Southern notebook: Will Southern try to get Willie Quinn more involved? Yes, but it won't force it

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- In each of Southern's past two games, senior receiver Willie Quinn has been held in check.

How long will that trend continue? Maybe not long at all.

“Willie is always going to be targeted from us,” offensive coordinator Chennis Berry said. “We want to get him the ball, but (the other team has) coaches too. They’re going to try to take one of our better players out.

“We’ve got some things to make sure he’ll be able to touch it and get his opportunities.”

Lately, those opportunities have been reduced.

Alcorn State limited Quinn to season lows in catches (three) and receiving yards (60). The following week, Quinn managed just 20 yards on four catches.

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Preview: Alabama State at Grambling State

FOUR-DOWN TERRITORY

1. Trending up: Alabama State’s defense held Jackson State to only 294 total yards in the Hornets’ 14-7 win last Saturday at home. It was the first time all season that the Hornets held an opponent under 300 yards. Hornets coach Brian Jenkins said that all his team needed was to get the game into the fourth quarter. “It was a very hard-fought football game, but you have to give our entire defense credit,” Jenkins said. “They played team football and found a way to really slow down Jackson State, a good offensive football team.” The Hornets will travel to Shreveport, Louisiana, to take on Grambling State. The Tigers lead the SWAC in total offense at 527.4 yards per game and scoring offense at nearly 46 points per game.

2. Promising future: Alabama State freshman linebacker Darron Johnson won his third SWAC Newcomer of the Week award after recording eight tackles and a sack last Saturday. Johnson has earned the attention of his teammates, namely three-time all-SWAC performer Kourtney Berry. “He’s doing exceptional right now,” Berry said after Saturday’s game. “He’s come in as a freshman and played at a high level and does his job to the best of his abilities. He gives it 110 percent.” Berry and Johnson are tied for the team lead with 56 tackles.

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NTA's Ugochukwu signs with UMES

FAYETTEVILLE, North Carolina -- The student body had gathered Wednesday morning in the Northwood Temple gym. All that remained was for the signee to appear.

When
Franklin Ugochukwu popped through a double door sporting a Maryland Eastern Shore t-shirt and hat, the suspense was over. All that remained was applause for the 6-11 senior as he signed a letter of intent to play for the MEAC school whose name was emblazoned across his chest.

“I just feel like Eastern Shore is going to be the right place for me to play because of the connection with the coach,” Ugochukwu said.

Eastern Shore was predicted by coaches to finish eighth in the MEAC after it went 10-22 a year ago. An infusion of junior college players underpin this season’s roster, making it vital to bring in a deeper freshman pool for the 2017-18 season.

Ugochukwu came to the United States from Nigeria three years ago and is in his first season at Northwood Temple under first-year coach Corey Baker. He had four points and seven rebounds in the Eagles’ 54-44 win against Bull City Prep.

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The MEAC: Overview of men's basketball

NORFOLK, Virginia -- A look at the MEAC, based on the preseason poll:

1. Howard The Bison (12-20 overall, 6-10 MEAC last season) return the league’s top player in high-scoring guard James Daniel, but not right away. Daniel, who led the nation with 27.1 points per game in 2015-16, is out 4 to 6 weeks with an ankle injury, forcing Howard to look to other scoring sources early on.

2. South Carolina State The Bulldogs (19-14, 12-4) return three starters from a team that lost to Hampton in the MEAC tournament final in Norfolk, including top scorer Eric Eaves (17.6 ppg). Four newcomers who are 6-7 or taller give South Carolina State reason to believe it can contend.

3. Hampton Just one starter returns from a team that went 21-11 overall and 13-3 in the MEAC on its way to a tournament title and a second straight NCAA tournament appearance. With 11 players who are freshmen or sophomores, eighth-year coach Buck Joyner will have his work cut out for him to repeat.

4. North Carolina Central The Eagles (13-19, 7-9), the last team besides Hampton to win the MEAC tournament, have just two returning starters after a down year. But N.C. Central isn’t short on experience: 12 of its 14 players are transfers.

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Championship hopes, playoff aspirations and bragging rights on the line this weekend in Prairie View

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Playoff and championship aspirations and just plain bragging rights — there is plenty riding on this weekend’s game between Southern and Prairie View A&M.

