Nuggets remain No. 5, but there's a change at the top

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana, 2-0 since the previous NAIA women's tennis coaches poll, maintained its No. 5 position Tuesday in the fifth national ranking of the season. But there was a significant shift at the top.
     
Keiser earned its first-ever No. 1 ranking as a result of its 5-4 Saturday victory at the previous No. 1, Georgia Gwinnett. The Grizzlies had been atop the last 16 polls, the last 14 as a unanimous No. 1.
     
Keiser received 12-of-14 first-place votes. Georgia Gwinnett, now No. 2, and No. 3 Lindsey Wilson received one first-place vote apiece.
     
The Gold Nuggets (11-7) improved their win streak to eight, their longest since 2013, with a 7-2 Saturday home victory against LSU-Alexandria, which remained 11th. The XULA women have eight victories this season against top-20 NAIA opponents.
     
XULA is idle this week. The Gold Nuggets will begin a three-dual home stand April 6 — one week from Friday — at 3 p.m. against NCAA Division I Southern.
 

NAIA Women's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll (first-place votes in parentheses — records through March 25)

RANK	PREVIOUS	SCHOOL		RECORD	POINTS
1	3	Keiser (Fla.) [12]		17-1	373
2	1	Georgia Gwinnett [1]		11-2	361
3	2	Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) [1]		2-1	348
4	4	SCAD Savannah (Ga.)		9-2	336
5	5	Xavier (La.)		11-7	331
6	6	William Carey (Miss.)		6-1	314
7	8	William Woods (Mo.)		7-3	291
8	7	Northwestern Ohio		4-3	290
9	9	Indiana Wesleyan		23-2	276
10	10	Cardinal Stritch (Wis.)		5-5	275
11	11	LSU-Alexandria (La.)		6-3	251
12	12	San Diego Christian (Calif.)		6-5	247
13	13	Middle Georgia State		9-4	229
14	16	Brenau (Ga.)		7-6	220
15	15	Westmont (Calif.)		7-5	202
16	14	SCAD Atlanta (Ga.)		6-4	192
17	18	Arizona Christian		9-8	182
18	17	Campbellsville (Ky.)		9-1	178
19	20	Cumberland (Tenn.)		6-7	155
20	19	Martin Methodist (Tenn.)		3-7	148
21	22	Union (Ky.)		7-3	132
22	21	Mobile (Ala.)		8-5	129
23	23	St. Thomas (Fla.)		5-6	106
24	24	Reinhardt (Ga.)		7-5	100
25	25	Olivet Nazarene (Ill.)		5-4	74

Others Receiving Votes: Georgetown (Ky.) 57; Huntington (Ind.) 48; Marian (Ind.) 28; Southwestern (Kan.) 24; Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) 21; Tennessee Wesleyan 15; Loyola (La.) 13; Cumberlands (Ky.) 13; Coastal Georgia 12; Asbury (Ky.) 9

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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No. 3 Keiser defeats No. 2 Gold Rush 6-3

ORLANDO, Florida — It had been nearly three years since Xavier University of Louisiana men's tennis lost to a ranked NAIA opponent other than Georgia Gwinnett. But it happened Tuesday when third-ranked Keiser beat the No. 2 Gold Rush 6-3 at the USTA National Campus courts.
     
The Seahawks (12-4) trailed 2-1 after doubles, then won 5-of-6 singles matches. Nicolas Guerschanik clinched with a 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 victory against Antoine Richard on the second court.
     
XULA (8-8) got its points from Samir Chikhaoui, a 6-3, 6-3 winner against Adrian Frutos at No. 3 singles, and from its top two doubles teams, Shaikh Abdullah and Richard at No. 1 and Pierre An
drieu and Chris Anders at No. 2.
     
Abdullah and Richard defeated Guerschanik and Marc Algeri 8-6, and Andrieu and Anders beat Vicente Lagos and Arthur Bonnaud — the ITA's 11th-ranked tandem — 9-8 (7-5).
     
