Grambling takes newly discovered confidence to Dallas

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DALLAS, Texas -- Grambling coach Broderick Fobbs can finally get down to business now that he has his first-career win with the Tigers.

With the monkey off his back following a 40-35 victory over rival Jackson State, Fobbs takes his Tigers to Dallas on Saturday for a clash with Prairie View A&M.

“It feels great,” Fobbs said earlier this week about the win. “Anytime you can come away victorious from a football game, it’s great. You put so much time into it from January up until this point that you need a little bit of sugar and getting a little bit of a taste of how it feels helps us and gives us the confidence we need in order to continue and grow.”

Until the win over JSU, Grambling was stuck in a dire 2-23 stretch dating back to 2012. The Tigers could be on the verge of reclaiming their role in the Southwestern Athletic Conference, which can start with a 2-0 record Saturday.

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Jackson State looking at a multipurpose stadium

JACKSON, Mississippi  -- If the concept outlined in a dome feasibility study Jackson State University commissioned is to become reality, it will require public financial help.

One source is more likely than the other.

The study recommended a 35,000 seat, domed multipurpose complex on the school's campus west of downtown Jackson.

The estimated cost of construction lies between $250 million and $280 million. The dome's annual operating deficit would hover around $400,000. That's where the need for some kind of public financing would arrive.

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Stopping Anderson main focus for JSU defense

JACKSON, Mississippi  -- When linebacker Ted Terrell was a freshman playing in the SWAC title game in 2012, he faced Arkansas-Pine Bluff quarterback Ben Anderson.

Two years later, after watching film on UAPB this past week, Terrell didn't notice much change in the stud signal caller.

But there was one difference in the Lions' offense that the Tigers hope to take advantage of in Saturday's game.

"One thing I can say about him now is that he doesn't have as many choices as he did then with his receivers," Terrell said.

In 2012 championship game, Anderson spread the ball, hitting six different receivers for 225 passing yards, en route to the 24-21 victory.

The Lions (1-2, 0-1 SWAC) do return Isiah Ferguson and Willie Young from that game. But both missed much of the 2013 season because they weren't cleared. Three games into the season, both seem to be working their way back to consistency.

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Southern University football vs. Alcorn State game capsule

When/Where: Saturday at Jack Spinks Stadium in Lorman, Mississippi.

Television: The game will be shown online on ESPN3.

Radio: WYNK 97.7 FM

Coaches: Alcorn St. - Jay Hopson (third season as head coach, 16-11). Southern -- Dawson Odums (second season as head coach, was interim in 2012, 15-11).

Southern: Southern (2-2) looks to continue its good start in SWAC play after a 34-24 victory against Prairie View A&M last Saturday. Southern was able to win the turnover battle in the game and went on a 17-0 run in the second and third quarter to put the game out of reach.

The Jaguars were led by freshman quarterback Austin Howard, who before Saturday's game had been splitting time with redshirt freshman Deonte Shorts. Howard threw for 116 yards and a touchdown and added a rushing touchdown in the second quarter.

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NSU and HU get ready for MEAC openers

HAMPTON ROADS, Virginia -- Norfolk State and Hampton both open MEAC play this Saturday afternoon. The Spartans host Morgan State at 4:00 in the 67th annual Fish Bowl Classic.

Coach Pete Adrian’s team is coming off of an 0-4 non-conference start to the season. NSU lost to Maine, Liberty, William and Mary and Buffalo, but those games don’t mean much now that it’s MEAC games from here on out.

Saturday’s opponent, Morgan State, has averaged 30 points per game this season and has won two games in a row, including a 38-35 conference win over Howard.

“Morgan is one of the top rushing teams in the country,” said Pete Adrian. “They rush about 370 yards rushing a game and that’s outstanding which is 7th in the country and they are 50% on third down conversions, so we will have to try to keep them off the field as much as possible.”

Hampton opens its MEAC slate Saturday at 2:00 against South Carolina State. The Pirates picked up their first win of the season this past weekend, beating division 2 Miles College.



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Former NFL player Ricardo Silva (Hampton University) now teaches high school

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WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Similarities between NFL players and high school teachers might not seem numerous. However Ricardo Silva, who formerly played for the Detroit Lions and the Carolina Panthers, recently began a new job teaching geometry.

According to the Detroit Lions, Silva joined the Lions from 2011 to 2012 after graduating first team All-MEAC at Hampton University. Later, the football star became a free agent who played briefly for the Panthers in 2013.

Silva’s athletic career could have continued. Jobs playing football in Canada or coaching at a college were offered to him, The Washington Post reports.

Surprisingly, those alluring offers were turned down by Silva. Instead, he joined Teach for America, which is a corps of teachers striving to impact and improve the education of all children especially those in poverty. He is teaching 10th grade geometry at Ballou High School in Washington, D.C.

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Regular MEAC tourneys to stay at Scope through 2018

NORFOLK, Virginia  -- Norfolk State's trip to the MEAC basketball tournament will continue to be short, and the city's mayor couldn't be happier about it.

The league's men's and women's tournaments will remain at Scope for an additional three years, keeping the event in the city through 2018, MEAC commissioner Dennis Thomas announced Thursday.

Thomas made the announcement in an outdoor ceremony attended by many MEAC coaches and city officials in the shadow of the USS Wisconsin at Nauticus.

Mayor Paul Fraim, who spoke at the ceremony, said retaining the event was a financial coup for the city.

"It's substantial," Fraim said.

"There are thousands of visitors who come and enjoy Norfolk and everything that we have to offer as well as attending the tournament."

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TSU to Host FAMU For Homecoming, Saturday

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NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- On Saturday, the Tennessee State football team will host Florida A&M for homecoming at LP Field at 6 p.m.

Scouting TSU
The Tigers are on a two-game winning streak after defeating Tennessee Tech, 10-7, last weekend. TSU held the Golden Eagles to just 150 yards of total offense and five of TTU’s 16 series were three-and-outs.

Scouting FAMU
For Florida A&M, the Rattlers enter today’s game at 0-3, having just lost to Coastal Carolina, 48-3. FAMU fell behind early to the Chanticleers and its passing game could not get the squad back into the ballgame as Rattler quarterbacks completed 14-of-30 passes for only 116 yards.

Three Keys to the Game

Hit a Homerun on Offense
The Tennessee State offense did not find the end zone once last Saturday and averaged just three yards per play against the Golden Eagles. Those numbers would have looked a lot better if the Tigers could have found a little more room to make a big play. TSU had only one play of over 20 yards on Saturday, a Stephen Hopkins run in the fourth quarter. The Big Blue offense also had one drive of over 35 yards and six three-and-outs. Perhaps longer passes or trick plays could help the Tigers generate more production against Florida A&M.

Shutdown the Run
FAMU boats a pair of talented backs that are averaging over four yards per carry in Gerald Hearns and Tysean Holloway. Last week against the now No. 3 Chanticleers of Coastal Carolina, Hearns totaled 101 yards and Holloway averaged 8.1 yards per rush and was not taken down in the backfield once. This season, the Tigers’ rush defense is ranked seventh in the nation and first in the OVC in terms of yards per game (79.5). That trend must continue this weekend to keep the Rattler offense off of the field.

Avoid Penalties
Big Blue has committed 36 penalties through the first four games of the season, a number that is tied eighth most in the FCS. FAMU meanwhile, has only been flagged 18 times, ranking the Rattlers 32nd out of 121 teams in fewest penalties. For an offense that has scored three points in the last six quarters, TSU starting a drive first-and-long is not ideal. Big Blue must cut down on mental mistakes to maximize its opportunities this Saturday.

The Tigers are 27-25-1 in the series and have won the last three meetings including 2013’s 27-7 victory in Tallahassee.

TSU is also 64-14-5 in homecoming contests and Saturday marks the earliest homecoming in the football program’s history.



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Virginia State's Smallwood Takes Big Step Forward

ETTRICK, Virginia — When the 2014 campaign began for the Virginia State University football team, there was a legitimate question being asked from those around the program. Who would step up to replace the lost production from Jordan Anderson after his record-breaking season?

And through three games — two of those disappointing losses — it hasn't been a running back replacing the yardage, but a returning wide receiver who is finally fulfilling the talent he always had. Jaivon Smallwood has always had the physical gifts to be a dominant wideout no matter what level of football he played.

