Hampton Pirates Tabbed Third in Big South Conference Men's Basketball Poll -- Marrow First Team

PIRATES TABBED THIRD IN MEN'S POLL - MARROW FIRST TEAM https://t.co/iD64cODhi3

— Hampton Athletics (@HUAthletics1868) October 23, 2018

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina -- The 2018-19 Big South Conference Preseason Polls and All-Conference teams were announced on Tuesday at Media Day and the men's basketball team was selected third in the poll and junior Jermaine Marrow was selected to the first team.

Defending champion Radford earned 28 of the 33 first-place votes to lead the preseason poll with 357 points. Winthrop had two first-place votes and picked second with 280 points while Hampton was third with 253 points and two first place votes.
 

Marrow earned Preseason All-Conference honors along with Chris Clemons (Campbell), Ed Polite (Radford), Christian Keeling (Charleston Southern) and David Efianayi (Gardner-Webb). Clemons was selected as the Preseason Player of the Year.
 

After a season where he averaged 19.1 points, 5.4 assists and 5.0 rebounds, Marrow nearly recorded a triple-double against Bethune-Cookman with 35 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists. He had a career high 11 assists against Mid-Atlantic Christian.

2018-19 Big South Conference Men’s Basketball Preseason All-Conference Team

First-Team
Chris Clemons, Campbell, Sr., G (Raleigh, N.C.)
Ed Polite Jr., Radford, Sr., F (Lanham, Md.)
Christian Keeling, Charleston Southern, Jr., G (Augusta, Ga.)
David Efianayi, Gardner-Webb, R-Sr., G (Orlando, Fla.)
Jermaine Marrow, Hampton, Jr., G (Newport News, Va.)

Second-Team
Carlik Jones, Radford, R-So., G (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Jahaad Proctor, High Point, R-Jr., G (Harrisburg, Pa.)
Josh Ferguson, Winthrop, Jr., F (Miami, Fla.)
Isaiah Walton, Longwood, R-Sr., G (Oberlin, Ohio)
Deion Holmes, USC Upstate, Sr., G (Chesnee, S.C.)

For more information on Hampton University men's basketball please contact the Office of Sports Information at 757-727-5757 or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.

Showtime #BSCMediaDay pic.twitter.com/JxGbpGsJt3

— Hampton Athletics (@HUAthletics1868) October 23, 2018

HAMPTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS STRATEGIC MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Hampton University Athletics: Respect the "H" Show EP9 - 7

HAMPTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS

Big South Selects K'Lynn Willis Preseason First Team All-Conference, Hampton Lady Pirates Picked Fourth

PHOTO COURTESY: CODY CLIFTON/HAMPTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina -- The 2018-19 Big South Conference Preseason Polls and All-Conference teams were announced on Tuesday at Media Day and Hampton was picked fourth along with earning a first team selection in K'lynn Willis.

Radford earned nine of the 11 first place votes to take the top spot with 116 points, followed by High Point with the other two first place votes and 102 points. UNC Asheville was third with 100 points and Hampton was selected fourth with 89 points.

Willis joins the first team after averaging 9.1 points, 3.7 assists and had a team high 50 steals. She had a season-high 20 points against Florida A&M and dished out a season high seven assists in the same game. Against nationally-ranked Oregon she had a season-best six steals.

Emma Bockrath of High Point was the Preseason Player of the Year and joined on the team by Destinee Walker (Radford), Jessica Wall (UNC Asheville) and Kacie Hall (Presbyterian).

For more information on Hampton University women's basketball please contact the Office of Sports Information at 757-727-5757 or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.

One of the goals for @Hampton_MBB and @Hampton_WBB #BSCMediaDay pic.twitter.com/P51erPaN3s

— Hampton Athletics (@HUAthletics1868) October 23, 2018

HAMPTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS

Everything Husker fans need to know about the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats

Bethune-Cookman at Nebraska, 12 PM EDT, TV: Big Ten Network (BTN)

LINCOLN, Nebraska -- Bethune-Cookman is already a winner considering the $800,000 payout it’s receiving to come to Lincoln, but Nebraska represents perhaps the biggest challenge Sims has faced in his fourth year as coach.

