the analyst for the game.

 The Virginia men’s basketball team looks to begin its season on a high note, its first game since a disastrous ACC Tournament departure last year, in which the squad surrendered a 10-point lead in the final minute against Miami.

South Carolina State finished 10-22 overall and eighth in the MEAC last season, its worst record under coach Tim Carter during his four-year tenure. The Bulldogs lost two starters to graduation but return senior guard Brandon Riley, senior forward Omar Sanders and junior guard Khalif Toombs. Riley finished second on the team with 9.4 points per game, behind then-senior guard Darnell Porter.

The Bulldogs added depth by bringing in three freshman and two transfers, all of whom will be fighting for playing time at the onset of the season.

The Cavaliers plan to counter questions about court time by ...

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Norfolk State Spartans QB followed a long, wild path to success

Norfolk, Virginia -- As a high school junior in Florida, Chris Walley was good enough that coaches from some of the country's top college programs dropped in to watch him play. Two years later, the head coach at an Illinois junior college told him he'd never start a game. And now? Walley is one win from leading Norfolk State to its first FCS playoff game.

The senior's journey to becoming the second-most-accurate passer in the FCS has been a series of ups and downs on the way to becoming a level-headed leader. One, he says, wouldn't have been possible without the other. "He has not taken the easy road to anything," said his father, Wes Walley. "I talked to his coach for the first time (last weekend), and I told him he's more of a man at his age than I was. I was already his father."

Walley has had a spectacular season. His completion percentage of 70.3 is second in the country, and he leads the MEAC in passing yardage (212.2 yards per game), touchdowns (15) and interception rate (1.4 percent).



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#1 Baylor Hosts Howard Lady Bison in Preseason WNIT

 Watch |  Listen |  Gametracker |  Notes |  Tickets |  Gameday Central

Date	Fri., Nov. 11 | 6:30 p.m. CT
Location	Waco, Texas | Ferrell Center (10,284)
Tickets	Purchase Tickets Online
TV	None
Online Video	Baylor All-Access
Radio	ESPN Central Texas | Listen Online
Live Stats	Gametracker
Gameday Info	Gameday Central
Game Notes	Baylor Notes
Blog	N/A
Twitter	@BaylorWBB

HOWARD LADY BISON
Record	0-0
Ranking	N/A (AP), N/A (Coaches)
Last Game	N/A
Head Coach	Niki Reid-Geckeler
	Career: 41-54 (4th season)
	BU Record: same (4th season)

#1/1 BAYLOR  LADY BEARS
Record	0-0
Ranking	1 (AP), 1 (Coaches)
Last Game	N/A
Head Coach	Kim Mulkey
	Career: 298-79 (12th season)
	BU Record: same (12th season)

The 2011 Preseason WNIT marks the third time Baylor has hosted the event. The Lady Bears were also the tournament hosts in 1998 and 2006. As in previous seasons, as long as Baylor wins, it will continue to host tournament games.

All told, 16 teams are competing in the 2011 Preseason WNIT. Chattanooga, ETSU, Howard, McNeese State, Tennessee Tech, UAB and UCLA are on Baylor's side of the bracket while Akron, Detroit, Drexel, Hartford, Indiana State, Long Island, Manhattan and Notre Dame are on the opposite side of the bracket.

The Lady Bears are 4-2 in Preseason WNIT contests, losing in the second round in 1998 to 20th-ranked Florida (70-58) and to 12th-ranked Purdue (69-55) in the 2006 championship game. Since that loss to Purdue, Baylor has won 47 straight non-league home games (including two NCAA Tournament games in 2011).

SCOUTING THE LADY BISON
Located in Washington, D.C., the Howard Lady Bison open their season in Waco. The Lady Bison finished last season at 16-18 and were runner-up in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Tournament. All five starters return off last season's team.

Junior Saadia Doyle, the 2010-11 MEAC Player of the Year and All-MEAC first team selection, led the MEAC in scoring with 18.4 points and was second in the conference with 8.9 rebounds per game. She was recently named MEAC Preseason Player of the Year.

The Lady Bison are coached by fourth-year head coach Niki Reid Geckeler (Georgetown, 1993). Reid Geckeler is 41-54 (.432) in her four seasons along the Howard sideline.

SERIES RECORD
Baylor leads the series 1-0. The Lady Bears downed Howard in Waco, 83-31, on Nov. 9, 2007, as part of the Baylor-hosted Basketball Travelers Tip-Off Tournament.



COURTESY BAYLOR BEARS ATHLETICS

Bethune-Cookman 2011-12 men's basketball preview

Bethune-Cookman University Wildcats, Daytona Beach, Florida

COACH: Gravelle Craig, first season

LAST SEASON: 21-13, 13-3 MEAC; won MEAC regular-season title; lost in second round of MEAC tourney to Morgan State; lost in first round of NIT to Virginia Tech

3 REASONS TO BELIEVE

1. Holloman is back: The return of 6-6 senior forward Garrius Holloman takes some of the sting away from the losses of MEAC Player of the Year C.J. Reed and second-teamer Alex Starling. Holloman, a junior-college transfer, was second on the Wildcats last year in both scoring (11.5 ppg) and rebounding (6.6 rpg).

2. Front line: Holloman, Anthony Breeze and Adrien Coleman are the likely starters. All three 6-5 to 6-6 and good scorers. Breeze and Holloman are strong inside players for their size. Junior-college transfers Alex Smith (6-7) and David Baroum (6-8), who are both nursing knee injuries, and returning sophomore Raymoan McAfee (6-7) will provide depth.

3. Scoring balance: That's something the Wildcats didn't have with Reed bringing up the ball and taking most of the shots.

3 REASONS TO DOUBT

1. Lack of height: Not just inside, but on the perimeter as well. If Kevin Dukes (5-8) and Ricky Johnson (5-9) end up playing in the backcourt together, they'll be giving up a lot of size on defense.

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No. 14 Xavier Hosts Morgan State At Cintas Center On Friday

Xavier University Musketeers (0-0) vs. Morgan State University Bears (0-0)
Regular Season Opener on Fri., Nov. 11 at 7 p.m.
Cintas Center (10,250) in Cincinnati, Ohio
Television: FOX Sports Ohio with play-by-play from Brad Johansen and analysis from former Musketeer captain Steve Wolf (Xavier `83). Jim Day hosts the "Musketeers Live" half-hour pre-game show at 6:30 p.m.
Radio: 700 WLW-AM with play-by-play from XU Hall of Famer and former Musketeer standout Joe Sunderman (`79). Analysis will be provided by Xavier Hall of Famer and XU all-time leading scorer Byron Larkin (`88).

• Xavier will honor Veterans Day by saluting active military members and Veterans by displaying a 40-by-60 foot United States flag during the National Anthem prior to the game. Handling the flag will be members of the Xavier University Army ROTC along with Veterans and active members of the United States Armed Forces.

• Morgan State returns all five starters and 10 letterwinners overall from a team that finished 17-14 overall and 10-6 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference last season. The Bears of head coach Todd Bozeman are the preseason favorites in the MEAC.

• Xavier, 24-8 overall in the 2010-11 season and Atlantic 10 Conference Regular Season Champion at 15-1, has three starters back from last year's team: seniors Tu Holloway and Kenny Frease and junior Mark Lyons.

• Xavier has won 21 straight regular season openers (20 at home and one on the road) with its last loss in an opener coming in the 1989-90 "Sweet 16" season to Southern Utah State at Cincinnati Gardens (97-90 on December 2, 1989).

• Xavier has won all 11 of its season openers at Cintas Center, including a 68-65 win over Western Michigan last season (11-12-10).

• Xavier opens the regular season with a four-game homestand and home games in seven of its first nine games. After the Morgan State game, XU hosts IPFW on Nov. 15, Miami (Ohio) on Nov. 18 and Georgia on Nov. 25.

• Xavier, ranked 14th in the preseason Associated Press Poll and 15th in the preseason ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll, played its one and only public exhibition this past Saturday against defending NCAA Division II National Champion Bellarmine and won 76-73. XU used the closed scrimmage option in October instead of a second exhibition.

• Xavier has high expectations entering the 2011-12 season, including the preseason favorite role in the Atlantic 10. The Xavier program is coming off a sixth straight NCAA Tournament appearance and a fifth straight A-10 Regular Season Championship. Xavier finished 24-8 overall and 15-1 in the A-10 last season.

• Xavier returns three starters from last year's team, including senior All-American guard Tu Holloway, although Holloway will sit out the regular season opener.

• Xavier returns two other starters who earned All-Atlantic 10 Conference honors last season, including 7-0 senior center Kenny Frease, a 2010-11 Honorable Mention All-A-10 selection who averaged 11.7 ppg. and 7.1 rpg. as a junior. Another returning starter is 6-1 junior guard Mark Lyons, a 2010-11 Third Team All-Atlantic 10 Conference selection who was second only to Holloway in scoring (13.6 ppg.) and assists (3.1 apg.) on last year's squad. Both Frease and Lyons were named to the 2011-12 preseason A-10 Second Team.

• Xavier made its sixth straight NCAA Tournament appearance in 2011, one of only 12 schools that can say that: Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas, Marquette, Michigan State, Pittsburgh, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Villanova, Wisconsin and Xavier. Xavier made its 10th NCAA appearance in the last 11 NCAA Tournaments.

• Xavier, 24-8 overall, secured its sixth straight 20-win season and its 14th 20-win season in 15 years.

• Xavier third-year head coach Chris Mack, the 2010-11 Atlantic 10 Conference Coach of the Year, is 50-17 (.746) overall and 29-3 (.906) in Atlantic 10 regular season play.

Next Up
♦ The Morgan State Bears will host the Murray State Racers at Hill Field House, Baltimore, Maryland on Monday, November 14th.

Midnight Madness Highlight @ Xavier University of Louisiana

Friday, November 11 — Men's Basketball vs. St. Thomas (Fla.), 6 p.m.   live stats
Saturday, November 19 — Women's Basketball vs. Huston-Tillotson, noon   live on internet   •   live stats
Saturday, November 19 — Men's Basketball vs. Wiley, 2 p.m.   live on internet   •   live stats

XU Gold Nuggets 2-0 on opening day of GCAC Tournament

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- Top-seeded Xavier University of Louisiana defeated eighth-seeded Edward Waters 25-6, 25-11, 25-14 and fourth seeded Talladega 17-25, 25-12, 25-11, 25-21 in Thursday's opening rounds of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference women's volleyball tournament.

Moira Kirk had 13 kills, and Taylor Reuther had eight kills and four aces against Edward Waters. Both freshmen had 17 kills against Talladega, and Reuther had 12 digs for her team-leading 10th kill-dig double-double of the season.

Xavier (21-6) needs two victories to win the tournament and secure the GCAC's automatic bid to next week's NAIA National Championship. The Gold Nuggets will play SUNO or Dillard, which met late Thursday, at 6 p.m. Friday. The eight-team, double-elimination event will conclude Saturday.

"The girls came out and played well," Xavier first-year coach Christabell Hamilton said. "The second match we started slowly, but we got it together and finished well. We're really growing and maturing as a team, and that's the most important thing at this part of the season."

Xavier trailed 3-0 and 10-8 in the fourth set against Talladega (21-14), but took the lead for good at 17-16 on a kill by Reuther, who scored five of the Nuggets' final nine points on attacks. Reuther had eight kills in the final set.

Celeste Poe had 13 digs against Talladega, and Iva Bobkova served a season-best five aces. Bobkova and Jeanay Butler served three aces apiece against Edward Waters (4-29).

The Nuggets have won six straight, the second longest streak in the program's four seasons and their best since an eight-match streak in September. They are 7-0 this season on neutral courts.

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

Marshall Hosts Alabama State in Season Opener

HUNTINGTON, West Virginia – Marshall will begin its 99th season of men’s basketball on Friday at 7:30 p.m. as the Thundering Herd hosts Alabama State at the Cam Henderson Center. The first-ever meeting with the Hornets is Marshall’s first of eight opponents on the schedule that qualified for the NCAA Tournament last season.

The Herd is coming off a 65-55 win over Northern Kentucky in its only exhibition game of the season. Marshall shot 56 percent from the field in the second half to pull away after trailing 32-27 at halftime. Most of the Herd roster shared playing time and senior guard Shaquille Johnson led the team with 16 points. The game gave the eight Marshall newcomers valuable playing time. Junior transfer Dennis Tinnon recorded 11 points and 11 rebounds and freshman Justin Coleman scored 15 points in 25 minutes of play.

Marshall is 76-23 all-time in season openers and has won its last five. Last season, the Herd opened the season with a 92-69 win over West Virginia Tech in Tom Herrion’s first game as the head coach at Marshall.

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Game Notes | Gametracker | Media Guide

Marshall's ambitious slate opens with NCAA tournament team - Alabama State

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. -- Marshall will play a dozen games this season against teams that competed in last year's NCAA Tournament. There are, of course, Big East basketball behemoths like Syracuse, West Virginia and Cincinnati that Herd Coach Tom Herrion confidently added to an ambitious schedule.