The 6-foot-2 Virginia Beach native led the Trojans in most receiving categories last season, improving upon his numbers from his freshman campaign. Smallwood showed off his concise route-running and soft-hands during a 10-win season for Virginia State. Yet, it was clear there was another level the young receiver had not yet reached.



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Fayetteville State senior defensive back Michael Johnson is gaining interest from NFL scouts

FAYETTEVILLE, North Carolina -- With his team preparing for its CIAA football opener, senior standout Michael Johnson serves as an indirect link to Fayetteville State's last conference title.

Free safety has become a prominent position for the Broncos, who benefited from Jeff Gowdy's strong play during their 2009 championship run. Andre Lyles was a sophomore understudy that year, and he entered 2011 as a preseason All-American at the same position.

Lyles' senior year coincided with the freshman season for Johnson, who learned from his highly acclaimed teammate and has developed into a pro prospect.

"That's the beauty of watching guys evolve, and it does ...

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Onward to conference play

PHOTO COURTESY MORGAN STATE ATHLETICS

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania  --  It started on the red turf at Eastern Washington in August, and it's gotten hotter ever since. 

Upsets, last-second wins, dominating performances, great cross-sectional matchups. 

Yet the action will only get better as FCS teams jump into their conference schedule. 

That portion of the season has arrived for most teams. The majority of the remaining games are within conference play. 

Most of the preseason favorites are still in position to win conference titles, but most of the others have different beliefs. 

As we move into conference play, there has been plenty of foreshadowing for what to expect over the next two months. 

MEAC - It appears to be a three-team title race between defending co-champs Bethune-Cookman and South Carolina State and North Carolina A&T, which almost beat Coastal Carolina. Unfortunately, Bethune and A&T aren't scheduled to face each other, so it's not a level playing field for up-and-down South Carolina State. The early conference leader is Morgan State, and the Bears have been quite impressive under first-year coach Lee Hull. The other seven teams are a combined 3-23 to date. 

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Dr. Doom, Robert Brazile: An NFL Bright Spot

MOBILE, Alabama  -- Sports fans you have been cheated. This is the best time of year for you, or at least it should be. No matter who your football team, they can still make the playoffs, and for the first time that includes college as well. (Well, unless your team is in the Big 10, but you get the point.) The MLB pennant races are heating up. Even Astros fans have much to cheer about with Jose Altuve racking up the most single season hits for an MLB 2nd basemen since 1936. (Do not let the wordiness of the honor fool you; it is a big deal. Passing Craig Biggio and Rod Carew in anything is monumental.)

These things have been over shadowed by legal drama that many times you turn to sports to escape. Today, I remind you that there are still stories to uplift us and legends who are even bigger heroes off the field than on. Robert Brazile sat down with Shaun Bijani and me before he was honored at the Advocare Texas Kickoff for his induction into the Texas Football Hall of Fame.

ere were so many breaking stories that I did not post the interview when it occurred, but the conversation made such an impression, I wanted to find a way to share it. Highlighting the positive side of sports is the perfect place to talk about Robert Brazile. You can listen to the entire interview here or to clips throughout the story.

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QB Ben Anderson no stranger to Jackson State

JACKSON, Mississippi  -- In recent memory, Arkansas-Pine Bluff may be known as the heartbreaker for Jackson State.

That overtime loss at the 2012 SWAC championship sure left a mark.

But that UAPB squad that went 10-2, 8-1 SWAC that year hasn't looked the same since. Last year, it had about 13 players who weren't cleared to play early on and finished 2-9, 2-7.
The Golden Lions are off to a rocky start at 1-2, 0-1, dropping its first conference game to Alabama State 42-7 last Thursday. Though expectations aren't high for them this year (projected to finish third in the West), the Lions return a face many Tiger players are familiar with – Ben Anderson.

The quarterback's 95-yard touchdown pass sent that 2012 title game to overtime.

Last year, in a back-and-forth match between the two teams, Anderson struggled in the passing game, going 16 for 33, but still put up 295 yards and two touchdowns.

Most of all, he's dangerous on his feet.D

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Alcorn State hosts Southern U. in SWAC showdown

LORMAN, Mississippi -- Alcorn State looks to remain unbeaten in the SWAC.

The once-beaten Braves (2-1, 1-0 SWAC) entertain Southern University on Saturday at 4 p.m. at Casem-Spinks Stadium in Lorman. For the Braves to reach the championship level, quarterback John Gibbs Jr. needs to play more consistent. He's been uneven through four games. Running back Darren Ragsdale is at a pace to gain 1,000 yards.

Jackson State at Arkansas Pine Bluff, 6 p.m.: A decade ago, the Golden Lions were considered an automatic victory. UAPB has since won a league title over the last few years and are tough at home. The Tigers (2-2, 0-1 SWAC) must improve their defense, which has allowed big plays. The Golden Lions' offense have the athletes to exploit Jackson State's defense.

Alabama A&M at Mississippi Valley State, 4 p.m.: Julian Stafford has surprisingly emerged as one of the nation's top receivers for the Delta Devils (1-2, 0-1). He's closing in 2,000 career receiving yards. He had 12 receptions for a career-high 222 yards against Alabama State.

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FCS Game of the Week: Texas Southern at Alabama State

Texas Southern (4-0, 2-0 SWAC) at Alabama State (3-1, 2-0)

When: Saturday, 6 p.m. ET

Series Record: Alabama State leads, 15-11-2

Last Meeting: Alabama State won, 34-2, last Oct. 5

Television: ASU HornetVision

What to Know: The importance of this game is a surprise when considering unbeaten Texas Southern has already matched its combined win total from both the 2012 and '13 seasons. The Tigers lead the Southwestern Athletic Conference's West Division, while Alabama State is in front in the East Division. The winner will move to 3-0 in conference games, a great jump-start toward qualifying for the conference championship game in December.

Texas Southern's four opponents to date are a combined 2-12, so the schedule hasn't been particularly tough for the Tigers. Their defense, getting superb play from sophomores Derrick Lyles at defensive tackle and Dari Claiborne at linebacker, has kept opposing teams from moving the chains and given the ball back to their offense, which is averaging an impressive 34 minutes of game clock per contest. Quarterbacks Homer Causey and Jamal Small both see time under center, and running back Daveonn Porter (104.3 ypg, six total touchdowns) is having a breakout season. Punter Cory Carter is among the best at what he does in the FCS, leading the nation with a 47.8-yard average on 17 punts.

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After back-to-back wins, hope rising within Morgan State football

BALTIMORE, Maryland -- Morgan State is off to a 2-2 start and a 1-0 mark in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, which may not sound like much. But it’s a positive beginning when you consider how last season unfolded.

Last year’s squad opened 2013 with five consecutive losses, including a 27-21 setback to Norfolk State in the MEAC opener for both teams. This fall, the Bears absorbed identical three-point losses to Eastern Michigan and Holy Cross before beating Bowie State and conference rival Howard.

The back-to-back wins have invigorated the program under first-year head coach Lee Hull.

"There is a lot of confidence," Hull said this morning during his weekly conference call. "One thing I’ve tried to do is play a lot of guys and to give a lot of the players roles – even if it’s just five or 10 plays a game. They all feel part of this, and they all feel like part of the movement and where we’re going. So there’s a lot of confidence.

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S.C. State Pough sees ‘work to do’ before meeting MEAC foe Hampton Pirates

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ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- If Saturday’s 17-7 victory by South Carolina State over previously ranked Furman was a “gift from above” in head football coach Buddy Pough’s words, he does not want to see it wasted entering Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference play.

As the Bulldogs (2-2) prepare for Saturday’s conference opener at Hampton, Pough believes they still could have played better against the Paladins.

“We still have lots of work to do,” he said at Monday’s press conference. “The good thing about it is we did win the game, but the bad thing about it was that we left so many points out there. That game should have been over at the half and we should have been kind of playing one of those halves where you just kind of get the game over with. And then we come back and turn the football over in the second half, which is always a little bit of a deal. We end up fighting to the very end.”

For S.C. State to overcome the second-half adversity to get ...

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Southern University faces tough SWAC challenge this week against Alcorn State

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  -- Alcorn State is 3-1 heading into Saturday's early season SWAC showdown with Southern University and the Braves have looked quite impressive in their three victories. But it was the loss that spoke to how good this team is.