The Gold Rush had not lost to a ranked NAIA opponent not named Georgia Gwinnett since May 14, 2015, when Vanguard won 5-4 in the quarterfinals of the national tournament at Mobile, Ala. Between then and Tuesday XULA rattled off 16 straight wins against that group, including decisions against sixth-ranked Keiser in the 2016 quarterfinals and third-ranked Keiser in the 2017 semifinals.

Results    

XULA won 5-4 Monday at Embry-Riddle, the first-ever Gold Rush victory against a top-10 team from NCAA Division II. Keiser lost 6-3 at Embry-Riddle March 14.
     
Earlier Tuesday the NAIA announced its fifth coaches poll of 2018. XULA was No. 2, and Keiser was No. 3. The next team rankings will be revealed April 10.
    
Next for the Gold Rush will be a 9 a.m. dual match April 7 — one week from Saturday — against NCAA Division I member Troy at XULA Tennis Center.
 

NAIA Men's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll (first-place votes in parentheses — records through March 25)

RANK	PREVIOUS	SCHOOL	RECORD	POINTS
1	1	Georgia Gwinnett [14]	21-0	374
2	2	Xavier (La.)	7-7	362
3	3	Keiser (Fla.)	11-4	350
4	6	Lindsey Wilson (Ky.)	4-0	334
5	5	Northwestern Ohio	4-3	327
6	7	William Woods (Mo.)	6-5	306
7	8	Mobile (Ala.)	15-1	298
8	16	Cumberland (Tenn.)	11-1	288
9	9	Cardinal Stritch (Wis.)	7-3	283
10	10	Arizona Christian	13-6	256
11	4	Campbellsville (Ky.)	8-2	251
12	11	Middle Georgia State	9-3	249
13	12	William Carey (Miss.)	6-2	232
14	13	San Diego Christian (Calif.)	6-5	229
15	15	Reinhardt (Ga.)	8-2	201
16	14	Westmont (Calif.)	5-5	200
17	17	Asbury (Ky.)	7-1	174
18	17	Coastal Georgia	8-6	162
19	22	Union (Ky.)	7-3	158
20	20	Lawrence Tech (Mich.)	13-3	143
21	19	Tennessee Wesleyan	6-3	131
22	21	McPherson (Kan.)	4-3	120
23	23	Indiana Wesleyan	23-4	110
24	24	St. Thomas (Fla.)	5-5	90
25	25	Point (Ga.)	12-4	85

Others Receiving Votes: Texas A&M-Texarkana 62; Aquinas (Mich.) 36; Cumberlands (Ky.) 32; Bethany (Kan.) 32; Loyola (La.) 25; Judson (Ill.) 18; Missouri Valley 12; Marian (Ind.) 11; Lindenwood-Belleville (Ill.) 5; Hastings (Neb.) 4; Hope International (Calif.) 3; Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) 3

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Gold Rush rally past D2 No. 8 Embry-Riddle on road

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida  — Xavier University of Louisiana men's tennis earned its first-ever victory against a top-10 NCAA Division II opponent when it rallied for a 5-4 victory Monday against Embry-Riddle.
     
The Gold Rush (8-7), ranked second in the NAIA, trailed 4-2, then got singles victories from Pierre Andrieu, Samir Chikhaoui and Antoine Richard. Richard, playing singles for the first time this season, clinched with a 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 victory against Andres Donayre on the second court.
     
The Eagles, ranked eighth, are 9-4.
     
"Outstanding win. Our guys played big," XULA coach Alan Green said. "They fought to the end and never gave up."
     
Andrieu defeated Mickael Faucher 6-2, 0-6, 6-2 on court six — it was Andrieu's sixth victory in his last seven singles decisions — and Chikhaoui beat Lucas Bos 6-2, 7-6 (7-4).
     
First off the singles court was XULA's Shaikh Abdullah, who beat Deepak Vishavkarma 6-2, 6-2 for his fourth consecutive victory.
     
Embry-Riddle won 2-of-3 doubles matches. The Eagles' Donayre and Rodolfo Arreygue, ranked third nationally, beat Abdullah and Richard 9-8 (7-4). Chikhaoui and Gabriel Niculescu defeated Vishavkarma and Faucher 9-8 (7-2) on the third court.
     
XULA will play NAIA No. 3 Keiser at 2 p.m. EDT Tuesday at a neutral site in Orlando, Fla. — the USTA National Campus courts.

Results

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XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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UMES names interim men's basketball coach for upcoming season

PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland -- The University of Maryland Eastern Shore Department of Athletics will not renew the contract of head basketball coach Bobby Collins.

“We thank Bobby Collins for his service to the program and the University,” Director of Athletics Keith Davidson said.

Associate Head Coach Clifford Reed will assume the role of interim head coach for the 2018-19 season and a national search to find the next leader for the basketball program will be conducted at the end of that season.

Reed — a 20-year veteran of coaching — has spent four season’s as the team’s associate head coach, seven seasons as an assistant at other college programs, 10 seasons as the head coach at Bethune-Cookman University and three as a head coach at Atlantic High School in Port Orange, Florida.

For more information on Eastern Shore Athletics visit http://www.easternshorehawks.com.

S.C. State Will Not Renew Contract of Women's Basketball Coach Doug Robertson, Jr.

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina --The South Carolina State University Department of Athletics will not renew the contract of women's head basketball coach Doug Robertson, Jr.

"We would like to thank Coach Robertson for his service to the program and the university and wish him well in all his future endeavors," Director of Athletics Stacy Danley said.

Robertson, Jr. was hired in 2008 and his teams went 112-175 overall, 61-99 MEAC during his 10 years at South Carolina State.

Assistant Coach Roderick Woods will assume the role of interim head coach and a national search to find the next leader for the women's basketball program will begin immediately.

For more information on South Carolina State Athletics visit www.scsuathletics.com or call the Office of Athletic Media Relations at (803) 536-7060.

SOUTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

ASU faces Mississippi Valley State in Turkey Day Classic

MONTGOMERY, Alabama --Alabama State is playing a SWAC opponent in the 2018 Turkey Day Classic.

Having traditionally played a non-conference opponent for that game, the Hornets will play Mississippi Valley State on Thanksgiving Day.

“It should be better attended as a more viable opponent since it is a conference game late in the season,” ASU coach Donald Hill-Eley in a news release.

Season tickets go on sale online Sunday and will be available at the ASU Stadium’s ticket office Monday. The Hornets open the 2018 season September 1 against rival Tuskegee followed by three consecutive road games against Auburn, Kennesaw State and two-time defending SWAC champion Grambling.

The Hornets, who finished 5-6 last season, play just four home games this season.

“Our work is cut out for us to start the season, it is a champions test for the first month,” said Hill-Eley as Kennesaw State (Big South) and Tuskegee (SIAC) won their respective conference title games last year while Auburn won the SEC West.

CONTINUE READING

Spring cleaning: Grambling State quarterbacks

GRAMBLING, Louisiana -- Grambling State has been running through team spring drills for two weeks and has hit the halfway point of its practice schedule.

The G-Men conducted their first scrimmage Saturday, marking the eighth of their 15-allowed sessions, and get this week off with Easter approaching. GSU has six practices left before its annual Black and Gold game Saturday, April 14 at 1 p.m. at Eddie G. Robinson Memorial Stadium.

USA Today Network and The News-Star Grambling State beat reporter Cory Diaz reveals what he’s observed during practice, taking a look and breaking down each position as the team navigates spring drills. First up is the quarterback position.

Returners: Geremy Hickbottom, redshirt sophomore; Charles Wright, redshirt junior; Joshua Mosley sophomore; David Johnson, freshman (walk-on)

Departures: DeVante Kincade

ONTINUE READING 

CAU’s Darrell Walker confirms move to University of Arkansas Little Rock

CLARK ATLANTA UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

ATLANTA, Georgia -- After much speculation, Clark Atlanta University men’s head basketball coach Darrell Walker confirmed in a 2 p.m. meeting with Clark Atlanta administrators that he has accepted an offer from the University of Arkansas Little Rock to become head coach of its men’s basketball program.

According to sources, Walker is expected to address the media at a press event in Little Rock on Friday morning.

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Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Milwaukee Bucks' 'Greek Freak'

MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin -- Even casual sports fans know the names of the superstars in pro basketball. There is LeBron, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden. But there is one name you may not have heard, mainly because it takes courage and concentration to pronounce it. I'm talking about Giannis Antetokounmpo of the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks.

He is 23 years old, a hair under seven feet tall and there are 13 letters in his last name, most of them consonants, so he is usually referred to as Giannis or 'The Greek Freak.' He's called that because he is Greek and is doing things on a basketball court that people have never seen before.

And even if you aren't a basketball fan you have to admire his athleticism and a personal story that is one of the most interesting in all of sports. If that sounds like hype, we offer into evidence exhibit number one.



Last month, Madison Square Garden. Bucks versus the Knicks. A stolen pass, a fast break. Watch Giannis on the right.

It was so quick, most people missed what actually happened.

CONTINUE WATCHING VIDEO 

NCCU players cry foul after coach cuts 10 from women's basketball team

DURHAM, North Carolina -- Everyone may be playing by the rules, but that doesn't always mean it's a fair game.

That's the message from several players recently cut from North Carolina Central University's women's basketball team, many of whom are scheduled to graduate next year.

"It's not like a football team where there's 80 people and you cut 10," Dominique Adams, a junior guard, told ABC11. "There's 14 of us, and 10 won't be back next year. That doesn't add up."

Adams, a winner of NCCU's Coach's Award and Sportsmanship Award, was among nine players cut by Head Coach Trish Stafford-Odom (the 10th player not returning graduates this spring). Among those cut: F Sami Oliver-Alexander, F Alyssa Thompson, G Jada Blow, Adams, G Jayla Calhoun, C Deja McCain, F Darria Hewitt, C Ezinne Mbamalu and F Kayla Hall.

"We didn't do anything wrong," Adams said, pointing out the strong academic record for each player.

"Yes you're there for basketball but you're also there to graduate," Oliver-Alexander, a junior from California, adds. "So to cut people that are about to graduate literally on the cusp of graduating is ... why? At that point you're messing with people's futures."

CONTINUE READING

Bobby Collins out as UMES men's basketball coach

PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland -- The University of Maryland Eastern Shore men’s basketball team will have a new coach next season.

Following four seasons with the Hawks, head coach Bobby Collins will leave the program after his contract was not renewed by the university. Collins finishes his tenure with a 49-82 overall record, which included a trip to the MEAC semifinals in 2017.

Jeff Goodman of ESPN was the first to report the news.

Collins was named the head coach of the Hawks in 2014 and immediately saw success with the team. The former Winston-Salem State and Hampton coach led UMES to an 18-15 record his inaugural season — the most wins in more than four decades.

The Hawks’ coach was also named the MEAC Coach of the Year his first season and was instrumental in the development of several key players, including Ryan Andino and Bakari Copeland.

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Historical Basketball League: Exposing The False Choice Between Education And Income

NEW YORK, New York -- The Madness of March is in full swing. High seeds have fallen, and brackets have been busted across the land.

The 68 schools involved in the NCAA Tournament represent big cities, rural communities, and everywhere between. Their recruits come from all 50 states and numerous foreign countries. But despite their differences, they are united by one fact: None of the hundreds of players who make the tournament possible will be paid a fair wage for their labor.

A distortion of this truth functions as the hallmark of the amateurism model of collegiate sports. The artificially fixed price of the kids’ labor — a college scholarship wherein more time is often spent practicing and playing basketball than attending classes or studying — is linked with youth and purity, imparting it with an allure that belies its reprehensibility.



The Historical Basketball League (HBL) wants no part of this model. Founded by sports economist Andy Schwarz with the goal of entering the college basketball market to influence a shift toward negotiated deals that are fair to both players and leagues, the HBL is designed to directly address the nasty truth behind America’s romance with amateurism.

In Schwarz’s words, the NCAA is an economic, price-fixing cartel: “The problem that every economic cartel has — and I use that in a sense of a group that fixes prices, generates profits and then shares the profits among themselves, which is what amateurism is — if you’re not letting the market distribute the profits, then you have to form a committee to distribute the profits, and there’s always an odd man out.

“Surprise, surprise, in America, it’s HBCUs.”

Historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) form a healthy portion of NCAA membership. Conferences like the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) and the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) are made up primarily of HBCUs. However, according to Schwarz, in 2016 a Division I HBCU could account for only $950,000 in NCAA revenue across all sports, while a Division I SEC school would expect to see $41 million. For a Division II HBCU, that number is a paltry $37,000.

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Rattlers making favorable impression on Simmons

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Willie Simmons likes what he has seen thus far from his Florida A&M football team – on the field and on film.

The Rattlers’ new coach and staff spent Monday morning evaluating video from the Rattlers’ opening spring practices.

The sessions were highlighted by three consecutive practices over the weekend, punctuated by FAMU’s first practice in full pads Sunday afternoon.



“After four days, they have shown a lot of energy and enthusiasm,” said Simmons, whose team practices Tuesday and Thursday at 6 a.m. this week.

“The competition level has been really high. Players have been very receptive and really showing an initiative to pick things up.”

Simmons hasn’t wasted any time implementing new schemes on offense (spread) and defense (4-2-5).

He said there’s competition across the board, including quarterback, saying the intensity and attention to detail has picked up.

Players also have requested extra time with staff to help with the adjustments to a new system.

CONTINUE READING

Virginia Union Panthers Announces 2018 Football Schedule

RICHMOND, Virginia -- Virginia Union University will kick off the Dr. Alvin Parker era when the Panthers meet the Griffins of Seton Hill University in the 2018 football season opener at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 1, in Hovey Field in Richmond, Virginia.

The 2018 schedule boasts six home games, all to be played in Hovey Field on the VUU campus.

The Panthers will play host to Carson-Newman University in the 2018 Willard Bailey Classic before taking on Johnson C. Smith University in a non-conference match-up on Saturday, September 15, in Salem, Va.

"This will be a tough and challenging schedule as we face teams from the very formidable PSAC and South Atlantic Conference in non-conference games," said Parker.  "These will be followed by tough CIAA team's week in and week out; we truly don't have a week to fall asleep".

VUU opens CIAA conference play on September 22 when it travels to Winston-Salem State University before returning home to face Livingstone College in the Lucille M. Brown Community Youth Bowl on September 29 and then facing Lincoln (Pa.) University for Homecoming on October 6.

"The CIAA has become an extremely competitive league from top to bottom," said Parker.  "The league puts multiple teams in the playoffs on a yearly basis, we look to continue the CIAA's tradition of post-season play"

The Panthers play Bowie State at home on October 20 and will wrap up the regular-season on November 3 when they face arch-rival Virginia State University.

"Having six home games will be great for us and also great for the fans," said Parker.

Season football passes will go on sale May 1, 2018, for $100 each (a $25 savings over buying tickets individually).

2018 Football Season

DATE       OPPONENT                 SITE                 TIME
SEPT. 1    SETON HILL               HOVEY FIELD   1:00 p.m.
           Faculty/Staff Appreciation Day

SEPT. 8    CARSON-NEWMAN            HOVEY FIELD 1:00 P.M.
           Willard Bailey Classic

Sept. 15   Johnson C. Smith         Salem, VA            TBA
           Mayor's Cup Classic

Sept. 22   at Winston-Salem State*   Winston-Salem, NC   6:00 p.m.

Sept. 29   LIVINGSTONE*              HOVEY FIELD         1:00 p.m.
           Lucille M. Brown Community Youth Bowl

OCT. 6     LINCOLN (PA)*            HOVEY VIELD          1:00 p.m.
           Homecoming 2018!