The Panthers come into Saturday’s game one game behind both Southern and Grambling in the SWAC West standings. A loss would eliminate Prairie View’s chances at a championship all together, since it would lose the head-to-head tiebreaker with Southern.



Thanks to an earlier loss to Grambling, Prairie View does not control its own destiny in the SWAC race. But even if things shake out to where Prairie View can not play in a conference title thanks to that Grambling loss, a win Saturday would put them in position for another goal.

“With us being a game back of both Southern and Grambling, we have to assume that for our chances to get to the SWAC championship, we have to win out,” Prairie View coach Willie Simmons said. “That’s something we’ve talked to our guys about. We’re taking that playoff mindset.

“We also have playoff aspirations as part of our goals as well. If we … win out and finish with an 8-3 record, 8-1 in conference play, if chips don’t fall our way where we don’t get to compete in the conference championship, our résumé is good enough … to warrant a playoff bid.”

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Brent, JSU Tigers ready to take 'next step'

JACKSON, Mississippi-- Wayne Brent is calm and collected when talking about that proverbial “next step” for his team - reaching the NCAA Tournament. And his team appears ready to take that step.

The Tigers came within two points of beating Southern in the SWAC Championship and making the big dance a year ago. They finished 20-16, winning a first-round CIT game against Sam Houston State before losing 64-54 to Grand Canyon in the second round.

Almost all of the players that made up that team are back this year, and Brent said this week that if they can stay healthy, a little bit of determination may be all the Tigers need.

“I think the thing with us to get over the hump is being consistent and not turning the basketball over,” he said. “That, and being mentally focused each and every day, because it’s a long season and we have to be playing our basketball at the right time of year.”

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Grambling won't stop 'until we bring it home'

GRAMBLING, Louisiana — It may sound nit-picky of anyone associated with Grambling's football program to not be entirely satisfied with what the Tigers' have going on.

Grambling has won 15 straight league games dating back to 2014 and is running through Southwestern Athletic Conference teams this year by an average margin of victory of 37.1 points per game.

Yet the Tigers still feel their appetite isn't quenched.

"We're not satisfied with 59-17 or 70-0, because at the end of the day, we did all that last year and we came out with nothing on our fingers and no trophy to hold," Grambling tight ends coach Robert Bailey said Monday. "At this point, we're getting the pats on the backs about 15 games in conference in a row, outscoring opponents this many points. All that stuff is good, but at the end of the day, we gotta bring it home, and we're not going to stop until we bring it home."

A SWAC title is what Grambling wants to bring home, along with a Celebration Bowl trophy. Until that's accomplished, Grambling has no intention of slowing down.

Case in point is Grambling's latest 56-17 win over Alabama A&M. It was a nice win on paper, but it left the staff, at least the assistants like Bailey and Quentin Burrell, who is a defensive assistant, wanting more.

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Southern notebook: Lenard Tillery has one more record in reach, and this one has been around for a while

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Southern senior running back Lenard Tillery already has a couple of records under his belt after setting the Southern career rushing record last year and the SWAC career rushing record earlier this season.

He’s on track to break one more, and this one has stood for nearly seven decades.

Odie Posey set the Southern single-season rushing record in 1949, when he ran for 1,399 yards to lead the nation. Posey initially came to Southern on a tennis scholarship but went on to have a decorated football career that included four All-SWAC honors.

Eight games into this season, Tillery has rushed for 1,085 yards, putting him 315 yards shy of breaking Posey’s long-standing record.

At his current pace, Tillery would finish the season with 1,491 yards. If Southern wins the SWAC and plays in the conference title game, that projection bumps to 1,627 yards.

Tulane has been the only opponent to hold Tillery under 100 yards, limiting him to 39 yards on 13 carries in Week 2. Since then, he has averaged 147.5 yards per game, all against SWAC opponents.

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FAMU QB Ryan Stanley Added To Jerry Rice Award Watch List

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- STATS, Inc., the consummate source for news and information on NCAA FCS Football, has added FAMU redshirt freshman quarterback Ryan Stanley to its’ Jerry Rice Award Watch List.

Craig Haley, Director of FCS coverage for STATS, Inc., made the announcement in a Watch List Update released Tuesday afternoon.

The Jerry Rice Award, which goes to the top first year player in FCS Football, is named after the NFL Hall of Famer and former Mississippi Valley State wide receiver, who is the all-time receiving leader in NFL history.

Stanley, a 6-3, 190-pound native of Pembroke Pines, Florida, where he was one of the state’s top quarterbacks at Flanagan High School, has twice been named Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Rookie of the Week for his performances in the last month.

On the year, has completed 92 of 160 passes for 1,010 yards (57.5 percent), with five (5) TDs and three INTs.

Stanley’s five starts coincided with a reversal of fortune for FAMU Football, which was 0-4 before his first collegiate starting nod against Savannah State on October 1, but has gone 3-2 since, with road losses to MEAC co-leaders North Carolina A&T and North Carolina Central.

In those five starts, he has zero turnovers while having thrown for 895 yards, completing 79 of 138 passes, with five TDs, while rushing for 224 yards on 42 carries, and 3
TDs.

FAMU will host Morgan State in their Senior Day home finale Saturday at 4:00 p.m. at Bragg Memorial Stadium.

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Is this Howard's year to join the big dance?

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- As Milan Brown walked through Howard University’s campus recently, the former Bison basketball star began experiencing a series of flashbacks.

Flashback No. 1: He remembered escorting his girlfriend, Tina, down the long steps beside Founders Library and into the space known on campus as The Valley. Leading her to the center of the yard, Brown, a 1993 Howard graduate, knelt and proposed to the then-doctoral student who’s now his wife.

Flashback No. 2: Brown, a current assistant coach at the College of Charleston, relived the struggles of a basketball team that never won more than nine games in each of his first two years. But the low point came in his junior year when the team started 2-9: Despite leading the team in assists and being the second-leading scorer, Brown was replaced in the starting lineup by a freshman.

Brown’s final flashback? It’s the feeling that comes over him as he walks onto the floor in Burr Gymnasium, the home of the Bison basketball team for the last 53 years, and looks up toward the north end of the gym.

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FAMU Rattlers chasing four-game home attendance record

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Florida A&M’s football team is looking to set several marks as the season winds down.

With two games left, the Rattlers have the opportunity to finish 5-6 overall, which would be the best season for FAMU since 2011. The Rattlers could also finish at .500 in MEAC play for the first time since 2012 with just one win in their final two games.

Still, there’s an all-time mark the Rattlers (3-6, 3-3 MEAC) are hoping to set Saturday against Morgan State, though they’ll need some help from their fans.

FAMU has a chance to break the all-time, four-game season attendance record for Bragg Memorial Stadium. Through three home games this season, including homecoming, 61,960 fans have come to see the Rattlers play in Bragg.

If 20,428 fans come out to Saturday’s game, the Rattlers will break the previous record set in 1996. So far, the Rattlers have averaged 20,653 fans per game at Bragg.

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Albany State out, Virginia State now 10th Tuskegee game

TUSCALOOSA, Alabama -- After Albany State backed out, Tuskegee has found a 10th game to qualify for the NCAA Division II playoffs.

Virginia State coach Reggie Barlow confirmed that his Trojans (8-2) will play the No. 14-ranked Golden Tigers (8-1) Saturday after Albany State (5-2) decided not to play Tuskegee two days after the game was announced.

"I'm so grateful for administration that believe in me and trust me and they said it was my decision," said the Montgomery native who coached against Tuskegee as head coach at Alabama State. Tuskegee beat ASU, 27-25, with Barlow as coach the last time the two teams played in 2012 in the first game at ASU Stadium.

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Hughes disappointed but optimistic after ASU loss

JACKSON, Mississippi -- Jackson State coach Tony Hughes was still getting over the disappointment from Saturday's 14-7 loss to Alabama State, but seemed upbeat when he addressed the media at his regular Monday press conference.

Hughes called Saturday's loss to Alabama State "frustrating and heartbreaking" for his team.

"Our guys played hard, gave great effort," Hughes said. "The game turned into a defensive struggle, a slug-fest. Bottom line is we weren't able to make a play in a crucial situation that would have given us the victory. Give them credit, they made two more plays than we did."

The Tigers fell to 3-6 overall and, more importantly, 3-4 in the SWAC. But thanks to losses by Alcorn State and Alabama A&M, Hughes' team finds themselves still tied with Alcorn for first in the SWAC Eastern division.

A win over Alabama A&M this Saturday at Veterans Memorial Stadium would set up a showdown with Alcorn State in Lorman the following weekend with the division title on the line.

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Southern notebook: Defensive back Danny Johnson responded to giving up a big play by making his own

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- A strange thing happened against Texas Southern last Saturday — Southern defensive back Danny Johnson was beat for a long pass completion.

Johnson was running stride-for-stride with TSU’s Malik Webb, but Averion Hurts threw a perfect ball and Webb hauled it in for 45 yards.

“No receiver should be catching a deep ball on him,” said linebacker Roshaud Turner. “If a receiver does happen to catch a deep ball, he’ll definitely turn it up and lock in.”

That’s only the second time that’s happened this season. Johnson was also beaten by 6-foot-6 Alabama A&M receiver Jonathan Dorsey for a 39-yard score on a jump ball. Other than that, he’s kept everything in front of him.

“It happens to the best,” Johnson said after the TSU game. “I just feel like I’ve got to come back and make the play. I came back on the same side with the same guy, it’s my turn to make the play. He had his chance, it’s my turn to seize the moment.”

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Grambling football coming together like a 'tasty gumbo'

GRAMBLING, Louisiana —  Banking deposits and purple unicorns were talking points at Grambling during the past few weeks.

With Thanksgiving coming up in just a few weeks, it was time for food, and more specifically gumbo, to enter the discussion.

During the course of the season, Grambling's football team started with a base, or a roux, added protein and vegetables on the way and finished it off with some spices.

And boy is it tasting pretty good. Perhaps award-winning good.

"You're talking about great Grambling football right now. We're all eating it," Grambling tight ends coach Robert Bailey said Monday. "Everybody has their coffee or their Coke to the side to help swallow it down, and I love how it tastes. Outstanding spice to it. I love it. You can't look at it no other way. That's how it's supposed to be. We're known for winning."

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NSU alum Deon King activated by San Diego Chargers

NORFOLK, Virginia -- Linebacker Deon King became the second former Norfolk State football player to play in a regular-season NFL game this season in the San Diego Chargers’ 43-35 win over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.

King, who was signed to San Diego’s practice squad on Oct. 4, was promoted to the active roster for the first time on Saturday. He had one assisted tackle in the Chargers’ win, which improved their record to 4-5.



A three-time All-MEAC performer and last season’s NCAA Division I leader in total tackles, King originally signed with the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in the spring. He led the Cowboys in tackles during the preseason but was released before San Diego acquired him.

Eight-year NFL veteran Don Carey, whose career at NSU concluded in 2008, has played in all nine games this season for the Detroit Lions. Carey has six tackles this season and is on the Pro Bowl ballot as a special teams player.

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Florida A&M Rattler Volleyballers Clinch Divisional Crown

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Senior middle blocker Ginna Lopez-Chavez had a team-high 19 kills Sunday, as the FAMU Volleyball team closed the regular season with a 3-1 MEAC victory over visiting North Carolina A&T at the Al Lawson Center.

Sunday's win was the 12th straight match victory for FAMU (15-11, 10-0 MEAC) this season, locking down their first MEAC Southern Division title since 2014.

Lopez-Chavez added four blocks to her 19 kills, while freshman Nicole Abreu added nine kills and 11 digs, and freshman Radka Dimitrova had seven kills.

Freshman Maria Yvette Garcia had six kills, seven digs and three blocks, while freshman Elena Dimitrova finished with 39 assists.

Samara Brown led the Aggies (9-13, 6-3 MEAC) with 15 kills in Sunday's match.

NOTES: Lopez-Chavez was one of three seniors honored by FAMU following Sunday's matching during Senior Day Ceremonies. Also honored were middle blocker Dei'Ja Martin and outside hitter Starmichael Tucker.

@ FAMU Blanks NCCU Friday

On Friday, FAMU extended their winning streak, and clinched the MEAC Southern Division title outright with a 3-0 win over visiting North Carolina Central Friday at the Lawson Center.

FAMU clinched their first Southern Division title since 2014 with the straight set win, which was the team's 11th consecutive match victory.

Freshman Maria Yvette Garcia led all players with 16 kills for FAMU, followed by Radka Dimitrova with nine kills and Nicole Abreu with seven.

Elena Dimitrova finished with 37 assists, while Valentina Carrasco added 14 digs.

Kelsey Murphy led NCCU (5-15, 4-4 MEAC) with 11 kills and 10 digs Friday evening.

Friday's win means FAMU will go into the 2016 MEAC Volleyball Tournament, Nov. 18-20 at Princess Anne, Md., as the Southern Division's #1 seed.

WHAT'S NEXT: The Rattlers will now chase the MEAC title, whic
h has eluded them since 2009, even though FAMU reached the finals three since that season.

FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Week 10: Quarterback Malcolm Bell helping North Carolina Central contend for MEAC title

Between his passing and running, Bell is the offensive engine leading the league in total offense

DURHAM, North Carolina -- North Carolina Central University has quietly put together an impressive season. The Eagles (7-2 overall, 6-0 MEAC) have been able to soar behind the play of their brilliant quarterback Malcolm Bell, who guided North Carolina Central to a 38-19 victory over Delaware State University on Saturday.

Bell connected on 17 of 31 passes for 223 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. His efforts against the Hornets have moved him into fourth place on the Eagles’ career passing list with 5,693 yards, surpassing Brad Adams, who finished his playing days at North Carolina Central with 5,687 yards.

He had a big day against Delaware State throwing to wide receiver LaVontis Smith, who had four receptions for 51 yards and two touchdowns. Smith, North Carolina Central’s leading receiver, has been steady all season with 32 receptions for 505 yards and five touchdowns.

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George Washington Edges Bowie State Bulldogs 86-80 in Men’s Exhibition

WASHINGTON, D.C. --The Bowie State University men's basketball team gave Division I George Washington University and real run on Saturday afternoon, edging the Bulldogs 86-80 in exhibition play at the Charles E. Smith Center.

Bowie State's Bulldogs had five players score in double figures with senior Enuoma Ebinum (Greenbelt, Md.) scoring a game-high 20 points to go along with nine rebounds. Junior Omari (Baltimore, Md.) and senior transfer Brian Kelley (Lanham, Md.) contributed 14 and 13 points respectively. Juniors Ahmaad Wilson (Baltimore, Md.) and Dayshawn Wells (Baltimore, Md.) chipped in 12 and 11 points in the contest. Redshirt freshman David Belle (Hyattsville, Md.) chipped in eight points off the bench and senior Michael Briscoe (Waldorf, Md.) rounded out the BSU scorers with two points.



The Colonials had four players score in double figures with Yuta Watanabe pacing George Washington with 19 points while Tyler Cavanaugh added a double-double of 18 points and 13 rebounds. Collin Smith fell just shy of a double-double recording 16 points and grabbed eight rebounds while Patrick Smith scored 12 points in the win.

The game was won at the free throw line with George Washington holding a very one-sided advantage over Bowie State. The Colonials made 29-of-46 from the charity stripe compared to just 4-of-6 for the Bulldogs. George Washington also controlled the glass with a 50-32 advantage.

Bowie State finished the game shooting 51 percent from the field (35-of-69), which included 6-of-12 behind the arc. On the other side of the stat sheet, George Washington made 26-of-63 from the field (41 percent) and 5-of-15 (33 percent) behind the three point line.

Bowie State will now prepare for its season opener next Friday (Nov. 11th) versus West Virginia Wesleyan in the nightcap of the Joe Retton Classic hosted by Fairmont State (W.Va.) University.

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BOWIE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

JSU Tigers still trying to put it all together

MONTGOMERY, Alabama – As bad as Saturday’s 14-7 loss to Alabama State was, Jackson State coaches and players still believe they are close to being one of the best teams in the SWAC.

The Tigers (3-6, 3-4 SWAC) remained tied for first in the East despite the loss thanks to losses by Alcorn State and Alabama A&M.

The most frustrating part of Saturday’s loss was that the Tigers rolled up enough offensive yards (295) to go up-and-down the field three times but walked away with just one touchdown.

After watching a 7-0 lead turn into a 14-7 deficit, the JSU offense had one prime opportunity to tie the game. Jarin Morikawa’s 23-yard pass to Benjy Parrish set the Tigers up with a first-and-10 at the Alabama State 12-yard line.

Morikawa tried to hit Romello Shumake on first down but was hurried and threw it out of reach. He connected with Jairus Moll for 5 yards to the ASU 7 on second down but led Shaquil Ward by two steps too many on third down.

After an Alabama State timeout, Hornets defensive back Ronnie Scott broke up Morikawa’s fourth-down pass that was intended for DeSean McKenzie.

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Southern women waiting for a starter to step up at point guard

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- A week ago, Southern women’s basketball coach Sandy Pugh thought she had an answer at the point guard position.

Now, she’s not so sure.

Pugh has until the Jaguars’ season opener against Spring Hill on Friday to figure out a plan for which of the four possible options will start at point guard or she’s stuck playing the position by committee for the second straight year.

But she’s waiting for one of her players to have that “Aha moment” where they put it all together and becomes the player Southern needs her to be.

It’s a moment Pugh thought she saw several times this offseason, but inevitably, the bright light slowly dims back into the cluster.

“One day they’re playing and then the next day they’re back down here,” Pugh said gesturing a low level. “If they’re going to help us win and we’re going to be successful in the preseason and the SWAC season, then I have to have consistency. I have to have a consistent level of play from Cortnei (Purnell), Briana (Green) and that point guard position.

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Chicago State: WAC Announces 2016-17 Preseason Polls for Men's Basketball

DENVER, Colorado -- The Chicago State men's basketball team was selected eighth in the Western Athletic Conference coaches and media polls released earlier today before the league's media day.
 
New Mexico State was selected to capture the league title in both polls as it earned seven first-place votes from the coaches and 13 first-place votes from the media.
 
Grand Canyon was picked second in the coaches poll followed by CSU Bakersfield in third and Utah Valley in fourth. UMKC and Seattle U were picked in a tie for fifth with UT Rio Grande Valley in seventh. In the media poll, GCU placed second with CSUB taking third, Seattle getting fourth and Utah Valley finishing fifth. UMKC was selected sixth and UTRGV placed seventh.



The WAC's Preseason Player of the Year award was given to Grand Canyon's redshirt junior guard Joshua Braun.
 
The Green and White open their season schedule on Nov. 12 at the Emil and Patricia Jones Convocation Center against NCAA Division III member Illinois Tech in their homecoming game.
 
Season tickets are currently on sale through www.gocsucougars.com. Patrons can also contact CSU Athletics for ticket information by phone at (773) 995-3742 or by email at gocsutix@csu.edu.
 
2016-17 Preseason Men's Basketball Coaches' Poll
Rank, Teams (1st-Place Votes), Points
1. New Mexico State (4), 45
2. Grand Canyon (3), 44
3. CSU Bakersfield (1), 38
4. Utah Valley, 27
T-5. Seattle U, 25
T-5. UMKC, 25
7. UT Rio Grande Valley, 13
8. Chicago State, 7
 
2016-17 Preseason Men's Basketball Coaches' All-WAC Teams
First Team
Ian Baker, NM State
Dedrick Basile, CSU Bakersfield
Joshua Braun, Grand Canyon
Martez Harrison, UMKC
Brendan Westendorf, Seattle U
 
Second Team
LaVell Boyd, UMKC
Antonio Green, UT Rio Grande Valley
Zach Nelson, Utah Valley
William Powell, Seattle U
DeWayne Russell, Grand Canyon
 
Preseason Player of the Year: Joshua Braun, Grand Canyon
 
2016-17 Preseason Men's Basketball Media Poll
Rank, Teams (1st-Place Votes),Points
1. NM State (9), 167
2. Grand Canyon (8), 165
3. CSU Bakersfield (2), 147
4. Seattle U (1), 108
5. Utah Valley (2), 100
6. UMKC (2), 96
7. UT Rio Grande Valley, 56
8. Chicago State, 25
 
2016-17 Preseason Men's Basketball Media All-WAC Teams
First Team
Ian Baker, NM State
Dedrick Basile, CSU Bakersfield
Joshua Braun, Grand Canyon
Martez Harrison, UMKC
Brendan Westendorf, Seattle U
 
Second Team
Jaylin Airington, CSU Bakersfield
Antonio Green, UT Rio Grande Valley
Dan Kimasa, UT Rio Grande Valley
Zach Nelson, Utah Valley
William Powell, Seattle U
 
Preseason Player of the Year: Joshua Braun, Grand Canyon

CHICAGO STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

College basketball preview: Sizing up things in the Ohio Valley Conference

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- The crispness of the fall air, the orange hues that overtake the treetops, and the squeak of basketball sneakers in gymnasiums across the country. These are just some of the telltale signs that basketball is back. More importantly, the annual countdown to March Madness can begin anew.

As much fun as Midnight Madness can be, the culmination of a long offseason is the tipoff of a team's first game.

With the start of the 2016-17 season quickly approaching, NCAA.com is cracking the books and breaking things down in each of college basketball's 32 conferences.

Here's a look at the Ohio Valley Conference.

Recap:

The race in the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) a year ago saw six of the eight teams enter the conference tournament with at least 10 wins in conference.

In other words, parity was on full display in the OVC.

In years past Belmont and Murray State have been the pacesetters in their respective divisions, finishing in the top spot in three of the last four seasons. But UT-Martin had something to say about that trend last year, edging out the Racers of Murray State for the regular season crown in the OVC's West Division.

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College basketball preview: Talented Texas Southern poised to lead SWAC

HOUSTON, Texas -- The crispness of the fall air, the orange hues that overtake the treetops, and the squeak of basketball sneakers in gymnasiums across the country.

These are just some of the telltale signs that basketball is back. More importantly, the annual countdown to March Madness can begin anew.

As much fun as Midnight Madness can be, the culmination of a long offseason is the tipoff of a team's first game. With the start of the 2016-17 season quickly approaching, NCAA.com is cracking the books and breaking things down in each of college basketball's 32 conferences.

Let’s continue on with a look at the Southwest Athletic Conference.



Recap

The 2015-16 SWAC belonged to Texas Southern throughout the regular season, but as happens all too often in small conferences, the Tigers fell short of their one way to get to the Big Dance: winning the conference tournament.

After going 16-2 in regular-season conference play, Texas Southern was upended by Southern in the conference semifinals. That ended the NCAA tournament hopes of the regular-season champs, who had a very strange year after starting 1-11 in non-conference action before winning 17 of their next 19.

After taking down the Tigers, fourth-seeded Southern moved on to the SWAC Championship Game, where it met No. 3 seed Jackson State. That battle was a very entertaining one, with Jaguars guard Adrian Rodgers hitting a jumper with 17 seconds left to lift Southern to a 54-53 win and trip to the NCAA tournament.

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Wayland Baptist makes 12 3-pointers to ease past XULA Rush

NEW ORLEANS — Freshman Russell Harrison opened his college career with 15 points to lead hot-shooting Wayland Baptist in an 83-68 men's basketball victory Friday against NAIA No. 25 Xavier University of Louisiana.

Wayland Baptist (1-0) shot 50 percent from the floor and made 12 3-pointers in 25 attempts. The Pioneers shot 59.3 percent from the floor in the second half.

Harrison made three 3-pointers, and four teammates made two treys apiece. Maurice Redmond scored 14 points, Louis Timms had 13 and Marshall Nelson and Joshua Throns added 10 apiece for the Pioneers. Timms grabbed 11 rebounds and had six blocks and three steals.



Seth Jackson led the Gold Rush (1-1) with 19 points and five rebounds. Jalen David scored 16 points, and Leland Alexander and Lucas Martin-Julien scored eight apiece.
     
Wayland Baptist took the lead for good in the second minute and led 36-28 at halftime. A Timms 3-point play with 9:38 remaining gave the Pioneers their biggest lead, 64-44.
     
Both teams qualified for the Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I National Championship last season.
     
XULA will play host to NAIA No. 5 LSU-Alexandria at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Convocation Center. LSUA will be the first of two top-10 opponents for the Gold Rush next week.

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Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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