Alcorn State dropped a 26-20 decision to FBS opponent Southern Mississippi and played the Golden Eagles close.

In fact, the Braves cut the lead to 26-20 with 7:39 left in the game and had the ball with a chance to go ahead before Southern Miss' defense finally turned them away.

That wasn't a surprise to Southern coachDawson Odums, who lauded Alcorn State during Tuesday's weekly press conference. The tea

ms meet at 4 p.m. Saturday in Lorman, Miss.

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TSU Men's Basketball Announces 2014-15 Schedule

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- The Tennessee State University men’s basketball team announced the schedule for the 2014-2015 season on Monday.

The Tigers will have just five home contests during the first two months of the season, three of them coming in a row at the very beginning. Those three games will be Nov. 14 against Reinhardt, Nov. 18 against Southern Illinois, and Nov. 20 against Fisk. All games begin at 7:00 p.m.

TSU will then participate in the Barclay’s Tournament by traveling to Vanderbilt (Nov. 23) and to Virginia (Nov. 25) before going to Jersey City to face St. Peters (Nov. 29) and either Norfolk State or St. Francis (Nov. 29). All times for those games are still to be announced.

Kicking off an eight-game month in December, the Tigers come home on Dec. 2 to host Hampton at 7:00 p.m. before going on the road for six-straight games. They travel across town to Lipscomb on Dec. 6 (4:00 p.m.), take a break for ten days, and then go to Southern Illinois (Dec. 16, 7:05 p.m.), Hampton (Dec. 19, TBA), Middle Tennessee State (Dec. 21, TBA), Tennessee (Dec. 27, 7:30 p.m.), and Texas Christian (Dec. 29, TBA). The Tigers finish 2014 at home against Kennesaw State at 7:00 p.m. on New Year’s Eve.

January kicks off conference play as Southeast Missouri (Jan. 3, 7:30 p.m.) and Eastern Illinois (Jan. 7, 7:30 p.m.) travel to the Gentry Center. The Tigers then go on the road Jan. 10 for SIU-Edwardsville (7:00 p.m.), Jan. 15 at Austin Peay (7:30 p.m.), and Jan. 17 at Murray State (7:00 p.m.). TSU ends January with three-straight home games against Belmont (Jan. 24, 7:30 p.m.), Tennessee Tech (Jan. 29, 7:00 p.m.), and Jacksonville State (Jan. 31, 7:30 p.m.).

February begins with road games at Morehead State (Feb. 5, TBA), at Eastern Kentucky (Feb. 7, TBA), and at Tennessee Tech (Feb. 12, TBA) before coming home for Eastern Kentucky on Feb. 14 at 7:30 p.m. and Morehead State at Morehead State at 7:00 p.m. on Feb. 19.

The final three games of the season will be Feb. 21 at Jacksonville State (TBA), Feb. 26 at home vs. UT Martin (7:00 p.m.), and Feb. 28 at Belmont (5:00 p.m.).

The OVC Tournament is set for Mar. 4-7 here in Nashville.

2014-15 TSU Men's Basketball Schedule

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XU Nuggets earn 47th straight victory vs. GCAC opponent

NEW ORLEANS -- Claudia Haywood had 10 kills Monday, and Darian Harris and Jodi Hill served three aces apiece to lead Xavier University of Louisiana in a 25-14, 25-8, 25-19 women's volleyball victory against Talladega.

The Gold Nuggets (6-2, 4-0 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference) hit a season-high .298, won their sixth straight and extended their winning streak against conference opponents to 47.

Haywood hit .563 -- the third consecutive match she recorded a season high -- and reached double figures in kills for a career-best sixth consecutive match. The 2013 GCAC Tournament MVP, Haywood is hitting .477 this season in conference matches.

The serving of Harris and Hill led Xavier to a season-high-tying 11 aces. Harris' total was a career best.

Chinedu Echebelem had nine kills and hit a season-high .400, and freshman Jada Broussard had five kills and topped .300 for the second consecutive match. Harris, among the NAIA leaders in digs, had 12 and reached double figures for the sixth straight match and the seventh time in eight matches this season. Hill had three blocks.

Carla Novaes had 13 kills, six digs, five assists and three blocks for Talladega (4-6, 2-3), which has lost three in a row.

Haywood had three kills and a block in a 15-3 run to close the first set. The Gold Nuggets led 19-4 in the second set and allowed their fewest points in a set this season. Xavier used a Franziska Pirkl ace and kills by Hill and CeCe Williams to take a 4-0 advantage in the final set, and the Nuggets never relinquished the lead.

For the match, Xavier had a 34-22 advantage in kills and limited Talladega to .060 hitting. The Lady Tornadoes' 10 service errors were the most this season by an XU opponent.

Xavier will play twice more this week at its Convocation Center -- 6 p.m. Friday against Loyola and noon Saturday against Dillard. The Dillard match is Gold-Out Day, and fans supporting the Gold Nuggets are encouraged to wear gold.


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XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

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Former WNBA Player Le’Coe Willingham Joins Tennessee State Women’s Basketball Staff

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- Le’coe Willingham, a 10-year WNBA veteran, has joined the Tennessee State University women’s basketball staff as announced by head coach Larry Inman.

Willingham will serve as the individual post coach and defensive coordinator. She will also assist with recruiting efforts.

“Le’Coe Willingham is a great hire who brings a wealth of experience from the WNBA with ten years as a professional athlete and two championships,” said Inman. “She is bringing new information to our players from the highest level.”

A native of Augusta, Ga., Willingham comes to Tennessee State from the Atlanta Dream where she played last season. Willingham was a three-time All-SEC selection out of Auburn, but went undrafted before being signed by Connecticut, where she spent the first four years of her career (2004-07). She then spent two seasons with the Phoenix Mercury (2008-09) and two in Seattle (2010-11).



Willingham’s best seasons came in Phoenix, where she averaged 10.1 points and 5.9 rebounds in 2008, and 10.0 points and 4.2 boards in 2009. She set a franchise record for field goal percentage in 2008, by making a league-leading 57.0 percent of her shots. She helped the Mercury to a WNBA championship in 2009 and also was a key reserve for the 2010 Seattle team that defeated Atlanta in the WNBA Finals.

Prior to her stint with the Dream, Willingham was a member of the Chicago Sky where she averaged 18.5 minutes per game – sixth highest on the team. She appeared in all but one game, averaging 3.5 points, 2.9 rebounds and one assist per game.

A standout athlete at Auburn, Willingham is the program’s seventh all-time scorer and sixth all-time rebounder. She is among Auburn’s top ten career leaders in starts, points, field goals made, field goal percentage, free-throws made, free-throws attempted and rebounds. While attending Hephzibah High School, she won the 1998 AAAA Georgia State Women’s state high jump title.

At the conclusion of her professional career, Le’Coe returned to Auburn obtain a bachelor’s degree in Psychology.

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Winston-Salem State Releases 2014-15 Men's Basketball Schedule

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- 12 home games, a participant from the NCAA DII Final Four, and an always tough CIAA slate, highlight the 2014-15 Winston-Salem State University Rams basketball schedule.

Winston-Salem State will open the season hosting Allen University on November 15th at the CE Gaines Center, before hitting the road for a tough USC–Aiken Tournament.

"We're also fortunate to once again begin our season at home on November 15th with a game versus Allen University", says first year head coach, James Wilhelmi

"We have an exciting and challenging schedule this year highlighted by our participation in a tournament hosted by 2014 NCAA Division II Final Four participant, the University of South Carolina – Aiken", says James Wilhelmi

WSSU will then host Barber Scotia on November 25th and Belmont Abbey on November 29th.

The Rams will face some tough out of conference competition in the month of December, as they will host Glenville State on December 1st before traveling to Fairmont State in West Virginia on December 13th and facing two DII powerhouses in back to back night in Boca Raton, FL on December 19 &20, in Lynn University and Barry University.

"Our schedule also features a pair of key regional contests versus Glenville State and Fairmont State", adds Wilhelmi.

When the New Year rolls around, the Rams will hit the road for a pair of CIAA contests: January 3rd at The Lincoln University and January 5th at Bowie State.

"As usual, there will be a lot of parity in the CIAA and we look forward to competing in one of the top leagues in Division II basketball after the first of the year", says Wilhelmi.

WSSU will return home for a brutal three game stretch in five days as they host the Trojans of Virginia State University (8th), Chowan University (10th) and Elizabeth City State (12th). The Rams will wrap up a five game home stand with St. Augustine's on January 17th and Shaw on January 21st.

Back to back road games at Fayetteville State (Jan. 24th) and Johnson C. Smith (Jan. 28th) will face the Rams before rounding out the month of January at home for a big CIAA showdown with Livingstone College on January 31st.

The final month of the regular season will see the Rams hit the road to start February with a three game trip at Virginia union on February 4th, at St. Augustine's on February 7th and at Shaw on February 11th.

WSSU will then return home for a pair of CIAA showdowns with Fayetteville State on February 14th and Johnson C. Smith on February 18th.

The Rams will wrap up the regular season on the road at Livingstone on February 21st.

Winston-Salem State will then prepare themselves for the CIAA Tournament and a chance to represent the conference in the NCAA DII Regionals, as the CIAA tournament returns to Charlotte February 24th through March 1st.

With six seniors on the roster including returning All-CIAA performers WyKevin Bazemore and Marquez Jones, and new leadership from head coach James Wilhelmi, the Next Chapter in WSSU Rams Basketball is set to take flight, and 2014-15 should be another great year to be a Ram.

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FAMU's special teams coach Vasquez resigns

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Going out after one of the worst performances by his unit isn't the way special teams' coach Juan Vasquez wanted to leave the FAMU football team.

But on Monday, two days after two special teams' mistakes helped Coastal Carolina pull out a 48-3 victory in FAMU's home opener, Vasquez said he's resigned. He met with head coach Earl Holmes on Sunday to give him a two-week notice, Vasquez said.

Following the loss on Saturday, Holmes said he was going to make adjustment in his coaching staff, but he said he didn't fire Vasquez.

"I had some opportunities came up that were beneficial to me and I thought that was the best decision for me to make," Vasquez said. "It had nothing to do with coach Holmes or the team. It's just that the opportunity came up in the middle of the football season."

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Canzano: Former Trail Blazer Caldwell Jones answered one final question before his death

PORTLAND, OREGON  -- Caldwell Jones attended the 7:30 a.m. service at the Greater Travelers Rest Baptist Church in Decatur, Georgia, on Sunday morning. After church, as he always does with his wife and three daughters, Jones went to brunch.

"We have a rule at the table," his wife, Vanessa, said. "No cell phones. We either play cards, or we ask someone in the group to give a synopsis of the church message or I give a writing prompt and we all write a short essay."

Caldwell Jones would be dead hours later after suffering a heart attack. He was 64. The former Trail Blazer known nicknamed "Pops" by Terry Porter will be remembered for his time as a basketball player, but Vanessa would like, too, for you to know about his final hours.

"I give the writing prompt," she said, "and everybody writes. Reading, writing, classical music, these were 'us' things."

Her husband had become an avid reader and was mentoring young children, who were learning to read. In fact, their three daughters — Zori (21), Maya (18) and Leah (13) — had all grown up with trips to bookstores and libraries with their father.

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Former Albany State/NBA Sixers center Caldwell Jones dies

The NBA, the Albany State University (Ga.) family and the sports world loses a gem with the passing of Caldwell Jones.

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania -- Caldwell Jones was a key member of the Philadelphia 76ers teams that reached the NBA Finals in 1977, 1980 and 1982. The 6-foot-11 center was a rugged defender and named to the NBA All-Defensive first team in 1981 and 1982.

Caldwell died Sunday after suffering a heart attack on a suburban Atlanta golf course. He was 64.

“Caldwell was a special person and was taken from us too early,” former Sixers player and coach Billy Cunningham told the National Basketball Retired Players Association, which announced his death. “He epitomized what a ‘team player’ was meant to be and didn’t care if he scored a point as long as we won.”

Jones was drafted by the 76ers out of Albany State (Ga.).  In his 17-year career, he averaged 7.9 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game. He also played for the Houston Rockets, Chicago Bulls, Portland Trail Blazers and San Antonio Spurs.

The 76ers released the following statement:

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