Lincoln Men's Basketball Signs Five For 2015-16

JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri – Head coach John Moseley announced that five players have signed National Letters of Intent to join the Lincoln men's basketball team in 2015-16.

O'Shai Clark (Topeka, Kan./Mid-America Nazarene) and Jaylon Smith (Memphis, Tenn./Southwestern Community College) will both join the Blue Tigers as juniors with two seasons of eligibility. Chase Morfeld (St. Charles, Mo./St. Charles), Darrius Spencer (Memphis, Tenn./Cordova) and Deionte Wilson (Kansas City, Mo./Park Hill) will each enter as freshmen with four years of eligibility.



"We're excited that these guys have decided to join us as we continue to build the Blue Tiger program," head coach John Moseley said. "We've focused our recruiting efforts on young men that are committed to getting their college degree, they must love to compete, and they must enjoy being in the gym. This group understands the challenge that we face in the MIAA and we'll add a few more pieces this summer to help us as we move forward."

Clark appeared in 26 games for Mid-America Nazarene last season, helping the Pioneers to a 10-8 conference record and a berth in the Heart of America Athletic Conference tournament. Prior to joining Mid-America Nazarene, Clark earned all-freshman honors at Dodge City Community College and was a two-time high school defensive player of the year at Highland Park High.

During Clark's senior season, he led the Scots to an undefeated conference record and helped Highland Park finish as the state Class 4A runner-up. Clark was a Kansas Honor Scholar and was named to the Basketball Recruiting Class of 2013 Honor Roll.



"O'shai is an outstanding defender and has a toughness about himself that we appreciate in our program," Moseley said. "His maturity level, on and off the court, will be a big plus for us as we add younger players to our roster."

Smith averaged 17.3 points and 4.1 rebounds at Southwestern Community College last year, earning first team all-region honors in the process. Smith started 32 games, leading the Spartans to a 23-10 record and a berth in the Region XI semifinals. Smith previously earned all-conference and all-district honors at Sheffield High.

"Jaylon has proven that he can score the basketball at a high level," Moseley said. "He has the ability to shoot the ball from the perimeter but is also willing to attack the rim. He's shown a willingness to rebound the basketball that often goes unnoticed."



Morfeld averaged 15 points and five assists per game while leading St. Charles to the 2015 Class 4 Missouri State Championship. Morfeld scored 20 points in the title game, capping off a senior season in which he earned first team all-conference, all-district and all-state honors. A three-time all-conference and all-district honoree at St. Charles, Morfeld scored over 1,000 points in his high school career and finished as the program's all-time leader in assists and sixth on the all-time points chart.

"Chase had a terrific senior year, culminating with a state championship," Moseley said. "He's a leader that doesn't get caught up in statistics but does whatever he can to help his team win. He's a pass-first point guard that's capable of scoring the ball. His IQ for the game allows him to see things before they develop."

Spencer led Cordova High to 18 wins and a district tournament championship as a senior. Spencer averaged 12 points and six rebounds, and appeared in every game, helping the team advance to the regional semifinals.



"Darrius is an athletic wing that played in a 'platoon' system in high school," Moseley said. "He's a strong, physical player that's most comfortable attacking the basket, but he's also a threat from the perimeter. His length and athleticism should allow him to be a very good defender."

Wilson earned first team all-conference and all-district honors as a junior and was a second team all-conference selection as a senior at Park Hill High. Wilson led Park Hill to a 21-6 record as a senior, averaging 13.5 points per game while shooting .360 from beyond the arc. Wilson was named to the Basehor Linwood and Blue Springs South All-Tournament teams, earning tourney MVP honors for the latter, and was also selected as a William Jewell Holiday Classic All-Star.

"Deionte was the first one in this class to commit to Lincoln," Moseley said. "He's played with really good players at Park Hill and he's proven that he belongs in that same category. He's an athletic off-guard that can score in bunches."

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

Lincoln's Jessica Kern Joins Furman Women's Basketball Coaching Staff

ASSISTANT COACH JESSICA KERN
FURMAN UNIVERSITY WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

GREENVILLE, South Carolina  -- Furman head women's basketball coach Jackie Carson today announced that Jessica Kern has joined the Paladin staff as an assistant coach.

Kern, who served as head coach at NCAA Division II Lincoln (Pa.) University the last four years, succeeds Julia Huddleston, who recently accepted the head coaching job at Lynn (Fla.) University.

"We're excited to add Jessica to our staff and a coach of her caliber at this point in the year," said Carson in making the announcement. "She knows what it takes to win and will help further develop our winning culture here at Furman. We look forward to her assisting us in helping develop and lead our student-athletes."

Kern is coming off a 2014-15 season that saw her capture Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Coach of the Year honors after leading her squad to a 22-9 record and a share of the CIAA Northern Division title. The 22 wins marked a school record and carried Lincoln to a SSICA KECIAA Tournament championship game appearance, where the Lady Lions fell to Virginia State.

Two years ago she helped guide Lincoln to the program's first win over a Division I opponent, a 94-86 triumph over Morgan State, and later directed her squad from a 16-point second half deficit to beat Winston-Salem State, 64-62, in CIAA Tournament action.

Taking over a Lincoln program in 2011 that had won just three games the previous season, she coached the Lady Lions to seven victories in her first year, 10 triumphs the following year, and to a 12-16 season in 2013-14 before posting the 22-9 mark last season.

Before accepting the head coaching position at Lincoln, she served as an assistant coach and media specialist at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee of Horizon League for the 2010-11 campaign, immediately following a two-year stint (2008-10) as an assistant coach/recruiting coordinator at Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

Kern attended Penn State University, where she served as a basketball team captain for two years and twice earned All-Big 10 and Academic All-Big honors while also competing in track & field. After graduating in 2002 with a degree in journalism, she began a successful seven-year professional basketball career that would take her to Australia, Germany, Switzerland, Romania, and Poland.

In the off-seasons from 2002-2007 she returned home to Milwaukee, Wisc., to teach at various Milwaukee High Schools and assisted girls basketball and track & field teams. In addition, she established several basketball camps for under-serviced neighborhoods.

In the summer of 2007 she was appointed head coach of the Arkansas Lady Ballers in the Women's Blue Chip Basketball League, a 20-team national semi-pro league. Her up-tempo style helped propel the Ballers to a victory over the Canadian national team, regional championship, and national title.

Kern enjoyed one of the most successful prep careers in Milwaukee City Conference history, earning a combined 11 lettters in basketball, volleyball, and track & field at Washington High School while serving as team captain in each sport for multiple seasons. In basketball she played in four state Final Fours and won a pair of state championships. She claimed 11 individual conference championships in track & field and was a three-time all-conference performance in volleyball

She has a son, Bobby Lee Collins, Jr.

COURTESY FURMAN UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

TSU to Face Jacksonville State on ESPN 3, Sept. 19

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- On Tuesday the OVC announced the first game of the league's eight-game football "Game of the Week" package that will be carried exclusively on ESPN3 this fall.

The first game in the package will feature a match-up between Tennessee State and Jacksonville State on Sept. 19. Kick-off is set for 1 p.m. at Burgess-Snow Field in Jacksonville, Ala.

The first four game matchups will be announced over the next two days via OVC social media outlets as well as OVCSports.com. Two games will be announced each day via the league's Twitter (www.Twitter.com/OVCSports) and Facebook (www.Facebook.com/OVCSports).

The final four games of the package (to be played on October 31, November 7, November 14 and November 21) will be "Wildcard" selections which will be announced roughly 12 days before the contest.

This marks the third-straight season the league has produced the Game of the Week package in conjunction with WebStream Sports.

WebStream Sports, an Indianapolis-based company which is a proven leader in video production, streaming video and content creation. The company, founded in 2006, produces more than 1,000 events annually and has also served as a web streaming consultant for the OVC for the past three years.

Kevin Ingram, host of "The Wake Up Zone" on 104.5 The Zone in Nashville, will handle play-by-play duties while Bob Belvin, on-air talent and contributor at 100.7 FM/AM 540 (ESPN Clarksville), will provide analysis. The duo has worked together each of the past three years in the league's TV package.

The OVC Football Game of the Week package is part of an overall multiyear agreement with ESPN which was announced in October 2013.

ESPN3 is ESPN's live multi-screen sports network, a destination that delivers thousands of exclusive sports events annually. It is accessible online at WatchESPN.com, on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app and streamed on televisions through Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. The network is currently available to more than 99 million homes at no additional cost to fans who receive their high-speed Internet connection or video subscription from an affiliated service provider. The network is also available at no cost to approximately 21 million U.S. college students and U.S.-based military personnel via computers, smartphones and tablets connected to on-campus educational and on-base military broadband and Wi-Fi networks.

All other Conference football games and non-conference home contests (approximately 36 games) will be available on the OVC Digital Network, the League's web streaming platform that produces high-definition webcasts that are available at no cost on any computer, tablet or smart phone.

Courtesy Ohio Valley Conference

New state laws should help Grambling recruit

GRAMBLING, Louisiana -- The 2015 Louisiana Legislature did something that can help Grambling State University, which has been struggling with declining enrollment.

Two new laws, sponsored by Rep. Patrick Jefferson and Sen. Rick Gallot Jr., are aimed at helping increase enrollment at historically black colleges and universities in Louisiana by reducing out-of-state tuition and allowing students to take remedial courses.

“We did a lot of things during this first rendition of the legislative session, none more significant than the possibility of enabling more students to attend Grambling State University, which is awe inspiring,” Jefferson said. “The hope is it will help us to compete with our peer institutions, and it will allow Grambling to do what it has done since the beginning, which is to educate our students.”

HB 129, which goes into effect Aug. 1, will reduce undergraduate tuition and fees for out-of-state students who want to attend Louisiana’s HBCUs, making it easier for these students to afford a four-year university outside of their home state.

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FVSU Head Women's Basketball Coach Erica Henry leaving for position at Division I PVAMU

COACH ERICA HENRY
Courtesy: FVSU Athletics

FORT VALLEY, Georgia -- Fort Valley State University women’s basketball coach Erica Henry has resigned as head coach.

Henry has decided to move on after two years and accept the position of Recruiting Coordinator/Assistant Coach at Prairie View A&M University.

“We thank Coach Henry for her time here and wish her much success in the future,” said Director of Athletics Joshua W. Murfree, Jr.

Henry’s record over two seasons was 22-35 and 16-17 in SIAC (Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) action. The Lady Wildcats finished with a 9-20 overall record in 2014-15 and went 7-10 in conference play.

COURTESY FORT VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

FAMU football coach Alex Wood: summer focus is on academics

 WALTER STEWART
Defensive Ends Coach
Florida A&M University Rattlers
Alma Mater: Cincinnati '12
 

Former Cincinnati DL Walter Stewart has join Alex Wood staff as defensive ends coach. Stewart served 2-years as a defensive graduate assistant under Coach Butch Jones at the University of Tennessee.

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- It's been a busy summer for first-year Florida A&M head football coach Alex Wood, and he said academics has been the main focus for the team since the end of spring football.

"We just need our guys to do well in the classroom this summer," he said. "There's still a lot of development that needs to happen, but right now we're focused on finishing strong academically in summer school."

Wood – who will return to Tallahassee July 13 — said the academic focus is what the team needs to battle NCAA sanctions due to low APR scores. FAMU football is ineligible for the postseason for the second year in a row, and the team can't hold full spring practices until the sanctions are lifted.

Fall football practice starts Aug. 3 for the Rattlers.

"I knew APR scores were looming and I knew that would be a problem coming in," Wood said.

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Baltimore Legend, Retiring Bob Wade lauded for his leadership, ready to 'get a little rest'

The Morgan State University graduate was the first African-American men's basketball coach in Atlantic Coast Conference history when Maryland hired him in 1986.  Over his tenure at Baltimore’s Paul Laurence Dunbar High School, Wade’s teams won 91.9 percent of its games.

BALTIMORE, Maryland -- Having left an immeasurable mark on high school sports in the area, Bob Wade has retired as Baltimore City Public School System coordinator of athletics..

Wade, 70, began his tenure in 1996, bringing leadership, discipline and success to Baltimore City's athletic program, which had joined the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association three years prior.


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"I feel extremely fortunate to have been given the opportunity to work with all the student-athletes and coaches involved with Baltimore City public schools and also work hand in hand with the MPSSAA," Wade said. "I feel very good that during my tenure we made giant steps toward respectability as far as the state association and we gained a tremendous amount of credibility. I think we've come a long way. I'm happy to see the number of student-athletes being given athletic scholarships to further their education and academic scholarships as well."

In addition to strengthening Baltimore's ties with the MPSSAA, Wade was pivotal in adding softball, girls tennis and badminton programs during his watch to assure compliance with Title IX.

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After 2-year hiatus, UAPB returning to Little Rock

LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas -- The Arkansas-Pine Bluff football team is coming back to Little Rock.

At least for one day.

A group of UAPB officials that included Chancellor Laurence B. Alexander, Athletic Director Lonza Hardy and Coach Monte Coleman visited Little Rock on Wednesday to promote the school's football game this fall at War Memorial Stadium.

UAPB will host defending Southwestern Athletic Conference champion Alcorn State on Oct. 3 in its first visit to War Memorial Stadium since 2012.

"It's been a long time coming," Hardy said. "We didn't just want to play a game, we wanted to play a marquee game. We believe there is no better marquee matchup than the Golden Lions playing against the defending champions of the Southwestern Athletic Conference."

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UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS PINE BLUFF 2015 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

Date	Opponent	Stadium	Location	Time
Sept. 6	vs. South Carolina State+	Florida Citrus Bowl	Orlando, Fla.	3:30 p.m. EST
Sept. 12	Morehouse College	Golden Lion Stadium	Pine Bluff, Ark.	6 p.m.
Sept. 19	Texas Southern*	Golden Lion Stadium	Pine Bluff, Ark.	6 p.m.
Sept. 26	at Alabama A&M*	Louis Crews Stadium	Normal, Ala.	1 p.m.
Oct. 3	vs. Alcorn State*	War Memorial Stadium	Little Rock, Ark.	4 p.m.
Oct. 17	Alabama State*	Golden Lion Stadium	Pine Bluff, Ark.	6 p.m.
Oct. 24	at Jackson State*	Veteran Memorial Stadium	Jackson, Miss.	2 p.m.
Oct. 31	at Prairie View A&M*	Waller Stadium	Waller, Texas	TBA
Nov. 7	Southern*	Golden Lion Stadium	Pine Bluff, Ark.	2:30 p.m.
Nov. 14	Grambling State* HC	Golden Lions Stadium	Pine Bluff, Ark.	2:30 p.m.
Nov. 21	at Miss. Valley State*	Rice-Totten Stadium	Itta Bena, Miss.	1 p.m.

Former Alabama linebacker Alex Watkins helps Stillman bulk up

COACH ALEX WATKINS

TUSCALOOSA, Alabama -- Football stars aren't usually found in the offseason.

Stillman College coach Teddy Keaton believes he has found one, and he isn't even on the Tigers' roster.

Former University of Alabama linebacker
Alex Watkins is making a difference at Stillman as the strength and conditioning coach. He was hired a little less than a year ago.

Watkins, from Brownsville, Tenn., was a senior on UA's 2011 national championship team.

“This is his first offseason with our kids,” Keaton said. “You can see a big difference. I saw a big difference during the season with their bodies changing. The things he learned at Alabama, he brought to Stillman.”

Those things aren't just about getting bigger and stronger. Stillman emphasized bulk in the past, but Watkins is working to increase athleticism.

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Hampton's Deron Powers latest MEAC hoops star to transfer

HAMPTON, Virginia -- Hampton basketball senior point guard and 2015 Mid Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament Most Valuable Player, Deron Powers, has decided to transfer.

"Honestly, I want to play for a better program," Powers, a Williamsburg, Va. native, told The Daily Press of Hampton. "I'm definitely up for anything, and it doesn't have to be at the highest level. There are a lot of good programs I wouldn't mind going to, but I am looking for a higher profile team that needs a point guard."



Powers, considered one of the best point guards in the MEAC and a third team all-conference selection, averaged 10.1 points, 29th best in the conference and fourth best on the Pirates squad, 3.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists, fifth in the league. A former MEAC rookie of the year, Powers played three years for Hampton and is fifth on the school's all-time assist list.

The decision is odd considering that he led the Pirates, a fifth seed, to the MEAC tournament title and then guided them to a win over Manhattan in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Hampton lost to top seed Kentucky in the second round. All three games were nationally televised. Powers joins a list of MEAC standouts who have decided to transfer following the 2014-15 season.

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Harris-Stowe State University Hires Hana Haden as Women’s Head Basketball Coach

ST. LOUIS, Missouri -- Harris-Stowe State University (HSSU) is pleased to announce Hana Haden as its head women’s basketball coach. Haden, 23, comes to Harris-Stowe after serving as an assistant coach at the University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL) during the 2014-15 season. During that season, Haden helped lead the Tritons to an overall record of 14-14; (10-3 home record and 9-9 conference record).

“After a national search of very qualified candidates, Coach Haden emerged as the best fit for our women’s basketball program. I am positive that she will excel here at Harris-Stowe,” said Jamaal Mayo, athletic director, Harris-Stowe State University. “Coach Haden has connections in St. Louis and across the country and I look forward to her attracting quality young women to Harris-Stowe and developing those ladies into champions on and off the basketball court.”

Haden is a 2014 graduate of Western Carolina University, where she earned her bachelor's degree in Communications and served as a team captain for the Catamount women’s basketball team. As a senior she led the team in scoring once and scored in double figures five times; averaging 4.5 points per game and tied in assists with 32.

“I look forward to leading our young ladies on the court, as well as being an inspiration in helping them achieve the ultimate goal of a four year degree.” Haden said. “I see many great things in the future and couldn't be more excited to join the Hornet family during this new era for Harris-Stowe athletics.”

Prior to graduating from Western Carolina, Haden attended the University of Missouri-St. Louis and spent one season at Mineral Area Junior College, where she was named Honorable Mention All-Region. Originally from Springfield, Mo., Haden attended high school at Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Va.

COURTESY HARRIS-STOWE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Harris-Stowe State University’s Athletics Department Hires Alfred Williams as Men’s Head Basketball Coach

ST. LOUIS, Missouri -- Harris-Stowe State University (HSSU) has hired Alfred Williams as its head coach of the Hornet's men's basketball program, the school announced today.

Williams, 31, has served on head coach Dannton Jackson's staff at his alma mater Xavier University of Louisiana for the past six seasons (2009-15). During Williams' tenure as an assistant coach, the Gold Rush were 139-55 with three consecutive Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular-season championships (2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14) and five consecutive appearances at the Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I National Championships (2011-15).

"We're thrilled to welcome Coach Williams to St. Louis and into the Harris-Stowe State University family," said Harris-Stowe Director of Athletics Jamaal Mayo. "He comes from incredible basketball pedigree and will be an outstanding leader for our men's basketball program and a phenomenal mentor for our student-athletes."

As a player for the Gold Rush, Williams is one of three players in Xavier's storied basketball history to achieve the 800 points, 500 rebounds and 150 assists milestone his career.

"I believe we have a great opportunity to do some amazing things at Harris-Stowe and we'll be working hard to get a little better every day," said Williams. "I look forward to sharing my passion for the game and bringing a thrilling and fun style of basketball to Hornet Nation, exciting the student-body and the entire St. Louis community."

Williams is a native of Greenville, S.C. and a 2008 graduate of Xavier University of Louisiana, where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration. After graduation, Williams returned to South Carolina to work with his brother Eric Williams. Eric is the founder and CEO of Fundamentals IV Success, Inc., a non-profit community agency that offers educational, personal and athletic assistance to basketball student-athletes.

Williams' other brother, Shammond was a four-year letterman at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and helped lead the Tar Heels to three NCAA Final Four appearances. Shammond went on to play 13 years professionally, which includes seven in the NBA. Currently Shammond is coaching college basketball in New Orleans as an assistant at Tulane.

COURTESY HARRIS-STOWE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

XU Alum Washington Claims his spot in Louisiana Sports Hall

Facebook video of acceptance speech

NATCHITOCHES, Louisiana — Otis Washington deflected praise Saturday during his Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame acceptance speech.

"It was never, ever, ever about me," said Washington, a 1961 Xavier University of Louisiana graduate and a Selma, Ala., native. "I just went along for the ride. And boy, what a ride."

Washington coached St. Augustine High School of New Orleans to Class 4A state football championships in 1975, 1978 and 1979 and a 4A runner-up berth in 1971. He left St. Aug after the 1979 season and was an assistant coach at LSU for one season, then head coach at Southern University from 1981-86. He also was an assistant coach at Tulane and director of the New Orleans Police Athletic League.

"Otis Washington brought discipline, character, excellence and leadership to St. Aug's football program," said former St. Aug athletics director Emmett Moten, Washington's presenter. "And he brought a can-do, never-say-can't attitude."

Washington thanked many who helped him achieve the honor, including his wife of 48 years, Linda, also an XU graduate.

"She has endured untold numbers of Sunday film sessions at our home and many evenings alone as I prepared for each week's upcoming game," Washington said. "She has endured taunts and barbs from boorish fans and through it all remains my greatest support, my rock. She has served as a surrogate mother to literally dozens of young men. I can't imagine having accomplished any of this without her. I could not possibly end without thanking her."

Washington, who starred in football and baseball as a Xavier student, also is a member of the Allstate Sugar Bowl Hall of Fame (inducted 1994), the Louisiana High School Sports Hall of Fame (2012) and the New Orleans High School Sports Hall of Fame.

Also inducted Saturday were football's Leonard Smith, Kevin Faulk, Jake Delhomme and Pat Collins, softball's Yvette Girouard, horse racing's Frank Brothers and and basketball's Avery Johnson, a St. Aug graduate. A sellout crowd of 831 was in attendance for dinner and inductions at the Natchitoches Events Center. There are nearly 400 members in the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, including recipients of the Dave Dixon Louisiana Sports Leadership Award and the Distinguished Service Award in Sports Journalism. The first induction class was in 1959.

"There's not a nicer, classier guy in this room tonight than Otis Washington," Collins said.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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Xavier's Alfred Williams Named Head Coach at Harris-Stowe

HEAD COACH ALFRED WILLIAMS
 MEN'S BASKETBALL
HARRIS-STOWE STATE UNIVERSITY

NEW ORLEANS -- Xavier University of Louisiana, an educator of future college head coaches for nearly 70 years, added another to its list Wednesday when Harris-Stowe State University hired Alfred Williams to lead its men's basketball program.

Williams, 31, was a Xavier men's basketball assistant coach the past six seasons (2009-15) and served a vital role in one of the most successful periods in Gold Rush history. Williams also played three seasons for the Gold Rush (2004-05, 2006-07 and 2007-08).

Harris-Stowe is in St. Louis and a member of the NAIA Division I American Midwest Conference. Like Xavier, it is a historically black university.

"I am definitely looking forward to the opportunity and the challenge," said Williams, whose final day at Xavier was June 22. "I have spent 10 years (at Xavier) with coach (Dannton) Jackson. I have seen just about everything I could see and learn from him. The amount of preparation we did with coach Jackson will help me at Harris-Stowe. I give thanks to the Xavier family for all the support I got here."

Williams succeeds Phillip Hunt, who coached the Hornets for six seasons. Harris-Stowe was 6-24 overall this past season and 5-17 (tied for 10th place) in the American Midwest.

"I'm going to take what I learned here at Xavier and take it to Harris-Stowe with a new energy, a new mentality," Williams said. "We'll be working hard at it every day."

During Williams' tenure as an assistant coach, the Gold Rush were 139-55 with three consecutive Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular-season championships (2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14) and a school-record five consecutive appearances at the Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I National Championship (2011-15). Xavier's 121 victories from 2010-11 through 2014-15 are the second-winningest five years in the program history, topped only by the Gold Rush's 126 victories from 1936-37 through 1940-41.

"I am proud of Alfred," said Jackson, who has a Gold Rush-record 273 victories in 12 seasons. "Harris-Stowe is getting a very good basketball coach and a very good young man who will care for the university and take care of their student-athletes. From a leadership standpoint, he is prepared."
As a 6-foot-4 forward he averaged 8.4 points and 5.8 rebounds in 97 career games and helped Xavier earn a share of the 2006-07 GCAC regular-season championship and qualify for the NAIA national tourney in 2005, 2007 and 2008. He was All-GCAC his senior year when he averaged 11.4 points and a team-leading seven rebounds per game.

Williams is one of three Gold Rush players with 800 points, 500 rebounds and 150 assists in a career. Williams shot 41.1 percent from 3-point range in his career to rank fourth in Xavier history. His blocked shot and ensuing tiebreaking basket with seven seconds remaining lifted Xavier to an 82-79 victory over third-seeded Georgetown (Ky.) in the opening round of the 2007 NAIA nationals at Kansas City, Mo. — the first opening-round victory for the Rush since 1973.

After receiving his bachelor of science degree from Xavier in 2008 and before returning to the university, Williams worked in his native Greenville, S.C., with his brother Eric for Fundamentals 4 Success, a non-profit community agency which offers educational, personal and athletic assistance to basketball student-athletes.

Another brother, Shammond Williams, is the University of North Carolina's career leader in 3-point field goals made and is second in career free-throw percentage. Shammond played 13 years professionally — seven in the NBA — and coaches college basketball in New Orleans, too. Shammond in 2014-15 completed his second season as an assistant at Tulane.

Xavier was 24-10 in 2014-15, finished second in the GCAC regular season and tournament and ranked 21st in the postseason poll. The Gold Rush have the NAIA's longest active streak of top-25 appearances, 50.

Xavier hopes to replace Williams as soon as possible. "There are enormous shoes to be filled here," Jackson said, "but we are really happy for Alfred."

Xavier's legacy of educating head coaches dates to the 1940s, when Leonidas Epps joined Clark College of Atlanta and eventually won SIAC men's championships in football, basketball, golf and track and field. Other college head coaches Xavier produced include Marino Casem, Doug Porter and Otis Washington — all football hall-of-famers — and Jackson, Dale Valdery and Bernard Griffith in basketball. Former Jackson players now coaching include Landon Bussie at Prairie View A&M (women's basketball assistant) and Shaun Dumas (boys basketball head coach) at Crescent City Christian High School in Metairie, La. Ryan DeRousselle, Nick Haywood and Devin Andrew were Gold Rush assistants this past season. In addition, John Ashaolu is director of athletics and student programs at Community College of Beaver County in Monaca, Pa.

XU assistants under Jackson still coaching include Kim Lewis, entering his fifth season as an assistant at the University of Richmond, and Jason Flanigan, entering his 11th season as head coach at Holmes Community College in Goodman, Mississippi.

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'The Secret Game' review: How a scrappy basketball team challenged segregation — and won

THE SECRET GAME
Scott Ellsworth
ISBN: 9780316244619
ISBN-10: 0316244619
Publisher: Little Brown and Company
Publication Date: March 10th, 2015
Pages: 400
Amazon Books: Kindle: $12.99; Hardcover: $19.47; Audible: $20.95 or Free

Coach John B. McLendon
North Carolina Central University
(Photo Courtesy: NCCU Eagles Athletics)

DURHAM, North Carolina -- At 11 a.m. on a Sunday in March of 1944, two of the best college basketball teams in the United States did something unthinkable.

They played each other.

No cameras, no cheerleaders, no screaming fans greeted the players as they took position on the court. In fact, the gym had been locked in an effort to keep spectators out. The reason for the secrecy was simple. The Duke Medical School team was white. The North Carolina College (North Carolina Central University, today) team was black. And in 1944, the color line in Durham, N.C., ran right through the basketball court. Crossing that line was not just an act of defiance — it was against the law.

This extraordinary contest — one of the first times in basketball history that a black team squared off against a white team at the college level — constitutes the focal point of Scott Ellsworth's compelling history, "The Secret Game: A Wartime Story of Courage, Change, and Basketball's Lost Triumph." But the book is about far more than a single game. It's about the evolution of a sport, the tortured legacy of race and repression, and about how basketball, which for decades had served as an instrument to defend segregation, became a tool to undermine it.

Ellsworth, a former Portland resident, combines an irresistible narrative with outsized characters, particularly the North Carolina Central coach, John McLendon, who came of age in the Great Depression, as basketball fever was sweeping across the Midwest. Too poor to afford a ball, McLendon and his friends tossed rocks and socks through a playground hoop. His stepmother forbid him to have anything to do with the game unless he read the bible for an hour every day and swore off coffee, soda, snuff, cigarettes, and alcohol.

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READ RELATED ARTICLES
Original New York Times article by Scott Ellsworth in PDF Format
Duke University Alumni Magazine article by Scott Ellsworth in PDF Format
The Hartford Courant article by Dom Amore in PDF Format

Lynn Thompson Receives Promotion from B-CU President

LYNN W. THOMPSON
VICE PRESIDENT FOR INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS
Photo Courtesy: Bethune-Cookman University Athletics

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- Bethune-Cookman University Director of Athletics Lynn W. Thompson has been elevated to the position of Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics, announced Tuesday, June 30, by B-CU President Dr. Edison O. Jackson. Thompson’s duties as Vice President will begin July 1, and he will continue to lead the 17-sport Division I program.

Thompson, a native of Daytona Beach, Florida and 1980 graduate of Bethune-Cookman College, has served as Director of Athletics at Bethune-Cookman since 1991, recently completing his 24th year at the helm in Daytona Beach. Currently, B-CU has a total of 17 intercollegiate sports, all of them competing on the Division I level of athletics.

“We are so proud of the accomplishments of Wildcats Athletics under the direction of Lynn W. Thompson,” said Dr. Jackson. “Under his leadership, Bethune-Cookman Athletics has become a championship program across the board with impressive academic performances of the student-athletes, conference championships and NCAA postseason bids in several of our sports. More importantly, his integrity, leadership and creative vision for branding Wildcats Athletics has opened doors for the entire university, and we are pleased to have him join the senior leadership and university cabinet as we further the mission of our institution.”

During Thompson’s tenure at Bethune-Cookman, he has served in several Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) leadership roles. On the national level, he became the first African-American to chair the NCAA Baseball Rules Committee, and also served as a member of the NCAA Division I Baseball Committee, the NCAA I-AA Football (now Football Championship Subdivision) Committee and the NCAA Football Issues Committees. Thompson has vast experience in creating policy for intercollegiate athletics on a national level. He has also served as chairman of the MEAC Basketball and Baseball Tournaments, and has been selected five times as an NCAA Peer Reviewer for the athletics certification process.

“Thompson is known across the nation as an outstanding athletic administrator who is highly respected and sought after,” continued Dr. Jackson. “We are extremely happy to have him remain as the leader of our program for years to come.”

During his tenure overseeing a sports program that is known throughout the nation, Thompson has directed the Wildcats to a total of 64 championships, beginning with 44 MEAC championships, including a dynasty of 12 baseball titles in the past 15 years; a run of five consecutive softball titles from 2000-2004 – as well as three addition consecutive titles from 2010-12. B-CU Football has won a total of six MEAC titles, including at least a share of the last three consecutive from 2012-14.

“I am humbled by the opportunity to join with Dr. Jackson and his cabinet to push forward the agenda of Bethune-Cookman University,” commented Thompson. “Dr. Jackson clearly understands the impact that a successful athletic program can have on the entire university, and I look forward to assisting in implementing his vision.”

B-CU’s golf programs for women and men have won a total of 20 PGA National Minority Golf Championship (13 women, 7 men) titles, featuring an international roster from all around the world. The men’s program won the inaugural 2014 MEAC Golf Championship, earning the school’s first-ever team bid to the NCAA Regionals in Raleigh, North Carolina. B-CU track & field has trained an indoor/outdoor NCAA hurdling champion, and were represented by the Wildcats’ first ever Olympian in the 2012 London Olympic Games. In 2015, B-CU Men’s Track & Field swept the indoor and outdoor MEAC crowns, while defending the outdoor title from a season ago.

Away from the athletic fields, Thompson is heavily involved in the B-CU Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), where his office is constantly open for prayer and consultation with all students. He served as a staff pastor at Calvary Christian Center in Ormond Beach, Florida, for over 10 years in addition to leading the men’s ministry.

A veteran television and radio producer and personality, Thomp
son has utilized his experience in the media with the development of B-CU’s CatEye Network which produces and distributes programs on television, live streaming of Wildcats athletic events, and he also serves as executive producer of the various B-CU coach’s television shows and the CatEye Radio Network. In addition to his duties as Director of Athletics, he was recently named as chair of the advisory committee for the university’s acquisition and management team of WELE 1380 The Cat radio station located in Ormond Beach, Florida.

For the latest information on Bethune-Cookman Wildcats Athletics, follow us on Twitter (@BCUathletics), Instagram (BCUathletics), Facebook (facebook.com/BCUathletics), or visit us at www.bcuathletics.com.

COURTESY BETHUNE-COOKMAN UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

N.C. Attorney General in ‘discussions’ with Ritz-Carlton over CIAA surcharge

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina -- The N.C. Attorney General’s Office said it’s still in talks with the Ritz-Carlton in uptown more than two weeks after the state agency said it planned to sue the hotel for adding a 15 percent CIAA surcharge to customers’ bills during the February basketball tournament.

Earlier this month, the agency’s Consumer Protection Division sent the Ritz-Carlton a draft of a legal complaint that asks a judge to bar the hotel from automatically imposing charges without disclosure. The agency is also seeking restitution and refunds for customers who paid the CIAA gratuity while patronizing the hotel’s lobby bar.

In the draft, the attorney general’s office claims the hotel added the unprecedented service charge without disclosing it first to customers, and used the “CIAA” acronym on the bill without the athletic association’s consent.

The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association is the oldest African-American athletic conference in the nation. It has hosted its tournament in Charlotte since 2006.

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Ex-Delaware State football player will bring sport to New Zealand

Douglas Webber Events Director Craig Douglas (L) and Giesler Sports World Wide CEO Jarin Giesler (R) speak to the media during a press conference at Eden Park on June 3, 2015 in Auckland, New Zealand. Organisers today announced an American football exhibition for March next year in Auckland and Wellington.

(June 2, 2015 - Source: Phil Walter/Getty Images AsiaPac)

American Football coming to Auckland and Wellington in March 2016; DSU's Giesler plays major role in New Zealand introduction to American Football

 PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania -- Kellen Kemp still remembers the first time he saw Jarin Giesler arrive on campus in 2006 at Delaware State University in Dover.

Kemp watched as a raised Ford F-150 with 6 inches of lift added and 40-inch rims drove up.

"The first thing everyone is thinking is, 'Who is this?' " Kemp said. "Out of that hops a 5-7, 200-pound long snapper. Everyone is looking around, going, 'What is going on here?' "

"It kind of stuck out like a sore thumb," Giesler recalls.

Add to the equation that Delaware State is a historically black university, and Giesler's arrival to the football team as a short white kid from Cortez, Colorado, was certainly out of the ordinary.

Giesler and Kemp, an offensive lineman from Cardinal Dougherty High School, became friends when they both played on the offensive line.

So when Giesler went to law school at Oklahoma City University and became a certified NFLPA contract adviser, among other business ventures, he hired Kemp to play a big part in his company, Giesler Sports World-Wide.

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Howard University Volleyball Releases 2015 Schedule

Shaun Kupferberg
Head Women's Volleyball Coach
HOWARD UNIVERSITY

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The road the Howard women's volleyball team must take in pursuit of a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) championship and NCAA Tournament bid has been laid out as the Lady Bison program has released its 2015 schedule.

Here is a breakdown of the impressive 29-match slate:

•  16 non-conference contests against 15 opponents representing ten different leagues;
• Four invitationals, including the DC Invitational, which will include Howard's home opener vs. Western Carolina and a match against the University of Maryland in Burr Gymnasium on September 5;
• Two or more games against five different conferences (Atlantic 10, Big East, Big Ten, Ivy League, Patriot League);
• Ten home matches, including five straight from October 9-23;
• Rematches of the 2014 MEAC Championship Game against Hampton on October 9 (in DC) and October 30 (in Virginia);
•  Five other MEAC home-and-home series against Coppin State, Delaware State, Maryland Eastern Shore, Morgan State and Norfolk State;
• A MEAC interdivisional match with Bethune-Cookman on October 15;
• A Senior Day matchup against newly minted Atlantic Sun member NJIT on November 13.

In speaking on the schedule, fourth-year Head Coach Shaun Kupferberg said, "As our team continues to grow and develop, we have to raise our level of play each season; the best way to do that is to play higher levels of competition. We have a large turnover in the roster from last year and everyone will have to get up to speed quickly because there are no easy matches this year. Each tournament is going to be a challenge, but every match is also winnable. Last season, we were able to play at a high level in certain stretches of the season. To be successful this year, we will have to be much more consistent throughout the year."

The 2015 Howard Women's Volleyball Schedule can be viewed by CLICKING HERE.



Howard University Athletics
2015 Women's Volleyball Schedule

Date	Opponent	Location	Time/Result
District of Columbia Volleyball Challenge
8/28/2015	American	Washington, DC	7:00:00 PM
8/29/2015	George Mason	Fairfax, VA	1:00:00 PM
8/29/2015	Georgetown	Fairfax, VA	4:30:00 PM
9/1/2015	Loyola (MD)	Baltimore, MD	7:00:00 PM
District of Columbia Invitational
9/5/2015	Western Carolina	Washington, DC	2:30:00 PM
9/5/2015	Maryland	Washington, DC	7:00:00 PM
9/6/2015	George Mason	College Park, MD	12:00:00 PM
9/6/2015	Pennsylvania	College Park, MD	5:00:00 PM
9/8/2015	UMBC	Baltimore, MD	7:00:00 PM
Villanova Classic
9/11/2015	James Madison	Philadelphia, PA	5:00:00 PM
9/12/2015	Villanova	Philadelphia, PA	1:00:00 PM
9/12/2015	Siena	Philadelphia, PA	5:00:00 PM
Rutgers Invitational
9/18/2015	Rutgers	New Brunswick, NJ	12:30:00 PM
9/18/2015	Duquesne	New Brunswick, NJ	4:30:00 PM
9/19/2015	Princeton	New Brunswick, NJ	10:30:00 AM
9/25/2015	UMES	Princess Anne, MD	7:00:00 PM
9/27/2015	Delaware State	Washington, DC	3:00:00 PM
10/2/2015	Morgan State	Baltimore, MD	7:00:00 PM
10/4/2015	Coppin State	Baltimore, MD	3:00:00 PM
10/9/2015	Hampton	Washington, DC	7:00:00 PM
10/11/2015	Norfolk State	Washington, DC	3:00:00 PM
10/15/2015	Bethune Cookman	Washington, DC	7:00:00 PM
10/18/2015	Coppin State	Washington, DC	3:00:00 PM
10/23/2015	UMES	Washington, DC	7:00:00 PM
10/25/2015	Delaware State	Dover, DE	3:00:00 PM
10/30/2015	Hampton	Hampton, VA	6:00:00 PM
11/1/2015	Norfolk State	Norfolk, VA	3:00:00 PM
11/6/2015	Morgan State	Washington, DC	7:00:00 PM
11/13/2015	NJIT	Washington, DC	7:00:00 PM
11/20-22/2015	MEAC Tournament	Princess Anne, MD

COURTESY HOWARD UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Morgan State Varsity “M” Club, Inc. Announces 2015 Athletic Hall of Fame Class

BALTIMORE, Maryland -- The Varsity "M" Club, Inc. of Morgan State University announced today the six members of its 2015 Athletic Hall of Fame Class. The new class will be inducted during a banquet on Friday, September 18, 2015, at 7:00 PM at the Morgan State University – Tyler Ballroom and will be recognized at the Morgan State vs. Virginia-Lynchburg football game on Saturday, September 19, 2015.

Tickets for the induction banquet are available for $50 per seat. Tickets can be purchased by contacting the Varsity M Club at msuvarsitymclub@gmail or completing the 2015 Hall of Fame Ticket Order Form (PDF).

The 2015 Varsity "M" Club, Inc. Athletic Hall of Fame Class inductees are:

Daryl Jackson, Football (1986-1989)
During his tenure Jackson set the record for most passing yards in career (5,066), and tied the records for most touchdown passes in a career (31) and most touchdown passes in a game (4). Jackson finished his career holding fourteen Morgan season and career statistical records.

Ali Culpepper, Football (1998-2001)
Culpepper, a transfer from Syracuse University, left his imprint on the Bear football program as one of its most prolific running backs. He set the record for most rushing yards gained in a career (2,727), most carries in a game (44), most carries in a career (605) and most rushing touchdowns in a career (28), all which still stand today. He was a first team All-MEAC selection in 2001.

Tanya Elliott, Track and Field (1976-1980)
Elliott made significant contributions to the Morgan track and field legacy as a relay team competitor. She helped lead her team to a 4x100m relay Championship at the 1977 Penn Relays with a time of 47.5. In 1979, her 4x100m relay team posted a time of 45.9 as they posted their second Penn Relays 1st place finish.

Curtis Ellis, Wrestling (1978-1981)
Ellis was a standout in the Bears wrestling program in the 118 pound class. A four time MEAC champion and three time All-American, Ellis was undefeated during his four year MEAC career (36-0) and finished his career with an overall record of 102-17-1 and ranked 8th overall in the country.

Theresa Gibson & Kimberly Watkins, Coach (1983-present)
Gibson and Watkins have served as the coaches for the Morgan State University Cheer Bears for over thirty years. Their teams have combined to win ten MEAC Cheerleading Championships and became the first HBCU team to place as high as 2nd in the NCA Collegiate Cheer Championship in 2014.

Monique Liddell, Basketball (1996-2000)
Liddell made an immediate mark on the legacy of the Lady Bear program after her MEAC 1st Team All-Rookie selection after her freshman season. She finished her career ranking second in all-time scoring (1,420 points), second in steals (208) and fourth in rebounds (790).

COURTESY MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION