Jackson State presses for SWAC perfection

JACKSON, Mississippi -- When Jackson State hit the practice field Tuesday, it added another goal to its list: Go undefeated in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

Coach Rick Comegy said his players mentioned it that morning. After falling in the SWAC championship game a year ago, the Tigers (4-2, 4-0) have had their eyes on returning to the SWAC Championship this season.

If the Tigers keep their record unblemished, it would be the first time under Comegy, who is in his eighth season. He said his team doesn’t feel pressured by the 4-0 league record.

“They enjoy that,” Comegy said. “We were picked second in the conference, and to be able to put yourself in this situation right now (and) trying to show everybody, ‘well, you can picked us second, but here we are now.’

“That’s a drive right for them. Alabama State was picked ahead of us, and we beat them.”

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Morgan State football used old-school discipline to reduce turnovers and penalties

BALTIMORE, Maryland -- Junior quarterback Seth Higgins (Edgewood) combined for 246 passing and rushing yards and two touchdowns, and junior middle linebacker Cody Acker returned an interception 19 yards for a score in Morgan State’s 34-21 win against Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference foe Florida A&M on Saturday. But another factor (or two) in the team’s first victory of the year involved turnovers and penalties.

The Bears (1-5, 1-1 MEAC) did not turn the ball over against the Rattlers (1-4, 0-1), the first time this season the team did not give the ball away. The performance follwed a four-turnover showing in a 27-21 loss to Norfolk State on Sept. 28.

Asked Tuesday how Morgan State was able to protect the football, coach Donald Hill-Eley said: "Probably about 30 sprints on Sunday {after the lose to Norfolk State}. Sometimes you can talk to them, but every now and then, you've got to light the fire. We continue to tell them, "Protect the ball, protect the ball, protect the ball." Now you bring attention to it with instruction and practice. Then sometimes the rubber's got to meet the road on these kids. They have to be made important to them, and they had a great conditioning session that Sunday after turning the ball over."

The Bears also trimmed down their...

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United States District Court Rules That Maryland Violated Constitutional Rights At Maryland’s HBCU Schools

BALTIMORE, Maryland - In a historic, 60-page decision, Federal District Judge Catherine Blake ruled yesterday that Maryland has violated the constitutional rights of students at Maryland’s four Historically Black Institutions (HBIs), or Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), by unnecessarily duplicating their programs at nearby white institutions, a practice that begin during the era of de jure segregation.

The plaintiffs in the case, which was filed in 2006 and tried in 2012, are students and alumni from the four HBIs: Bowie State University, Coppin State University, Morgan State University, and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.

DISTRICT COURT DECISION ON Civil No. CCB-06-2773

The district court found that the lack of unique, high demand program has a segregative effect at HBIs and prevents the HBIs from attracting students of all races. The court noted that Maryland’s HBIs have only 11 unique high demand programs while the traditionally white institutions have 122.

The court also faulted Maryland for undermining the few unique, high demand programs at the HBIs, such as Morgan State University’s MBA program and Bowie’s State University’s Masters in Computer Science.

Rather than work to build up those programs, Maryland established competing programs at nearby white institutions, which caused the program enrollment at the HBIs to plummet. Judge Blake found Maryland’s conduct in undermining HBIs through unnecessary program duplication to be “comparable to, and in some cases more pronounced than, the duplication found in Mississippi” in a Supreme Court case from two decades ago.

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NCCU to host tough S.C. State on ESPNU Thursday night

DURHAM, North Carolina — N.C. Central bucked tradition a year ago and took it to S.C. State in a 40-10 win on a big stage.

The Bulldogs for years marked their territory in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference with league championships and appearances in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.

In 2012, NCCU was in the FCS for just its second season, yet at Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts, the Eagles made a statement with a 30-point, second-quarter explosion to win the Circle City Classic “We played them last year in Indianapolis, and they embarrassed us there,” S.C. State coach Buddy Pough said. “They beat us really badly.”

It’s not like the Bulldogs never had been taken to the woodshed.

“I’ve had some good butt cuttings in my time, now,” Pough said. But that spanking from NCCU was especially memorable.

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XU Nuggets win at SUNO for sole possession of GCAC lead

Chinedu Echebelem

Taylor Reuther

NEW ORLEANS -- Taylor Reuther and Chinedu Echebelem had 12 kills apiece Tuesday, and Moira Kirk had a season-high nine blocks to lead Xavier University of Louisiana to a 25-18, 26-24, 23-25, 25-20 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference women's volleyball victory against SUNO at The Castle.

The victory was the seventh in a row for the Gold Nuggets (13-7, 5-0), who snapped the eight-match win streak of the Lady Knights (10-7, 6-1) and grabbed sole possession of first place in the conference. Xavier has won 27 consecutive GCAC regular-season matches and 33 straight against GCAC opponents -- 25 in the regular season, eight in the tournament.

Reuther (21 digs) and Echebelem (12) both recorded double-doubles. It was Reuther's 14th double-double of 2013 -- the most in a season by an XU player since the program resumed in 2010 -- and the 37th of her career. Echebelem has five double-doubles this season and 13 in her career.

Kirk's blocks were one less than her career best of a year ago. She has recorded at least one block in 74-of-80 XU matches.

Xavier rallied from a 21-17 deficit to win the second set, but the Gold Nuggets kept SUNO in the match by losing a 19-14 lead in the third. Two Echebelem kills and two by Kirk helped Xavier end the match after a fourth-set tie at 18.

Moira Kirk

Kirk had nine kills, and teammates Claudia Haywood and Jodi Hill had seven apiece. CeCe Williams had 17 digs, Franziska Pirkl 16 and Jodi Chatters 12
for Xavier. Pirkl had 41 assists in her fifth double-double of the season and 10th of her career.

Delores Tyler had 12 kills, Sabrina Scott 11 and Jana Reininghaus 10 for SUNO. Ana Privat had 23 digs.

Xavier outhit SUNO .237 to .114.

"We worked through a lot of inconsistencies and errors throughout the night," XU coach Hannah Lawing said."Although we made some mistakes, we did a good job at controlling our energy and attitude. We put up a really great block for our defense to work around, and we served tough. Winning is great, but we still have work to do."

Xavier's next match will start at 1 p.m. Saturday against GCAC opponent Philander Smith in Little Rock, Ark. The Gold Nuggets would tie the school record for consecutive victories by beating the Lady Panthers.

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

Alabama A&M football outlook for this week's game with Southern

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama - Here's this week's "Mondays with Anthony," all you need to know and more about Alabama A&M football:

This week: Alabama A&M (2-4, 2-2 in the SWAC) at Southern (2-3, 2-1 in the SWAC), 6 p.m., A.W. Munford Stadium, Baton Rouge, La.
 
Last week: Alabama A&M lost 28-9 to previously unbeaten Mississippi Valley State at homecoming. The Bulldogs completed only 4-for-22 passes for 77 yards and had 125 yards in penalties. The loss all but eliminated A&M for contention for the SWAC East title.
 
Saturday's standouts: Tailback Barrington Scott rushed 22 times for 159 yards.



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Jackson State living on the edge with close games

JACKSON, Mississippi  -- Jackson State coach Rick Comegy expects another tough one this weekend.

After a back-and-forth game against Arkansas-Pine Bluff last Saturday, Comegy said Mississippi Valley State will pose a similar threat this week.

MVSU (1-4, 1-2 Southwestern Athletic Conference) is coming off its first win of the season after spoiling Alabama A&M’s homecoming with a 28-9 win. That — along with the in-state rivalry — are part of why Comegy isn’t taking the Delta Devils lightly.

“When you go up there and you come out with a win against them (Alabama A&M), it shows the talent that Valley has,” Comegy said. “They come out each year and get stronger and better.

“You hope one day when you can play a game where they can sit back and have a cup of coffee. But that’s just not happening for us right now.”

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Xavier's Gauthier chosen to preseason All-GCAC team

Paige Gauthier

NEW ORLEANS — Paige Gauthier is Xavier University of Louisiana's lone representative on the 2013-14 preseason All-Gulf Coast Athletic Conference women's basketball team.
    
Gauthier, a 5-foot-6 senior guard from Lake Charles, La., and a graduate of St. Louis Catholic High School, averaged 7.5 points and 4.9 rebounds per game last season. She led the Gold Nuggets with 64 assists, shared the team lead in rebounding and ranked second with 26 3-pointers made.
    
Also named preseason All-GCAC were Edward Waters junior forward Amber Antoine, Philander Smith sophomore center Rubyunnia McHenry and junior forward Jerrica Scott, Tougaloo senior guard Portia Craft and senior forward Chasity Kearney, Fisk senior guard Janine Davis, Dillard sophomore forward Alena Evans, Talladega senior guard Arielle George, Voorhees senior foward Amber Johnson and SUNO senior center Sabrina Scott and guard/forward Marquetta Stoker.
    
Xavier, 24-6 last season and the three-time defending GCAC regular-season champion, will play its opener at 6 p.m. on Nov. 2 against Langston in Grand Prairie, Texas. The venue will be South Grand Prairie High School's Warrior Coliseum. The first home game will start at 4 p.m. on Nov. 9 against Spring Hill in the Convocation Center.

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

WSSU Rams have rivalry game J.C. Smith, homecoming ahead

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  --  No. 16 Winston-Salem State is in the middle of one of its best times of the football season — homecoming week with a game Saturday against its biggest rival, Johnson C. Smith.

And in the age of Twitter and Facebook, it didn’t take long for both sides to start some good-natured trash talking.

There were some pointed comments made Monday night in Charlotte, at a WSSU-J.C. Smith volleyball match. There also were tweets about how the Golden Bulls were going to beat the Rams in volleyball and follow with a football victory Saturday at Bowman Gray Stadium.

Coach Connell Maynor of WSSU is taking it all in stride.

"People have been tweeting since we got here, and during the week, those other schools tweet that they are going to beat us and all of that,” Maynor said. “So that’s nothing new, and they tweet that our backs aren’t that good, our receivers aren’t that good, and our defense isn’t that good.

"But then they see it firsthand when we play the game how good we are.”

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Tennessee State Tigers Jump to No. 23 in FCS Coaches Poll

Courtesy TSU Athletics

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – The Tennessee State football team came in ranked No. 23 in the latest Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Coaches Poll this week.

 

The Tigers received 76 points, a week after defeating Southeast Missouri State, 40-16, on Saturday.

 

Against the Redhawks, Telvin Hooks and Tim Broughton totaled 254 rushing yards, combined as the Tigers piled up 544 total yards and recorded their third straight contest with at least 40 points.

 

In the team’s five- game winning streak, Big Blue has averaged 441 yards per game and outscored opponents by a combined 207-66.

 

The defense has been stout this year as well and the unit is now ranked No. 1 in the nation in total defense (248.8 yards per game). Big Blue is also second in passing yards allowed with only 120 given up per game.

 

The Tigers will go for their sixth consecutive victory on Saturday when they travel to Jacksonville State. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m.

Complete poll

 

RANK	SCHOOL (FIRST-PLACE VOTES)	RECORD	POINTS	PREVIOUS
1.	North Dakota State (25)	5-0	649	1
2.	Towson (1)	6-0	623	2
3.	Sam Houston State	4-1	600	3
4.	Eastern Illinois	4-1	555	5
5.	Northern Iowa	4-1	530	4
6.	Coastal Carolina	5-0	521	6
7.	Montana State	4-2	502	7
8.	Eastern Washington	3-2	448	8
9.	Fordham	6-0	418	13
10.	Montana	4-1	417	12
11.	McNeese State	5-1	393	14
12.	Wofford	3-2	319	15
13.	Bethune-Cookman	4-1	315	16
14.	Lehigh	4-1	284	10
15.	Villanova	3-2	248	20
16.	Youngstown State	5-1	219	22
17.	Maine	5-1	215	23
18.	South Dakota State	3-3	211	9
19.	James Madison	4-2	210	21
20.	Central Arkansas	2-3	158	11
21.	Northern Arizona	3-2	107	17
22.	New Hampshire	1-3	77	18
23.	Tennessee State	5-1	76	NR
24.	Jacksonville State	5-1	66	NR
25.	Charleston Southern	6-0	60	NR

Dropped out: No. 19 Cal Poly, No. 24 Gardner-Webb, No. 25 Delaware.

 

Others receiving votes: Gardner-Webb 35, Harvard 31, Cal Poly 29, South Carolina State 22, Samford 15, Yale 12, Southern Utah 7, William & Mary 7, Richmond 7, Delaware 6, Tennessee-Martin 5, Chattanooga 4, Murray State 4, Sacred Heart 3, Alabama 2, Jackson State 1, Southern Illinois 1, Alcorn State 1, Stephen F. Austin 1.

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ASU NOTEBOOK: Rams rested, refocused after bye week

ALBANY, Georgia  --  The Albany State football team has five games left in the regular season, and the 1-3 Rams will likely have to run the table to represent the East Division in the Nov. 16 SIAC championship game.

 

And thanks to a bye week following the Sept. 28 loss to Miles, the rested Rams think they are ready to turn their season around starting Saturday at Lane.

 

“I feel rested, but you can’t get too much rest with the kind of record we have,” ASU linebacker Marcavius Dudley said. “I really feel like this was our week to get refocused and think about what we did wrong in the past week and get sharpened up on what we were doing right.”

 

It was a week where the Rams didn’t focus on Lane — a team that upset ASU in 2011 in the Rams’ last trip to Jackson, Tenn. — but instead tried to fix their own problems that have caused a second straight 1-3 start to the season. After the loss to Miles, ASU coach Mike White said he was surprised by the way his team failed to handle its emotions in a game where the Rams racked up 16 penalties for 194 yards, including eight personal fouls and unsportsmanlike penalties.

 

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S.C. State QB’s game may silence critics

ATLANTA – When it comes to college football, the Georgia Dome is Richard Cue’s house.

The South Carolina State quarterback has put together two of his best career performances in the Atlanta stadium. A year after throwing for a career-best in yards against Georgia State, Cue returned to the Georgia Dome for a repeat effort.

It was a more formidable opponent this time on Saturday in North Carolina A&T. Facing an Aggies team riding a seven-game winning streak, including back-to-back wins over Football Bowl Subdivision provisional Appalachian State and Southern Conference member Elon University, and a defense that was among Football Championship Subdivision’s best in rushing yards allowed, Cue had to play more the role of game-changer than game manager.



At the Atlanta Football Classic, it was a “classic” performance for Cue in lifting the Bulldogs to a 29-24 victory. With the Aggies determined to shut down any ground threat presented by S.C. State, it was Cue who carried the offense with big plays from his arm.

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TSU's Rod Reed Speaks Out Against Domestic Violence

COACH ROD REED (right)
COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  -- On Monday night, head football coach Rod Reed spoke to the Tennessee State community about the issue of male violence directed at females.

 

The event took place at 7 p.m. in Kean Hall and Reed was part of a panel of six guests that condemned forceful acts towards women.

“The most important thing is educating people about the dangers of domestic violence,” Reed said. “I have two daughters that are the most precious thing in the world to me, so I think about them and teach my players that ‘there is no reason that you should put your hands on a female.’”

Reed was introduced by the track team’s Michael Johnson, and in addition to giving his stance on the subject, also offered up a solution.

“What I would challenge everyone to do is be accountable and hold each other accountable. If you can stand up and tell one of your peers that what they are doing is wrong then a lot of the issues can be negated,” Reed said.

The head coach left the student-athlete heavy audience with this:

“Don’t let sports define what you are as a person. You character should decide who you are.”

 

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Tennessee Tigers Shoot Video to Raise Vaccine Awareness

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  -- Eight freshmen members of the Tennessee State football team took part in a commercial shoot to raise vaccine awareness in the Indoor Football Facility, Monday.

 

The video encourages parents of teens and pre-teens to make sure that their children’s shots are up to date. These vaccines will protect against cancer, whooping cough, meningitis and other serious diseases.

 

“We are really excited to have the TSU football players for this video,” Pamela Hull, Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital, said. “These athletes are ideal role models for kids to look up to about how to be healthy, active and successful – go on to college and have great lives.”

 

“Our slogan is ‘bug your doctor, get three shots’. Parents need to remind their pediatricians to give them the HPV, Tdap and meningitis vaccines,” Hull said.

The student-athletes played catch with the kids in attendance at the shoot and kicker Cameron Carter taught them how to punt.

 

The other freshmen in attendance were Terrance Harris II, Afolabi Laguda, Roc-M Nesbitt, Justin North, Dantwuan O’Neal, Chris Sanders-McCollum and Patrick Smith.

 

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Florida A&M Rattlers start looking to the future

Holmes says younger players will get their chance

BALTIMORE, Maryland — After spending the last five weeks trying to find a solution to what ails his FAMU football team, first-year head coach Earl Holmes is leaning toward giving young players a shot at trying to help the Rattlers stop their losing skid.

While falling for the fourth consecutive time Saturday, FAMU showed a lot of the same problems that plagued the team since the second game of the season. They missed tackles, dropped balls and quarterback Damien Fleming was intercepted three times.

No position will be safe, Holmes said, frustration ringing in his voice following the Rattlers’ loss in front of a homecoming crowd at Hughes Stadium.

“Of course not,” he said.

“We have to go with some young guys,” Holmes said. “If you look at what we are doing (wrong), the same names keep showing up. The writing is on the wall.



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The 30th Annual Circle City Classic: Alcorn State Braves vs. Grambling State Tigers

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana -- The classic's mission is to support educational achievement, promote cultural excellence, while showcasing the spirit, energy and tradition of America's historically black colleges and universities.

The Circle City Classic® is a joint collaboration between Indiana Black Expo. Inc. and the Indiana Sports Corporation. The net proceeds from the Classic help fund scholarships and support youth initiatives for each organization. Since 1984, over 1 million dollars have been awarded to deserving Indiana natives who pursue higher education.

It was Rev. Charles Williams vision not only to promote educational achievements, but also to create one of the most spectacular African American events in the country to showcase the economic spending power of African Americans. With assistance from the Lilly Endowment along with a host of volunteers, Indiana Black Expo and the Indiana Sports Corporation brought Rev. Charles William's vision to a reality.

On October 13, 1984, the Circle City Classic was born. Jerry Rice and the Mississippi State Delta Devils battled the Grambling State Tigers and legend Coach Eddie Robinson. Entering its third decade, the Classic has evolved from just a football game into a well recognized and well respected organization with year round programs designed to enhance the mental and physical development of our youth. Some of these programs include year round College Readiness Workshops, Coaches Luncheon, Miss Circle City Classic Coronation, Classic Youth Football and Cheerleading Clinic, as well as the scholarship program. The Classic has surpassed the expectations of many through its 25 years.

The goal of the Classic is to honor the legacy of Rev. Charles Williams by continuing to provide opportunities for youth as well as supporting educational achievement and promoting cultural excellence in the community.

Circle City Classic. The Name Says It All.

LB Detrane Lindsey finds his voice at Southern

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana --  On the Southern football team’s practice fields, a distinct voice can be heard echoing through the sessions every day. And it’s not coming from coach Dawson Odums or any of his assistants.

The voice is that of redshirt junior linebacker Detrane Lindsey.

“It might look like I’m trying to get (the team) going, but I actually need them to get me going,” he said. “Whenever they’re alive, I’m alive. Being vocal is a way to get me going.”

Lindsey’s boisterous persona is encouraged by the coaching staff.

“I have a great linebackers coach (in Lorick Atkinson),” Lindsey said. “He told me that I need to be vocal. He told me that’s the best way. That’s what he wants from all his linebackers — to be vocal.”
And vocal he has been, even taking it to the next level. Even though he’s a starter, he volunteers to participate in scout team defensive drills when a player is needed to fill a void.

“Those are my boys,” he said. “I’m not going to leave them hanging if they need somebody.”

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Mixed results so far this season for Southern Jaguars

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  --  Southern’s start to this season has been somewhat of an up-and-down ride.

The year started off with a 62-13 loss to Houston — a lopsided defeat that could be chalked up to the fact that Southern was an undermanned squad with only 63 scholarship players available compared to that of the 85 allotted to Football Bowl Subdivision Houston.

However, the following week, Southern was hit with a dose of reality as it traveled to Natchitoches to take on Northwestern State.

Before the in-state matchup, senior linebacker Anthony Balancier made an ill-advised comment toward Northwestern State leading up to the game.

The comments were plastered all over the Demons’ football facilities as reminders to what their opponents thought of them.

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Alabama A&M alum, Colts LB Robert Mathis surpasses 100-career sack mark

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana  --  Once a fifth-round draft pick, Alabama A&M product, Indianapolis Colts defensive lineman Robert Mathis moved into an elite class of pass rushers with two sacks in his team's 34-28 upset of previously unbeaten Seattle Sunday.

Mathis got to Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson twice to eclipse and surpass the 100-sack plateau with his 100th and 101st sacks of his now 11-year and finished the game with six stops.

The 6-foot-2, 246-pound enters a fraternity that includes only 29 other players.



The 32-year old is tied with Houston's Mario Williams and Kansas City's Justin Houston for the league lead in sacks with 7.5 and has 18 tackles through five games.

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SWAC's top offenses to square off when Prairie View comes to Alabama State

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- Alabama State's matchup against Prairie View A&M will feature the SWAC's top two offenses.

The Hornets (4-2, 4-1) lead the league in scoring at 36.7 points per game while the Panthers (4-2, 3-1) are just behind them at No. 2 in the conference with 35.7 points per game.

Both run the increasingly popular fast-paced offense, which utilizes read options and primarily short pass attempts to move the ball down the field.

Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. Saturday at the Hornets' new stadium.

"We're going to get prepared to play a very-fast tempo football team," Prairie View coach Heishma Northern said during the weekly SWAC coaches teleconference today. "I was looking at the film this morning, and to tell you how fast they were going, you could see the train crew still moving after they got a first down. So, we have to be prepared."

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LB Ross settling in for Winston-Salem Rams

TERRY ROSS

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- When Terry Ross is old and gray and sitting with his grandchildren, he can enjoy retelling the story of his first college-football game.

Ross, a junior linebacker at Winston-Salem State and a transfer from Marshall, was in the starting lineup as a freshman when Marshall played at Ohio State in 2010.

'"There were more than 100,000 fans there, and it was surreal,” Ross said of the game that had official attendance of 105,000. “I don’t think I’ll ever forget that game because that was a big-time game.”

Ross had five tackles in the 45-7 loss and said playing on such a big stage was fun.

"It was quite an atmosphere," he said.

But Ross left Marshall after two seasons and coaching changes in the program and to be closer to his Durham home. He’s now in his first season at WSSU, backing up Carlos Fields, a Division II All-America and the 2012 CIAA defensive player of the year.

Photo Gallery: WSSU vs. BSU

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TSU Travis Williams Adds Two to Coaching Staff

COACH TRAVIS WILLIAMS

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – Tennessee State men’s basketball coach Travis Williams has announced the hiring of two new coaches to his 2013-14 staff. Christopher Jordan will be the team’s new director of operations while Jason Slay will become one of William’s assistant coaches.

“

We are excited about bringing on Chris Jordan and Coach Slay to complete the staff,” Williams said. “Jordan brings with him a great amount of experience from a professional level, while Slay is considered one of the top up-and-coming coaches out there right now and has a bright future in this business.”

 

For Jordan, he comes to TSU after spending a year as the director of basketball operations for the NBA Developmental League’s Fort Wayne Mad Ants. While with the club, Jordan coordinated all facets of operation, logistics and business associated with the franchise, including daily scheduling, player personnel and basketball analytics.

 

Jordan was also responsible for managing the team’s scouting database along with the video editing and sharing software for the purpose of the NBA Draft. In addition to video editing, he maintained compliance with the NBA D-League and breaking down opponent’s tendencies on the court.

 

Prior to his stint with the Mad Ants, Jordan was the assistant director of basketball operations at Georgia State from 2006 to 2011. He completed his undergraduate degree in Marketing at the university in 2005 and received his Masters in Sports Administration in 2007.

 

Jordan oversees the daily operations of the program, coordinating the team’s travel arrangements, handling equipment, editing video from competitions and monitoring the student-athletes’ academic and athletic progress.

 

“I had the opportunity to follow Coach Jordan’s career and growth over the years and always been impressed with his work both personally and professionally in Operations and he brings the right mentality to the position,” Williams said. “He had stops at the collegiate level at Georgia State and in the NBA Developmental league, so I feel confident that he can handle whatever gets thrown his way.”

 

“Personally, I have known Chris for a long time and was eager to bring him in here. Without a doubt, he has come in and hit the ground running with every aspect of our program.”

 

Slay enters his first season at TSU after serving as the Director of Basketball Operations for Georgia Southern University.  Prior to that, Slay was the top assistant coach at Hargrave Military Academy in Virginia, one of the top prep schools in the country.  At Hargrave, Slay coached 10 players that signed national letters of intent to Division I programs. He also served as the team’s director of individual development and summer training.

 

The Tigers of Hargrave finished with a 38-8 record including the National Prep Showcase Elite 8 during the 2012-13 season.

 

Slay also spent four years from 2008-2012 at West Virginia State as the squad’s associate head coach and recruiting coordinator. During that time, the Yellow Jackets won two West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championships.

 

As a player at West Virginia State, Slay was a four-time letter winner and two-year starter. Playing guard, he guided his team to the NCAA Division II Sweet 16 three times (2004, 2006 and 2007) and the Yellow Jackets won back-to-back WVIAC Tournament Championships in 2006 and 2007.  He received his undergraduate degree in Physical Education in 2007.

 

“This was a very important hire to keep consistency and chemistry in our coaching staff," Williams said. "There were a number of applicants interested in being an assistant coach at TSU, but my assistant coaches and I felt like Coach Slay was a perfect fit for us,”

 

“Jason has a winning mentality, passion, and I expect him to come in right away and teach, develop, and improve our overall guard and wing play. I think his recruiting experience will pay huge dividends for the program as well... However, I was more impressed with his enthusiasm and knowledge of the game.”

 

Jordan and Slay will join assistants Ben Betts and Rodney Hamilton who came to the program last season. Betts has been promoted to William’s top assistant, with a major emphasis on defense and post player development, while Hamilton has been elevated to the team’s recruiting coordinator and will continue to develop and improve point guard play.

 

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

TSU Men's Golf to Compete at Skyhawk Classic

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – The Tennessee State men’s golf team will travel to play in the Skyhawk Classic on Oct. 7-8. The two-day, 54-hole classic will consist of 16 teams playing the first two rounds on Monday, with the final round on Tuesday. The University of Tennessee at Martin event will be played at the Par-72, 6,685 yard Paris Landing State Park, and part of the Tennessee Golf Trail.

 

The Tigers will face off against Alabama State and Jackson State, as well as Ohio Valley Conference opponents Austin Peay, Murray State and the host, UTM. MSU and the Skyhawks will field two teams for the classic. IPFW, Southern Illinois, Bethel, Christian Brothers, Dalton State, John A. Logan, Lee and Union will round out the field.

 

Head coach Parrish McGrath will send out seniors Andrew Warner and Codie Welborn, along with juniors James Stepp and Matt Campbell. Sophomore Blake Burgett will complete the five-man team. Warner, Welborn and Stepp are competing in their third tournament this season; Burgett will participate in his second straight. Campbell will take to the links for the first time this year.

 

The Tigers finished third at the National Black College Hall of Fame, Inc. Invitational last week. Warner led the squad carding a 5-under, 67.

 

Monday’s opening round will begin with an 8:00am shotgun start. The second round will begin immediately following the first 18-holes of play.

 

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

2013-2014 SWAC Preview: Texas Southern is ready to run

HOUSTON, Texas  -- Texas Southern was the best team in the SWAC last season, garnering a 16-2 league record and a regular season crown. Coached by former Indiana and UAB leader Mike Davis, and playing behind burly 6-foot-9 senior Kyrie Sutton, the team would have likely grabbed the SWAC’s auto-bid had they been eligible for the postseason, but NCAA issues had them sidelined, and Southern University made the Dance instead, scaring Gonzaga with a 64-58 near-miss.

This year, Davis and his guys are out from under the ban, and they’ve added troubled big man Aaric Murray as a graduate transfer. If off-court issues don’t interfere, the Tigers have the speed and size to run the table.

The Southern Jaguars can be expected to put up a fight to retain their crown. Southern and Arkansas-Pine Bluff were the only league teams to beat Davis’ squad last year, and they’ll be the ones likely to make a run at it again this season. We’ll have our eye on Grambling as well, watching to see if they can improve on last year’s 0-28 debacle.

PRESEASON SWAC PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Aaric Murray, Texas Southern

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Can a Cinderella emerge from the SWAC?

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  -- On March 21st of this year, Gonzaga – the team that arguably popularized the term “Cinderella” as a signifier for mid-major success against the odds – nearly found the glass slipper on the other foot. The Bulldogs were the No. 1 seed, and the pesky, vastly outgunned Southern Jaguars were hanging around, threatening to become the first No. 16 seed to ever pull the first-round upset. The Zags pulled out the win, but the 64-58 final score sent shock waves around the college basketball world.

That it was Southern putting the irons to a top seed was even more shocking than the final score. The Jaguars earned their auto-bid out of the Southwestern Athletic Conference, the league that came in dead last in the kenpom.com rankings last season, below the Great West and DI Independents.

SWAC teams don’t win much, because SWAC teams have no money. The Jaguars, who nearly made NCAA history a few months ago, ranked 341st out of 344 schools in basketball expenditures in 2012. According to the NCAA, each team that appeared in a tourney game last season earned roughly $242,200 for each March Madness showdown. The Southern basketball budget a year ago was roughly $535,000 total.

What could a SWAC team do with two NCAA units? More?

Winning a game or two in the NCAA tournament isn’t a crazy thought for a low-budget program any more. Remember Norfolk State and Lehigh celebrating 15 over 2 upsets on the same day two years ago? Both schools fall well below the median in basketball budget year-in and year-out. Norfolk State, like Southern is ...

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