SCSU Bulldogs using spring practice to build offensive backfield

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina  --  The arrival of spring may not have marked a new beginning yet from a weather standpoint.

There is, however, a “rebirth” of sorts taking place currently with the South Carolina State football team. It’s occurring in the backfield where a staple of the Bulldogs’ offense – the running game- has performance less than stellar in recent seasons.

“We’re making a reemphasis toward running the football,” Running backs coach Danny Lewis said. “Not the say we ever got away from it from a mentality standpoint, but let’s just say we’re dedicated to making a recommitment towards running the football.”

Since the graduation of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference’s all-time rusher Will Ford in 2009, no Bulldog player has rushed for over 1,000 yards. With the offensive line’s struggles in run blocking and losing leading rusher Jalen “Scoot” Simmons with a shoulder injury late last season, S.C. State finished with its lowest conference ranking in rushing offense (133.5 yards per game) under head coach Buddy Pough.

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Rush, Nuggets grill Webber in opener of Florida trip

BABSON PARK, Florida  --  Xavier University of Louisiana's tennis teams, both ranked eighth in the NAIA, won 15-of-17 matches played Tuesday and defeated Webber International's men and women in the opener of a spring-break trip.

The Gold Rush won 6-3, and the Gold Nuggets won 8-1.

Loic Didavi, Nikita Soifer, Kyle Montrel and Viktor Svoboda won in doubles and singles for the Rush (9-5), as did Kourtney Howell and Amanda Materre for the Nuggets (9-7). The XU men have won three straight and 6-of-7.

"Both our teams played well," XU coach Alan Green said. "The conditions were very tough out there because it was very windy. But we adjusted well and took care of our business on the court."

Didavi and Montrel defeated Valentin Bayh and Jonathan Cohen 8-3, their 11th victory in 13 doubles matches this semester. Soifer and Svoboda improved their win streak to seven with an 8-0 decision against Alwin Leysner and Nickolay Kodinov.

In singles, Didavi defeated Bayh 6-1, 6-2 for his seventh consecutive victory. Soifer defeated Kodinov 6-1, 6-3, Montrel beat Cohen 6-2, 6-2, and Svoboda clinched the dual with a 6-2, 6-0 decision against Leysner.

The Gold Nuggets won all three doubles matches for the sixth time this season and snapped three-match losing streaks at the No. 2 and 3 flights. Howell and Brion Flowers defeated Julija Stojkovska and Laura Nowak 8-3, Amber Brown and Simone-Alyse Ewell beat Nathalia Chaddad and Chandler Reed 8-5, and Materre and Olivia West defeated Holly Parnelll and Ashley Palmer 8-2.

Materre was first off the court in singles after beating Chaddad 6-0, 6-2. Howell then clinched the dual with a 6-2, 6-4 decision against Stojkovska at No. 1. Both Howell and Materre are 11-4 in singles this semester, and Howell has won six of her last seven matches.

West beat Parnell 6-2, 6-1, Jordyn Goody defeated Reed 6-0, 6-0, and Nicole DeLoach beat Palmer 6-2, 6-0.

Webber International's men are 9-6 -- the Warriors were 28th in the most recent NAIA poll -- and the women are 3-13. The Gold Rush snapped the Warriors' three-dual win streak and gave them their second loss in the last nine duals. The Lady Warriors have lost four straight.

Both XU teams will play Northwood (Fla.) at noon EDT at Sanlando Park in Altamonte Springs, Fla., a suburb north of Orlando. Northwood's men are ranked 15th in the NAIA, and the women are 14th.

By Ed Cassiere, SID

XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

XULAATHLETICS

Charles Hawkins wants to become another NFL success story from Southern

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  --  NFL scouts are scouring the countryside these days looking for that gem that could translate into success at the highest level. This week's tour brings the stopwatches to Baton Rouge for scheduled stops at LSU and Southern University.

For one player, the latter stop is hoped to be an eye opener. His goal on Wednesday afternoon is to post a 4.2 forty. His name Charles Hawkins.

"The worse that I'll run will be a 4.31," stated the former Southern Jaguar matter of factly. "I've worked hard for 4 months preparing for this."

Hawkins (5'8-170) previously ran a sub 4.3 so the anticipated time is not out of the realm of possibility.

"When I ran a 4.28, I had only worked on my start."

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Transfers make reloading Norfolk State roster an easy task

NORFOLK, Virginia  --  While most college basketball coaches whose teams aren't in postseason play are hot on the recruiting trail, Norfolk State's work is mostly done.

Coach Anthony Evans has three transfers enrolled who, along with four returning starters, should make Norfolk State the favorite to repeat as Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference regular-season champ, he says.

"With everything we've got coming back, with the new guys coming in, we should be favored," he said.

Norfolk State loses four seniors but only one starter: forward Rob Johnson. Kris Brown, a reserve non-scholarship player, was the only other senior to play frequently.

The most interesting of the newcomers is Grant Hefeng, a 6-foot-8 Fresno State transfer who practiced with the Spartans this season. He is a strong offensive player and rebounder and could start, Evans said.  Hefeng is from Shenzhen, China, and played for the Chinese Junior National Team.

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Florida A&M's Holmes keeps promise, hires Pata

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  --  During his final two years of playing college football as a reserve tight end at Florida State, Edwin Pata made up his mind on a career path.

He wanted to become a teacher and eventually a principal.

Or so he thought until his passion for the game overcame him while he was a volunteer coach in 2006. The following year, former FAMU coach Ruben Carter offered him a graduate assistant position to work with the tight ends.

Since then, he’s worked under Joe Taylor for two seasons and spent the last three seasons at Florida International University as an assistant.

Now, he’s in his second tenure at FAMU, as Taylor’s successor, Earl Holmes, kept a ...

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Hampton U. Justin Durant signs with Dallas Cowboys

FLORENCE, South Carolina  -- Justin Durant is going from one Big D to another.

The former Wilson standout has agreed to a two-year deal with the Dallas Cowboys after spending the past two seasons with the Detroit Lions. The deal was first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Durant’s deal can’t be made official until the Cowboys clear up some cap space to do so. Dallas is only $100,000 under the cap at the moment.

Durant earned $5.5 million in his two seasons in Detroit and is coming off his best season as a pro. He recorded a career-high 103 tackles this season for the Lions, good for second most on the team.

Durant played outside linebacker in the Lions’ 4-3 system and is expected to ...

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FAMU's New coordinator 2-time Pro Bowler: Kirkland teaches physical style

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Levon Kirkland doesn’t appear to have change one bit 12 years after he played his last game in the NFL as a two-time Pro Bowl starter.

“What people don’t understand is that when you’re physical and going after people it makes opponents don’t want to play you because you have a style and a standard,” Kirkland said Monday.

That said, Kirkland isn’t about to change now that he is the defensive coordinator at FAMU. His ultimate goal is to make the defensive unit, especially the line backers unit that he will coach, one of the most respected in the all of FSC football.

“That’s what we need to establish here,” he said. “We are going to punch at you, we are going to fight you to the very end and when you leave whatever game we play, you’re going to be black blue. It’s very simple as that.”

Kirkland is one of six new additions that head coach Earl Holmes named to his staff last week.

Holmes, who was defensive coordinator before ...

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North Carolina A&T Aggies Hire New Offensive Coordinator

COACH RICKEY BUSTLE

GREENSBORO, North Carolina  – Third-year North Carolina A&T head football coach Rod Broadway added a key piece to his coaching staff on Tuesday with the hiring of new offensive coordinator Rickey Bustle.

Bustle brings 33 years of coaching experience to the staff, including nine years (2002-2010) as the head football coach at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette. Bustle also spent 14 seasons (1987-93, 1995-2001) at Virginia Tech, where he was the offensive coordinator in the Hokies Bowl Championship Series title game against Florida State in 2000.

“Coach Bustle will bring a fresh new perspective and outlook to our offense,” said Broadway. “He brings new blood, new life, if you will, to our program. I wanted to bring in somebody who was going to continually work to make us better. Coach Bustle has the vision to make us a better team offensively, and that will hopefully translate into us being a better football team as a whole.”

Bustle’s two most recent stops were at Southern Mississippi as the running backs coach in 2012 and at Tulane as the quarterbacks coach in 2011. Bustle won 41 games at ULL, including a win over A&T in 2006. In 2005, he led the Rajin’ Cajuns to the Sun Belt championship and their first winning season in 10 years. They were bowl eligible in 2005, 2006, 2008 and 2009.

During his first six seasons at Virginia Tech, he was the quarterbacks coach. In 1993, he became the Hokies’ offensive coordinator and helped them to a win in the Independence Bowl. He became the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at the University of South Carolina in 1994, before returning to Virginia Tech as the offensive coordinator in 1995. He was a part of Hokie wins in the Sugar (1995), Music City (1998) and Gator Bowls (2000).

In 1999, the Hokies led the nation in points per game (41.4). In fact, his second seven-year stint with the Hokies produced seven of the eight highest-scoring teams in school history. Bustle has also coached collegiately at Clemson, East Carolina, Northeast Louisiana and Gardner-Webb. Bustle will take over an offense that ranked seventh in the MEAC in total offense and eighth in passing offense.

The Summerville, S.C., native, is a 1976 graduate of Clemson, where he received a bachelor's degree in parks and recreation administration. He was a four-year letterwinner as a wide receiver for the Tigers.


COURTESY NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS

UMES rolls through Hampton on its way to a sixth conference championship

CHESAPEAKE, Virginia -  The Hawks showed why they are the two-time defending NCAA Champions today, dominating Hampton University 4-0 to easily claim their sixth Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship (MEAC) in front of a packed house at AMF Lanes in Chesapeake, Va.

 "I am so proud of these young ladies," said head coach Kristina Frahm. "They never put their head down, never got down on themselves or stopped believing they would win this. We struggled a little yesterday with the Florida A&M match but they kept up their spirits and going into this match they were very confident they could win."

The match was recorded for airing by ESPNU to air on April 1 at 10:30 p.m.

UMES got to AMF Lanes at 10:00 a.m. this morning to start doing television interviews. Why they were filming, Hampton University pulled another upset. The seventh -seeded Pirates rolled past the third-seeded Rattlers of Florida A&M 4-1 to earn a spot in the finals against the Hawks.

After some delay for television, the match got underway and the Hawks quest for an unprecedented sixth MEAC title began. UMES looked to experience in their lineup as Coach Frahm called on her seniors to fill the critical positions.

Valentina Collazos (Cali, Colombia) would lead-off, Anggie Ramirez (Bogota, Colombia) would bowl fourth and just as she has all year, T'nia Falbo (Greensburg, Pa.) would anchor. Megan Buja (Rockford, Ill.), a junior, would bowl second and sophomore Mariana Alvarado (Leon, Mexico) would bowl third. That five has bowled on some of the world's biggest stages and four are no strangers to television, which can drastically affect rhythm and momentum of a match. While Frahm would make minor adjustments along the way, the lineup would remain intact throughout the match.

Game one was fun to watch. Collazos would open with a strike and Buja followed with a spare. The Hawks then threw six straight strikes until Ramirez spared and Falbo struck. With the match in hand freshman Kristie Lopez (Ponce, Puerto Rico) got her first championship action with a seven and spare. UMES looked impressive with a 248. But Hampton bowled well marking in every frame but the tenth and throwing five strikes along the way for a 203.

Game two was a little uglier. The Hawks left three opens in the match, two from Buja including a big four in the seventh frame, and one from Alvarado, but they opened with five strikes in the first six frames, including a lucky wobble from Collazos in the sixth, that allowed them to post a 189.
Hampton wasn't as lucky, rolling five opens, including splits in the eighth and tenth to tally just a 141.

Game three was more like the first for the Hawks, bowling on the left lane. They marked every frame, including a four-bagger in the sixth through ninth to post an impressive 234. Hampton got better, getting a strike in the ninth and two in the tenth, but their first strike didn't come until the sixth frame and they missed three one pin spares, totaling a 170 and giving UMES a 64 pin win and a 3-0 lead.

The final match saw UMES cruise again. They tossed five strikes, despite a couple of opens, to total 190. Hampton never struck, getting six spares but mounting just a 145, allowing UMES to claim their sixth conference championship in women's bowling.

NCAT's Emily Strombeck, FAMU's Katherine Jones, Hampton's Rebecca Galzier, and the Hawks' Anggie Ramirez and T'nia Falbo all earned All-Tournament honors while Ramirez was named the Tournament's Most Valuable Performer.

"It was always my dream since I was MEAC Rookie of the Year to be MEAC Player of the Year. Now that I won this and MVP of the tournament, I am so happy that my dream could come true," said Ramirez. Head Coach Kristina Frahm was named the Championship's Most Outstanding Coach. "It's an honor to receive the award, but the girls did all of the work, they deserve all the credit for this championship," Frahm said.

"[The team was] talking last night that this was the year to win MEACs again and we know that we could win today and then go on to try and win NCAAs again," said Ramirez.

If they earn another at-large bid to the NCAA Championships, UMES will travel to the championships for the 10th straight year, this time in Canton, Mich. The week after that UMES has already earned a berth in the USBC Collegiate Championship in Lincoln, Neb.


COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE SPORTS INFORMATION

Bowie State Lady Bulldogs Win 2013 CIAA Bowling Championship

CIAA BOWLING CHAMPION LADY BULLDOGS OF BOWIE STATE

DURHAM, North Carolina –  Bowie State University never panicked despite losing the first match to Virginia State University in the championship round of the CIAA Women's Bowling Championships on Monday, March 25, 2013.

The Lady Bulldogs simply regrouped and swept the Lady Trojans 4-0 in the second match to claim the league crown at AMF Durham Lanes. The title is the second in four years for the Lady Bulldogs, who were seeded third in bracket play.

“We knew once we got into bracket play we had the capability to make a run,” Bowie State Head Coach Ken Sco

The Lady Bulldogs never lost their composure despite losing 4-0 in the first championship match to Virginia State, which won three straight matches in the elimination bracket to reach the finals in the double-elimination tournament. After the loss in the first match, the Lady Bulldogs bounced back to defeat the Lady Trojans, who needed to win twice to gain the title.

The second match was a complete reversal from the first match. The Lady Bulldogs dominated from the start, winning 164-154, 196-168 and 202-136 in the best-of-seven Bakers format for a 3-0 lead. The Lady Trojans battled back in the fourth game to take a 149-140 lead, but tournament MVP Shayla Lightfoot rolled a strike for a 150-149 Lady Bulldogs' lead. The Lady Trojans regained the lead 159-150 with a strike, but Lightfoot knocked down nine pins on her first roll in the final frame to tie the score. Her one-pin spare gave the game and the championship to the Lady Bulldogs.

Scott says Lightfoot was unaware of the situation in the final frame. “We teach the kids not to look at the scoreboard,” Scott said. “She didn't know what the score was.”

The spare by Lightfoot touched off a celebration by the Bowie State players, coaches and fans. The Lady Bulldogs captured the title before a large contingent of Bowie State supporters who attended each session of the three-day tournament.

“This team is truly blessed to have support from the athletic department, staff, alumni and our president," Scott said. "They come to watch every match during the regular season.”

The championship capped an outstanding run by the Lady Bulldogs in the tournament. After entering bracket play as the third seed, the Lady Bulldogs won three matches in the winner's bracket, including a 4-1 win over Elizabeth City State on Monday, to reach the finals.

Meanwhile, the Lady Trojans had a more difficult path after a loss on Sunday sent then to the elimination bracket. On Monday, the fourth-seeded Lady Trojans had their best bowling day, beating two-time defending champ Fayetteville State 4-1, Winston-Salem State 4-2 and Elizabeth City State 4-2 to make it to the finals for the second consecutive year. The win over ECSU avenged a 4-3 loss to the Lady Vikings on Sunday which knocked the Lady Trojans to the elimination bracket. In other matches Monday, Winston-Salem State eliminated Saint Augustine's 4-1.

The Lady Trojans continued their run against Bowie State in the finals. They won all four games by scores of 181-143, 183-144, 183-135 and 236-172 against the Lady Bulldogs, who hadn't played since Monday morning against ECSU. In the last game, the Lady Trojans made eight strikes and two spares.

But the momentum turned in the second match. It was the Lady Bulldogs rolling the most strikes and spares. In the third game, the Lady Bulldogs recorded seven strikes including six in the last seven frames.

“[Virginia State] had a slight advantage maybe mentally but we had a break,” Scott said. “Even though we started flat, we were fresher.”

Scott also had a message for his team between the first and second matches in the final round. “I told them to 'man up' and they responded,” Scott said.

Scott says winning the Northern Division championship during the regular season helped the Lady Bulldogs in the tournament. The Lady Bulldogs finished in a tie with Elizabeth City State but won the division on total pins. Three Northern Division teams - Bowie State, Virginia State and Elizabeth City State – finished among the top three in the tournament.

The Lady Bulldogs captured their latest championship with a young roster including three freshmen. Lightfoot, the tourney MVP, is a sophomore.

“We didn't jell until the last division tournament,” Scott said. “All the schools in our division our highly competitive which helped us prepare for the [CIAA] tournament.”

The All-Tournament team consisted of Amber Slater of Virginia State, Briana Evans of Bowie State, Nicole Sciortino of Saint Augustine's and Crystal Mujica of Fayetteville State in addition to Lightfoot. They had the top five bowling averages in the tournament. Lincoln (Pa.) won the CIAA team highest grade point average award.


COURTESY BOWIE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION     

Morgan State Bears Announce 2013 Football Schedule

BALTIMORE, Maryland  --  Morgan State University has announced its 2013 football schedule. The Bears, who are coming off a 3-8 season, will play four home contests in 2013 and a total of 12 games. All dates are subject to change and kick times will be announced at a later date.

The Bears will open the 2013 season on August 31 at Michie Stadium in West Point (N.Y.) against the Army Black Knights. The game will mark the first of a four-game road swing that includes trips to Robert Morris (Sept. 7), Liberty (Sept. 14) and Western Kentucky (Sept. 21).

The Bears will open Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference action on Sept. 28 with Norfolk State making their way to Hughes Stadium. The Spartans lead the all-time series with Morgan State, 15-10, and has won the last six meetings against the Bears.

Morgan State will host Florida A&M for Homecoming on Oct. 5. The Rattlers dropped the Bears 31-17 in their last matchup in 2010. The Rattlers hold a commanding 18-4 advantage in the all-time series.

The Bears will enjoy an open week before returning to MEAC action with a pair of road tests.

Morgan State will travel to North Carolina Central on Oct. 19. It will mark their first trip back to Durham since routing the Eagles 52-3 in 2011. The Bears lead the all-time series 22-13-2.

The following week, the Bears will descend upon the nation's capital for a Beltway showdown with Howard, during the Bison's Homecoming celebration. Howard escaped with a 21-20 victory last season at Greene Stadium, but the Bears maintain the all-time series record 40-25-1.

The Hampton Pirates will come to Baltimore on Nov. 2 for the second consecutive season. Last year, the Pirates handed Morgan State a 27-17 season finale loss at Hughes Stadium. The Bears lead the series 36-24-2.

The final two games of the regular season will be on the road. The Bears will face MEAC perennial power South Carolina State on Nov. 16 at Bulldog Stadium. The Bears have not had South Carolina State on the schedule for the last two seasons, and the last time Morgan State went to Orangeburg they left with a 37-13 loss in 2009. The Bulldogs hold a 29-5-1 all-time series record.

The regular season finale will pit the Bears against the Delaware State on Nov. 23 at Hornets Stadium. Morgan State lost a close game (28-23) against Delaware State in last year's ESPNU televised meeting in Baltimore. Morgan State leads the all-time series 31-24.

Click here for complete 2013 Morgan State Bears Football Schedule.

Date		Opponent	Location	Time
8/31/2013		Army	West Point, N.Y.	TBA
9/7/2013		Robet Morris	Moon Township, Pa.	TBA
9/14/2013		Liberty University	Lynchburg, VA	TBA
9/21/2013		Western Kentucky University	Bowling Green, KY	TBA
9/28/2013		Norfolk State University	Hughes Stadium	TBA
10/5/2013		Florida A&M University (HOMECOMING)	Hughes Stadium	TBA
10/19/2013		North Carolina Central University	Durham, NC	TBA
10/26/2013		Howard University	Washington, DC	TBA
11/2/2013		Hampton University	Hughes Stadium	TBA
11/9/2013		North Carolina A&T State University	Hughes Stadium	TBA
11/16/2013		South Carolina State University	Orangeburg, SC	TBA
11/23/2013		Delaware State University	Dover, DE	TBA

COURTESY MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY BEARS SPORTS INFORMATION

Spring Practice Begins for TSU Tigers

NASHVILLE, Tennessee - Tennessee State football started their spring practice schedule on Monday afternoon in preparation for the Spring Game on April 20th at 3 p.m.

Tennessee State will typically run spring practice from 4:00-6:00 p.m. during the week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and during the morning on Saturday's. Days and times are subject to change, but all practices are open to the public and members of the media.



"We just want to get better in all aspects," head coach Rod Reed said about the first week of practice. "It's a big teaching period for us, so we want to get better at the fundamentals and just continue to improve."

TSU finished the 2012 season 8-3, the most wins in an 11 game season since 2001.

The Tigers complete spring practice schedule is as follows:

Mon., March 25

Wed., March 27

Sat., March 30

Mon., April 1

Wed., April 3

Fri., April 5

Sat., April 6

Mon., April 8

Wed., April 10

Fri., April 12

Sat., April 13

Mon., April 15

Wed., April 17

Sat., April 20 (Spring Game - 3 p.m.)

Follow TSU Athletics on Facebook.com/TSUTigers, Twitter @TSU_Tigers and YouTube


COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

GCAC weekly honors for XU's Jackson, Rolland, Svoboda

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's Zahri Jackson, Devinn Rolland and Viktor Svoboda were selected Monday as Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Players/Athletes of the Week for March 18-24.      All three are repeat winners. Jackson won the women's track award for the second time in four weeks. Rolland won the women's field award for the fourth time in as many weeks, and Svoboda won in men's tennis for the second time in three weeks and the third time in his career.

Zahri Jackson

Devinn Rolland

Viktor Svoboda

    
Jackson, a sophomore from Kingwood, Texas, and a graduate of Kingwood Park High School, was part of two NAIA season-best performances Saturday at the LSU Relays in Baton Rouge, La. Jackson ran 800 meters in 2 minutes, 12:01 seconds, and she teamed with Rolland, Tramaine Shannon and Chartia Hurt for 3:54.13 in the 1,600 relay. Both times are the only NAIA A-standard qualifying marks in those events so far this outdoor season.
    
Rolland, a sophomore from Harvey, La., and a graduate of Cabrini High School, long jumped 18 feet, 2½ inches to meet the NAIA's B-standard. She has met the A-standard three times this season in this event.
    
Svoboda, a junior from Kamenice, Czech Republic, and a graduate of Vitezna Plan High School, won in doubles and singles in Xavier's only dual match of the week, a 4-3 victory at NCAA Division I's University of New Orleans on Wednesday. Svoboda and Nikita Soifer clinched the doubles point with an 8-5 decision against Abdelrahman Zaki and Hossam Meligy, and Svoboda rallied to beat Meligny 3-6, 7-6 (8-6), 6-2 in singles and tie the dual at 3.
    
Xavier's track teams are idle this week but will resume competition April 5 in the Mississippi College Twilight Invitational and April 13 in the GCAC Championships at Tad Gormley Stadium in New Orleans. Both XU tennis teams are in Florida for duals with Webber International on Tuesday, Northwood on Wednesday and Embry-Riddle on Thursday.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

Jackson State hires Wayne Brent to replace Tevester Anderson

JACKSON, Mississippi -- Wayne Brent was named as the seventh head coach of the Jackson State Tigers on Monday, March 25 during a press conference at the Jackson State University Sports Hall of Fame.
 
After welcoming Brent to JSU, Director of Athletics Dr. Vivian L. Fuller presented him with a jacket and shirt bearing the university’s logo. Brent thanked God, his family and the university administration before laying out his plans for JSU.
 
“There are certain goals that I have set for this program. I want to give guys a chance to dream,” Brent said during Monday’s news conference, adding that he’d like the team to reach the NCAA Tournament in the next few years.
 
Brent, who is one of the most successful basketball coaches in the history of the Jackson Public School system, brings over 15 years of coaching experience at the high school and collegiate levels to JSU. He comes to Jackson State after leading Callaway High School to the 2013 state championship.
 
Brent possesses the rare combination of integrity, dedication and ability. He has achieved success in every area of his professional and personal life, gaining and retaining the respect of his players, colleagues and family.
 
Brent comes to Jackson State after a highly successful tenure at the helm of the Callaway Chargers program. From 2007-08 through 2012-13, his teams have won five division championships and four state championships. In his first year at Callaway, the Chargers went 26-11. The following year, the Chargers recorded a 33-6 record and won their first state title under Brent. In 2009, the team went 22-11 and won a second straight state championship. After a 13-11 record in 2010, the Chargers bounced back and finished with a 24-6 record and a third state crown in 2011. 
 


WAYNE BRENT
HEAD MEN'S BASKETBALL COACH
JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY
(PHOTO COURTESY: JSU ATHLETICS)

Prior to taking the Callaway job, Brent was the head coach at Piney Woods High School.
 
In three years at Piney Woods, Brent led the Tornadoes to a 72-16 record. In 2004, his first year at the school, the Tornadoes finished with a 31-6 record and earned a divisional title. Over the next two years, his teams went 20-6 (2005) and 21-4 (2006) with two additional divisional titles.
 
From 1998-1999 through 2000-2001, he served as an assistant men's basketball coach at the University of Mississippi. While at Ole Miss, the Rebels made three NCAA tournament appearances and a post-season NIT appearance. Ole Miss finished with a 27-8 record, won the Southeastern Conference Western Division title, won the SEC Tournament and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA Tournament. Prior to serving as an assistant at Ole Miss, he was the head coach at Provine High School.
 
In his six seasons at Provine, Brent compiled a record of 116-65. The Rams had only one losing season under Brent’s direction, which also was his first losing season. In the final two seasons at Provine, the Rams won the state of Mississippi Class 5A title (1998) and finished ranked No. 25 in the final USA Today Boys High School Top 25 poll.
 
“He has won at every level of basketball he has touched,” Fuller said. “We are excited today.”
 
Provine was ranked No. 1 in the state and was No. 25 in the final USA Today Boys' High School Top 25 poll. For his efforts, Brent was named the Clarion-Ledger's Metro Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season.
 
During the 1996-1997 season, Brent led Provine to a 21-8 record and the Mississippi 5A state title game. He was selected the Clarion-Ledger's Metro Coach of the Year, and his squad finished the 1996-1997 campaign ranked No. 2 in the state. Brent's 1995-1996 team posted a 15-10 record and won the district championship.
 
Prior to his time at Provine, Brent served as an assistant coach at Tallulah High School in Tallulah, La., for one year (1991-1992). Tallulah finished the season with a 13-15 record, but won the district championship and advanced to the state playoffs.
 
“To my former players, guys who played with me along the way… I thank you because without you I wouldn’t have this opportunity. I’m grateful God crossed our paths and gave me the ability to lead you in the right direction.”
 
“I believe in staying up late and I believe in getting up early in the morning,” Brent said, describing his work ethic and what he expects from his team.
 
Brent is a 1989 graduate of Northeast Louisiana University, where he played two seasons for the Indian basketball program in 1987-1988 and 1988-1989. Northeast finished the 1987-1988 season with a 21-9 mark, placed second in the Southland Conference and received a National Invitational Tournament (NIT) bid. The 1988-1989 team had a 17-12 record and also finished second in the Southland Conference.
 
Following graduation, Brent served as a graduate assistant coach at Northeast Louisiana for two years (1989-1990 and 1990-1991). During his two seasons as a graduate assistant, the Indians posted back-to-back 20-win campaigns (23-8 in 1989-1990; 25-8 in 1990-1991), won consecutive Southland Conference titles and advanced to two straight NCAA Tournaments.
 
Brent holds three degrees from Northeast Louisiana University, including a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism (1989), a Bachelor of Science in Health and Human Performance (1992) and a Master's of Education in Health and Human Performance (1992).
 
Brent graduated from Provine High School in 1985 and also played three years of basketball for the Rams from 1982-1985. During his three playing years, Provine compiled a 66-28 record and won two city championships.
 
He is married to the former Dedra Martin and is the father of Kristian Nycole (daughter) and Cameron Wayne (son).
 
“He’s got his priorities right. The first thing you do is thank God and family. He’s just told you how he has learned from the experiences that he’s had. It really is a privilege to welcome him to our family,” Meyers said. “It takes a strong man to say it took a lot of people to get him here today.”
 
Meyers also thanked Anderson for his work during his tenure. She said she could see the imprint he’d left on the student-athletes when she talked to them.
 
“What impresses me is that what we have here are good athletes, good scholars and good gentlemen,” she said.

Press Conference Video

Wayne Brent's Coaching Experience

*Northeast Louisiana University (Graduate Assistant)
1989-90 / 23-8 / SLC 1st place / NCAA Tournament (Purdue)
1990-91 / 17-12 / SLC 2nd place

Tallulah High School (Assistant Boys Basketball Coach)
1991-92 / 13-15 / District Champion / State Playoff Berth

Provine High School (Head Boys Basketball Coach)
1992-93 / 9-21
1993-94 / 16-15
1994-95 / 18-10
1995-96 / 15-10 / District Champion
1996-97 / 21-8 / State Champion Runner-up
1997-98 / 37-1 / State Champion

University of Mississippi (Assistant Men's Basketball Coach)
1998-99 / 21-13 / NCAA Tournament - advanced to 2nd round
1999-00 / 19-14 / Post-season NIT - advanced to 3rd round
2000-01 / 27-8 / SEC Western Division Champion / SEC Tournament Champion / NCAA Tournament - advanced to the Sweet Sixteen
2001-02 / 20-10 / NCAA Tournament

Piney Woods High School
2004-05 / 31-6 / Division Champion / State Champion Runner-up
2005-06 / 20-6 / Division Champion
2006-07 / 21-4 / Division Champion

Callaway High School
2007-08 / 26-11 / Division Champion
2008-09 / 33-6 / Division Champion / State Champion
2009-10 / 22-11 / Division Champion / State Champion
2010-11 / 13-11
2011-12 / 24-6 / Division Champion / State Champion
2012-13 - 27-7 / Division Champion / State Champion

Honors and Recognition
-Clarion Ledger Metro Area Coach of the Year (1997, 1998 and 2009)
-Clarion Ledger State Coach of the Year (1998 and 2009)
-NFHS Coach of the Year, State of Mississippi (2009 and 2012)
-Mississippi Association of Coaches, Coach of the Year (2012)

High School Boys Basketball Final Rankings
-#2 State of Mississippi, 1996-97
-#1 State of Mississippi; #25 Nationally (USA Today), 1997-98
-#1 Sate of Mississippi, 2007-09
-#2 State of Mississippi, 2009-10
-#1 State of Mississippi, 2011-12
-#1 State of Mississippi, 2012-13

*Northeast Louisiana University was renamed in 1999, the University of Louisiana- Monroe.

 COURTESY JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Baylor Cruises Past Prairie View in NCAA First Round

WACO, Texas - Brittney Griner and Baylor still find ways to entertain the home folks, even in blowouts.

Griner's record 15th career dunk was the first of several crowd-rousing plays with the game well in hand in the second half, and the defending champion Lady Bears opened the NCAA tournament with an 82-40 win over Prairie View A&M on Sunday night.

Griner finished with 33 points, 10 rebounds and six blocks, but the Lady Panthers will remember the time they were on the court when the 6-foot-8 star threw in a one-handed reverse to send the fans into a frenzy.

"It was amazing. It was amazing," said Prairie View guard Jeanette Jackson. "We got star struck."

The Lady Bears (33-1), the overall No. 1 seed, won their 31st straight game since an early season loss to Stanford, another top seed. Baylor plays eighth-seeded Florida State in the second round on Tuesday night. Odyssey Sims had 12 points and 10 assists, and Destiny Williams had nine points and 10 rebounds

Gabrielle Scott led Prairie View with 14 points. The Lady Panthers (17-15) lost as a No. 16 seed for the third year in a row. Two of them were against Baylor in Waco, and the other was to Connecticut.

"This one game doesn't justify our season," Prairie View coach Toyelle Wilson said. "Baylor was a lot bigger than us. They had a lot more ammo. They played like the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament."

Box Score | Quotes | Notes | Baylor Photos
AP Photos | NCAA Highlights

Griner's latest dunk - she had two in the NCAA tournament last year - came right after Prairie View had scored to make it 49-26. Sims found Griner alone under the basket and threw a pass three-quarters of the length of the floor. Griner caught it, turned under the basket and dunked with one hand on the other side of the rim.

"It was a little energizer," Griner said. "We definitely started playing with more energy after that."

A few minutes after Griner's dunk, Prairie View's Tanisha Lacey took the ball away from Griner and tried to shoot over her. Griner didn't even let the shot get out of Lacey's hand, stuffing it out of bounds.

With the crowd still wildly cheering the block, Sims got a steal and threw the ball ahead to Kimetria Hayden, who converted a three-point play for Baylor's first 30-point lead. Sims pleased the crowd again a few minutes later when she almost kicked the ball out of bounds on a fast break, but saved it to Brooklyn Pope. Sims was waiting for a return pass under the basket, and the layup put Baylor ahead 62-28.

A 3-pointer from Sims made it 70-30 with 9:07 remaining, and when Sims and Griner left the game less than 3 minutes later, Griner had as many points as the Lady Panthers.

Attendance: 9,540

COURTESY  BAYLOR UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Alabama's Rumph visits SCSU Bulldogs Spring Football Practice

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina  --   South Carolina State continued spring football drills Sunday afternoon with a two-hour session in which the Bulldogs continued installation of the offensive and defensive schemes the team hopes to use in the fall.

“We are still working at completing our installations,” said head coach Buddy Pough. “We are trying to get all of the parts of our offense and defense completed. Once we complete that, we can proceed to go about the task of lining up our team activity.”

Sunday's session was the second in should pads for Pough's team and he noted the players had responded well to the added equipment.

“The players have handled things quite well,” he said. “They are working hard and showing a lot of enthusiasm and seem to be enjoying things. And, I'm glad because we all know that it's going to require hard work if we are to redeem ourselves next year. Each day we are out here, we want to make progress and improve our chances of having a good season.”

The Bulldogs are coming off a 5-6 overall season and a 4-4 showing in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. It was the team's first losing season in 12 years and the first losing campaign in Pough's 11-year tenure.

A surprise visitor attended Sunday's Bulldog practice. Coach Chris Rumph, who began his college coaching career as a Pough assistant and is now the defensive line coach at national champion Alabama, stopped by and was invited by Pough to address the team briefly. The St. Matthews native and former Calhoun CounAlabama's Rumph visits SCSU Bulldogs Spring Football Practicety head coach, who also coached at Clemson after leaving Pough's staff, has been a part of two national championship teams at Alabama the last three seasons.

SC State returns to the field Tuesday at 6:45 a.m. The Bulldogs will also practice Thursday and Friday before taking an Easter break, according to Pough.


COURTESY SOUTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMTION.

New leaders take on the A&T men’s basketball mantle

GREENBORO, North Carolina  --  Late in N.C. A&T’s 79-48 loss to Louisville in the NCAA tournament’s second round Thursday, after both teams had pulled their starters in favor of rarely used backups, Aggies coach Cy Alexander pulled guards Lamont Middleton and Jeremy Underwood together for a meeting by the bench.
 

This is your team now, he told them, and you’ve got some lofty expectations to uphold.

 

“They have to push all our incoming recruits very, very hard, because they know what it takes to win a championship,” Alexander said. “It’s going to be a plus what we’ve gone through. They understand the level of commitment.

 

“They’re champions, and they now understand what it takes.”

 

With seven seniors leaving, Middleton, Underwood and freshman forward Bruce Beckford are the only players returning next year who averaged more than 10 minutes a game for the Aggies this season.

 

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‘Ahead of the game,’ LeMay signs with N.C.A&T Aggies

FORT UNION, Virginia --  Shaq LeMay is bound for Greensboro after a season of prep football at Fork Union Military Academy in Virginia.

The former four-sport Southern Vance athlete signed Wednesday to play at North Carolina A&T in the fall.

The Aggies finished third a season ago in the MEAC of the FCS, formerly Division I-AA, under head coach Rod Broadway.

LeMay said Broadway and Aggie assistant coach Trei Oliver were instrumental in his recruitment.
“It’s a dream,” said LeMay. “I always wanted to play Division I football. And it came true.”

LeMay expects to line up at either free safety or the athlete position on offense, playing both receiver and running back.

LeMay had plenty of competition at Fork Union, which finished the season 10-2 including a nationally-televised loss to Hermitage High School of Richmond, Va.

Fork Union routinely produces FBS (Division I-A) players. The team’s quarterback, Christian Hackenberg, is headed to Penn State next season and was offered scholarships by Alabama, Florida and South Carolina among other schools, according to ESPN.

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Duke Beats Talented Hampton Team in NCAA First Round

DURHAM, North Carolina -- Heading into Sunday’s first round NCAA matchup with Hampton University, Duke head coach Joanne P. McCallie was well aware of the ability of the team she was about to face.

“Hampton is the greatest No. 15 seed I have ever seen in my life,” said McCallie. “They are absolutely terrific.”

In their 67-51 win the Duke players and fans also learned how good Hampton was and how the intensity of the game gets turned up in NCAA play.

“I’ve been a mid-major coach before and I am sorry for Hampton that they are a 15 seed,” said McCallie, who led her Blue Devils to their 31st win of the season against just two losses. “They are trying to get their first NCAA victory and they should have been a higher seed, they earned that by what they did over the season, they earned that by who they beat, they did everything right and they had to come play Duke at Duke. They are a fantastic team and some of those women can play on any team. They might be the most athletic team we played including some of our ACC teams.”

Those student-athletes from Hampton just happened to meet a Duke team that heralds some of the best women’s basketball players in the country.

This is a Duke team that lost just two games all season and captured the ACC Tournament title with a two-time ACC Defensive Player of the Year in Elizabeth Williams, the ACC Tournament MVP in Alexis Jones and the third leading three-point shooter in the country in Tricia Liston.

That threesome proved to be the difference in the game as Liston led all scorers with 20 points, Williams poured in another 18 and Jones tallied 11 points while dishing out 10 assists. The Blue Devils needed everything these players and their teammates could offer in order to hold off a very athletic and hustling Hampton University team that captured 28 victories and went through the MEAC season with a perfect 16-0 record.

At the end of the first half, it looked like all the hustling and work by Hampton just would not be enough to overcome the No. 5 ranked Blue Devils. A 32-15 lead and a poor shooting performance by the Pirates of just 21.2 percent (7-of-33) made it look like the Pirates would be making a quick return trip home.

Postgame Press Conference l Interviews: Liston l Peters l Box Score l Photos

But after Hampton cut their early 19-point lead to six, the Blue Devils (31-2) needed a late 21-8 run to secure their 20th straight NCAA tournament-opening victory. They will play seventh-seeded Oklahoma State (22-10) on Tuesday night in the second round.

"The last thing you want is to get the impression that things are easy, because they're just not," McCallie said. "This is a winners' tournament. They've won their tournament. They've won their league. They've won big games. ... You just have to know that, as we talk to the team, there's a competitor's mentality that is very different than a fan's mentality."

Keiara Avant had 18 points for Hampton (28-6). Avant's jumper with just over 10 minutes left capped a furious 27-14 rally that pulled the Pirates to 46-40.

They clawed back because they made a determined effort to attack the rim and work the ball inside, instead of settling for lower-percentage shots.

"We said we were taking too many jump shots. It was important that we get to the hole, try to get them in foul trouble," Avant said. "We knew if we could get inside, get them in foul trouble, that we definitely had a shot at coming back."

But Duke locked down defensively - forcing Hampton to miss 12 of its next 15 shots - and scored on five straight trips to regain some separation and end the Pirates' 19-game winning streak.

Williams hit back-to-back layups before Liston's scoop shot made it 52-42 and put Duke up by double figures for good.

"It was really important to get paint shots, especially in a game like this," Williams said. "We want to create contact, try to get to the foul line and try to get the easiest shots we can get."Haley Peters finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds for Duke, which shot 50 percent in the second half and overcame some early struggles on the boards to outrebound Hampton by eight.

The Blue Devils stretched their home winning streak to 19 games and improved to 7-1 since losing Atlantic Coast Conference co-player of the year Chelsea Gray to a season-ending knee injury.

Olivia Allen finished with 15 points for the Pirates, but Nicole Hampton - who averages 12 points - had just two on 1-of-15 shooting while playing through what coach David Six said was a foot injury.

Hampton came in leading the nation by allowing an average of 47.2 points, and Duke became just the third opponent to score more than 60 against the Pirates.

"They had great ball pressure and we had to do some things that we hadn't done in the past couple of games," Liston said. "This will really help us grow and prepare us for our next game."

Neither team believed Hampton - which has wins over three opponents from major conferences - deserved such a poor seed, with McCallie saying afterward that the Pirates "should have been a higher seed" based on those non-conference victories.

"I said that nothing this weekend would make me think I was a 15 seed," Six said. "My mind still hasn't changed. We weren't a 15 seed."

The Pirates certainly showed how far they've come in the three years since their last visit to Duke - a 72-37 loss in the first round three years ago in which the teams had the same seeds as this year.

For a while, it looked as though that was going to happen to the Pirates again after the Blue Devils used a Williams-fueled 16-2 run to open a 19-point lead and seemingly break the game open.

The Virginia Beach, Va., native scored eight points during the burst before Liston's layup with just under 2 minutes left made it 32-13. Three of the Pirates' previous five opponents failed to crack 30 in an entire game.

"It's hard when you double down and you make a good play and they reverse it and they get a 3," Six said. "It deflates you a little bit. That being said, I thought that in the second half, we got after them defensively and forced them to turn the ball over - if they can be rattled. I thought that they showed that our defense was affecting them a little bit."

COURTESY GODUKE.COM