The Wildcats lost 49-28 to FBS foe Florida Atlantic last month and had a pair of defeats to Miami in recent seasons. The Huskers are the first Big Ten foe to face Bethune-Cookman in the 93-year history of the program, which is 2-9 against FBS teams — both wins against Florida International. Once a player at Knoxville in the early 1990s, Sims has been with the school in Daytona Beach, Florida, for nine years.

Coach Terry Sims (24-16 at Bethune-Cookman)



CONTINUE READING

Bethune-Cookman has one of nation's best marching bands, but it won't make trip to Nebraska

Bethune-Cookman at Nebraska, 12 PM EDT, TV: Big Ten Network (BTN)

LINCOLN, Nebraska -- Bethune-Cookman’s football team is visiting Nebraska for the first time this weekend. The school’s famous marching band — which has its own Netflix series — will not be coming, though.

A Nebraska official said Monday that BCU’s band — known as “The Pride” — is not accompanying the football team to Lincoln. An administrative assistant for the BCU band said it was “not financially able” to make the trip.

BCU was a bye-week replacement opponent for the Huskers after thunderstorms canceled the season-opening game against Akron.

CONTINUE READING

HBCU Play Ep. 12 - Willie Simmons, Head Coach Florida A&M Rattlers Football

ATLANTA, Georgia -- HBCU PLAY is a prime source for the latest information on historically black colleges and university athletics. The weekly program breaks down impact games throughout the various conferences, includes feature stories, interviews, and recognizes student-athletes for their work within the community.

Episode 12 = Willie Simmons - the head coach of the Florida A&M Rattlers football team - joins HBCU PLAY.

SHC Badgers Sweep University of Mobile

MOBILE, Alabama -- The Spring Hill College (SHC) volleyball team completed the season sweep of arch rival the University of Mobile on the road Wednesday night. The Badgers claimed the victory by scores of 25-14, 25-17, and 26-24. The win runs SHC's current winning streak to 15 games.

Spring Hill controlled play in the first two sets by dominating at the net against a much taller Ram front row. The Badgers outhit Mobile .139 to -.045 in the first set and followed up with a .367 to .111 advantage in set number two. Mobile would regroup at the second intermission and played SHC to a tight third set that was back and forth. However, the Badgers would not be outdone as they closed out the win 26-24.

The Badger offensive attack was led by Allison Weimer and Kassandra Fairly who each knocked down 10 kills. Taylor Hurst had 9 kills and Sarah Senft and Bentley Odom 4 apiece. As a team, the Badgers produced a workman like .231 attack percentage to outpace Mobile which could manage only a .072 overall. The Badger offense was keyed by another solid setting performance Emmarose Neibert who dished out 34 assists.

Cassidi Sterrett led the way in thwarting the Ram attack with 21 digs from the back line. The Badger front line also out blocked Mobile 7-4 led by Bentley Odem's 1 solo block and 4 block assists.

"Great effort from whole squad, played really well in first two sets," said Head Coach Peggy Martin. "Mobile played much better in Set 3 and we made some unforced errors we hadn't made all night. We were able to come from behind in the closely contested last set. Cassidi Sterrett played great in the backcourt in all phases, serve, pass and digging. Emmarose Neibert ran the offense very well. Looking forward to a few days off to re-energize for a strong finish."

The Badgers (25-3, 16-0 SIAC) will host Jesuit rival Loyola University on October 31 at 6:00 PM and close out the regular season at home against SIAC foe Tuskegee for senior night on November 2 at 6:00 PM.

By Jim Stennett
SPRING HILL COLLEGE BADGERS SPORTS INFORMATION

Spring Hill Volleyball Debuts at No. 10 South Region Rankings

ATLANTA, Georgia – With only two weeks remaining until their first opportunity to debut in the 2018 SIAC Volleyball Championship Tournament, Spring Hill has debuted in the NCAA Volleyball Regional Rankings at number 10.

The Spring Hill Badgers are excelling on the court as they are 25-3, 16-0 SIAC. In last week's matchups, the Lady Badgers finished the South Region Crossover Classic 3-0 after defeating regional teams including Union University (Tenn.), Mississippi College, and Auburn University Montgomery.

Under the direction of head coach, Peggy Martin, the Badgers are currently on a 21-game winning streak and remain undefeated in conference after sweeping both Western Division Clusters and the SIAC Crossover Tournament.

Leading the Badgers are Kassandra Fairly who leads the conference in hitting percentage (.401), Emmarose Neibert who leads in assists (10.55/set), Randi De'Armitt who leads in service aces (0.55/set), and Cassidi Sterrett who leads in digs (5.17/set).

The Badgers will travel to face University of Mobile before returning home to finish the regular season facing Loyola University and Tuskegee.

For more information on the 2018 SIAC Volleyball Tournament, click here.

By Jim Stennett
SPRING HILL COLLEGE BADGERS SPORTS INFORMATION

Virginia Union Golf Wins Virginia State Fall Classic

PETERSBURG, Virginia -- The 2018 Virginia State University Trojan Fall Classic was contested at the Dogwood Trace Golf Club on October 22nd & 23rd in Petersburg, Va. Dogwood Trace Golf Course is a Par 72, 6, 605 yards layout proved to be a great test over the two-day tournament with windy and sunny days.

There were a total of 10 teams competing. Two D1 Schools, Longwood University and University Maryland Eastern Shore. Eight D2 Schools which consisted of Chowan University, Elizabeth City State University, Livingstone College, Fayetteville State University, Saint Augustine's University, Shepherd University, Virginia State University and Virginia Union University.

VUU GOLF ROSTER AND COACHING STAFF

VUU led all team scoring both days with a team score of 603 (306/297) and was the overall tournament winner as well as the D2 Division Winner. VUU team scoring was led by Senior- Paul Meints with a with two day total of 151 (76/75), followed by Senior-Allan Day 152 (79/73), Freshman-Travon Willis 152 (79/73), Freshman-Alkin Barkley 153 (77/76) and Senior-Sergio Escalante 155 (74/81). Freshman-Sherwood Baskerville played as an Individual with a score of 185 (92/93). Paul, Allan, Travon and Alkin were also members of the D2 All-Tournament Team.

This was the team's final Fall Season tournament and could easily be considered a prelude to the 2018 CIAA Championship with the seven of the eight CIAA Teams competing in the VSU Fall Trojan Classic Tournament.

The VUU golf team had a great Fall Season with two first place finishes and a couple of Top 10 finishes in NCAA Regional Tournaments.

"The team finished with a team scoring average of 76.05," said VUU Head Golf Coach E. Lee Coble. "This is a continuing process of continued improvement as we get ready for our 2019 Spring Season. I have never been prouder of this team along with the assistance of our Assistant Coach and Team Photographer Ricardo Andrews."

2018 VSU Trojan Fall Classic Golf Tournament
Final Tournament Results Team
Team Finishes Day 1 Day 2 Total
1st Place - Virginia Union University 306 297 603
2nd Place - Shepherd University 320 309 629
3rd Place - Chowan University 324 312 636
4th Place - Livingstone College 316 325 641
5th Place - Virginia State University 329 329 658
6th Place - Fayetteville State University 336 324 660
7th Place - Saint Augustine's University 336 333 669
8th Place - University of Md. Eastern Shore 347 343 690
9th Place - Elizabeth City State University 406 410 816

VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY PANTHERS SPORTS INFORMATION

Alabama State Women's Soccer Team Hosts Final Regular Season Match Against Alabama A&M

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- The Alabama State University women's soccer team closes out the regular season Thursday afternoon against rival Alabama A&M.

With a victory, Alabama State (5-10, 5-4 SWAC) has a chance to earn the fifth seed in the upcoming SWAC Championship Tournament, held November 1-4 in Houston (Texas). The Lady Hornets currently sit in fifth place by percentage points behind Prairie View A&M and need a win over the Lady Bulldogs to clinch the top five seed.

However, a loss by the Lady Hornets to Alabama A&M could precipitate a fall as low as the sixth seed behind Howard, Grambling State and Texas Southern, among others.

Alabama State put itself in position to capture the fifth seed by splitting a pair of matches last week, defeating Arkansas Pine-Bluff 3-0 before falling to Grambling State 1-0. Birgit Rijnders continues to lead the Lady Hornets with eight goals and 17 points. Meanwhile, Teaggan Ilela and Kayla Tillman have added three goals each, respectively.

Gianna Guyot has played and started in 15 games for the Lady Hornets this season and has a 2.35 goals against average.

The match kicks off at 6 pm Thursday night.

Follow the Hornets
For complete coverage of Alabama State University women's soccer, please follow the Hornets on social media @BamaStateWSC (Twitter), /BamaStateSports (Facebook) and @BamaStateSports (Instagram) or visit the official home of Alabama State athletics at BamaStateSports.com.
official home of Alabama State athletics at BamaStateSports.com.

ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

GSU returns home to face UAPB

GRAMBLING, Louisiana -- The Grambling State University football team will look to bounce back from a road loss to Alcorn State on Saturday when Arkansas-Pine Bluff comes to town for a Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) game. Saturday's game is Military Appreciation and Breast Cancer Awareness Day as kickoff from Eddie G Robinson Stadium is set for 2 p.m.

Grambling State will broadcast the game on the Grambling State Sports Radio Network. The game can be heard in Ruston (KPCH 99.3 FM) and in Monroe (KJMG 97.3 FM). The Tigers broadcast crew of Santoria Black, Ossie Clark, Nick Harrison and Leon Thomas will call all of the action.

Grambling State (3-4 overall, 2-2 SWAC) comes into Saturday's tilt having won two of their last three games. The Tigers suffered a 33-26 loss to Alcorn State last Saturday in Lorman, Miss., which hadn't happened in 21 years (1997). Marc Orozco enters the game against the Golden Lions needing just one point to break Brian Morgan's all-time SWAC and GSU career record for scoring points.

"It's kind of hard not to know, because people keep talking about it," Orozco said about the record. "I can't wait to get it off my chest and get it out of the way, so I can focus more on the season."

Arkansas-Pine Bluff (1-6, 0-3) is still searching for its first SWAC victory after being edged last week, 48-47, in double-overtime to Mississippi Valley State. The Golden Lions' lone win came in Week 2 (55-0 over Cumberland University).

"Watching them (Arkansas-Pine Bluff) on film, they play extremely hard and you can tell that they are well-coached," Grambling State head coach Broderick Fobbs said. "They're going to be tough. Right now we are the reigning champ in our league, and everyone is taking their shots at us, so we have to make sure we are prepared to compete."

About The Game
> This will be the 43rd meeting, with Grambling State leading the series, 29-11-2
> The series began in 1951 with Arkansas-Pine Bluff capturing a 25-13 victory
> The most points Grambling State scored in the series was 70 in 2016, while Arkansas-Pine Bluff scored 54 points in 1998
> Grambling State holds the longest win streak in the series at 11 games and is currently on a four-game win streak against the Golden Lions

Grambling State - Last Time Out
> Grambling State enters the game off a 33-26 SWAC loss against Alcorn State
> For the first time in the Broderick Fobbs era, the Tigers suffered a defeat in the month of October
> The loss at Alcorn State was the first for Grambling State in 21 years (1997), which was also the final season Eddie Robinson roamed the sideline
> Grambling State recorded 19 first downs finished with 376 total yards (nearly 100 yards more than Alcorn State), including 292 through the air
> Marc Orozco booted four fields for the first time in his collegiate career, including a career-long 52-yard field goal in the third quarter
> With either a field goal or an extra point on Saturday against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Marc Orozco will break Brian Morgan's SWAC and GSU career record for points. Both are sitting on 325 career points
> Geremy Hickbottom was 20 of 36 passing for 279 yards and one interception
> Geremy Hickbottom led the ground game with 17 touches for 115 yards, but gained only 54 net yards

Arkansas-Pine Bluff - Last Time Out
> Arkansas-Pine Bluff is still searching for its first SWAC win as the Golden Lions were edged in double-overtime by Mississippi Valley State, 48-47
> The Golden Lions had 25 first downs and 503 total yards of offense against the Delta Devils
> Skyler Perry was 18-of-33 passing for 257 yards and three scores, while Taeyler Porter rushed 37 times for 173 yards and two touchdowns.

• GRAMBLING STATE NOTES (PDF)
• INSIDE THE GAME
• BRODERICK FOBBS WEEKLY INTERVIEW
• LIVE STATS
• LISTEN LIVE

Last Time Against Arkansas-Pine Bluff
> Grambling State held off a late charge by Arkansas-Pine Bluff to capture a 31-26 victory last season in Pine Bluff, Ark.
> The Tigers racked up 365 total yards, including 254 through the air, and 21 first downs
> Devante Kincade was 28 of 42 passing for 254 yards and three touchdowns, while carrying the ball six times for 36 yards
> Darrell Clark and Calief Samon each caught five passes
> Ja'Terious Pouncy registered seven tackles and one interception

Inside The Numbers
> Grambling State has won 27 out of its last 29 SWAC games, dating back to the beginning of the 2015 season
> The Tigers are 15-1 in the month of October under head coach Broderick Fobbs
> Grambling State has won its last 11 home games and has not lost at home since Sept. 19, 2015 (56-53 loss to Bethune-Cookman)
> The Tigers look to remain perfect (4-0) against Arkansas-Pine Bluff during the Broderick Fobbs era
> Marc Orozco needs just one (1) point to become the all-time career GSU and SWAC leader in points scored
> Alcorn State is averaging 26.7 points and 442.0 total yards per game
> Grambing State is averaging 28.0 points and 382.7 total yards per game

Accolades
> Marc Orozco was named the SWAC Specialist of the Week
> De'Arius Christmas is a semifinalist for the National Football Foundation William V. Campbell Trophy

SWAC Scenarios
> In order for Grambling State to reach the SWAC Championship, the Tigers will need help and it all starts this weekend when Alcorn State and Prairie View A&M meet. A win for Alcorn State keeps the Tigers' chances alive. However, a loss would more than likely knock Grambling State out of the hunt

Up Next
The Tigers wrap up their home campaign on Saturday, Nov. 3 with Homecoming and Senior Day as Mississippi Valley State visits Eddie G. Robinson Memorial Stadium. Kickoff against the Delta Devils is set for 2 p.m.

Remaining Home Game Tickets Still Available
Remaining home game tickets are on still sale at the GSU Ticket office and fan are encouraged to visit www.gsutigers.com or call the ticket office to purchase tickets. For more information on purchasing season tickets, call (318) 274-2625 or (318) 274-2629.

Follow Grambling State Athletics
For complete coverage of Grambling State athletics, please follow the Tigers on social media at @GSU_Tigers (Twitter), /gramblingstateathletics (Facebook), @gramblingathletics01 (Instagram) or visit the official home of Grambling State Athletics at gsutigers.com.

By: Deja Harrison, Sports Information Staff
GRAMBLING STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

Grambling State avenges loss to Centenary

GRAMBLING, Louisiana| Chasity Nicks and Kevreion Ward each had 14 kills as the Grambling State University volleyball team avenged an earlier loss to Centenary (La.) with a 3-1 non-conference victory on Wednesday evening at the Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly Center.
 
Grambling State (9-21) took the opening set, 25-22, and had set point twice in the second, but fell, 26-24, to even the match at 1. The Lady Tigers had four set points in the third and came away with a 25-17 win, before rallying in the fourth set, 25-19, to take the match.
 
Ward led the offensive attack with 14 kills, seven errors and 37 total attacks for a .189 hitting percentage, while Nicks added 14 kills, eight errors and 34 total attacks for a .176 hitting percentage. L'Muriell Thrower registered a double-double of a match-high 32 assists and 13 digs, while Sheila Borders dished out 18 assists. Erineka Mollere tallied a match-high 31 digs to lead the defense.
 
Lauren Kelly paced Centenary (14-15) with 10 kills and hit .156 for the match. Rachel Demerjian handed out 22 assists and 10 digs, while Marissa Sandoval chipped in with a team-high 14 digs.

BOX SCORE
 
Inside the Numbers
> Grambling State finished with a .183 hitting percentage (56 kills, 28 errors, 153 total attacks)
> Centenary registered 40 kills, 25 errors, 155 total attacks (.097 hitting percentage)
> The Lady Tigers tallied 69 digs, 54 assists, 13.5 total team blocks and eight service aces
> The Ladies finished with 58 digs, 37 assists, five service aces and five total team blocks
 
Up Next
Grambling State steps back into Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) play on Monday, Oct. 29 with a home contest against Texas Southern. The match is set to begin at 6 p.m. at the Men's Gymnasium on the campus of Grambling State University.
 
Follow Grambling State Athletics
For complete coverage of Grambling State athletics, please follow the Tigers on social media at @GSU_Tigers (Twitter), /gramblingstateathletics (Facebook), @gramblingathletics01 (Instagram) or visit the official home of Grambling State Athletics at gsutigers.com.

GRAMBLING STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

MEAC Football Teleconference Week 9

2018 Week 9 MEAC Football Teleconference Willie Simmons (Florida A&M) 00:04 Terry Sims (Bethune-Cookman) 9:39 Rod Milstead (Delaware State) 25:06 Mike London (Howard) 30:58 Latrell Scott (Norfolk State) 41:50 Erik Raeburn (Savannah State) 48:30 Buddy Pough (SC State) 57:58 Sam Washington (North Carolina A&T State) 1:11:15 Granville Eastman (N.C. Central) 1:23:46 Ernest Jones (Morgan State) 1:32:10

MEAC MEDIA RELATIONS

MEAC Announces First Fans' Play and Players of the Week

NORFOLK, Virginia -- After more than a thousand combined votes were cast both on MEACSports.com and the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference's (MEAC) Twitter account, the conference has announced its first winners of the Fans' Play and Fans' Players of the Week awards.



Howard's Dedrick Parson was the overwhelming fan favorite for Play of the Week, thanks to his 31-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter of the Bison's 35-26 win over Morgan State on Saturday. North Carolina A&T State swept the Fans' Player of the Week honors, with quarterback Lamar Raynard the fans' choice for Offensive Player of the Week and defensive lineman Justin Cates the fans' pick for Defensive Player of the Week.

Parson, a sophomore running back from Philadelphia, Pa., needed just one play to help the Bison complete the comeback. After Howard, trailing 26-20, forced a Bears' three-and-out, Parson took the handoff from Caylin Newton, spun out of a tackle at the line of scrimmage, and ran 31 yards to paydirt.

That play gave the Bison a 27-26 lead with 7:07 left in the contest.

Raynard went 11-for-14 in the air in the Aggies' 35-10 win over Bethune-Cookman this past Saturday, throwing for 189 yards and two touchdowns. Both scores came in the second quarter, including a 55-yarder to Ron Hunt that put the Aggies up 26-3 at the half.

Cates led the Aggies with 3.5 tackles for loss against the Wildcats, accounting for 10 yards, while also recording a sack and a quarterback hurry. Of his six total tackles on the afternoon, three were solo stops.

The fans will again have their say next week, beginning on Monday afternoon when the Fans' Play of the Week poll goes live on the front page of MEACSports.com. On Tuesday, the polls for Fans' Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week will go live on the conference's Twitter page (@MEACSports).

MEAC MEDIA RELATIONS

MEAC Announces 2018-19 Men's Basketball Preseason Honors

NORFOLK, Virginia -- Howard University sophomore guard RJ Cole was named the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Men’s Basketball Preseason Player of the Year, the conference announced today. Bethune-Cookman was tabbed as the preseason favorite to win the MEAC this season.

 
All awards are voted on by the conference’s head coaches and sports information directors.
 
Last year's MEAC Freshman of the Year, Cole ranked seventh nationally and led the MEAC with 23.7 points per game and 6.1 assists in his first collegiate season. The 6-1 Union, N.J. native also led the MEAC in three-pointers made with 109 and rarely took a break as the league leader in minutes played. He had the second-highest single game scoring output in 2017-18 with 42 points versus UNC Wilmington and has scored 30-plus points on five occasions while scoring 20-plus points 25 times. Cole rewrote the MEAC record books with 13 Rookie of the Week awards.
 
Bethune-Cookman captured a share of the MEAC Championship last season under then first-year head coach Ryan Ridder. The Wildcats finished 12-4 in MEAC play and 18-14 overall. They return nine players and four starters from last year’s squad. Back-to-back MEAC Tournament Champion North Carolina Central was picked second followed by Norfolk State.

Rounding out the rest of the preseason poll are Howard, North Carolina A&T State, Morgan State, Florida A&M, Savannah State, Coppin State, South Carolina State, Maryland Eastern Shore and Delaware State.
 
Joining Cole on the Preseason All-MEAC First Team are Howard’s Charles Williams, the Bethune-Cookman duo of Shawntrez Davis and Soufiyane Diakite and N.C. Central’s Raasean Davis. Williams received All-MEAC First Team honors last season while Diakite is the reigning MEAC Defensive Player of the Year.
 
The 2018-19 season begins on Tuesday, Nov. 6, with seven teams in action.
 
The 2019 MEAC Basketball Tournament will be held March 11-16 at the Norfolk Scope Arena in Norfolk, Va.

 

2018-19 Predicted Order of Finish
As voted on by the league's head coaches and sports information directors
 

School	Points
Bethune-Cookman	237
North Carolina Central	217
Norfolk State	192
Howard	176
North Carolina A&T State	157
Morgan State	138
Florida A&M	109
Savannah State	105
Coppin State	91
South Carolina State	90
Maryland Eastern Shore	80
Delaware State	46

2018-19 Preseason All-MEAC Teams
As voted on by the league's head coaches and sports information directors

Preseason Player of the Year: RJ Cole, Howard
 

First Team
Name	Pos.	Ht.	Class	School	Hometown
RJ Cole	G	6-1	So.	Howard	Union, N.J.
Charles Williams	G	6-6	Jr.	Howard	Richmond, Va.
Shawntrez Davis	F	6-9	Sr.	Bethune Cookman	Atlanta, Ga.
Raasean Davis	C	6-8	R-Sr.	N.C. Central	Chicago, Ill.
Soufiyane Diakite	F	6-6	Sr.	Bethune Cookman	Bronx, N.Y.
Second Team
Name	Pos.	Ht.	Class	School	Hometown
Lamar Morgan	G/F	6-6	Sr.	Coppin State	Willingboro, N.J.
Reggie Gardner, Jr.	G/F	6-2	So.	N.C. Central	Bowie, Md.
Isaiah Bailey	G/F	6-6	Sr.	Bethune-Cookman	Compton, Calif.
Steven Whitley	G	6-3	R-Jr.	Norfolk State	Norfolk, Va,
Alex Long	F	6-8	Sr.	Norfolk State	Clinton, Md.
Third Team
Name	Pos.	Ht.	Class	School	Hometown
Jordan Perkins	PG	6-0	Jr.	N.C. Central	Greensboro, N.C.
Dejaun Clayton	G	6-2	R-So.	Coppin State	Bowie, Md.
Kameron Langley	G	6-2	So.	North Carolina A&T State	Greensboro, N.C.
Justin Ravenel	F	6-1	Sr.	Florida A&M	Lithonia, Ga.
Damani Applewhite	F	6-8	Jr.	S.C. State	Fayetteville, N.C.

MEAC MEDIA RELATIONS

77th McDonald’s Magic City Classic set for Saturday for Alabama State Hornets

Hornets and Alabama A&M Will Face Each Other For The 81st Time Overall

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama | In what has been billed as the largest HBCU Classic in the country, Alabama State and Alabama A&M will meet for the 77th time at the McDonald's Magic City Classic presented by Coca-Cola Saturday afternoon at Birmingham's Legion Field.

Game time is set for 2:30 pm (cst) and will be carried on ESPN3, and tape delayed to ESPNU. The game can be heard on the Hornet Sports Network beginning with pregame at 2 pm.

Last season, Alabama State scored late in the contest to take a five-point advantage at 21-16, before thwarting an Alabama A&M comeback deep in Hornet territory to capture the victory. The win was the fifth in the last nine games for Alabama State in the storied classic.

A week full of activities began in Birmingham on Tuesday, and will culminate with the game Saturday afternoon. And a game that means much more this season as Alabama State is battling for the East Division of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). Although they have five conference games remaining on the schedule, with the five-overtime win over Alcorn State, Alabama State has put itself in a position to win the division over the last five games.

The Hornets come into the contest fresh off their second bye week of the season, following a 45-7 loss to South Alabama two weeks ago. The last off week the Hornets had this season was after the loss to Grambling State in which Alabama State bounced back with the victory over Alcorn State.

Alabama State (2-4, 1-1 SWAC) is playing their sixth consecutive contest away from home after opening the season with a win over Tuskegee in the Labor Day Classic. They will return home for three of their final four games following the Magic City Classic. Meanwhile, Alabama A&M (3-4, 2-2 SWAC) comes into the contest after having their two-game winning streak stopped by Alcorn State two weeks ago. Much like Alabama State, the Bulldogs enter the week off a bye week.

The two teams had split the previous eight meetings, until Alabama State won in the final seconds last season. The two longest winning streaks in the rivalry belong to Alabama State as they won the first seven contests in the series from 1924 until 1941, while not allowing a point from Alabama A&M until 1940. They also own a six-game winning streak from 1990 until 1995 in the series. The series has been played continually since 1945 with 13 years off since the series began in 1924. During the series, there are have been 11 times where a team has not scored in the contest, and eight of those belong to Alabama State with a scoreless tie in 1956.

• ALABAMA STATE GAME NOTES (.PDF)
• ALABAMA A&M GAME NOTES (.PDF)

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ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Kiptoo, Davis, Sweep MEAC SPORTS Weekly Cross Country Honors

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- Bethune-Cookman swept the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference weekly Cross Country Runner of The Week awards with Daniel Kiptoo and Deja Davis garnering the Men's and Women's honors.

Kiptoo, a senior from Eldoret, Kenya, won the men's 8K race at the Sand Shark Invitational this past Saturday, clocking in at 25:03.90 in helping the Wildcats to a 1-2 finish in the individual standings. He currently holds the seventh-fastest time in the MEAC and has finished in the top ten all four meets this season.

Davis, a senior from Des Moines, Iowa, ran an 18:55.70 over 5K in the Sand Shark Invitational over the weekend, posting a top-15 finish to pace the Lady Wildcats. Her time currently ranks as the fifth-fastest in the conference at 5,000 meters this season.

The Wildcats compete in the MEAC championships Saturday morning at the Delaware State University Outreach and Research Center in Smyrna, Delaware.

BETHUNE-COOKMAN UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS