North Carolina Central Picked To Defend MEAC Championship

NORFOLK, Virginia -- North Carolina Central was picked to defend its MEAC Football Championship as the Eagles topped the league's annual preseason poll. Voting for the poll is conducted by the MEAC's 11 head coaches and football sports information directors.

The Eagles received 13 first-place votes to narrowly finish ahead of rival North Carolina A&T State, who finished with 10 first-place votes. South Carolina State was picked to finish third while Bethune-Cookman was picked fourth. Hampton was tabbed to finish fifth followed by Florida A&M, Norfolk State, Morgan State, Howard, Savannah State and Delaware State.

1. North Carolina Central (13)
2. North Carolina A&T State (5)
3. South Carolina State
4. Bethune-Cookman
5. Hampton (1)
6. Florida A&M
7. Norfolk State
8. Morgan State
9. Howard
10. Savnnah State
11. Delaware State (1)

COURTESY MEAC MEDIA RELATIONS

Stafford-Odom settles in at NCCU

DURHAM, North Carolina -- Doing your job virtually might work in some professions, but it’s not ideal for a basketball coach.

That’s exactly what new N.C. Central women’s basketball coach Trisha Stafford-Odom had to do for a while. Stafford-Odom was hired in May to replace former coach Vanessa Taylor. At the time, Stafford-Odom was living in California, where she served as the head coach at Concordia. She made a quick trip east last month, the first time she got a chance to sit down with her new players as their head coach.

But then she was back to the west coast, where she did most of her work over the phone or, thanks to modern technology, a Skype session with her team. After she was hired, Stafford-Odom hit the ground running. Her first order of business was putting together her staff. Already having potential staff members in mind, Stafford-Odom made a quick splash, hiring former N.C. State standout Tynesha Lewis first, then adding NCCU alum, and former coach, A.G. Hall. Stafford-Odom proved she was good at multi-tasking, hunting down recruits while finalizing her staff, all of this from California.

CONTINUE READING

One proud papa: Dawson Odums looking forward to first Southern season with all of his own recruits

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Nothing about the Southern football team reporting for preseason camp is new to Dawson Odums.

About to start his fifth full season running the show for the Jaguars, the coach knows exactly what to expect.

Players report to the on-campus dorm, and the next day they start practice. At first, it’ll be mostly without pads, and workouts will get the players acclimated to being back on the field in the intense summer heat of Baton Rouge.

That's the plan when the Jaguars report at 11 a.m. Friday and start practice Saturday. No need to deviate from a plan that resulted in an 8-1 SWAC record the year before.

But this year is different — for Odums, at least.

This is the first season in which ...

CONTINUE READING

Former Tech player enrolls at Grambling State

GRAMBLING, Louisiana -- With experience on defense an issue as the coaches look to add depth this preseason, Grambling State may have picked up a late, and local, addition that could factor into the linebacker unit.

Donald Freeman, a redshirt sophomore linebacker, transferred out of Louisiana Tech early this summer and was accepted to GSU Thursday.

The Baton Rouge native signed with Tech out of Scotlandville High School in 2015 after tearing his ACL during the second week of his senior season, and redshirted his freshman season in Ruston. Freeman played special teams in two games last year and recorded just three tackles for the Bulldogs.

Freeman, who was granted release from Louisiana Tech June 6, will be eligible to play this season.

CONTINUE READING 

Five burning questions for Southern, starting with the obvious: How does it replace Tillery and Quinn?

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- This is the biggest question facing Southern this season. It must find a way to replace production from its all-time leading rusher, Lenard Tillery, and its all-time leading receiver, Willie Quinn. Those two were a massive part of Southern’s success last season, accounting for nearly 3,000 yards and 26 touchdowns from scrimmage. That is a lot of game changing ability to replace in one year, and there's simply no clear answer yet. But, looking back on it, who would’ve thought a former walk on and a 5-foot-5 receiver would’ve made such a big impression when they first walked on to campus?

2: Can the defense carry the load?

The Jaguars’ explosive offense often overshadowed their big-play defense last season. Southern intercepted 19 passes — led by Danny Johnson’s SWAC-best seven interceptions — and also recovered 13 fumbles. A strong finish by defensive end Aaron Tiller (nine sacks) helped Southern rack up 24 sacks as a team, as well. And, unlike the offense, all of the big-name players are returning for 2017. This may be the year when Southern’s hopes are pinned largely to how well its defense performs, especially in momentum-swinging categories it scored well in last season like turnovers and sacks.

CONTINUE READING

JSU, Hughes excited about adding Deion Pope to already strong defense

JACKSON, Mississippi -- Jackson State is the latest Mississippi university to hit the practice field and open fall camp. The Tigers held their first of 29 preseason practices on Thursday.

Tony Hughes enters his second season with a strong defense that includes the intriguing addition of transfer defensive lineman Deion Pope. Coming out of Co-Lin, Pope was the top junior college defensive tackle in the country when he committed to Mississippi State.



After going through the Bulldogs offseason program, the Collins native decided to transfer to JSU. Hughes says his addition to an already impressive front four could take the Tigers defense to another level.

"Deion (Pope) is excited to be out here," Hughes said. "and we expect to see hopefully a dominant player that can transform our team from an average team to a great team. If it plays out, we got potential to be possibly one of the best defenses in the country."

CONTINUE READING 

5 takeaways from JSU's first fall practice

JACKSON, Mississippi -- The first practice of Jackson State's fall camp is in the books.

The Tigers took to the practice field in shorts and put in an energetic hour and 45 minutes of work despite temperatures that reached into the mid-90s.

"I thought we had a tremendous day," JSU coach Tony Hughes said. "The kids came out with a tremendous amount of energy and excitement, they executed well and they played hard. It was a great day to be out here coaching football."

Here are five takeaways from the first day of camp:

New year, new team

It's easy to see this is a different Tiger team. Guys were smiling, dancing and picking each other up throughout practice while music blared over the loudspeakers at the practice field.

CONTINUE READING

AT&T SportsNet set to broadcast TSU home football games

HOUSTON, Texas -- Texas Southern University Vice President of Intercollegiate Athletics Dr. Charles McClelland has announced that the TSU Athletics Program has reached a renewal agreement with AT&T SportsNet (formerly ROOT Sports Southwest) to have the Tigers five home football games broadcast on the network.

"We look forward to continuing our partnership with AT&T SportsNet as we look to further enhance the visibility of our football program on a local, regional, and national level," said McClelland. "AT&T SportsNet reaches the homes of millions and having the ability to showcase our program to such a large viewing audience has truly benefitted our program in a variety of ways including recruiting, brand recognition, and marketing. The continuation of this partnership is something that we're very excited about as we look forward to what should be a very entertaining season with Coach Haywood leading the program."



Texas Southern Fans can tune into all of the action on AT&T SportsNet this season as Butch Alsandor returns to the booth to handle play by play duties with sideline reporter Nick Strong providing the latest breaking in-game updates.

The first broadcast of the season is slated for Saturday, September 2nd at 8:00 pm as the Tigers host Prairie View A&M at BBVA Compass Stadium.

Texas Southern will have a quick turnaround for its next home outing as the Tigers will host Houston Baptist for Community Day on a Thursday (Sept. 7) at BBVA Compass Stadium.

TSU will host the defending SWAC East Champion Alcorn State Braves (Sept. 29) on AT&T SportsNet at BBVA Compass Stadium for its third home game of the season in a game that will be played on a Friday.

Texas Southern will host Alabama State for Homecoming (Oct. 14).The Tigers will wrap-up their 2017 home broadcast schedule versus Southern (Nov. 11) on Senior Day rounding out the list of the five TSU home football games slated to be showcased on the network.

About AT&T Sports Networks:
AT&T Sports Networks operates AT&T SportsNet and ROOT SPORTS® regional sports networks in Northwest, Pittsburgh, Rocky Mountain and Southwest regions. The four networks combined reach just over 13 million households across 22 states and own exclusive rights to produce and distribute live events from more than 25 teams and conferences. AT&T Sports Networks is a subsidiary of AT&T.

TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Angela Adams Suggs named President of Florida Sports Foundation

Angela Adams Suggs
Photo Courtesy: FAMU Athletics

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- The Florida Sports Foundation welcomes Angela Adams Suggs as its new President and Senior Vice President of Sports Development for Enterprise Florida beginning August 7. She brings a wealth of experience and an excitement to lead the Tallahassee-based Florida Sports Foundation as it continues working to support Florida’s $57 billion sports industry.

Suggs comes to the Foundation from Florida A&M University where she has held various roles since 2009. Her most recent role has been the Senior Associate Athletics Director for External Affairs and Senior Woman Administrator (SWA).

Suggs served as the lead role in FAMU’s Athletics Marketing and Promotions, Development, Athletics Communications, Licensing and Branding. She was the athletics department’s primary liaison with campus direct support organizations (DSO), neutral site games such as the Florida Blue Florida Classic, affinity/support groups, and community relations. She oversaw administration for the Men’s and Women’s Track & Field and Cross Country teams along with the Softball, Men’s and Women’s Tennis teams, and Spirit Groups.

While Suggs has led the athletic administration of those teams, the Rattlers Women’s Cross Country team has won the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Championship (MEAC) for the last five years and the Softball team has been crowned MEAC Champs each of the last four years. The FAMU Men’s Tennis team won the 2017 conference championship. Additionally, the department received the Mary McLeod Bethune Women’s All Sports Award for two consecutive years.

A native of Tallahassee, her previous experience includes work in sales with Brown and Brown Insurance, Joe Robbie/Pro Player Stadium and the Marriott Corporation. Suggs holds a 1992 B.S.
Cdegree in Business Economics from Florida A&M and a M.S. degree from St. Thomas University.

CONTINUE READING

Vanderbilt-Alabama A&M set for 3 PM kickoff on September 9

NORMAL, Alabama -- The Vanderbilt Commodores’ first three games of the 2017 football season now have kickoff times. The Commodores’ home opener against the Alabama A&M Bulldogs on September 9 will kick off at 3 PM CT and will be televised on the SEC Network Alternate channel, per Vanderbilt.

Vanderbilt will be the second of three FBS opponents for Alabama A&M in the first three weeks of the season; the Bulldogs will open at UAB on September 2 — the Blazers’ first football game since 2014 — and will play at South Alabama on September 16. Last year, Alabama A&M went 4-7, 4-5 in the SWAC, but lost both of its games against FBS opponents by scores of 55-0 (MTSU and Auburn.)

CONTINUE READING

Which newcomers could make an impact for GSU this season

GRAMBLING, Louisiana -- The week is here. Reigning Southwestern Athletic Conference and HBCU national champions Grambling State opens preseason camp this Sunday night on campus.

Fourth-year head coach Broderick Fobbs and coaching staff will have a little over a month to evaluate the Tigers and fill in the holes left by seven first-team All-SWAC seniors from last season’s 11-1 championship squad.

The defensive side of the ball, more specifically the defensive line, took the brunt of the departure of talent, and that’s where Fobbs will be paying extra close attention during fall practice.

Here are some newcomers or potential new starters to look for as GSU approaches the 2017 season opener at Tulane University Sept. 2 at 7 p.m.

On the defensive line, it’ll be tough to replace 2016 SWAC Defensive Player of the Year in Donovan McCray along with first-team All-Conference D-lineman Samuel Reese. Fobbs and defensive coordinator and defensive line coach Everett Todd will first look to Brandon Varner.

CONTINUE READING 

Kerrick Jackson introduced as Southern baseball coach, promises to emphasize 'Jaguar pride'

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- When Roman Banks set out to find a replacement for legendary Southern baseball coach Roger Cador two months ago, he put together a list of criteria for what the program needed. At the top of the athletic director's list was landing a coach who could revitalize the team and lead it out from under NCAA sanctions and back to national relevance.

On Tuesday, Banks said the man he thinks is the best fit is
Kerrick Jackson, a first-time head coach with no ties to Southern who was last an assistant coach at Missouri before serving as an agent for the past two years.

Jackson did not hold back at his debut news conference, saying his expectation for the program is winning the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship on a regular basis again.

“The one thing I think we can all look to, and I want our players to understand, is Jaguar pride,” Jackson said. “You’ll hear that over and over and over again. It’s very simple. I believe it’s personal responsibility and delivering excellence.”

Jackson's biggest hurdle is the lingering cloud of NCAA sanctions. Given unsatisfactory Academic Progress Rates, Southern remains under the NCAA's thumb, which means Jackson will not have a full practice schedule, nor full use of scholarships. The Jaguars will be ineligible for the postseason for at least his first season.

CONTINUE READING

Southern athletic director Roman Banks ends first major coaching search with hiring of Kerrick Jackson

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- When Roman Banks officially presented Kerrick Jackson with his No. 45 Southern baseball jersey on Tuesday, it ushered in a new era for Southern baseball after the retirement of longtime coach Roger Cador two months ago.

But the announcement also ends an important period at Southern, putting to rest the first coaching search since Banks was named full-time athletic director last spring.

Before Tuesday, Banks never hired a coach for a major sport while serving as interim athletic director for two years or since being promoted to full-time director earlier this year.

The only hirings he made during that time were soccer coach Jeremy Fontenot last summer and promoting former assistant Morris Scott as Banks’ successor in men’s basketball.

“It’s like being out there on the basketball court trying to win a championship,” Banks said. “But right now, instead of talking about Xs and Os, I’m talking about the whole athletic department. … I try, as the athletic director, to give the alumni, the students, the baseball alumni — everybody — what it deserves and that’s a winning product.”

CONTINUE READING

GSU's Broderick Fobbs feels there is still room for improvement for Kincade

GRAMBLING, Louisiana -- Grambling quarterback DeVante Kincade helped lead the Tigers to the HBCU national title and was the SWAC Offensive Player of the Year in 2016, accounting for 35 total touchdowns last season.He was also just named the SWAC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year. Despite the hype and past success, Grambling head coach Broderick Fobbs feels there is still room for improvement.

Broderick Fobbs said, "He did a really good job this offseason of really looking at himself on film, and he saw where he made a lot of mistakes. Really, truely what's scary is he left a lot on the table. So, there's a lot of growth there, but also we have to grow as a team as well because we have some new pieces to the puzzle, and we have to fit those pieces in well in order to be successful."

Kincade and the Tigers will open the season on September 2nd against Tulane in New Orleans.

CONTINUE READING

Smith Named Media Preseason Player of the Year, TSU Tigers Picked Third

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- The Tennessee State football team was picked to finish third in the Preseason Media Poll for the Ohio Valley Conference, while redshirt-senior wide receiver Patrick Smith was selected as the Preseason Offensive Player of the Year.

The Tigers received 112 total points; including two first place votes, to finish behind defending champion Jacksonville State (141) and UT Martin (120). TSU is picked ahead of Eastern Illinois (96), Tennessee Tech (70), Murray State (62), Eastern Kentucky (61), Southeast Missouri (33) and Austin Peay (25).

Tennessee State finished 7-4, 4-3 in the OVC, placing fourth a season ago after being picked to finish sixth in the 2016 preseason media poll. Head coach Rod Reed enters his eighth season and will rely on 60 returners from last year's team, including seven offensive and eight defensive starters.

Smith was a first team All-OVC selection in 2016 after leading the team in receptions (61), yards (966) and touchdowns (13) while starting all 11 games at wide receiver. Smith’s touchdown mark also led all OVC receivers. The Memphis, Tenn. Product reeled in a pass in all eleven games, extending his streak to 21 games over the first two years of his career.

The Tigers will report for fall camp on July 26 in preparation for a trip to Atlanta, Ga. to face Georgia State on Aug. 31.



2017 Media OVC Preseason Football Predicted Order of Finish
1. Jacksonville State (13 first-place votes) - 141 points
2. UT Martin (1) - 120
3. Tennessee State (2) - 112
4. Eastern Illinois - 96
5. Tennessee Tech - 70
6. Murray State - 62
7. Eastern Kentucky - 61
8. Southeast Missouri - 33
9. Austin Peay - 25

2017 Media OVC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year: Patrick Smith (WR), Tennessee State
2017 Media OVC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year: Darius Jackson (DE), Jacksonville State

TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

Le'Coe Willingham Named Head Women's Basketball Coach at Fort Valley State

FORT VALLEY, Georgia -- Fort Valley State University's Director of Athletics Dr. Darryl Pope has announced that Le'Coe Willingham a 10-year WNBA veteran as the Lady Wildcats next Head Women's Basketball Coach on July 17, 2017.

"It is our pleasure to welcome Coach Le'Coe Willingham to the Fort Valley State family and Wildcat Country, said Pope, "She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience that will move our program in the right direction. She has the ability to motivate players on and off the court."

Willingham comes to Fort Valley State after serving as the women's assistant coach at Tennessee State University and served as TSU's individual post coach, defensive coordinator, and helped with recruiting. She was an integral part in Tennessee State capturing their first OVC Championship in over 20 years and earning an automatic bid to the 2014-2015 National Tournament. Under Le'Coe's leadership as defensive coordinator, the Tigers were the number one defensive team in the conference.

In 2014-2015, Willingham helped develop Chelsea Hudson, an undersized post player who achieve one of her best seasons averaging 14.2 points and 7.7 rebounds per game on her way to earning BOXTOROW All-American Honors, as well as All-OVC Second Team and All-Tournament Team. Willingham also helped four other Tigers earn All-OVC honors; Rachel Allen and Brianna Morrow earned the 2015 All-OVC Tournament Team honors. Imani Davis and Jayda Johnson earned the 2016 All-OVC Second Team.

A native of Augusta, Ga., and former Hephzibah High School standout, Willingham played her last season with the Atlanta Dream in 2013. Willingham was a three-time All-SEC selection out of Auburn, but went undrafted before being signed by Connecticut, where she spent the first four years of her career (2004-07). She then spent two seasons with the Phoenix Mercury (2008-09) and two in Seattle (2010-11).

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

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

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

At the conclusion of her professional career, Willingham returned to Auburn to obtain a Bachelor's degree in Psychology and is currently pursuing her Masters in Professional Counseling with an emphasis in Trauma.

Media Advisory: Fort Valley State University will host a news conference at a later date to introduce Coach Le'Co Willingham as its new woman's head basketball coach.

For questions or additional information, contact Director of Sports Information Willie K. Patterson, Jr. at 478-825-6437 (office) or pattersonw@fvsu.edu.

FORT VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

CIAA looking to increase Southwest Virginia presence

ROANOKE, Virginia -- Now that the CIAA has extended its football championship contract with Salem through 2019, talk has turned to a greater Southwest Virginia presence on CIAA rosters.

The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association, based in Charlotte, held its football media day Thursday at the Sheraton Roanoke Hotel and Conference Center, a few miles from Salem Stadium, the home of the CIAA’s Nov. 11 title game.

Winston-Salem State defeated Bowie State 43-33 in last year’s conference title game, which was moved when Salem was named the replacement location for Durham, North Carolina, in October 2016. That move was the result of the league moving its North Carolina-based championships in reaction to the state’s HB2 law.

“I thought it worked out really well,” said Kermit Blount, a past president of the CIAA football coaches’ association who is entering his third season as the head coach at Johnson C. Smith in Charlotte.

Blount has worked at historically black colleges throughout his career, including head coaching stops at Delaware State and Winston-Salem State, which is his alma mater.  Blount was a spectator at last year’s CIAA title game.

CONTINUE READING

Wiley College Introduces MacNeill as Head Volleyball Coach

Mike MacNeill is the first male head coach in Wiley Volleyball program history

MARSHALL, Texas -- On Friday at Alumni Gymnasium, Wiley College made history by introducing their first male women's volleyball head coach Mike MacNeill during a press conference.

"I have plans to help this program get back to winning conference championships and competing for NAIA Championships," MacNeill said. "I believe with the standards and expectations I have for our players, they will rise to the occasion."

MacNeill replaces LaKyva Bason – who went 28-18 in her second stint as coach and led the Lady Wildcats to two Red River Athletic Conference Semifinal Appearances. MacNeill joins the Wiley College coaching staff after spending two years as a high school boys' volleyball coach at Riverside Poly in California. The school hadn't won a match before MacNeill took over. He went 38-12 and guided Riverside Poly to the CIF Southern Section Championship semifinals.

Prior to Riverside Poly, MacNeill was the girls' volleyball coach at Martin Luther High School in Riverside, California. He led them to the CIF Southern Section Division 1A Quarterfinals and Semifinals in 2013 and 2014.

MacNeill excelled as a volleyball player – playing all positions on the court. He helped Clovis High School won back to back CIF Championships in his junior and senior season. He led California Baptist University to two NAIA Championships.

Wiley College Athletic Director Dr. Joseph Morale – who is also the Vice President for Student Affairs and Retention Services - explained why MacNeill was the perfect candidate for Wiley College.

"I realized that he was competitive knowledgeable and passionate," Morale said. "I knew he was the one when he referred to his family, there was a joy, and love that you cannot fake. He loves his wife and kids and he will love and care for his players."

The Lady Wildcats return nine from last season's 18-12 team which finished third in the Red River Athletic Conference with a 10-4 record and reached the conference semifinals. Returning players Alissa Johnson (FR/Beaumont, Texas) – who was a RRAC All-Conference Honorable Mention – and Kaylee Nickerson – who redshirt last season – were present.

"I feel like he is focused," Johnson said. "I feel like he can get on the court with us and dive for balls. Since he played all positions, he can help everyone."

MacNeill is excited to work with his new team.

"This group is something special," MacNeill said. "When I spoke to them on the phone, they said wanted to be challenged more and disciplined more. All the things that I'm going to bring, they were excited about it."

He is married to Holly MacNeill. Together they have two children Blake and Elizabeth. The MacNeill era begins on August 18 at the RRAC and Sooner Athletic Conference Crossover Tournament. MacNeill's first home game will be 6 p.m. August 29 against Mid-America Christian.

WILEY COLLEGE WILDCATS SPORTS INFORMATION

Two Impact Signees Join Bethune-Cookman Hoops

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- Bethune-Cookman University men's basketball Head Coach Ryan Ridder is pleased to announce two additions to the program in JUCO signees Armani Collins and David Francis.

"Collins is a 6-6 guard from the City College of San Francisco and we are excited about his abilities to stretch the floor," said Ridder. "He has similarities to Brandon Tabb in that he has a quick, high release and can shoot it from deep. He has experience at the Division 1 level and being a significant contrinuter for a very good junior college team."

In 31 games last season, Collins averaged 11 points-per-game and 4.4 rebounds-per-game. He shot 37.6% from three and 86.7% at the free-throw line. Collins also collected 18 steals and 24 blocks. His season-bests were a 25-point, 5-9 three-point shooting performance on Mar. 9 against Antelope Valley.

Collins signed with Portland State out of Stuart Hall High School in San Francisco. As a senior in 2016, he averaged 19.7 points and 6.8 rebounds per-game in leading Stuart Hall to a 30-4 record and perfect 10-0 mark in league play. He was named First Team All-Division 5 and Fifth Team All-NorCal by Max Preps. As a junior, Collins averaged 18.0 points and 7.9 rebounds per-game. He was team MVP as a junior and a senior and graduated holding the record for career scoring at Stuart Hall.

"Francis is a 6-6 forward from the College of Southern Maryland and originally from the Brooklyn, N.Y.," said Ridder. "He brings a relentless motor, toughness, and maturity from dealing with some off the court issues that made him grow up more than most young people have to. We are excited about the experience and toughness that he brings."

Francis joins the Wildcats after averaging 17 points and 8.8 rebounds-per-game for the Hawks last season. In 32 games, he shot 52.7% from the floor and 33.3% beyond-the-arc. The forward ranked 11th nationally with 117 offensive rebounds, and was 22nd with 283 total boards. Francis also blocked 34 shots and totaled 31 steals. He had a season-high of 16 rebounds twice and scored 20 or more points in 12 contests, with two 27-point outbursts for his season-highs.

He was named Second Team All-Region XX, Honorable Mention All-MD JUCO team and Region XX Tournament MVP. The Empire State native attended the Boys & Girls High School.

"They are both quality young men and we are excited to see what they can bring to Bethune-Cookman men's basketball," said Ridder.



BETHUNE-COOKMAN UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

Southern's Danny Johnson is ready to be a leader in a veteran defensive backfield

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Southern's Danny Johnson led the Football Championship Subdivision with seven interceptions in 2016.

Not good enough. His goal was 10.

Johnson finished with the fourth-most total tackles and had by far the most solo tackles on the Jaguars defense last year.

Not good enough. He could have been in better position to make more stops.

Given a significant boost by Johnson, Southern finished with a Southwestern Athletic Conference record of 8-1.

Not good enough — in more ways than one.

Heading into the 2017 season, Johnson isn’t assuming a new leadership role or taking on any duties he didn't have the past three years. He has been one of the best defenders, if not the best, and a defensive leader for the Jaguars since he first stepped on campus in the summer of 2014.

But as a senior, Johnson is now the unquestioned face of the Southern defense. And while nothing may ever be good enough for a player who constantly pushes himself to be his best, that isn’t going to stop him from trying.



CONTINUE READING

S.C. STATE FOOTBALL: Pough likes stable of runners

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- Historically, South Carolina State has been the most dominant running team in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. Bulldog runners have been among the league’s top rushers since the inception of the league.

And, until last season, the MEAC career rushing leader was a Bulldog – William “Will” Ford, who amassed 4,672 yards during his career (2006-2009). North Carolina A&T’s Tarik Cohen surpassed Ford’s mark in 2016.

S.C. State's Ford, second; Michael Hicks (1993-1995), fourth; and David “DeShawn” Baker (2003-2006), sixth, rank among the MEAC’s top-10 rushing leaders. This dynamic Bulldog trio combined for nine 1,000-plus-yard rushing seasons and went over the 100-yard single-game rushing mark a combined 22 times.

However, 1,000-yard rushing seasons and 100-yard games have been a rarity since the departure of Hicks, Baker and Ford. The last back to reach the 1,000-yard rushing plateau in a season was Jalen “Scoot” Simmons – now with the Carolina Panthers – who achieved the feat in 2014. And the last back to go over the 100-yard rushing mark in single game was Bishop Ford last season.

Reaching such rushing milestones is certainly noteworthy, but you don’t have to have a 1,000-yard rusher to be effective on offense anymore. Strategies have evolved and the “throw” game has come into play, according to Bulldog head coach Buddy Pough, who is pleased at the stable of running backs S.C. State will have in 2017.

CONTINUE READING

Former Skyline star DeVante Kincade now tearing it up at Grambling State

DALLAS, Texas -- Former Skyline quarterback DeVante Kincade had a great first season at Grambling State, where he accounted for 3,286 yards of offense and 35 touchdowns and was named the Southwestern Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year.

Now he's preparing for his senior season, and he's the SWAC Offensive Preseason Player of the Year. He's expected to do a lot of the things he used to do for Skyline. This highlight from last season should remind Skyline fans of what Kincade did at Skyline:



Kincade starred at Skyline through the 2012 season and then signed with Mississippi on signing day in 2013. He was part of one of the early signing classes for Hugh Freeze, who abruptly resigned Thursday after allegations of sketchy behavior -- here are those details.

Kincade transferred to Grambling State after the 2015 season so he could be closer to his mother, who was struggling with some health issues. He talked about it shortly after transferring in a story in The Clarion-Ledger.

"So hard," he said. "It was a stress, man, because I was thinking about my mom and I wanted to practice plus I had homework on top of that. I told her I just want to come home and be closer to her so I won't have to be going back and forth that far."

CONTINUE READING

NSU, Southern fans ready for upcoming season

ALEXANDRIA, Louisiana -- Are you ready for some football?

Northwestern State and Southern fans from Central Louisiana are ready for the upcoming season as both schools held preseason pep rallies in Alexandria Thursday.

Meanwhile, Southern coach Dawson Odums is also optimistic about the 2017 season.

Picked to finish second in the SWAC Western Division, the Jaguars are eligible for the SWAC Championship Game Dec. 2 in Houston and the Celebration Bowl — a bowl game pitting the winners of the SWAC and the MEAC — Dec. 16 in Atlanta.

"I think 2017 is going to be a good year for us," Odums said. "We return a lot of seniors, especially our starting quarterback (Arthur Howard) and our tight end (Dillon Beard). Both of those guys are preseason All-Conference performers, so we're looking for great things out of those guys."

Odums has made quite the dent in Central Louisiana with his recruiting as Tioga's Jalen Ivy signed with the school in February, while Peabody's Jamar Washington, Chris Nash and Robert Perry along with Marksville's Qa Mingo and Tioga's Jestan Deville will be preferred walk-ons once fall camp begins.

CONTINUE READING

New York fuels Donaldson’s competitive fire

NEW YORK, New York -- It has been an intense and exciting summer for Khaila Donaldson, who enters her senior year at Howard University this fall. An outside hitter on the Bison volleyball team, she has done her best to train while doing an internship at JPMorgan Chase & Co. in New York. A successful internship will result in a full-time offer for the company’s two-year rotational analyst program, and Donaldson has put her competitive energies to use in doing a standout job.

“Most of it is personified in competition and trying to be the best at all times,” said Donaldson, a finance major. “I’m trying to be the best. I’m competing with myself.

“What I’ve learned with volleyball is the stress passes,” she added. “Hopefully, if you do well enough under pressure, the end result will be something you will be proud of.”

Howard’s volleyball team has gone to the national tournament the past two years, and Donaldson’s goal is to repeat that and make it to the Sweet 16, building a foundation for the team’s future success. Training has not been easy with the demanding internship, but she’s done her best to squeeze in workouts.

Despite the pressures, Donaldson, who grew up in the Chicago area, has fallen in love with New York and looks forward to returning to the city after graduation. She will do so with the confidence she has developed attending Howard, a renowned HBCU in Washington, D.C.

CONTINUE READING

NCCU head coach measures up to Triangle peers

CARY, North Carolina -- Five college football coaches sat on stage during the 15th Annual Bill Dooley Pigskin Preview.

Among the coaches was legendary quarterback whisperer David Cutcliffe, the head coach at Duke. Sitting to Cutcliffe’s left was his protege, second-year East Carolina head coach Scottie Montgomery. At the end of the table sat coaches from rival schools: North Carolina’s Larry Fedora and N.C. State’s Dave Doeren. Between Fedora and Doeren sat N.C. Central’s Jerry Mack.

If the casual football fan looked at the stage and was asked to pick the most successful of the five, who would it be? Cutcliffe’s had his fair share of success, first as the head coach at Ole Miss and for the last 10 years at Duke, giving life to a Blue Devils program that was constantly at the bottom of the ACC. He tied for a division title as the Rebels head coach, and won the ACC Coastal Division in 2013.

Fedora took over a North Carolina program at a dark time, right when the team was under heavy fire from the NCAA. Despite that, Fedora led the Tar Heels back to the top of the conference, winning the Coastal in 2015. Doeren won two MAC conference titles at Northern Illinois, but has not had that kind of success since taking over in Raleigh.

CONTINUE READING