Oct. 13    at Chowan*               Murfreesboro, NC     TBA

Oct. 20    BOWIE STATE*             HOVEY FIELD          1:00 p.m.
           Veterans Appreciation Day

Oct. 27    at Elizabeth City State* Elizabeth City, NC   TBA

NOV. 3     VIRGINIA STATE*           HOVEY FIELD         1:00 p.m.
           Senior Day

NOV. 10    CIAA CHAMPIONSHIP          TBA                TBA
 
* = CIAA GAME

VIRGINIA UNION UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Cheyney University drops NCAA Division II status in restructuring of its athletic department

CHEYNEY, Pennsylvania -- The nation's oldest historically black university announced it is withdrawing from the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference and dropping its NCAA Division II status.

Cheyney University President Aaron Walton said in a statement that the changes are essential if the university is to achieve financial sustainability. The changes will take place at the end of the academic year, and Walton added that they will remain in effect until the school achieves its financial objectives.



"These are extremely difficult but necessary decisions that are being made on behalf of our entire student population, and to help ensure the university's future," Walton said. "We want to continue to provide our student athletes the opportunity to participate as part of the overall college experience.

The university will seek to join another conference for men's and women's basketball and volleyball to develop a stronger, more sustainable program, officials said. The teams will operate under an independent status during the 2018-2019 academic year.

Cheyney has experienced declining enrolment, low graduation rates, a limited offering of undergraduate degrees, in addition to the poor financial situation. Those financial woes and administrative uncertainty have put its accreditation with Middle States Commission on Higher Education in jeopardy for the second time in eight years last May, prompting many changes at the school.

Cheyney University suspended its football program in December after going 1-10 on the season. The program remains suspended until the university's financial position showed "significant improvement." University trustees were notified of the decisions during a meeting Tuesday.

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Bowie State Bowling 4-Peats as CIAA Champions

VIRGINIA BEACH, Virginia – For the fourth time in as many years, the Bowie State University women's bowling team captured the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Bowling Championship at the AMF Lynnhaven Lanes on Saturday (3/24) afternoon.

COMPLETE CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS
 
In addition to this being BSU's fourth straight CIAA Crown, it is the eighth overall in school history. The endurance on the lanes paid off for the 2018 Champions as they went undefeated during championship play; earning them an automatic bid to the 2018 NCAA Bowling Championship.
 
The lanes became heated when Bowie State and Fayetteville State met yet again, this time in the Championship match. On day one (3/23), Bowie State knocked Fayetteville State into the loser's bracket, so the Broncos were ready for revenge. This time the Bulldogs knew not to take the Broncos lightly, but the match continued to the full seven games.
 
After Bowie State started out strong with a 196-116 victory in the first game, Fayetteville State countered with three big wins in the next three games with 161-152, 187-171 and 157-146 victories. The next game was a blowout by the Bulldogs winning 172-121. Both the sixth and seventh games came down to the tenth frame and both games the Bulldogs finished strong (163-152 and 170-161) to take home the 2018 CIAA Bowling Championship.
 
The final day of CIAA bowling competition began with Round Four of the double-elimination, championship bracket. The I-95 rivals, No. 4 Virginia State and No. 3 Virginia Union fought through six games, and with a 4-2 result, the Trojans of VSU continued their journey in the loser's bracket. They then faced the No. 1 Broncos of Fayetteville State, but were soon knocked out of the tournament after the Broncos took an early 3-0 lead (175-135, 151-135, 199-159). VSU was able to capture the fourth game 174-164, but FSU soon closed the match in the fifth with a score of 159 to 128.
 
Following the Championship match the 2018 CIAA Bowling Championship awards ceremony consisted of honors for the first (BSU), second (FSU) and third (VSU) place teams, the All-Tournament Team and the Championship MVP.
 
The All-Tournament Team consisted of Ariel Haith (Virginia State), Amaree Durfee (Virginia Union), Baylee Lexton (Chowan), Diamond Carter (Bowie State) and Savannah Sterling (Fayetteville State). Bowie State's Diamond Carterwas also named to MVP of the Championships.

BOWIE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATION 

Head Coach Dana Ford Leaves TSU for Missouri State Bears

SPRINGFIELD, Missouri -- A new era for Missouri State University men's basketball officially began Thursday (March 22) with the introduction of Dana Ford as the program's 18th head coach.

Ford was introduced to a gathering of media and fans at JQH Arena after his hire was unanimously approved by the Missouri State University Board of Governors Executive Committee late Wednesday afternoon and an extensive national search.

The 33-year-old served the last four years as head coach at Tennessee State University. He is widely regarded as one of the nation's most promising young head coaches and was awarded the Ben Jobe Award in 2016 as the nation's top Division I minority coach.

"Within the first 15 minutes of talking with Coach Ford, I was excited about him," said Missouri State President Clif Smart. "I could tell he was extremely excited about Missouri State. He and his wife, Christina, have great personal stories. I don't think we could have found a better fit."

Ford orchestrated one of the best turnarounds in NCAA history when he accepted the TSU job in 2014-15 as the nation's youngest Division I head coach at the time. The Tigers went from a 5-26 record his first season to a 20-11 ledger a year later. He earned Ohio Valley Conference Coach of the Year honors and NABC District 19 Coach of the Year laurels that same season.

Over his last three years in Nashville, Ford has led the Tigers to a combined 52-39 record and coached five All-OVC players in addition to two players recognized on the OVC All-Newcomer Team. Under his leadership, Tennessee State also doubled its home attendance average and twice earned votes in the Associated Press Top 25 poll during the 2016-17 season.

"When you consider what Coach Ford has done, his resume is impressive," said Kyle Moats, MSU's director of athletics. "But when you consider that he was the fifth-youngest head coach in Division I this season – with four years of head coaching already under his belt – then you can understand why all of us are so excited here today."

A native of Tamms, Ill., Ford is a 2006 graduate of Illinois State University where he was a four-year letterman for the Redbirds under coaches Tom Richardson and Porter Moser from 2002-06. He was a regular starter and led ISU in steals as a senior.

He went on to successful assistant coaching stints at Winthrop and Wichita State under coach Gregg Marshall and later as associate head coach at Illinois State under coach Dan Muller. His coaching resume also includes assistant coaching stops at Chipola (Fla.) College and Tennessee State.

Ford has been an assistant coach on two NCAA Tournament teams at Winthrop (2006-07) and Wichita State (2011-12) as well as a NJCAA national final four run at Chipola College (2008-09).

"I'm looking forward to getting started," said Ford. "I have always had a great admiration for this university and the great basketball program here. It is an honor to return to the Missouri Valley Conference and be the one selected to carry on a great Bears basketball tradition."

Ford's contract, which was also approved by the Board of Governors, is a five-year agreement through March 31, 2023. He will earn a base salary of $375,000 his first two years and $425,000 in years three, four and five. Additional achievement incentives for NCAA and NIT appearances, conference championships, coaching honors, attendance average and APR standards are also included in the agreement.  

The Fords have two sons, Carson and Cameron, and a daughter, Charlie Rose.

Ford replaces Paul Lusk who was not retained by the university after seven seasons as head coach of the Bears from 2011-2018.

The Bears are expected to return 10 players, including three starters, from an 18-15 squad.

Thursday's news conference is archived on Facebook and the Missouri State Bears YouTube channel.

Ford Coaching History
Season School Position W-L Postseason / Notes
2006-07 Winthrop Grad Assistant 29-5 NCAA (Round of 32)
2007-08 Wichita State Grad Assistant 11-20
2008-09 Chipola (Fla.) College Assistant Coach 35-2 NJCAA 3rd place
2009-10 Tennessee State Assistant Coach 9-23
2010-11 Tennessee State Assistant Coach 14-16
2011-12 Wichita State Assistant Coach 29-8 NCAA (Round of 64)
2012-13 Illinois State Associate Head Coach 18-15
2013-14 Illinois State Associate Head Coach 18-16 CBI Semifinals
2014-15 Tennessee State Head Coach 5-26
2015-16 Tennessee State Head Coach 20-11 CIT 1st Round / OVC Coach of the Year
2016-17 Tennessee State Head Coach 17-13
2017-18 Tennessee State Head Coach 15-15

MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS