BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Quarterback John Gibbs Jr. adds another preseason honor under is belt, as he headlines the 2015 Southwestern Athletic Conference Preseason Teams. He was named to the preseason All SWAC First teamand Preseason Offensive Player of the Year after a breakout junior campaign.
The Houston native led the Braves to an eastern division title and the team's first championship in the divisonal era. Gibbs is also joined by Tightend Jordan Payne, Defensive linemen Darien Moody, Linebacker Damon Watkins, and Defensive Back Warren Gatewood all earned spots on the 2015 SWAC Preseason first team.
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Alcorn State added three more on the Second Team All SWAC. Running Back Arron Baker, Defensive Back Anthony William Jr., and Haiden McCraney was named to both second team punter and kicker.
ASU received 10 first place votes and a total of 95 points to become the preseason favorite of the Eastern Divison. Jackson State followed with 83 points, AAMU 66 points, Alabama State (50), MVSU (31) to close out the Eastern Division preseason rankings. In the Western Division GSU are preseason favorites, they garnered 8 first place votes and 93 points, followed by Southern (91), PVAMU (72), TSU (40), and UAPB (34).
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Friday, July 17, 2015
New AD Overton to implement GradesFirst at FAMU
TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- One of Milton Overton Jr.’s first moves as Florida A&M’s new athletic director will be to implement software he hopes will help get FAMU’s student-athletes on the right track.GradesFirst, part of the nationwide Education Advisory Board, monitors the progress of student-athletes and provides updates to both professors and the athletic department. Many schools use the software to improve university-wide retention rates.
Overton said he plans to implement the system before the first day of school.
It’s the same software Florida State has used since 2011 to monitor its student-athletes, according to FSU officials.
Mario Moore, the managing director for GradesFirst, said the software first became available in 2006.
“We help the majority of Division I athletic departments with their academic services,” Moore said.
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Mistress of former JSU football player kills wife, then herself
ATLANTA, Georgia - Multiple sources tell us that a former Jackson State University football player is at the center of a tragic case out of Georgia.
Sources say that the girlfriend of Buster Barnett, kidnapped his wife, shot and killed her, then committed suicide Thursday.
Barnett is originally from Macon, MS and played college football at JSU before going to the NFL and playing for the Buffalo Bills for 4 years. We're told his wife, 58-year-old Sandra Barnett, is originally from Mississippi, also.
According to NBC affiliate in Atlanta, WXIA, it all began Wednesday afternoon when neighbors of the Barnetts said they spotted a black Dodge Durango outside of the home. The neighbors became suspicious because a lock had recently been placed on the gate to the backyard after believing that someone had tampered with the latch.
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Sources say that the girlfriend of Buster Barnett, kidnapped his wife, shot and killed her, then committed suicide Thursday.
Barnett is originally from Macon, MS and played college football at JSU before going to the NFL and playing for the Buffalo Bills for 4 years. We're told his wife, 58-year-old Sandra Barnett, is originally from Mississippi, also.
According to NBC affiliate in Atlanta, WXIA, it all began Wednesday afternoon when neighbors of the Barnetts said they spotted a black Dodge Durango outside of the home. The neighbors became suspicious because a lock had recently been placed on the gate to the backyard after believing that someone had tampered with the latch.
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Florida A&M's Tennis Team And 5 Players Make ITA All-Academic Team
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| Karlyn Small led the Rattlers on the court and in the classroom COURTESY FAMU ATHLETICS |
TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Five Florida A&M tennis players, as well as the FAMU team as a whole, earned prestigious Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s (ITA) 2014-2015 All-Academic awards.
In order for a team to make the All-Academic squad, each player’s G.P.A. is factored in and must average at least 3.5 (4.0 scale) or above. The Rattler squad met that criteria and was selected an ITA All-Academic squad.
The individual players had to have an average of 3.5 (4.0 scale). Carlos Augustin Waitman, Courage Okungbowa, Jason Ulacio, Joel Ovonlen-Jones and Karlyn Small all made the All-Academic squad as individuals.
Head coach, Carl Goodman, Ph.D, takes pride in the academic success of his student-athletes. No slouch himself, he is an Assistant Dean in the FAMU School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. In addition, he was named FAMU’s Advanced Teacher of the Year for 2014-2015. He hold no lesser academic expectations of his teams, but is especially prideful in the accomplishments of this year’s squad.
“They are a bright bunch of guys. We’re very, very excited about these guys. They are truly scholar-athletes. They are able to handle both sides. They go hard in practice and find time and energy to go to their rooms or library to study. It’s rare to see a whole team like that. And then the next day they’re back at the tennis court again,” Goodman said.
FAMU Director of Athletics, Milton Overton Jr., uses academics as his first priority in FAMU Athletics. “The FAMU tennis team is a prime example of where we want our teams to achieve academically. Our first tier to building champions is academics. Without strong academics, on-court successes are marginalized. In building champions, we want our athletes to be well-rounded in the classroom, in competition and in life,” Overton said. “I applaud Dr. Goodman and the academic pace he is setting with the men’s tennis team,” Overton concluded.
Goodman echoed that sentiment. “It’s good to know that when they finish their careers on the court, they have bright futures in the corporate world or private industry. Three of our players are in the FAMU School of Business and Industry, one is in pharmacy and another in computer science. Neither of them took an easy route, but challenging ones that could result in success after college,” Goodman concluded.
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North Carolina A&T Launch Intercollegiate Men's and Women's Golf Programs; Watkins Named Head Golf Coach
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| RICHARD WATKINS HEAD GOLF COACH MEN'S AND WOMEN'S GOLF N.C. A&T AGGIES |
“Richard Watkins has always been on my short list of candidates for Golf Coach here at A&T,” said A&T athletics director, Earl M. Hilton III. “He is precisely what we need in order to get two new golf programs off the ground. Coach Watkins is a fixture in the Greensboro golfing community. He has a tremendous passion for the game and for student-athletes. He has decades of experience in teaching the game, and he’s a proven winner. I could not be more pleased to add him to our coaching staff.”
For Watkins and many longtime supporters of A&T athletics, an Aggies golf program has been a long-awaited wish come true. When Watkins arrived at A&T in 1976 to pursue a master’s degree in physical education, legendary men’s basketball coach Cal Irvin and Dr. Otis Tillman, Sr., an A&T graduate, convinced Watkins to become the golf coach of an A&T club team.
Even though a varsity team never materialized, Watkins served as a golf instructor over a span of nearly 40 years, but never lost hope that A&T would one day start a golf program.
“I’m excited,” said Watkins about becoming the Aggies coach. “I know others are excited too. A lot of people have wanted a golf program here for years. Anytime any of the past (A&T) athletics directors wanted information on what it would take to start a program, I was more than willing to help, so I’m looking forward to building a winner. I want to thank (Chancellor Harold L. Martin), athletics director Earl Hilton and the rest of the athletic administration for having the forethought to bring this program into fruition.”
Watkins has been a part of the pro shop staff at Gillespie Park Golf Course in Greensboro for the past 20 years. His responsibilities included course maintenance and private and group golf instruction. He has also served as a golf instructor for the Multicultural Golf Association of America clinics and the TYGR Paws clinics. He has also worked at the Oak Hollow Golf Course (High Point) and was a volunteer assistant golf coach at Page High School under head coach Debbie Jones.
In 1992, Watkins returned to A&T to become an instructor in the physical education department now known as human performance and leisure studies, a position he still holds. From 1993-96, he was the head baseball coach for the Aggies, helping the Aggies win the ‘93 MEAC championship.
Before returning to Aggieland, he was a physical education instructor, head baseball and volleyball coach and supervisor of physical education student teachers at Texas College (Tyler, Texas) from 1982-92. His Texas College baseball teams won six straight Interregional Athletic Conference baseball championships from 1986-91 and he was named coach of the year in each of those seasons. Texas College also made the NAIA District Baseball Playoffs six times during his tenure. He was volleyball coach of the year in 1985 and from 1987-91.
Watkins is a 1976 graduate of High Point College, where he earned a B.S., degree in physical education and became the first African American to play on the golf team. He earned his master’s degree at A&T in 1977. He has also had further study at Middle Tennessee State University.
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Culver Column: FAMU’s athletic problems run deep, but can be fixed
TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Make no mistake. Milton Overton Jr. was hired to save Florida A&M’s athletic department.
It needs saving.
Documents from the last FAMU Board of Trustees meeting show the athletic program’s deficit at the end of June would be $8.956 million, about $1.4 million more than at the end of July last year.
The issues are legion, and many of them wer e documented in the budget overview from the June 9 meeting.
Here are some of the points: •There have been four athletic directors and three head football coaches in the past 12 months.
•For an approximately two-week overlapping period, the university had two entire football coaching staffs; this resulted in an additional $55,000.
•FAMU had to pay terminal leave for the ADs, coaches and other staff who were relieved of their duties. This totaled an additional $512,000.
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It needs saving.
Documents from the last FAMU Board of Trustees meeting show the athletic program’s deficit at the end of June would be $8.956 million, about $1.4 million more than at the end of July last year.
The issues are legion, and many of them wer e documented in the budget overview from the June 9 meeting.
Here are some of the points: •There have been four athletic directors and three head football coaches in the past 12 months.
•For an approximately two-week overlapping period, the university had two entire football coaching staffs; this resulted in an additional $55,000.
•FAMU had to pay terminal leave for the ADs, coaches and other staff who were relieved of their duties. This totaled an additional $512,000.
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ASU picked to place 4th in SWAC East, Berry preseason honor
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Alabama State was picked to finish fourth in the SWAC East Division as it was announced today at SWAC Media Day at the Birmingham Marriott.The order was finish is determined by votes from the conference's 10 head coaches. ASU was picked to finish first in the division the last two seasons.
Defending conference champion Alcorn State finished first in the voting to win the East Division with 95 votes that included all 10 first-place votes. Jackson State (83), Alabama A&M (66), Alabama State (50) and Mississippi Valley State (31) rounded out of the East Division predictions.
Grambling State edged Southern in the voting to win the West Division as it tallied 93 points with eight first-place votes. Southern received 91 points, followed by Prairie View (72), Texas Southern (40) and Arkansas Pine Bluff (34).
ASU junior linebacker Kourtney Berry was voted SWAC...
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Southern University football picked to finish 2nd in SWAC West
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| PHOTO COURTESY: SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS |
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- If the preseason SWAC football poll is any indication, the Bayou Classic will again settle who wins the SWAC West. Despite placing no players on the All-SWAC preseason first team, Grambling is the pick to win the West division of the league in a vote of league coaches and sports information directors.
Southern University, the two-time defending West champ, was selected second. The Jaguars defeated Grambling, 52-45, to claim the West title in 2014 in last year's Bayou Classic at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Southern lost to Alcorn State, 38-24, in the SWAC Championship the following week.
Alcorn State was picked to win the SWAC East division.
The Jaguars finished 2014 9-4 overall, 8-1 in the SWAC. Southern won seven straight games before falling to Alcorn State in the title contest.
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Jury Selection Starts Monday in Shooting Death of Former FAMU Football Player Jonathan Ferrell
CHARLOTTE, North Carolina -- It's been 2 years since an unarmed FAMU football player was killed by a police officer in Charlotte, North Carolina. Now, that officer charged with involuntary manslaughter, will face a judge in the coming week.
Jury selection begins Monday, July 20th for the shooting of Jonathan Ferrell and the city of Charlotte is pulling out all the stops. The city has requested more jurors and even hired an attorney to control the trial's publicity. The officer involved, Officer Randall Kerrick with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, is accused of shooting Ferrell.
The former FAMU student crashed his car in a Charlotte neighborhood and sought out help from nearby homes. According to court documents, Officer Kerrick was 1 of 3 officers that responded to the reports, but the only officer to draw his weapon. Kerrick is accused of shooting Ferrell 10 times in the chest and arms after Ferrell tried to approach the officers for help.
After a series of lawsuits and appeals, Kerrick will go on trial for voluntary manslaughter. Jury summons went out more than a month ago and more than 300 jurors are expected to show up Monday.
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Jury selection begins Monday, July 20th for the shooting of Jonathan Ferrell and the city of Charlotte is pulling out all the stops. The city has requested more jurors and even hired an attorney to control the trial's publicity. The officer involved, Officer Randall Kerrick with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, is accused of shooting Ferrell.
The former FAMU student crashed his car in a Charlotte neighborhood and sought out help from nearby homes. According to court documents, Officer Kerrick was 1 of 3 officers that responded to the reports, but the only officer to draw his weapon. Kerrick is accused of shooting Ferrell 10 times in the chest and arms after Ferrell tried to approach the officers for help.
After a series of lawsuits and appeals, Kerrick will go on trial for voluntary manslaughter. Jury summons went out more than a month ago and more than 300 jurors are expected to show up Monday.
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Quarterback depth becoming a concern for JSU
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Jackson State has one of the brightest stars in the SWAC, LaMontiez Ivy, as its quarterback.Ivy, who earned preseason second-team all-conference honors, is a talent, but he's the only proven one the Tigers currently have at the quarterback position.
The unit's depth took a hit last month when redshirt freshman Brent Lyles was in a car accident back in his home state of Indiana. At SWAC Media Day on Friday, JSU coach Harold Jackson officially declared Lyles done for the season after the accident resulted in hip surgery.
That leaves Ivy and UNLV transfer Jarin Morikawa as the only two healthy quarterbacks on the roster.
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Grambling is pick to win SWAC West
GRAMBLING, Louisiana -- Not even two years removed from a 1-10 season and a player boycott that brought national media attention, Grambling is back in the conversation as one of the top teams in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.Grambling was picked Friday as the preseason favorite to win the SWAC West Division as voted on by the league’s 10 coaches and sports information directors at the annual SWAC Media Day in Birmingham, Alabama.
The Tigers earned eight first-place votes and 93 total points to edge out defending SWAC West champion Southern, which came in at a close second with 91 total points.
The SWAC picked Grambling to finish last in the West in 2014, but the Tigers put together their best year since 2011 as Broderick Fobbs earned a 7-5 record in his first season as coach.
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Hitman's Hard Hits: HBCU Sports- Many See the Problems, Now Here's My Suggestion for A Solution
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| HITMAN'S HARD HITS
Former NFL player and college All-American safety Tim Watson (HOWARD UNIVERSITY BISON) shares his frank insights on the gridiron and current topics.
CHECK HIM OUT AT: http://timwatson.sportsblog.com/
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With football season just around the corner, I need to address the issues surrounding the sports' environment that's closest to my heart, as a proud HBCU graduate. In part this is a revisit of an earlier post regarding the unfortunate state of HBCU athletics. In particular, the sport of football, where the Big 5 Conference powerhouses have made financial windfalls for their universities, HBCU's actually appear the least competitive amongst all the athletic programs. After experiencing the college football recruiting roller coaster as a parent, some really interesting revelations came to light. I personally made a choice against the grain in 1988 to attend Howard University over more prominent football programs. Having been highly recruited by SEC mainstay UGA, Big Ten School Indiana, and other notable FBS programs, my decision was questioned by many on signing day, and throughout my years at Howard. For an up front and candid perspective on the value of my decision in lieu of athletics, the stadium and facilities at Howard were actually a step-down from my high school. To be more exact, it was even worse than we had for my middle school team. However, knowing the man I am today (and that I see most of my Howard teammates have also become) I'm fortunate to have made the decision I did.
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FAMU wrapping summer conditioning, focused on season
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Wood said the group will go through the final rounds of conditioning next week and will open fall camp Aug. 3. The Rattlers open the season with three games on the road, starting with a 7 p.m. Sept. 5 game against South Florida in Tampa.
The focus through most of the summer has been on academics, Wood said, but the team is working to put together a strong on-the-field product.
“This is just the normal process of building our program and establishing who we are,” Wood said.
“That’s an everyday event. We’ve had a good turnout and good participation over the summer. There’s good enthusiasm with our players. I don’t know exactly where they are, but we sent out progress reports today and it looks like we’re competing well in the classroom, too.
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Q&A with former NSU basketball star Pendarvis Williams
NORFOLK,Virginia -- Former Norfolk State basketball star Pendarvis Williams got his first extensive look at the rest of the world over the winter as 1 of 2 permitted foreign players for Fortitudo Agrigento in Italy's second-division professional league.
The 2013 MEAC Player of the Year, Williams averaged 14.4 points and 4.5 rebounds per game while living in Sicily, and he plans to go back for more. This week, the guard signed with Virtus Bologna, which plays in Italy's top pro division.
During a recent weekend visit to Norfolk the 6-foot-6, 23-year-old Philadelphia native discussed everything from the crowds in Italy to his thoughts on former NSU teammate RaShid Gaston's decision to transfer to why he plans to stay away from pasta while he's home.
How much fun was it to play over in Italy?
Oh man, it was great. Coming out of college, seeing new things and different cultures and getting paid to do what I love is truly a blessing. So I really enjoyed it.
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The 2013 MEAC Player of the Year, Williams averaged 14.4 points and 4.5 rebounds per game while living in Sicily, and he plans to go back for more. This week, the guard signed with Virtus Bologna, which plays in Italy's top pro division.
During a recent weekend visit to Norfolk the 6-foot-6, 23-year-old Philadelphia native discussed everything from the crowds in Italy to his thoughts on former NSU teammate RaShid Gaston's decision to transfer to why he plans to stay away from pasta while he's home.
How much fun was it to play over in Italy?
Oh man, it was great. Coming out of college, seeing new things and different cultures and getting paid to do what I love is truly a blessing. So I really enjoyed it.
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MEAC Football Press Luncheon Kicks Off July 31
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| COURTESY MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION |
NORFOLK, Virginia -- The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) will host the annual Football Press Luncheon, Friday, July 31 at the Norfolk Waterside Marriott Hotel (235 E. Main Street, Norfolk, VA 23510/ (757) 627-4200). MEAC head football coaches and two student-athletes from each team will be on hand to offer an inside view on the upcoming 2015 football season.
A limited number of tickets are available to the public for the press luncheon and can be purchased by calling Jane Vega at (757) 951-2055 or jvega@themeac.com. Tickets are $30 per seat or $300 per table (10 persons) and must be purchased by 5:30 p.m. on Friday, July 24.
Media members may obtain a credential for the luncheon and/or one-on-one interviews by completing an application found on www.MEACSports.com. One-on-one interviews will begin promptly at 10:00 a.m.
The 2015 MEAC football season kicks off on Saturday, September 5 featuring nine MEAC institutions in non-conference action.
South Carolina State will compete against Arkansas at Pine Bluff in the 11th annual MEAC/SWAC Challenge also on Labor Day Weekend, Sunday, September 6. Details and ticket information can be found on www.meacswacchallenge.com.
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SWAC takes its turn in front of the media
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BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- A whirlwind of activity whetted the appetite of college football fans for ;the last four days as the media faced off against the newsmakers of the Southeastern Conference in Hoover, Alabama.
Now the media moves up the road to the Marriott in Birmingham, where there will be no no shortage of storylines at the 2015 Southwestern Athletic Conference, kicking off its media day at 10 a.m. Friday.
“The exposure part is great (for us),” Jackson State coach Harold Jackson said earlier this week of Friday’s event. “JSU has always been one of the top teams in the SWAC, and we’re feeling like we left a lot of football on the field last season.”
The Tigers’ 5-7 finish in 2014 was their first losing season since 2009. There’s a bevy of experience coming back on defense and skill on offense, so a turnaround season should be manageable for Jackson, who will be in his second year heading the program.
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Grambling, Fobbs head into SWAC Media Day focused on trophy, ring
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Broderick Fobbs has too many things to worry about as Grambling’s football coach to spend time analyzing who is chasing who in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
So whether Grambling is voted as the preseason favorite in the SWAC West Division or in last place, as it was in 2014 before finishing with a 7-5 record, is irrelevant because Fobbs won’t have much of an opinion.
“That’s always been my focus. I think to put a focus on a particular team or teams takes the focus off where you’re trying to go,” Fobbs said earlier this week.
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So whether Grambling is voted as the preseason favorite in the SWAC West Division or in last place, as it was in 2014 before finishing with a 7-5 record, is irrelevant because Fobbs won’t have much of an opinion.
“That’s always been my focus. I think to put a focus on a particular team or teams takes the focus off where you’re trying to go,” Fobbs said earlier this week.
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Robinson becomes 3rd Texan to join Gold Nuggets for 2015-16
NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana women's basketball announced Thursday the signing of a third Texas student-athlete — 6-foot forward Kiera Robinson of Arlington, a Dallas suburb — for the 2015-16 season.
Robinson graduated this year from Mansfield Summit High School. She played on the varsity her final two seasons. As a senior she averaged 4.9 points and 5.4 rebounds and had 40 steals and 15 blocked shots for a 21-12 team. As a junior, she helped the Lady Jaguars win a district championship and reach the finals of the area playoffs.
Robinson is enrolled in Xavier's second summer session and has impressed Nuggets coach Bo Browder during free play.
"Kiera can do a lot of things well," said Browder, who will enter his 17th season as head coach, "and she loves to play defense, which is always a plus for me."
Robinson played four seasons of AAU basketball with the Arlington Hurricanes Elite, and her association there with coach Michael Fairley — the husband of former Gold Nugget LaTasha Coleman — helped earn her a recommendation at Xavier.
The other Texans on the 2015-16 XU roster will be recent signees Amani Davis, a junior from Cypress, and Joi Simmons, a freshman from Houston. During the previous 22 seasons, the Gold Nuggets had a combined four Texans on their rosters, none last season.
Xavier was 18-15 in 2014-15 and finished second in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular season and tournament. The Gold Nuggets qualified for the NAIA Division I National Championship 18 of the past 21 seasons.
| 2015-16 Xavier women's basketball signees | |||||
| Name | Pos. | Ht. | Yr.* | Hometown | High School (College) |
| Mikayla Bates | G | 5-7 | Fr. | Baton Rouge, La. | University |
| Amani Davis | F/C | 5-11 | Jr. | Cypress, Texas | Cypress Springs (McLennan CC) |
| Kiera Robinson | F | 6-0 | Fr. | Arlington, Texas | Mansfield Summit |
| Joi Simmons | G/F | 5-8 | Fr. | Houston, Texas | North Forest |
* athletic classification at Xavier in 2015-16  Ed Cassiere, Sports Information DirectorXULAgold.com XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA https://twitter.com/xulagold https://www.facebook.com/ | |||||
SWAC Media Day 2015: Five questions, five answers
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- 1. Can anyone unseat Alcorn State to become SWAC champion?Yes. The Braves were dominant in winning their first conference title in 20 years last season, beating Southern 38-24 in the championship game.
They dominated the Eastern Division, wrapping up the title in early November, and quarterback John Gibbs Jr., the Offensive MVP of the title game, returns for his senior season.
But the departure of offensive coordinator Willie Simmons to become head coach at Prairie View leaves a big void. No SWAC champion has repeated since 2002, and Alcorn will be hard-pressed to buck that trend.
2. Can Southern make it three in a row in the Western Division?
Yes, but ...
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Thursday, July 16, 2015
FAMU's Ginna Lopez Playing For Team Peru In Pan Am Games
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| Ginna Chavez-Lopez 6-3 MB, Senior Lima, Peru (San Ignacio De Loyola) Courtesy: FAMU Athletics |
Current Rattler Volleyball team co-captain Ginna Lopez-Chavez, a 6-3 junior middle blocker from Lima, Peru, joins former FAMUan Susan Egoavil on the Team Peru squad.
Team Peru opens PanAm play Thursday against the United States women's team.
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Williams and Williams will represent Grambling at 2015 SWAC Football Media Day
GRAMBLING, Louisiana -- Head Football Coach Broderick Fobbs and two veteran Tigers will represent Grambling in the 2015 Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Football Media Day on Friday at the Marriott in Birmingham, Alabama.
The annual event will feature head coaches accompanied by a pair of student athletes from all 10 SWAC schools. SWAC officials will rank the college football teams and announce the pre-season All-Conference Teams.
Grambling will be represented by Fobbs, Jevonta Williams, a defensive lineman from Zachary, Louisiana, and Johnathan Williams, a quarterback from Tampa, Florida.
"Johnathan is in my opinion the best player in the conference," Fobbs said. "He is highly intelligent, he knows what it takes to get things done, and he is the leader of our team. Jevonta is the leader of our defensive team, and he is also highly intelligent. I couldn't think of two better men to have representing us this weekend."
Dee Jackson will moderate the live coverage beginning at 10 a.m. CT live on the SWAC Digital Network. The SWAC's official website, swac.org, will carry continuous coverage of MD15 via online video and audio broadcast stream.
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Summer Band Camp Returns to FAMU
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TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- It’s barely 9 in the morning and it’s already sweltering on FAMU’s practice field.
“Percussion! Percussion!” Shelby Chipman shouts over the drumline, “Find some shade! You can do that, but find some shade over there. Get ‘em out of the sun.”
Chipman is an associate professor of music at the school and he’s the band camp’s coordinator. This is the first camp since 2011, when the program became embroiled in a hazing scandal after one of its drum majors was killed. The summer camp’s return is another step in FAMU’s effort to get back to normal, and Camille Howard says the school has turned the page.
“I definitely believe they have,” Howard says, “Like I said, they’re very disciplined and they have a no tolerance policy.”
Howard is down from Detroit, Michigan. She has two kids participating in the camp.
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JSU’s 5 most important players on defense
JACKSON, Mississippi -- Jackson State was fourth in the SWAC in scoring defense last year, allowing nearly 28 points a game. That will not be good enough for a team trying to put together a successful season.
Tigers coach Harold Jackson responded by not retaining defensive coordinator Derrick Burroughs and bringing in Alonzo Lee, who most previously coached at Morgan State, to run the defensive operation.
If the Tigers aim to rebound from last season’s defensive lapses, they’ll look at these five players to contribute to the turnaround.
Javancy Jones
Jones is the most disruptive force on the entire defense. He was named SWAC Freshman of the Year in 2013 as a defensive end, when he first displayed his ability to create havoc in the backfield. He finished the year with 54 tackles – 14 for loss – and five sacks.
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Tigers coach Harold Jackson responded by not retaining defensive coordinator Derrick Burroughs and bringing in Alonzo Lee, who most previously coached at Morgan State, to run the defensive operation.
If the Tigers aim to rebound from last season’s defensive lapses, they’ll look at these five players to contribute to the turnaround.
Javancy Jones
Jones is the most disruptive force on the entire defense. He was named SWAC Freshman of the Year in 2013 as a defensive end, when he first displayed his ability to create havoc in the backfield. He finished the year with 54 tackles – 14 for loss – and five sacks.
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Prairie View Names Tyler Interim Head Volleyball Coach
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| Coach Tacho Tyler |
"I am excited to have Coach Tyler as our next volleyball coach," said Robinson. "As a successful student-athlete and assistant coach at Prairie View A&M, Coac
h Tyler is well aware of the university's expectations as both a student-athlete and a coach. I anticipate a seamless transition for her into the role of interim head coach as we look forward to her continuing the strong tradition of Lady Panther volleyball on the court, in the classroom and across the local community."
Tyler is no stranger to Prairie View A&M as she was a standout volleyball player before moving into the role of assistant coach in 2008. Serving alongside Pete, Tyler guided the Lady Panthers to three consecutive Southwestern Athletic Conference Western Division Championships from 2009-2011. A total of 21 student-athletes have earned All-SWAC Honors under Tyler's watch in addition to numerous players receiving academic honors.
Tyler began her collegiate career at San Jacinto College in nearby Pasadena, Texas and earned 2004 All-Conference Tournament Team honors before transferring to Prairie View A&M. She made an immediate impact on the court at PVAMU during her first season as she helped lead the Lady Panthers to the 2006 SWAC Tournament Championship while also earning numerous awards which included SWAC Tournament MVP, SWAC Newcomer of the Year, Second Team All-SWAC and a No. 16 NCAA national ranking in service aces. She completed her career in 2007 and was second on the team in hitting percentage, kills and digs per game.
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XU volleyball repeats as an NAIA Scholar-Team
NEW ORLEANS — For the second consecutive academic year, Xavier University of Louisiana women's volleyball made the grade as an NAIA Scholar-Team. The NAIA announced the award Wednesday.
For a team to be considered for the NAIA Scholar-Team award, it must have a minimum 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale as defined by the institution. The team GPA includes all eligible varsity student-athletes. The Gold Nuggets compiled a 3.29 GPA.
"We are very keen on emphasizing the student portion of student-athlete and staying as focused in the classroom as we are on the court," XU head coach Hannah Lawing said. "Our girls come in with a career plan that's unlike most student-athletes in college. They plan to pursue what they are majoring in and are dedicated to that career path. (Assistant coach) Hilary (Lobenstein) and I do our best to promote academics, and our girls know coming into our program that we don't take less-than-average grades lightly."
Chinedu Echebelem was a Capital One Academic All-District 2 first-team selection in December, and she and 11 teammates — Jada Broussard, Ralitsa Hadzhistoyanova, Jodi Hill, Kayla Jones, Franziska Pirkl, Taylor Reuther, Kaelan Temple, Jelena Vujicic, Simone White, CeCe Williams and Aliyah Wilson — were named to the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Commissioner's Honor Roll in June. Echebelem, Hill, Pirkl, Reuther and Temple produced GPAs of 3.5 or higher for the academic year.
Xavier was one of 140 women's volleyball teams honored by the NAIA.
Xavier was successful on the court, too. For the fourth straight year, the Gold Nuggets won GCAC regular-season and tournament championships and qualified for the NAIA National Championship.
"We are extremely proud of our student-athletes' successes outside of volleyball and hope to make this honor a tradition," Lawing said.
There are 1,502 NAIA Scholar-Teams in 21 sports in 2014-15. The GCAC has five members represented with a combined 10 NAIA Scholar-Teams.
The Gold Nuggets, 20-6 a year ago, will open their 2015 season in late August.
Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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For a team to be considered for the NAIA Scholar-Team award, it must have a minimum 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale as defined by the institution. The team GPA includes all eligible varsity student-athletes. The Gold Nuggets compiled a 3.29 GPA.
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"We are very keen on emphasizing the student portion of student-athlete and staying as focused in the classroom as we are on the court," XU head coach Hannah Lawing said. "Our girls come in with a career plan that's unlike most student-athletes in college. They plan to pursue what they are majoring in and are dedicated to that career path. (Assistant coach) Hilary (Lobenstein) and I do our best to promote academics, and our girls know coming into our program that we don't take less-than-average grades lightly."
Chinedu Echebelem was a Capital One Academic All-District 2 first-team selection in December, and she and 11 teammates — Jada Broussard, Ralitsa Hadzhistoyanova, Jodi Hill, Kayla Jones, Franziska Pirkl, Taylor Reuther, Kaelan Temple, Jelena Vujicic, Simone White, CeCe Williams and Aliyah Wilson — were named to the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Commissioner's Honor Roll in June. Echebelem, Hill, Pirkl, Reuther and Temple produced GPAs of 3.5 or higher for the academic year.
Xavier was one of 140 women's volleyball teams honored by the NAIA.
Xavier was successful on the court, too. For the fourth straight year, the Gold Nuggets won GCAC regular-season and tournament championships and qualified for the NAIA National Championship.
"We are extremely proud of our student-athletes' successes outside of volleyball and hope to make this honor a tradition," Lawing said.
There are 1,502 NAIA Scholar-Teams in 21 sports in 2014-15. The GCAC has five members represented with a combined 10 NAIA Scholar-Teams.
The Gold Nuggets, 20-6 a year ago, will open their 2015 season in late August.
Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.comXAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
https://twitter.com/xulagold
https://www.facebook.com/
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