Southern, Banks negotiating new deal

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- One day after concluding a visit from NCAA officials, Southern turned its attention Wednesday to the future of men’s basketball coach Roman Banks.

Athletic Director William Broussard and Chancellor James Llorens met with Banks to discuss enhancing the coach’s contract and securing his services long-term.

Texas A&M contacted Banks last Friday about the vacancy for the top assistant’s position on head coach Billy Kennedy’s staff. Banks spoke twice with Kennedy, for whom he was an assistant for two seasons at Southeastern Louisiana (2003-05).

It’s unclear if Kennedy has made a formal offer to Banks, who put talks with the Aggies on hold while awaiting an opportunity to visit with Broussard and Llorens. But the Jaguars appear to be proceeding with a sense of urgency.

CONTINUE READING
  

GCAC champion Nuggets still 14th in NAIA rankings

DEVINN ROLLAND

NEW ORLEANS -- Xavier University of Louisiana's women are still 14th in the NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Team Computer Rankings announced Wednesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.

This is the first season and the second week of the rankings, which are based on the best individual times and distances during the 2014 outdoor season.

Coach Joseph Moses' Gold Nuggets won their second consecutive Gulf Coast Athletic Conference team championship on Saturday and their third in four years. GCAC individual champions for the Nuggets were Devinn Rolland in the long jump and the 100- and 200-meter dashes, Catherine Fakler in the 1,500, 3,000 steeplechase and 5,000, Angelica Alexander in the high jump and Terri Cunningham in the 400 hurdles.

Defending NAIA champion Indiana Tech remained No. 1, followed by 2012 champion Oklahoma Baptist, which climbed one notch from a week ago.

The top 25:

1. Indiana Tech
2. Oklahoma Baptist
3. British Columbia
4. Doane
5. Wayland Baptist
6. College of Idaho
7. Baker
8. Cal State San Marcos
9. Embry-Riddle (Fla.)
10. Hastings
11. Westmont
12. Concordia (Neb.)
13. Carroll (Mont.)
14. Xavier
15. Indiana Wesleyan
16. Olivet Nazarene
17. The Master's
18. Siena Heights
19. Southern Oregon
20. Biola
21. Vanguard
22. Concordia (Ore.)
23. Cornerstone
24. McPherson
25. Bethel (Ind.)

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
https://twitter.com/xulagold
https://www.facebook.com/xulagold 

No. 2 Abbes one of five ranked Xavier singles players

XU freshman Nour Abbes has yet to lose a collegiate singles match.

NEW ORLEANS — Nour Abbes is No. 2, a record for a Xavier University of Louisiana women's player, in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's NAIA national rankings announced Wednesday.
   
Abbes is one of five ranked singles players from Xavier. Teammate Kourtney Howell is 16th, and Brion Flowers is 27th. On the men's team, Kyle Montrel is 16th, and Nikita Soifer is 29th.
   
Howell had been the highest-ranked Gold Nugget at No. 6 last season. But Abbes, a freshman from Tunis, Tunisia, and a graduate of Lycée Sportif d'El Menzah, reached No. 4 in the March 12 rankings. Abbes is 13-0 in singles — six victories against NCAA Division I opponents — and 11-2 in doubles.
   
In the NAIA national doubles rankings, Howell and Flowers are fifth, and Montrel and Soifer are 20th.
   
In the ITA's South region singles rankings, Abbes is second, Howell ninth and Flowers 16th. Montrel is fifth among men in the South, and Soifer is 13th.

Howell and Flowers are fourth in the South in doubles, and Montrel and Soifer are seventh.
   
Howell is a senior from Cypress, Texas, and a graduate of Cypress Woods High School. Flowers is a sophomore from Lafayette, La. (St. Thomas More), Montrel is a sophomore from Atlanta (Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy), and Soifer is a junior from Beer Sheva, Israel (Hof Hasharon).
   
The Gold Nuggets' next dual will be April 25 in the NAIA Unaffiliated Group 2 Tournament in New Orleans. Pairings and times will be announced next week. The Gold Rush will play the University of New Orleans at 3 p.m. Thursday at XU Tennis Center. Day and venue of that dual were moved.


Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
https://twitter.com/xulagold
https://www.facebook.com/xulagold 

Anderson tabbed as Mississippi Valley wide receivers coach

ITTA BENA, Mississippi -- Mississippi Valley State University head football coach Rick Comegy has added another member to his coaching staff. Sean Anderson has been hired as wide receivers coach and has already begun his new duties.

Anderson spent one season as Offensive Coordinator at Benedict College in South Carolina. While at Benedict, he took the offense to a fourth place finish in the conference in passing and had two wide receivers finish in the top 10 in receiving.

Anderson brings more than 10 years of coaching experience to MVSU. He previously served as wide receivers coach at Campbellsville University for one season. While at Campbellsville, he coached a pair of All-Conference wide receivers. One of his receivers set the school record for longest touchdown catch. He also coached a kickoff returner who became the fourth player in school history to collect more than 500 return yards in a season and 1,000 return yards in a career.

Prior to Campbellsville, Anderson coached one year at Northwestern State University in Louisiana, where he coached wide receivers. He coached a wide receiver who amassed 908 yards of total offense and is a record holder in kickoff return yardage.

Anderson spent four years at Lincoln University in Missouri, where he served as passing game coordinator, producing four all-conference players. During his tenure, he coached a receiver to more than 900 yards of total offense in three of his five seasons as a full-time coach. While at Lincoln, Anderson coached eight All-Conference academic performers as well as four All-Conference student-athletes. In 2007, Anderson coached a wide receiver who amassed 969 yards of total offense. In 2008, he coached a wide receiver who reached 1,057 of total yards of offense.

Anderson coached for three seasons at Jackson State University. While at JSU, he served as tight end, wide receiver, offensive line and quarterback coach. In 2006, JSU's scoring offense ranked 19th in the nation and first in the SWAC.  He coached former JSU standouts, Chris Jones, Cletis Gordon and Jaymar Johnson, whom all played in the NFL.

A native of St. Louis, Anderson earned his mass communications degree from William Jewell College in 2004 after transferring from Central Missouri State University following the 2000 season. While at William Jewell, he was a two-sport athlete, starting three years at wide receiver and lettering two years in track and field.

He has a son, Keelin, and he is a proud member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.    

COURTESY MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

FAMU Rattler Tennis Teams Prepare For MEAC Tournament

NORFOLK, Virginia (April 14)  –  On Monday afternoon, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) announced the seedings for the 2014 Men’s and Women’s Tennis Championships, set for Thursday through Saturday, April 17-19 at the Cayce Tennis and Fitness Center in Cayce, South Carolina. 

Both Florida A&M University teams made the tournament field from the Southern Division, and both will be seeded third in the championship event. 

The FAMU Men (9-13, 2-2 in MEAC) will face Northern No. 2 seed Hampton University, in Thursday’s opening round. 

Dr. Carl Goodman’s Rattler Men struggled some this season with a roster full of first-year players, led by the trio of Carols Agus Waitman (13-6), Admire Mushonga (12-8) and Zach Evenden (10-9), who turned in the top records in singles’ play this spring. 

Meanwhile, the FAMU Women (6-13, 4-2 in MEAC), who will square off against Northern No. 2 Morgan State in Thursday’s opening round, also had their ups and downs this season, with one of the highlights being a four-match win streak at midseason which aided their Top Four divisional finish. 

Coach Nikki Goldthreate’s squad was paced by Arrice Robinson (8-4) and Dominique Henry (9-8) in singles, with Henry and Alexis Dean (8-6), along with Robinson and Shantal Blackwood (9-8) turning in the top doubles’ performances of the spring.
 

COURTESY MEACSPORTS.COM

THE MEAC TOURNAMENT OVERALL

Morgan State men’s and Howard women’s teams earned the top seeds in the Northern Division, while the South Carolina State men’s and Bethune-Cookman women’s teams finished atop of the Southern Division.

On the women’s side, Howard (12-4) tallied a 5-0 unblemished mark in MEAC northern divisional play to claim the title. The Lady Bison enter the tournament as the number one seed, having won 11 out of its last 12 matches, including five straight in conference play.

Rounding out the north is Morgan State (N2), Delaware State (N3), and Hampton (N4), respectively.

Bethune-Cookman swept divisional play (6-0) and ended its regular season with an 18-9 overall record. The Lady Wildcats will face Hampton, the number four seed, on Thursday beginning at 8:30 a.m.

South Carolina State (S2) earned the number two seed, followed by Florida A&M (S3) and North Carolina Central (S4). 

On the men’s side, Morgan State (4-11) picked up its third straight men’s divisional title with a 4-0 conference mark. Bethune-Cookman, earned the number four seed in the south, and will face the Bears on Thursday, beginning at Noon. 

Hampton (N2), Coppin State (N3) and Howard (N4) wrap up the men’s northern division. 

South Carolina State completed the conference schedule with a perfect 4-0 mark and will meet Howard on Friday, beginning at Noon. The Bulldogs, the defending MEAC tournament champions, finished the regular season with a 9-7 overall record. 

Norfolk State (S2), Florida A&M (S3) and Bethune-Cookman (S4) secured the remaining spots in the southern division. 

Only the top four teams in each division compete in the championship tournament. Coppin State, Maryland Eastern Shore, Norfolk State, North Carolina A&T and Savannah State’s women’s teams were eliminated from tournament play as a result of their conference finish. Maryland Eastern Shore and North Carolina Central’s men’s teams were also eliminated. 

The 2014 MEAC Men's and Women's Tennis Championship begins with women's play on Thursday, April 17 at 8:30 a.m., while the men begin action at 12 Noon.

The women's semi-final rounds start on Friday at 8:30 a.m. followed by the men at Noon.

The Championship concludes on Saturday with the women's final beginning at 9 a.m. followed by the men's title match at Noon. The championship is free and open to the public.

Portions of this article appear courtesy of MEACSports.com
COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Southern keeps working after NCAA leaves

University preparing more paperwork

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  --  The NCAA’s visit to Southern ended Tuesday afternoon, but the university’s marathon collection and submission of data continued into the night.

Two NCAA representatives spent Monday and Tuesday on campus meeting with university officials, examining documents and evaluating changes Southern has made to how it monitors student-athletes’ academic progress and records, and submits that information to the NCAA.

The discovery of “unusable data” pertaining to student-athletes’ Academic Progress Rates that had been submitted in recent years led to the NCAA instituting a postseason ban on all Jaguars athletic programs last year.

The two-day visit was the latest attempt by Southern to demonstrate sufficient improvement in its preparation to get the ban lifted.

Athletic Director William Broussard said Tuesday night that he felt the NCAA was impressed with “the culture change on campus” in terms of the implementation of new staff and task forces to support student-athletes.

CONTINUE READING

TSU's Miller to Take Part in PIT

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  --  Tennessee State guard Patrick Miller was selected to take part in the 2014 Portsmouth Invitational Tournament (P.I.T.) on April 16-19.

Miller led the OVC in scoring, averaging 23.7 points per game and 26.1 in OVC contests; that ranked him fourth nationally while he also ranked sixth in the nation in minutes played at 37:44 per game.
 

The Chicago native scored 20-plus points 22 times and had 30 or more points in six games. He scored a career-high 38 points in the next-to-last game of the season at Morehead State, a contest that saw him hit the game-winning 3-pointer with two second remaining.

 

Each year for 60 years the P.I.T has invited 64 of the best college basketball players (seniors) from across the nation to participate in a four-day, twelve game tournament in front of representatives from every NBA team.

 

The P.I.T. has always claimed to be “more than a basketball tournament”.  Each year the P.I.T. contributes back to the community by awarding five $4,000 scholarships to student athletes from Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk and Virginia Beach.  In addition to the scholarships, approximately $11,500 from the tournament proceeds is presented to local non-profit organizations and charities to help them make a difference in the local community, creating a grand total of over $31,500 given back the community each year.

 

Miller’s assigned squad is Cherry Bekaert and the team’s first contest will be April 17 at 9 p.m. ET against Portsmouth Partnership.

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Jackson leans on Jackson State QBs to lead

JACKSON, Mississippi -- Earlier this week, the Jackson State coaches held exit meetings with players.

The crux of the message they wanted to get across was the importance of studying the playbook, coach Harold Jackson said.

“We threw a lot at them,” Jackson said. “Now they (have) got a mix of what’s really happening, what’s really going on. All they (have) got to do is go and study and put it all together.”

JSU concluded the spring with the Blue and White game on Saturday, but the new coaches felt the 14-day, two-hour practices weren’t enough for the players to ...

CONTINUE READING

Florida A&M Student Garners National Boxing Title, Featured in Sports Illustrated

Photo: A sneak peek of Willie Ferrell's feature in the April 14 edition
of Sports Illustrated.  
Image courtesy: Sports Illustrated.

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  -- Florida A&M University (FAMU) is the home of the 2014 U.S. Intercollegiate Boxing Association’s heavyweight champion.

FAMU student Willie Ferrell not only took home the championship belt earlier this month, but also defended his title as the 2013 heavyweight champion.

Ferrell’s journey to triumph in the boxing ring is depicted in the April 14 issue of Sports Illustrated, which is available now on newsstands and online.

The multi-page feature in Sports Illustrated also stories Ferrell’s extraordinary relationship with his late brother Jonathan, a former Rattler football player, whose controversial 2013 death has been attributed to alleged racial profiling.

Ferrell’s inspiring story of how his brother, even in death, encouraged him to defend his title is also told in an upcoming issue of FAMU’s A&M magazine.

“I was proud to represent my brother. I was proud that I was able to show the world what FAMU has to offer,” said Ferrell about what it felt like to be handed the championship belt once again.

COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY MEDIA RELATIONS

Five Former Florida A&M University Presidents Issue Statement in Opposition to Split of FAMU-FSU College of Engineering

Joint Statement From Five Former FAMU Presidents

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  --  As former leaders of Florida A&M University, we oppose the move to decouple the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering and consider this a sudden and unplanned act, void of discussion and input from the current leadership of the two universities, the university Boards of Trustees and the Florida Board of Governors. This action sends the wrong message to the citizens of Florida, and other interested parties, about how the Legislature and academic institutions should interact.

The FAMU-FSU College of Engineering is a strong program that represents a successful collaboration for the State of Florida between two research institutions with elements of their student populations woefully underrepresented in engineering disciplines. Through this long-term collaborative effort, the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering has received high praise for addressing this nationwide dilemma.

A second program in Tallahassee would compromise the integrity of what is already a very successful venture. Furthermore, one can only look to our sister university, Florida Polytechnic University, to see how expensive it is to support a stand-alone engineering program in today's economy. In fact, a major focus of the Florida Board of Governors over the past few years has been a concerted effort to reduce duplication of academic programs throughout the State University System.

Proposing such a drastic change without any obvious consideration or discussion of the above factors is surprising and not in the best interest of our State University System or the citizens of Florida. As an alternative, we request that the Legislature provide additional support to our existing program, which has produced successful graduates for both Florida A&M University and Florida State University since 1982.

With all due respect to the power and authority of the Legislature to appropriate funding, we respectfully request engagement in a collaborative process to include both academic institutions and our governing bodies to determine how such funding will be used to build on our past successes. We are pleased to work transparently within appropriate guidelines and authorities to create life-changing opportunities for students in Florida to pursue a quality education in engineering through the joint engineering program.

Sincerely,

/s/
Walter Smith, Ph.D. (President 1977-1985)
Frederick Humphries, Ph.D. (President 1985-2001)
Fred Gainous, Ph.D. (President 2002-2004)
James Ammons, Ph.D. (President 2007-2012)
Larry Robinson, Ph.D. (Interim President 2012-2014)


READ RELATED ARTICLES:
Letter from Mangum to Gov Scott_4.10.2014
FAMU calls for $100M for new engineering school 
Commentary: FAMU-FSU School School of Engineering, Letters to Governor Rick Scott
Chuck Hobbs: Analysis of Potential Litigation Regarding the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering
Florida Congresswoman Corrine Brown Says Separate is Inherently Unequal
Our Opinion: Attack on engineering school stinks
Joseph Webster Commentary: No black engineers, please! Just ballplayers

CIAA Baseball Honors: 2014 All-Conference Teams, Top Rookies and Players of the Year Announced

HAMPTON, Virginia  --   CIAA Baseball Player of the Year is Ray Crawford, an outfielder for Winston-Salem State University.  Crawford leads the conference in RBI (59) and has the second leading batting average (.382) in CIAA baseball.  He's scored 35 runs in 44 games and leads the conference in hits with 63.

Chowan University's Tanner Woods is the CIAA Baseball Rookie of the Year.  Woods is a third baseman for the Hawks.  He ranks second in the conference in doubles (14) sporting a .306 batting average in 40 games.

The All-Conference and Rookie Teams will be honored at the 2014 CIAA Spring Sports Awards Ceremony on Wednesday, April 16 at 6:00pm on the campus of Virginia State University.

All-CIAA Baseball First Team
# | NAME | SCHOOL | CLASS | HT | HOMETOWN
Right Handed Pitcher: #14 | Colton Gunn | VSU | SO. | 6'3 | Dinwiddie, VA
Left Handed Pitcher: #15 | Byran Rivera | SAU | Jr. | 6'1 | Puerto Rico
Catcher: #1 | David Markins | VSU | FR. | 5'11 | Colonial Heights, VA
Designated Hitter: #25 | Ryan Moore | CU | Sr. | 6'2 | Chester, VA
Utility: #2 | Tyler Burden | CU | So. | 6'0 | Aulander, NC
First Base: #26 | William Thomas | SAU | SO. | 5'11 | Yorktown, VA
Second Base: #14 | Rafael Gonzalez | WSSU | SR. | 5'10 | Caracas, VZ
Third Base: #11 | Joshua Markins | VSU | JR. | 6'0 | Colonial Heights, VA
Short Stop: #23 | Nicholas Christopher | VSU | JR. | 6'1 | Dinwiddie, VA
Outfield:
#23 | Ray Crawford | WSSU | JR. | 6'0 | Greensboro, NC
#8 | Leland Clemmons | WSSU | JR. | 5'9 | Chesapeake, VA
#1 | Gavin Culler | WSSU | FR | 5'9 | Clemmons, NC

Player of the Year:
#23 | Ray Crawford | WSSU | JR. | 6'0 | Greensboro, NC
The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association, in conjunction with the CIAA Baseball Coaches Association, announces its selections for the 2014 All-Conference Teams, All-Rookie Team and Players of the Year.

All-CIAA Baseball Second Team
Right Handed Pitcher: #12 | Scott Wells | WSSU | SR. | 6'0 | Kernersville, NC
Left Handed Pitcher: #34 | Wes Helsabeck | WSSU | JR. | 6'0 | Rural Hall, NC
Catcher: #30 | Connor Andrus | WSSU | Jr. | 5'10 | Winston-Salem, NC
Designated Hitter: #2 | Darien Hardaway | SAU | SR. | 6'2 | Atlanta, GA
Utility: #9 | Anthony Nutall | WSSU | Sr. | 5'7 | Kankakee, IL
First Base: #24 | John Hunter | CU | Sr.  | 6'1 | Hertford, NC
Second Base: #4 | Calvin Butcher | SAU | SR. | 5'9 | Dewey Beach, DE
Third Base: #6 | Tanner Woods |  | Fr. | 6'0 | Newport News, VA
Short Stop: #4 | Colby Wiggins | CU | Sr. | 5'10 | Gloucester, VA
Outfield:
#7 | Jason Baytop | SAU | SO. | 6'0 | Manchester, MD
#5 | Jamie Scott | SAU | SR. | 5'10 | Hampton, VA
#23 | Clarence Peace | SAU | SR. | 6'0 | Creedmoor, NC

Baseball All-Rookie Team
# | NAME | SCHOOL | CLASS | HT | HOMETOWN
Right Handed Pitcher: #10 | Stephen Hux | CU | FR. | 6'2 | Hampton, VA
Catcher: #3 | Matt Wisniewski | CU | FR. | 5'9 | Williamston, NC
Utility: #4 | Ronald Lashley | LU | FR. | 5'4 | Brooklyn, NY
First Base: #32 | Kyle Cross | CU | FR. | 6'3 | Grimesland, NC
Third Base: #6 | Tanner Woods | CU | FR. | 6'0 | Newport News, VA
Short Stop: #9 | DeVante Parker | LU | FR. | 5'9 | Bear, DE
Outfield:
#1 | Gavin Culler | WSSU | FR. | 5'9 | Clemmons, NC
#22 | Latuan Boggerty | LU | FR. | 5'10 | Dover, DE

Rookie of the Year:
#6 | Tanner Woods | CU | FR. | 6'0 | Newport News, VA

COURTESY THECIAA.COM

Delaware State Names Keith Walker as Hornets' Head Men's Basketball Coach

DOVER, Delaware  -- DSU President Harry L. Williams today announced the hiring of Keith Walker – who served as the interim Delaware State men’s head coach for the last third of the 2013-2014 season – as the permanent Hornet men’s head basketball coach.

In announcing the head coaching appointment, Dr. Williams said that Walker made a strong case for himself by the way he took over the leadership of the team and energized the players as interim coach.

“Coach Walker did everything we asked of him when he agreed to be the interim head coach in last month of the past season,” Dr. Williams said. “He stabilized the team, resulting in a more competitive unit on the court and a higher winning percentage.”

The DSU president commended the search committee, noting that it ultimately came up with a group of strong finalists for the post. “The fact that Walker emerged from this tough search process as the head coach selection reflects well on his most recent interim performance as well as on his long-time dedicated service as assistant coach,” Dr. Williams added.



DSU Director of Athletics Candy Young said the team’s performance under his interim leadership has led to the conclusion that he can move the men’s basketball program in the right direction. “The players responded positively to his coaching during his interim tenure and we believe that trend will continue and result in greater success for the Hornet men’s basketball program with Walker at the helm,” she said.

Walker said that he is “very appreciative” of the head coaching opportunity. “I look forward to getting this men’s basketball program back to the championship level where it used to be,” the new head coach said.

Walker, a DSU men’s basketball assistant coach since July 2000, was appointed as interim Hornet head coach on Jan. 30, 2014. In the subsequent 11 games, Walker led the Hornets to a 5-6 overall record and 5-5 mark in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. Prior to the appointment, the team was 4-15 overall and 0-6 in the conference. During Walker’s interim tenure, Delaware State posted a season-high three-game win streak and later achieved an upset victory over the 2014 MEAC Tournament runner-up Morgan State.  

As an assistant coach, Walker worked primarily with the DSU forwards and centers. During the 2013-14 season, Walker’s work with 3^rd-year player Kendall Gray was instrumental in the Hornet center’s team record of 81 blocks that year and being named on the All-MEAC Second Team.

Walker’s defensive coaching was also validated during the 2011-12 season when the Hornets had a school-record 192 blocks, leading the MEAC in that category.

Walker was a part of the coaching staff that helped lead the Hornets to three consecutive MEAC regular season titles from 2004-2007, during which the Hornets posted a league record of 46-8 (.850). The Hornets appeared in three consecutive MEAC Tournament championship games, capturing the title and accompanying NCAA Tournament berth in 2005. The following year, Delaware State defeated Northern Arizona on the road in the National Invitation Tournament for the team's only national post-season win.

Prior to his arrival at DSU, Walker served as head coach at Division II Shaw University in Raleigh, N.C., from 1993 to 2000. He posted a 91-102 overall record at Shaw, including a 21-9 mark and the school’s first-ever NCAA Tournament berth during the 1994-95 season.

Before entering the coaching ranks, he enjoyed a playing career of seven years with various European and U.S. professional basketball leagues, including a brief stint with the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers during the 1985-86 season.

As a three-year collegiate player at Clemson, he helped lead the Tigers to a 23-9 overall record and an Elite Eight appearance in the 1980 NCAA Tournament.

Walker has a 1981 Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Clemson and a 1991 master’s degree in Student Personnel Services from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

The newly appointed head coach and wife Kim have three children – Dockery, Zachary and Sawyer. Dockery is a member of the Brown University men’s basketball team.

COURTESY DELAWARE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Xavier Nuggets, still 2nd in NAIA, win 6-3 vs. Southern

NEW ORLEANS -- Brion Flowers and Nour Abbes won in doubles and singles Tuesday to help Xavier University of Louisiana's women defeat Southern University 6-3 at XU Tennis Center.

Also Tuesday, the Gold Nuggets (13-6) remained second in the new NAIA coaches poll. It's the third consecutive poll that Xavier is No. 2.

Flowers teamed with Kourtney Howell for an 8-3 doubles victory against Laura Syori and Kendall Bunch. Flowers clinched the dual with a 6-1, 6-3 victory against Bunch at No. 3 singles.

Abbes and Simone-Alyse Ewell won 8-1 against Morgan Taylor and Camara Bunch. Abbes dropped her first three games against Syori at the top singles flight before winning 7-5, 6-0.

Abbes is 13-0 for the season in singles -- 6-0 against NCAA Division I opponents -- and 11-2 in doubles. Ewell has won 14 straight in doubles and is 16-3 this season.

Southern (7-8) had five available players and defaulted at No. 3 doubles and No. 6 singles. The Lady Jaguars got their points from Darnesha Moore in a 6-1, 6-3 decision against Kourtney Howell, Taylor in a 3-6, 6-4, 1-0 (10-4) decision against Brandi Nelson and Davis in a 6-2, 7-5 decision against Amber Brown. Davis snapped Brown's seven-match win streak in singles.

Xavier has won 10 of its last 12 duals and defeated an NCAA Division I opponent for the second time in three days. Xavier had lost to Southern each of the previous four years and defeated the Lady Jaguars for the first time since Feb. 7, 2009.

It was the final regular-season dual for both teams. Next week Xavier will play host to an NAIA unaffiliated group tournament, and Southern will return to New Orleans for the SWAC Tournament. The Nuggets will compete next on April 25.

The NAIA women's top 25:

1. Georgia Gwinnett
2. Xavier
3. Lindsey Wilson
4. Auburn Montgomery
5. Embry-Riddle (Fla.)
6. Brenau
7. SCAD Savannah
8. Vanguard
9. Northwood (Fla.)
10. Oklahoma Baptist
11. Westmont
12. Graceland
13. Coastal Georgia
14. Concordia (Calif.)
15. Milligan
16. Lewis-Clark State
17. Davenport
18. Indiana Wesleyan
19. Cardinal Stritch
20. Northwestern Ohio
21. Campbellsville
22. Marian (Ind.)
23. Olivet Nazarene
24. St. Thomas (Fla.)
25. Warner

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
https://twitter.com/xulagold
https://www.facebook.com/xulagold 

Gold Rush remain at No.10 in NAIA coaches poll

NEW ORLEANS -- Xavier University of Louisiana held on to its No. 10 position Tuesday in the NAIA Men's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll.

The Gold Rush (8-9) have been in the top 10 for 26 consecutive polls -- a streak which began nearly three years ago -- and in 29 of the last 30 polls.

Xavier was 2-0 since the previous poll, winning 8-1 at home against No. 13 William Carey on Saturday and 5-2 at NCAA Division I's Jackson State on Sunday.

Defending champion Embry-Riddle (Fla.) received 9-of-13 first-place votes and remained No. 1 for the sixth time in as many polls this season. There are no newcomers in this week's top 25.

Xavier will be one of three ranked men's teams in next week's NAIA unaffiliated group tournament in New Orleans. Joining the Rush will be No. 3 Georgia Gwinnett and No. 25 Oklahoma Baptist. Matches will be played at XU Tennis Center the University of New Orleans. Tournament winner will receive at automatic berth in next month's NAIA National Championship at Mobile, Ala.

The next team rankings will be announced April 29.

The top 25:

1. Embry-Riddle (Fla.)
2. Auburn Montgomery
3. Georgia Gwinnett
4. Vanguard
5. Westmont
6. Cumberland
7. Lindsey Wilson
8. Belhaven
9. Aquinas
10. Xavier
11. Bethany
12. Concordia (Calif.)
13. William Carey
14. Graceland
15. Coastal Georgia
16. Warner
17. Northwestern Ohio
18. Bethel (Tenn.)
19. Davenport
20. Lewis-Clark State
21. Pikeville
22. (tie) Olivet Nazarene
22. (tie) Webber International
24. Northwood (Fla.)
25. Oklahoma Baptist

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
https://twitter.com/xulagold
https://www.facebook.com/xulagold 

Brewbaker Tech G Steven Rogers follows father's footsteps, commits to Alabama State

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- Brewbaker Tech's Steven Rogers could have gone away to school. The 6-foot-1, 165-pound guard had scholarship offers from Savannah State, Clark-Atlanta and Arkansas-Monticello.

But instead, he chose to stay close to his family, literally, announcing his commitment to Alabama State, where his father is an assistant under head coach Lewis Jackson, today.



"I've always looked up to my dad and saw all the great things he did at Alabama State as a player and as a coach," said Rogers of his father, Steven Rogers, Sr. , a former two-time SWAC Player of the Year. "I'd like to play under him and coach Jackson and I think it's a good fit for me. I think I have a chance to be successful and that's really all it came down to."

The younger Rogers certainly had success as a senior, averaging 32.1 points per game, 4.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists while leading his team to an appearance in the AHSAA South Regional tournament in Dothan. He was a first-team selection to the Alabama Sports Writers Association all-state squad and is a ...

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Florida A&M Rattlers' offense picks up steam

COURTESY FAMU ATHLETICS



TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Earl Holmes came away from FAMU’s first spring scrimmage feeling that the Rattlers are showing early signs of an offensive identity.

He caught glimpses as running back Keith Stalling pretty much had his way against the defense Saturday morning.

“That’s who we are,” Holmes said afterward. “We’ve got to be able to run the ball. We can’t be one-dimensional. When people have to put eight or nine guys in the box, then the passing game opens up. We are going to run it and continue to run it until they stop the run.”

For the most part, the passing game was on target, too. Receivers caught two touchdown passes from quarterback Carson Royal, who was the most effective of the three who are competing this spring while starter Damien Fleming recovers from foot surgery.

During a break in the 90-minute scrimmage, offensive coordinator ...

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Tennessee State Narrows Basketball Coach Finalists to Six

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- Former Whites Creek and Belmont basketball standout Brian “Penny” Collins, now the coach at Columbia State, is among six finalists for the Tennessee State men’s coaching vacancy, according to a source.

Collins interviewed on Monday for the position, which came open March 11 when Travis Williams was fired after leading the Tigers to a 5-25 record in his only season.

The other finalists are North Carolina State assistant Rob Moxley, Illinois State associate head coach Dana Ford, Georgia assistant Stacey Palmore, West Virginia associate head coach Larry Harrison and former District of Columbia coach Julius Smith.

“I’m just excited and glad to even be considered for the head coaching position at Tennessee State,” Collins said. “I thought the interview went well and now it’s in the (search) committee and (athletics director) Teresa Phillips’ hands.”

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Alabama A&M coach James Spady wants to see more consistency as spring continues

NORMAL, Alabama -- Alabama A&M's offense has shown some of the same inconsistency play that plagued it throughout and rough and tumble 2013 campaign, during which the Bulldogs went 4-8 in its final season under former coach Anthony Jones, this spring.

"I see a bunch of mixed messages right now," AAMU coach James Spady said, following the team's first scrimmage of the spring this past Saturday. "On minute, we break off a 35, 40-yard-run and the next play we get tackled for a 5-yard loss. One minute, our defense is getting up the field and penetrating. The next minute they get pushed around. So, we're inconsistent right now. We gotta make sure we do all the little things right all the time."

Spady, a former tight ends coach at Nevada, took over the reigns in Normal back in late December, taking over for Jones, who had guided the program for more than a decade.

The first-time head coach will have his debut when the Bulldogs take on ...

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Byron Dobson: Mangum speaks frankly with students about FAMU-FSU College of Engineering proposal

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- One of the disruptions playing out behind the scenes of the high-stakes political gamble to dissolve the joint FAMU-FSU College of Engineering is the impact it’s having on current students.

This was evident during a forum last week at the college, where about 100 people, including students, faculty and the curious, showed up to hear Florida A&M President Elmira Mangum’s responses to the pending legislation. It came on the heels of late-night sessions of FAMU engineering students and a previous town-hall forum at Lee Hall, where emotions ran high.

It says something about Mangum’s interest in hearing from students that she would commit more than an hour of her afternoon to addressing their concerns. Two questions quickly surfaced: Why now? And how could this happen without any perceived input from FAMUMangum talked straight and deliberately with the students, who have been developing strategies to get the message across that they oppose a move to split up the joint FAMU-FSU College of Engineering. What they want most are answers and an explanation.

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Lincoln University Introduces John Moseley As Next Men's Basketball Coach

MOSELEY LEAVES NCCU MEN'S BASKETBALL FOR FIRST COLLEGE HEAD COACHING JOB.


Dr. Kevin D. Rome, president of Lincoln University, introduces new head men's basketball coach John Moseley at a press conference on April 14, 2014.

JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri --John Moseley has been named as the next head men's basketball coach at Lincoln University.

A press conference was held by Lincoln University president Dr. Kevin Rome and athletic director Betty Kemna on Monday (April 14) to announce the hiring.

"We're committed to building a winning program, like we used to have, but theoseley past doesn't matter if you're not winning now," Dr. Rome said. "With that said, we're excited to bring someone here who we think can do that for basketball. We believe John is the coach who can take us to the next level."

Moseley joins Lincoln after spending the past four years at North Carolina Central University, including the last three as the team's associate head coach. Working with head coach LeVelle Moton, Moseley helped lead the Eagles to a 28-6 record, tying the program record for wins in a season, and both the regular season and tournament Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championships. NCCU earned a No. 14 seed in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship, where the Eagles fell in the second round to No. 3 Iowa State.

"I'd like to thank Dr. Rome and his staff, Betty Kemna and her staff and the search committee for this opportunity," Moseley said. "Everything was professional, and I'm excited that I was selected to lead this program."

During Moseley's time at North Carolina Central, the Eagles increased their win total all four years, going from 15 victories in 2010-11 to 17 in 2011-12 to 22 in 2012-13. In each of the past two seasons, NCCU went 15-1 in MEAC play, and in 2013-14, was a perfect 14-0 at home. Moseley was the position coach for two players who went on to earn All-MEAC honors, including a first team and a second team selection.

In addition to the Eagles' success on the court, Moseley helped his players succeed in the classroom, as NCCU earned its highest APR in program history this past year, with the team posting a GPA of 2.85 during the fall of 2012.


New Lincoln University men's basketball coach John Moseley introduces himself at a press conference on April 14, 2014.

Moseley brings 10 years of NCAA Division I experience with him to Lincoln. A 1998 graduate of East Carolina University, Moseley returned to his alma mater in 2008 to serve as the program's Director of Basketball Operations. In 2009, Moseley was promoted to assistant basketball coach, serving as the recruiting organizers. In both of his years with the Pirates, ECU posted double digit wins.

Prior to coaching at East Carolina, Moseley was an assistant coach at Winston-Salem State University in 2007-08, where helped lead the team to its most Division I victories in program history. Before that, Moseley made a one-year stop at Wright State University, working as an administrative assistant on a Raiders team that won Horizon League regular season and tournament championships.

Moseley's teams have enjoyed success at every one of his stops, and he has proven he can win at multiple levels of competition. Moseley was the head basketball coach at Warren County High in Warrenton, N.C. from 2004-06, leading the program to its first state championship in 23 years.

"I'm intrigued by the opportunity to coach in the MIAA, one of the premiere Division II athletic conferences," Moseley said. "I've had a chance to talk to some of the current [Lincoln] players, and they're ready to play. I expect our team to be tough, competitive and relentless. We are the Blue Tigers, and we will be a collar team."

This will be the first head coaching job at the collegiate level for Moseley, who has a bachelor's degree in science, exercise and sport science as well as a master's degree in education and athletic administration. Moseley and his wife, Crystal, have a daughter, Jillian.


John Moseley, the new head men's basketball coach at Lincoln University, answers some questions during his introductory press conference.

Dan Carr, Assistant AD for Media Relations
COURTESY LINCOLN UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

Roman Banks puts Texas A&M on hold for NCAA

HEAD COACH ROMAN BANKS
COURTESY SOUTHERN UNIVERISTY ATHLETICS

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  -- Southern men’s basketball coach Roman Banks has put his dialogue with Texas A&M on the back burner for a few days.

Aggies head coach Billy Kennedy spoke with Banks twice last week about possibly joining Kennedy’s staff as the top assistant. But Banks said a two-day visit to Southern from NCAA officials that began Monday has taken priority.

Banks was among approximately two dozen Jaguars officials who were standing by in case the NCAA wanted to visit with them as it the university’s process for reporting student-athletes’ academic progress.

Once the NCAA visit is complete, Banks plans to visit with Southern Athletic Director William Broussard and Chancellor James Llorens before resuming talks with Kennedy, with whom Banks worked for two seasons as Southeastern Louisiana.

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GCAC weekly honors for XU's Mandlekar, Rolland, Abbes

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's Tushar Mandlekar picked up his first Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Week award, and XU's Devinn Rolland and Nour Abbes added to their record-setting totals Monday.
   
The awards honor performances from April 7-13.

Devinn Rolland

Nour Abbes

Tushar Mandlekar

Mandlekar, a freshman from Bhilai, India, and a graduate of Deepak Nagar school, had his best week of the spring semester. He was 2-0 in singles and 2-0 in doubles in Gold Rush victories on consecutive days against NAIA No. 13 William Carey and NCAA Division I's Jackson State. For the year, Mandlekar is 11-13 in singles and 13-5 in doubles.
   
Mandlekar is one of six Gold Rush tennis players this season to win GCAC Player of the Week.
   
Rolland, a junior from Harvey, La., and a graduate of Cabrini High School in New Orleans, was named GCAC Track Performer of the Week for the second time this season and the Field Performer of the Week for the third time. Rolland became a three-time GCAC champion in the 100- and 200-meter dashes and the long jump on Saturday at the conference meet at Tad Gormley Stadium, and she had a personal-best of 11.66 seconds in the 100 which ranks second on the NAIA outdoor list this season. She ran the second segment in Xavier's runner-up finish in the 400 relay.
   
Rolland helped Xavier repeat as GCAC outdoor women's team champion. She increased her GCAC career-record totals for weekly awards to five in track and nine in field.
   
Setting a GCAC women's tennis season record with five weekly awards was Abbes, who won in doubles and singles Sunday in the Gold Nuggets' victory at Jackson State. Abbes, a freshman from Tunis, Tunisia, and a graduate of Lycée Sportif d'El Menzah, became the first Gold Nugget in 10 years to win 6-0, 6-0 at No. 1 singles against an NCAA Division I opponent. She accomplished that in a victory against Angela Condorelli.
   
Abbes is 12-0 in singles, 10-2 in doubles and ranked fourth among NAIA singles players by the ITA. New individual rankings are expected to be announced Wednesday.


Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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Hopson has Alcorn State dreaming big in Year 3 of his tenure

HEAD COACH JAY HOPSON
COURTESY ALCORN STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

LORMAN, Mississippi  – Getting to Alcorn State’s second practice field requires a steep climb.

And for three hours, coach Jay Hopson dashed up and down that hill, switching between offensive and defensive drills.

Players kept pace with their high-motored coach, whose purple shirt was soaked in sweat.

“These are Jay Hopson practices,” an assistant coach said watching from the sideline.

In fact, since Hopson became coach at Alcorn State, he’s been doing a lot of uphill climbing.

But the Braves, who went 2-8 in the year before Hopson arrived, are now considered Southwestern Athletic Conference championship contenders.

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Scott chosen as Tuskegee new sports information director

LaMonica Scott
Tuskegee University
Sports Information Director

TUSKEGEE, Alabama  --  A new sports information director has joined Tuskegee University. LaMonica Scott, the former assistant sports information director at Grambling State University in Louisiana, is the first female to hold this post at Tuskegee.

During her time at Grambling, Scott, designed the first media guide in the softball program's history. She also renegotiated the website contract, handled game day operations and served at the helm of the statistical team. Scott managed the office operations in September 2011, after the death of her mentor and supervisor. Because of her vast knowledge, the transition was seamless.

Prior to her stint at Grambling State, Scott began her training in the field at Mississippi Valley State University. Scott's first primary sport (soccer) won its conference title, taking her to Los Angeles for the NCAA Tournament. It was here that Scott had the chance to display her tournament guide. She brings a total of almost nine years of experience in the field.

Scott graduated from Grambling State in 2011 with a Master of Science degree in sport administration and Mississippi Valley in 2008 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism.
     
COURTESY TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Stillman Defeats Morehouse, Claims Second Consecutive SIAC Men's Tennis Championship

2014 SIAC MEN'S TENNIS CHAMPIONS
STILLMAN COLLEGE TIGERS
PHOTO COURTESY: STILLMAN ATHLETICS

ATLANTA, Georgia -- The Tigers of Stillman College defeated the Maroon Tigers of Morehouse College, 5-0, to capture its second consecutive SIAC Men's Tennis Championship. Stillman's David Torres earned tournament MVP honors, while Tigers head coach William Riley was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Coach. 

The championship contest was a rematch from a March 27th contest, won by the Stillman Tigers 7-2 during the SIAC West Round-up in Memphis.  This time, the Tigers from Tuscaloosa wasted little time taking command of the match and earning their second title in as many years.

In double competition, the number one team of Jang-eun Lee and David Torres earned an 8-4 win over Kahai Hall and Phillipian Stamps.  Yonwaba Pupuma and Jose Pojasi won the number two singles match 9-7 before Fernando Garcia and Aleksandar Zobec pulled off the doubles sweep with a 8-3 win.

Singles play saw Torres win a 6-1, 6-0 match over Everette Reese and Zobec defeat Jabez Beazer 6-0, 6-2.  Torres and his doubles partner Lee were the two Stillman representatives on the all-tournament team.

The win pushed the Stillman Tigers record to 27-4.  Stillman now looks forward to playing in the NCAA South Regional during the first weekend in May.
 

MEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP: Stillman 5, Morehouse 0

Doubles Competition:

1. Jang-eun Lee / David Torres (SC) def. Kahai Hall / Phillipian Stamps (MHC) - 8-4 

2. Yonwaba Pupuma / Jose Pojasi (SC) def. Noah Terry / Everette Reese (MHC) - 9-7

3. Fernando Garcia / Aleksandar Zobec (SC) def. Chris Hawthorne / Brandon Sanders (MHC) - 8-3

Singles Competition:

1. Kahai Hall (MHC) vs. Jang-eun Lee (SC) - no result 

2. David Torres (SC) def. Everette Reese (MHC) - 6-1, 6-0

3. Aleksandar Zobec (SC) def. Jabez Beazer (MHC) - 6-0, 6-2

4. Chris Hawthorne (MHC) vs. Yonwaba Pupuma (SC) - no result

5. Noah Terry (MHC) vs. Jose Pojasi (SC) - no result

6. Brandon Sanders (MHC) vs. Edward Symmonett (SC) - no result

Men's SIAC All-Tournament team:

Singles:

1. Jang-eun Lee - Stillman College

2. David Torres - Stillman College

3. Noah Terry - Morehouse College

4. Kahai Hall - Morehouse College

5. Takudswa Muswere - Benedict College

6. Giovanni Plater - Benedict College

Doubles:

1. Jang-eun Lee & David Torres - Stillman College

2. Brandon Sanders & Chris Hawthorne - Morehouse College

3. Justin Payton & Takudswa Muswere - Benedict College

Tournament MVP: David Torres - Stillman College

Most Outstanding Coach: William Riley - Stillman College

Third Place: Benedict College

Runner-Up: Morehouse College

2014 SIAC Men's Champions: Stillman College

 

COURTESY STILLMAN COLLEGE SPORTS INFORMATION