There are lesser-known 2010 Big Dancers like Belmont, which Marshall plays twice - and that won 30 games last season - and Akron, a 23-win team a year ago. Then there is tonight's Henderson Center visitor: Alabama State.

A perk of Marshall's continued involvement with the Global Sports Shootout is that the program gets to feast on three relative unknowns before traveling elsewhere to take on a big dog.

In this year's event, the Herd will start with Alabama State, Jacksonville State and Northwestern State before playing at No. 21 Cincinnati on Nov. 25. The first three opponents averaged 13.3 wins last season and none finished with an RPI higher than 237.

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ASU men's basketball: Hornets open at Marshall tonight

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. -- The quest for another Southwestern Athletic Conference championship for the Alabama State men's basketball team begins tonight at Marshall University. Tipoff has been schedule for 6:30.

The Hornets will be led by seventh-year head coach Lewis Jackson, who has welcomed eight newcomers to team with a solid core of six returnees from the conference championship squad. He said he is ready to see this team hit the floor.

"It is always good to get the season kicked off," Jackson said. "We are excited and we have a group of guys that always seem eager to get on the floor. We are just excited about this opportunity."

ASU was able to defeat Fort Valley State 65-57 in an exhibition game to open the season. Kenderek Washington led the way with 21 points and Jeff Middlebrooks added 13 and freshman Luther Page had 10.

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Jackson State Tigers Basketball at Florida Gators

GAME NOTES: Pre
Jackson State men's basketball notes vs Florida

Florida (0-0, 0-0 SEC) vs. Jackson State (0-0, 0-0 SWAC)
Venue: Stephen C. O’Connell Center (11,548) - Gainesville, Florida
Game 1 - Nov. 11, 2011 - 7 p.m.
TV: Fox Sports Florida

RADIO | Gator IMG Sports Network: GRN | Sirius 219 | XM 203

RANKINGS AP COACHES
Florida 8 10
Jackson State - -

COACHES
Florida: Billy Donovan
360-147 | 16th season at Florida
395-167 | 18th season overall

Jackson State: Tevester Anderson
131-128 | 9th season at Jackson State
234-180 | 14th season overall

FLORIDA PROBABLE STARTERS (0-0)
# Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Cl. P/RPG
33 Erik Murphy F 6-10 229 Jr. 4.3/2.3
4 Patric Young C 6-9 247 So. 3.4/3.8
1 Kenny Boynton G 6-2 189 Jr. 14.2/1.5
11 Erving Walker G 5-8 177 Sr. 14.6/2.9
23 Bradley Beal G 6-3 207 Fr. -/-

JACKSON STATE PROBABLE STARTERS (0-0)
# Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Cl. P/RPG
34 Jamarious Sykes C 7-2 270 So. 2.6/1.1
1 Jenirro Bush G 6-7 190 Sr. 14.2/3.5
2 Derrell Taylor G 6-5 195 Fr. -/-
12 Kelsey Howard G 6-3 190 Fr. -/-
13 Christian Williams G 6-1 180 Jr. 1.8/0.8

TIPOFF
• Florida takes on Jackson State in both teams’ season opener. The Gators are 15-0 in the season tipoff under head coach Billy Donovan.
• Overall, UF has started 20 straight seasons with a win, the last loss in an opener coming vs. USF on Nov. 24, 1990.
• Florida and Jackson State have met once previously, with the Gators notching a 112-69 win in the first round of the 2007 NCAA Tournament. UF is 4-0 all-time against SWAC teams.



LAST TIME OUT
• Florida won its lone exhibition game, 114-57, against Division III Catholic University (Washington, D.C.).
Six Gators scored in double figures, led by Kenny Boynton’s 21 and Bradley Beal’s 20. Boynton also added 10 assists to claim a double-double.
• UF shot 20-for-40 from three-point range in the game, putting up what would have been school-record numbers for threes made and attempted had it not been an exhibition.
• Catholic University was led in scoring by sophomore guard Billy Donovan, the oldest son of UF head coach Billy Donovan, with 13 points.

SETTING THE SCENE FOR JSU
*Jackson State opens the 2011-12 season on the road to face the Florida Gators.
*Jackson State won its exhibition game, against Miles College, 78-57 in Jackson, MS (Lee E. Williams Athletics and Assembly Center).
* Jackson State returns only one regular starter from last season’s team and five other players from last year’s squad.
* Guard Jenirro Bush is the only senior on the Tigers team.

COURTESY: GATORZONE.COM AND JSUATHLETICS