FAMU Rattlers Cage SCSU Bulldogs For 78-72 MEAC Win

COURTESY FAMU ATHLETICS

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  -- The Florida A&M Men’s Basketball team won their third straight with a 78-72 win over South Carolina State, in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference contest, here Saturday night at the Smith-Hammond-Middleton Center.

The win marks the Rattlers' third straight win at S-H-M arena as head coach Clemon Johnson goes to a perfect 5-0 against SCSU.

FAMU (7-11, 3-2 MEAC) had four Rattlers to score in double-figures with Jamie Adams scoring a game high 27 points to lead all scorers.  Trey Kellum recorded his second double-double on the season with 13 points and 10 rebounds, while both Jomari Bradshaw and Reggie Lewis chipped in 12 points each on the night for the Rattlers.  In addition, Adams led the Rattlers in assists with a team high six.

SCSU (5-12, 1-3 MEAC) had three Bulldogs to score in double-figures with Matthew Hezekiah scoring a team high 26 points. Adama Adams added 18, while Jalen White finished with 10 to round out the cast of double-digit performers for the Bulldogs.

A pair of made free throws by Hezekiah with 15:57 to go in the first, giving the Bulldogs, an 11-3 lead.

The Rattlers took a 19-18 lead on an Adams three pointer with 8:45 to go in the first, capped off by a 16-7 run by FAMU.

White would tie the contest at 30-30 for SCSU with 2:06 to go in the first.

Adams would then convert on a three-point play to give the Rattlers a 36-30 lead with 1:01 to go, capping a 6-0 run by FAMU.  The Rattlers went into the break with a 36-31 lead over the Bulldogs as FAMU finished the first half shooting 37.5 percent (12-of-32), while SCSU shot 38.7 percent (12-of-31).

FAMU would extend their lead to 46-37 in the opening minutes of the second half on a Lewis three pointer with 17:25 to go in the game.

SCSU would cut FAMU’s lead to 54-50 with a 10-0 run, capped off by a Daryll Palmer dunk with 12:53 to go in the game.

The Rattlers would extend their lead to 68-57 on a Jomari Bradshaw put back with 6:48 to go in the game, capped off by a 14-7 run.

Adama Adams would cut the Rattlers’ lead to 75-72 with a made three pointer with 42 second left in the game.

That would be the Bulldogs' final field goal of the game as FAMU held on for the 78-72 win. 

FAMU vs SCSU Box Score

FAMU will return to action on Monday, Jan. 20 as they will travel to Savannah, Ga., to take on Savannah State in a 7:30 p.m. tipoff at Tiger Arena.

COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

B-CU Wildcats Celebrate 2013 MEAC Football Championship

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida  -- Under the direction of head coach Brian Jenkins, the Bethune-Cookman University football team held its annual end-of-year banquet, celebrating the 2013 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference champions on Saturday, Jan. 18, at the 500 Club of the Daytona International Speedway.

The M.C. for the evening was veteran sports commentator Charlie Neal, while comedian Rod Z performed a special standup act during the dinner portion of the event. The event was limited to season ticket holders, trustees and specially invited guests, due to limited seating inside the 500 Club. As expected, it was sold out occasion.

Performed much like the Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, the evening included special team awards named after several people associated with the Bethune-Cookman University football family. Videos highlighted the nominees for each award, while the winner was revealed from an envelope by the presenter.

With assistance from Darian McCaskill of the award-winning CatEye Network, Tiffany Todd revealed the end-of-year video with a special look inside the Wildcats program. Other presentations from the CatEye Network included clips of celebrations around the season from student-athletes, coaches and support staff, as well as a “Then and Now” portion, including baby pictures and much more.

The night ended with Director of Athletics Lynn W. Thompson and Brian Jenkins giving a special award to Charlie Neal for his outstanding career announcing and broadcasting Historically Black College/University (HBCU) games for more than 40 years.

A “Herald” is the word used to describe Neal in the award.

Name of Honoree	Award Received
Tevin Toney	Charles Bingham Humanitarian Award
Cary White	Lee Bryant Outstanding Leadership Award
Isidore Jackson	Jack “Cy” McClairen Trailblazer Award
Erik Williams	Willie “Foots” Lee Defensive Lineman Award
Andrew Edouard	Larry Little Workman Award
Nesley Marcellon	Scholar Award
Rashard Brown	Dean Montgomery Gridiron Scholar Award
Eddie Poole	Bill Flynt Achievement Award
Jarkevis Fields	Mary McLeod Bethune Legacy Award
LeBrandon Richardson	Lee Williams Workman Award
Dyron Dye	Mathis-Collins-Weems Perseverance Award
Jordan Murphy	Donavan Wells Excellence Award
Rahdeese Alcutt & Preston Cleckley	Special Cat Award

The next event for B-CU football will be the national signing day bash on the evening of Wednesday, Feb. 5. A time and location for the annual event will be announced in the days to come.

Fans can keep up-to-date with all B-CU Athletics via twitter at Twitter.com/BCUathletics, in addition to the official football twitter page at Twitter.com/BCUGridIron. You can also become a fan of the Wildcats on Facebook at Facebook.com/BCUathletics.

COURTESY BETHUNE-COOKMAN UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

TSU Lady Tigers Down Belmont, 64-51

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- The Tennessee State University women’s basketball team imposed its defensive will against Belmont Saturday night as the Lady Tigers defeated the Bruins, 64-51, in the Gentry Center.

 

Tennessee State (6-12, 3-2 OVC) held Belmont (7-13, 4-3 OVC) to 16 first-half points and led by as many as 25 points in the win.

 

Rachel Allen led all TSU scorers with 13 points while Alana Morris added 12 points, six rebounds and four assists. Brianna Lawrence chipped in 11 points for the Lady Tigers. Although Chelsea Hudson was held to eight points she pulled down a team-best 11 rebounds in the contest.

 

Jordyn Luffman led Belmont and recorded a double-double with 16 points and 13 boards. Frankie Joubran also posted a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds.

 

Tennessee State shot 34.3 percent from the field in the game, including 40 percent from long range. TSU only connected on 56 percent of its free-throw attempts but held the advantage in rebounds, 51-48.

 

Defense was the theme of the first half as the score was tied, 6-6, at the first media timeout.  Over the next seven minutes, TSU held BU scoreless as the Bruins went 0-6 from the field.

 

In the meantime, the Lady Tigers posted 10 straight points to go ahead, 16-6. At the 7:35 mark Belmont finally was able to score on a couple free-throws.  The Lady Tigers, however, responded with a 7-4 run to increase the advantage to, 23-12.

 

TSU went into the halftime break leading, 26-16, after holding BU to a .259 shooting percentage (7-of-27) and forcing the opponent into nine turnovers.  The 16 points was the lowest TSU has held an opponent to in the first half.

 

An old fashioned three-point play from Rachel Allen got TSU on the board in the second half. Following a free-throw from Chelsea Hudson, Alana Morris scored to put TSU on top, 37-21, with 16:12 on the clock.

 

With about 13 minutes left to play, The Lady Tigers stretched their advantage to, 47-22, after Brianna Lawrence buried back-to-back three-pointers.

 

TSU was leading, 50-26, when Belmont posted six straight points to make the score, 50-32, in favor of the home team.

 

With 5:49 remaining in the game, Alana Morris found Chelsea Hudson in the paint to make the score, 56-36.

 

Although Belmont went on a 12-3 run and outscored TSU, 22-10, over a span of 10 minutes, the Lady Tigers maintained a double-digit cushion the rest of the game.

 

Belmont shot 30.4 percent from the field but only managed to make 1-of-18 from beyond the arc. BU went 8-of-10 from the charity stripe.

 

Tennessee State will have a short break before returning to action on the road at Jacksonville State. Game time is scheduled for 2 p.m. in Pete Mathews Coliseum.

FINAL STATS

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

SCSU Adams Among Top Coordinators In FCS Division I-AA

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina  -- South Carolina State defensive coordinator Mike Adams was one of five finalists for the 2013 FootballScoop.com FCS Coordinator of the Year award.

Under Adams, the Bulldogs finished first in the FCS in four defensive categories — total defense (238 yards allowed per game), sacks (62), team tackles for loss (9.9 per game) and pass efficiency defense — second in third-down conversion defense (.274) and rushing defense (90.9 yards allowed per game), and third in Red Zone Defense (.667) and scoring defense (15.2 points allowed per game).

Despite Adams' credentials, 1 Eastern Illinois offensive coordinator Sterlin Gilbert won the award based on voting by the previous winners. Under his leadership, the Panthers led the FCS by averaging 589.5 yards of total offense per game, placed second nationally with 372.4 passing yards per game and ranked 20th in the FCS with 217.1 rushing yards per game. Gilbert's unit was the only FCS offense to rank among the top five nationally in passing offense and the top 20 nationally in rushing offense.

In addition, quarterback Jimmy Graoppolo connected on 375-568 passes for 5,050 yards with 50 touchdowns against nine interceptions (a 168.33 pass efficiency rating) while adding 209 rushing yards and four scores. For his efforts, the senior Panther was named the Walter Payton Award winner as the top offensive player in the FCS.

Other FootballScoop FCS Coordinator of the Year finalists included defensive coordinators Scott Boone (William & Mary) and Chris Klieman (now the head coach at three-time FCS champion North Dakota State) and offensive coordinator Aaron Best (Eastern Washington).



COURTESY SOUTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Memphis meets Lemoyne-Owen in non-conference action

MEMPHIS, Tennessee  -- The 17th-ranked Memphis Tigers will take a break from their American Athletic Conference schedule and their Division I slate for that matter, as they play host to the Lemoyne-Owen Magicians on Saturday afternoon at FedEx Forum.

Josh Pastner's Tigers enter this contest off a tough 83-73 home loss against Connecticut on Thursday. The setback dropped Memphis to 12-4 overall and 3-2 in league play. The Tigers are still a healthy 6-2 at home this season.

The Magicians play in the Division II Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC). William Anderson's squad was picked to finish fourth in the SIAC West Division and has struggled to a 4-9 record thus far, including a 2-4 mark in-conference. The Magicians have lost four of their last five games and enter this contest off an 85-75 setback to Fort Valley State on Thursday.

Memphis has won all six previous meetings with Lemoyne-Owen, although all have been exhibitions. This is the first regular-season matchup between the two teams.

The Magicians shot a cool ...

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Hampton's Pierce Named Head Men's Coach of Team USA U-23

Maurice Pierce
Director of Track & Field
Hampton University

HAMPTON, Virginia  –  Hampton University Director of Track & Field Maurice Pierce has been named Head Men's Coach as part of the U.S. Track & Field National Team for the 2014 NACAC Under-23 Championships, it was announced on Thursday.

In his 12th season at Hampton, and his second coaching both programs, Pierce has won four Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) cross country titles (2004, '06, '10, '11), 10 MEAC indoor track & field titles (2003-09, '11-13) and nine MEAC outdoor championships (2003-04, '06-11, '13).

He guided the Pirates to the 2013 MEAC outdoor title, giving the men's program its first MEAC track & field title since 2003. The Lady Pirates swept the MEAC indoor and outdoor title last season, after coming in second in cross country.

Pierce, the 2008-09 Southeast Region Women's Head Coach of the Year as named by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA), has coached 20 All-Americans and watched his student-athletes bring home five individual NCAA titles – two from Yvette Lewis in the triple jump and three from Francena McCorory in the 400-meter dash.

But Pierce's success isn't exclusive to Hampton.

He has also coached Olympic athletes – most recently, Pierce coached David Payne to the silver medal in the 110-meter hurdles at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. Pierce, considered one of the world's best hurdle coaches, has coached athletes in the last four Olympics – including the likes of former Pirate James Carter and Rachelle Boone-Smith.

Both athletes have won World Championships under Pierce.

Pierce, a native of Newport News, Va. and a graduate of Norfolk State, is also chair of the USATF Virginia Association Women Elite Athletes.

The 2014 NACAC Under-23 Championships will be held Aug. 8-10 in Kamloops, British Columbia.

For more information on Hampton University track & field, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.

COURTESY HAMPTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

Towson, Morgan State players hope to make an impression at NFLPA Collegiate Bowl

BALTIMORE, Maryland  -- Jordan Love and Karim Barton played in relative obscurity as they finished their college football careers a few miles down the road from each other.

Love was a starting cornerback for a Towson team that went to the NCAA Football Championship Subdivison championship; Barton a first-team all-conference offensive lineman at Morgan State.

But this week, the two small-school standouts are both at the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl in California, trying to make a name for themselves while representing their universities as they line up against players from premiere Football Bowl Subdivision programs such as Ohio State, Missouri and Oklahoma.

"I'm just taking it all in. I'm humbled by the whole situation, considering where I come from," Barton said. "This whole week has been a blast, a great experience. And to represent a school like Morgan State, I feel pressure but at the same time I know there are a lot of people out there pulling for me."

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Hampton adds former Miami (OH) guard Reggie Johnson

MIAMI, Ohio -- Nine games into the 2013-14 season sophomore guard Reggie Johnson made the decision to leave the program, resulting in the RedHawks losing their second-leading scorer at the time. Johnson averaged 11.8 points per game for Miami, eclipsing the 20-point mark in three of the nine games he played in.

According to College Basketball Talk’s Scott Phillips, Johnson has found a new home.  Johnson will continue his career at Hampton, becoming eligible to play in games at the end of the 2014 fall semester.

The key for Johnson will be consistency, something that was an issue at Miami in the nine games he played in this season.

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UNC board suspends whistle-blower's research on literacy level of athletes

CHAPEL HILL, North Carolina  -- UNC-Chapel Hill announced Thursday evening that its research review board had suspended whistle-blower Mary Willingham’s work on the literacy levels of university athletes.

The university said that its institutional review board, which governs research projects, found that Willingham had released data that could identify research subjects.

Willingham’s research indicated that more than half of 183 athletes screened for their reading skills over an eight-year period could not read beyond the eighth-grade level; it was based on tests the university administered to athletes admitted despite concerns they might be academically challenged. She said roughly 10 percent of those students were functionally illiterate.

The research, publicized on CNN last week, helped kick up more concerns about the academic fraud scandal at UNC-Chapel Hill that involved dozens of lecture-style classes that never met. Willingham, a former learning specialist with the tutoring program for athletes, blew the whistle on those classes to The News & Observer in 2011. Athletes made up nearly half of the enrollments in those classes.

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Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/01/16/3538799/uncs-folt-questions-literacy-findings.html#storylink=cpy

MSU's Karim Barton set for 2014 NFL Players Association Collegiate Bowl

BALTIMORE, Maryland -- Former Morgan State lineman Karim Barton has been invited to play in the 2014 NFL Players Association Collegiate Bowl on Saturday.

The all-star game between the National Team and the American Team will be televised on ESPN2 and kicks off at 6 p.m. EST.

The offensive lineman from Los Angeles will be one of the talented draft-eligible seniors competing in the all-star game on January 18 at StubHub Center on the campus of California State University Dominguez Hills in Carson, California.

Barton is listed at 6-3, 315 lbs. and is known for his ability to play anywhere on the offensive line. The versatile lineman earned First-Team Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference honors and took home the MEAC's Offensive Lineman of the Week honors three times in his final campaign with the Bears. In a 34-22 win over N.C. Central, Barton anchored the offensive line that accounted for 385 yards of total offense as he graded out at 97-percent of his assignments, recorded three pancake blocks and allowed zero sacks. This was a repeat from his standout performance against Army, where he also graded out at 97-percent on his assignments, added three pancake blacks and gave up zero sacks.

In a upset win against Florida A&M on homecoming, Barton paved the way for the Bears' ground game that churned for 238 rushing yards and controlled the time of possession (37-to-22 minutes). That day, he again graded out at 97-percent of his assignments as the team accounted for 382 yards of total offense.

For player confirmations and news surrounding the game, follow @NFLPABowl on Twitter and on Facebook at Facebook.com/NFLPACollegiateBowl.

Pro-football players and coaching legends will work with the game's future stars, giving them first-hand insight on what it takes to win on and off of the field. Dennis Green and Dick Vermeil will serve as the head coaches for the American and National Teams. Visit the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl site for a full list of the teams' assistant coaches.

Tickets are on sale now: http://collegiate.nflpa.com/

COURTESY MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

WSSU's Donnie Owens Selected For NFLPA Collegiate Bowl

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- Winston-Salem State University senior defensive lineman, Donnie Owens, has been selected to play in the 3rd Annual National Football League Players Association Collegiate Bowl, Saturday, January 18th, 2014 in Los Angeles, California.

Owens finished his WSSU career playing in 41 games over three season, with 153 total tackles to go with 34 tackles for losses, 19.5 sacks, 14 quarterback hurries, three pass breakups, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.

Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET, and the game will be televised live on ESPN2. ESPNU will also air live broadcasts from practices on Wednesday, January 15 and Thursday, January 16.

The event is a week-long, all expenses paid trip to the Greater Los Angeles area where they will practice and play with some of the best players in the country culminating in the game at the Stub Hub Center.

For one week preceding the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl presented by Panini, participants will receive an in-depth introduction to the union – the primary resource for information on the business of football and how to succeed in the NFL and in post-football careers.

Pro-football players and coaching legends will work with the game's future stars, giving them first-hand insight on what it takes to win on and off of the field. Dennis Green and Dick Vermeil will serve as the head coaches for the American and National Teams. Visit the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl site for a full list of the teams' assistant coaches.

Tickets are on sale now: http://collegiate.nflpa.com 

COURTESY WINSTON-SALEM STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Chicago State Defeats WAC Favorite NMSU 86-81

WATCH IN 720p HD, WIDE SCREEN

CHICAGO, Illinois -- A steal and a pair of three throws in the final seconds by freshman Johnny Griffin (Ford Heights, Ill./Bloom Trail ) sealed the Cougars' 86-81 victory over New Mexico State on Thursday (Jan. 16). The win moves Chicago State to 3-0 in the Western Athletic Conference. It's the first time Chicago State has started conference play 3-0 in NCAA Division I program history. The win puts Chicago State in a tie for first place in the WAC with Utah Valley.

Both teams held leads as large as eight in the first half but when the halftime buzzer sounded the game was tied at 40.

Chicago State built their largest lead of the second half at seven points on a jumper by senior Quinton Pippen (Hamburg, Ark./Hamburg) with 13:18 remaining to make the score 55-48. New Mexico State responded with 10 straight points to grab a 58-55 lead following a pair of free throws by KC Ross-Miller.

The biggest basket of the game came with 1:25 remaining. Senior Nate Duhon (Lansing, Mich./Sexton) grabbed a rebound off a New Mexico State miss and pushed the ball up court. He drove to the lane but quickly pitched the ball to Pippen. Pippen proceeded to sink a 3-pointer in front of his own bench to put the Cougars up 76-72. From there the teams exchanged points several times with a pair of free throws by junior Clarke Rosenberg (Skokie, Ill./Evanston Township) putting the Cougars up 82-78 with 15 seconds. Kevin Aronis followed with a 3-pointer with 10 seconds left to advance New Mexico State within a point. Duhon was fouled and made a pair of free throws to make it an 84-81 game. New Mexico State had a chance to tie the game but Griffin stole the inbound pass by DK Eldridge. The freshman Griffin was fouled and calmly sunk a pair of free throws to ice the game.

"I'm so proud of the guys," Chicago State head coach Tracy Dildy said. "Basketball is a game of runs. They made a run, we made a run and when it mattered down the stretch we were calm and finished it out. This is a huge win for the program. "

Thursday's contest featured 13 lead changes and eight ties.

Five Cougars finished in double-digits. Rosenberg scored 20 points with four steals and three assists. Pippen added 19 points and eight rebounds. Senior Matt Ross (Dixon, Ill./Dixon) recorded 17 points and seven rebounds. Duhon totaled 12 points, including a 6-of-6 performance from the free throw line. Senior Corey Gray (Houston, Texas/Hightower) totaled 10 points.

WAC Preseason Player of the Year pick Daniel Mullings totaled a game-high 26 points for New Mexico State but also committed eight turnovers. Chicago State forced 19 New Mexico State turnovers.

Chicago State made just 1-of-4 3-point attempts in the first half, the second fewest 3-pointers attempted in a half this season. The second half was a different story. The Cougars drained 7-of-8 3-pointers. Pippen made all three from beyond the arc he attempted in the second. However the difference in the game really came at the free throw line. The Cougars made 14-of-18 free throws over the game's final five minutes to keep the pressure on the Aggies.

The win was the first for Chicago State over New Mexico State in five tries. New Mexico State was the preseason pick to win the conference.

New Mexico State falls to 14-6 (3-1 WAC). The Cougars improve to 8-9 (3-0 WAC). Chicago State hosts UTPA on Saturday (Jan. 18) in WAC play. Tip at the Jones Convocation Center will be 2:05 p.m.

Box Score

COURTESY CHICAGO STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Alabama State's Bobby Brown coming into his own as a sophomore

MONTGOMERY, Alabama  -- Call it the Freshman 17.

That's how many minutes Alabama State's Bobby Brown played per game for the Hornets last season in his first year out of Lithia Springs High School near Atlanta as the team struggled to a 10-22 mark.
It wasn't what the 6-foot-6 high-flyer wanted.

But instead of bolting like six of his former teammates did for one reason or another past offseason, the Chicago native hunkered down and honed his skills once he recovered from surgery to repair a torn meniscus he suffered in March.

This season, he's playing close to 25 minutes a game and the Hornets are already 9-6 (3-1 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference), heading into their showdown with arch-rival Alabama A&M (6-8, 3-1) Saturday.



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Alabama State Hornets Add Four to List of Baseball Signees

MONTGOMERY, Alabama --  The Alabama State University baseball team signed four more recruits to bring the total to nine, addressing some much needed areas of concern.

"One of the things we wanted to address was the voids that we will have next year," head baseball coach Mervyl Melendez said. "I want to believe that when these players get here they're going to be surrounded by upperclassmen that will lead the way and get them to play at different level."

The group of signees includes two outfielders: Sebastian Rivera (Orlando, Fla.), Palance "PJ" Harris II (Frisco, Tex.); one infielder, a first baseman Gustavo Rios (Kissimmee, Fla.) and one pitcher Darren Kelley (Ocala, Fla.).

The signees are listed as follows:

Sebastian Rivera: 5-11 · 170 · OF · Orlando, Fla. · Timber Creek HS
Coach Melendez on Sebastian:

"Sebastian will make an immediate impact at the Division I level. His frame and ability to hit make him one of the top high school players in the entire country. Sebastian comes from one of the best travel ball organizations in the country, Florida Travel Ball directed by George Gonzalez."

Palance "PJ" Harris II: 6-0 · 200 · OF · Frisco, Tex. · Frisco HS

 Coach Melendez on PJ:

"PJ is one of the purest left handed hitters in the state of Texas. He possesses great power and is a phenomenal athlete. PJ will pay immediate dividends for our program. He will be a consistent hitter on the college level and will have the opportunity to play professional baseball after three years at ASU. Getting a quality corner guy like PJ is a prime example of where our program is heading. "
Darren Kelly: 6-4 · 185 · RHP · Ocala, Fla. · Vanguard HS
Coach Melendez on Darren:

"Darren will be an impact pitcher for us right away. He has an imposing frame when on the mound and competes really hard. He is another product from the travel ball organization FTB. He will only get stronger and will be a mainstay in the pitching rotation for the next three or four years."

Gustavo Rios: 6-3 · 240 · 1B · Kissimmee, Fla. · Osceola HS
Coach Melendez on Gustavo:

"Gustavo is a physical right handed hitter with tremendous power to all fields. We expect him to hit in the middle of our lineup and drive in a ton of runs. Gustavo is an athletic first baseman and will definitely strengthen us on the right side of the diamond."

COURTESY ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Transfer Pressley provides size and versatility for Hampton

JERVON PRESSLEY
6'-8" 250/Forward
Sophomore
Hometown: Charlotte, N.C.
(Courtesy: Hampton U. Athletics) 

HAMPTON, Virginia  -- Jervon Pressley took the long path to Hampton University, and he and the Pirates are better for it.

The Pirates get a seasoned, if slightly rusty, 6-foot-8, 255-pound space-eater around the basket. Pressley gets a comfortably challenging athletic and academic environment, a group of coaches and players he trusts, and a system that he believes best utilizes his abilities.

"My role coming in was to provide a big presence and energy, and to be a rebounder and shot-blocker," Pressley said. "Now, I feel like the more I get in shape, my role is going to become a low-post scorer, a low-post defender and a great teammate."

Hampton is Pressley's third and presumably final college, after stops at Towson and Robert Morris. He became eligible after the fall semester and has played in five games for the Pirates, averaging 4.4 points and 3.6 rebounds while playing 15 minutes per game as he works into competitive shape.

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Alabama A&M hires Albany State assistant, SWAC legend Willie Totten as QB coach

Coach Willie Totten

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama  -- News of Alabama A&M head football coach James Spady's latest hiring has broken.

The former Nevada assistant acquired the services of one of the greatest signal-callers in the history of the SWAC.  The Albany Herald reports Division II Albany St. assistant Willie Totten is leaving to become the Bulldogs' quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator. 
 

Nicknamed "Satellite", Totten played his college ball at Mississippi Valley State, where he set more than 50 Division I-AA records, now FCS, as a quarterback, playing alongside NFL great wide receiver Jerry Rice in the early 1980s.

 

 "That's an offense I have always wanted to know more about," Totten told the Herald. "(Spady) wants me seriously involved with the passing game and the quarterback and to really understand the Pistol. I am excited about running that and also bringing my own style in."

 

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Morgan State men's basketball off to 2-0 start in MEAC for first time in three years

BALTIMORE, Maryland  -- The Morgan State men's basketball team is off to a 2-0 start in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference for the first time since the 2010-11 season, courtesy of Saturday’s 73-56 rout of South Carolina State.

“[The wins] all are important, particularly in the conference,” Bears coach Todd Bozeman said Thursday morning. “It’s important to get off to a good start. We hadn’t won our first two conference games in probably a couple years. So this was good. It was good for us to get back on the winning track, and it’s important for us to stay focused and keep getting better. That’s pretty much our goal.”

Back-to-back wins to open the league have usually been a good omen for the Bears (4-10 overall). Since Bozeman took over the program prior to the 2006-07 campaign, Morgan State has parlayed a 2-0 start in the MEAC to an appearance in the conference tournament final four times, winning the championship in 2008-09 and 2009-10.

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Oxon Hill grad becomes ‘the guy’ at Bowie State

BOWIE, Maryland  -- Ray Gatling knew he wasn’t going to miss.

Just moments after he dribbled left, drove towards the basket and was fouled, the Bowie State University senior guard stepped to the free throw line with a chance to win the game. The Bulldogs trailed by one point with 1.7 seconds and Gatling took a deep breath before proceeding to convert the ensuing two free throws to send his team to a thrilling comeback victory.

“At the end of game it’s going to be in his hands to create,” Bowie State coach Darrell Brooks said. “He’s our guy. I almost messed up everything by calling a timeout when he was going to the rim, but he was able to execute.”

A possession earlier, Gatling missed a critical free throw that would have tied Saturday’s game against Shaw University.

“I knew I was going to make them after letting my teammates down,” Gatling said. “So I looked to drive to the basket again and draw contact. We work on free throws at least 30 minutes a day in practice to be prepared for situations like that.”



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VSU suspends for semester football player charged in fight

RICHMOND, Virginia  -- Virginia State University has suspended for one semester the football player who was charged in the fight that led to the cancellation of the CIAA championship football game in November.

VSU running back Lamont Britt was charged with assault after the fight that left the opposing quarterback for Winston-Salem State University with cuts around his eye.

Michael M. Shackleford, VSU’s vice president for student affairs, said Britt’s case, which was scheduled to be heard this week in Forsyth County, N.C., was continued.

Shackleford announced the suspension at a meeting today of the board of visitors.

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Ex-Roosevelt High/UAPB star James “Red” Mack Allen, who died Friday at 73, was “brilliant” basketball player

LOXAHATCHEE, Florida — James “Red” Mack Allen was remembered Wednesday as a hot-shooting, yet humble, basketball superstar who pushed himself to the limit on every play.

Mr. Allen, an undersized shooting guard who starred at West Palm’s old Roosevelt High School and went on to set records at Arkansas AM&N College — now the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff — died Friday at the age of 73. He lived in Loxahatchee.

Willie Goldsmith, Mr. Allen’s childhood friend, high school teammate and college roommate, recalled a quiet young man who excelled on the basketball court.

“He was the greatest shooter who ever lived,” Goldsmith said of Mr. Allen, who at 5-feet-10 and 155 pounds was significantly smaller than most of the players who defended him. “He was a legend in high school. There’s no question. He led us to the state championship our senior year. He was our leading scorer.”

Mr. Allen’s hot hand continued in college, where he led his team and conference in scoring all four years. He averaged 28.6 points per game for the Golden Lions and finished his career with more than 2,800 points.

He was inducted into the Southwestern Athletic Conference Hall of Fame in 2006.

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Photo: James “Red” Mack Allen, in a freshman yearbook photo from Roosevelt High School, was a star basketball player at the school. He went on to lead his Arkansas AM&N College team in scoring and was invited to the 1964 U.S. Olympic trials. Mr. Allen died Friday at the age of 73. (Photo provided by Willie Goldsmith)

Funeral services for Mr. Allen will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, January 17 at Palm Beach Lakes Church of Christ, 4067 Leo Lane, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

Southern’s Hyder out indefinitely

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  -- Southern starting point guard Christopher Hyder could miss the rest of the season because of a blood clot in his left shoulder.

Hyder, a sophomore from Dallas, played through pain in the shoulder the past two games. When the pain didn’t subside in the wake of the Jaguars’ 60-36 victory against Jackson State on Monday, Hyder underwent more thorough testing, which revealed the blood clot.

Coach Roman Banks said Wednesday tha
t one of Hyder’s ribs “is pinching on an artery,” which led to the clot.

Hyder is taking blood-thinning medication to treat the clot and will undergo surgery in the next two or three weeks to relieve the pressure on the artery.

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Alabama State guards Jamel Waters, DeMarcus Robinson forming dynamic duo

MONTGOMERY, Alabama  -- A combination that could've possibly led to infighting and a logjam at the point guard position do to a duplication of duties has worked out almost perfectly for Alabama State this season.

Led by a pair of 5-foot-10 guards sophomore Jamel Waters and junior college transfer DeMarcus Robinson, the Hornets (9-6) are 3-1 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference, heading into their matchup against arch-rival Alabama State at home Saturday. Tipoff is set for 5 p.m.

"We're both not selfish," said Waters, a Birmingham native who played prep ball at Ramsay High School. "If he's on one night, I'll keep feeding him. If I'm on, he'll keep feeding me and we feed off each other."

They've both been eating.



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Five: Breaking down Jackson State's coaching hire

JACKSON, Mississippi  -- Jackson State nearly went four weeks without a football coach. But the official announcement arrived this week — Harold Jackson is the guy. A former JSU football great with a storied NFL playing career and slew of coaching experiences, Jackson was lauded by many — but not all.

Others were left questioning the decision to hire the 68-year-old who’s spent the last year coaching football camps in Los Angeles. Let’s dive into the hire:

Was Harold Jackson the best candidate?

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Former Apopka RB Tom Smith confirms transfer from UT to Tennessee State

TOM SMITH 
(Courtesy: UT Athletics)
 

ORLANDO, Florida  -- Former Apopka running back Tom Smith, who graduated high school with the class of 2011, has decided to transfer to Tennessee State after being granted his scholarship release from the University of Tennessee last month.

Smith confirmed the transfer Thursday morning but was busy and will talk more about the move later.

Smith, who played sparingly his freshman season and redshirted his second year at UT, was a back-up this past season as a redshirt-sophomore, seeing limited action. He had 95 yards on 24 carries.

He entered college at the same time as fellow UT running back and former Daytona Beach Mainland star Marlin Lane, who has rushed for 1,536 yards and eight touchdowns during his first three seasons.

Smith, 5-11, 205, was the No. 8-ranked player in the Sentinel's 2011 Central Florida Super60, while Lane, who was coming off knee surgery for an injury during his junior year, was ranked No. 9.

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Ryan Griffin forgoes NFL draft, returns for JSU's 2014 season

RYAN GRIFFIN'
5'-11"  185 lbs. OLB
(Courtesy: JSU ATHLETICS)

 

JACKSON, Mississippi  - Ryan Griffin sat down with his family on Monday, needing to give them a decision — NFL draft or school?

The next day, the Michigan native was back on the Jackson State campus.

Griffin announced in December that he was declaring for the NFL draft. He had gone through the process and filled out the paperwork. But the feedback he received made the answer clear — he should return for his senior year.

“Most of the people who were talking to me said I was going to be a late draft pick, sixth or seventh, or even if, a projected free agent,” said Griffin, who is majoring in business.

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