Lincoln Men's Basketball Signs Five For 2015-16

JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri – Head coach John Moseley announced that five players have signed National Letters of Intent to join the Lincoln men's basketball team in 2015-16.

O'Shai Clark (Topeka, Kan./Mid-America Nazarene) and Jaylon Smith (Memphis, Tenn./Southwestern Community College) will both join the Blue Tigers as juniors with two seasons of eligibility. Chase Morfeld (St. Charles, Mo./St. Charles), Darrius Spencer (Memphis, Tenn./Cordova) and Deionte Wilson (Kansas City, Mo./Park Hill) will each enter as freshmen with four years of eligibility.



"We're excited that these guys have decided to join us as we continue to build the Blue Tiger program," head coach John Moseley said. "We've focused our recruiting efforts on young men that are committed to getting their college degree, they must love to compete, and they must enjoy being in the gym. This group understands the challenge that we face in the MIAA and we'll add a few more pieces this summer to help us as we move forward."

Clark appeared in 26 games for Mid-America Nazarene last season, helping the Pioneers to a 10-8 conference record and a berth in the Heart of America Athletic Conference tournament. Prior to joining Mid-America Nazarene, Clark earned all-freshman honors at Dodge City Community College and was a two-time high school defensive player of the year at Highland Park High.

During Clark's senior season, he led the Scots to an undefeated conference record and helped Highland Park finish as the state Class 4A runner-up. Clark was a Kansas Honor Scholar and was named to the Basketball Recruiting Class of 2013 Honor Roll.



"O'shai is an outstanding defender and has a toughness about himself that we appreciate in our program," Moseley said. "His maturity level, on and off the court, will be a big plus for us as we add younger players to our roster."

Smith averaged 17.3 points and 4.1 rebounds at Southwestern Community College last year, earning first team all-region honors in the process. Smith started 32 games, leading the Spartans to a 23-10 record and a berth in the Region XI semifinals. Smith previously earned all-conference and all-district honors at Sheffield High.

"Jaylon has proven that he can score the basketball at a high level," Moseley said. "He has the ability to shoot the ball from the perimeter but is also willing to attack the rim. He's shown a willingness to rebound the basketball that often goes unnoticed."



Morfeld averaged 15 points and five assists per game while leading St. Charles to the 2015 Class 4 Missouri State Championship. Morfeld scored 20 points in the title game, capping off a senior season in which he earned first team all-conference, all-district and all-state honors. A three-time all-conference and all-district honoree at St. Charles, Morfeld scored over 1,000 points in his high school career and finished as the program's all-time leader in assists and sixth on the all-time points chart.

"Chase had a terrific senior year, culminating with a state championship," Moseley said. "He's a leader that doesn't get caught up in statistics but does whatever he can to help his team win. He's a pass-first point guard that's capable of scoring the ball. His IQ for the game allows him to see things before they develop."

Spencer led Cordova High to 18 wins and a district tournament championship as a senior. Spencer averaged 12 points and six rebounds, and appeared in every game, helping the team advance to the regional semifinals.



"Darrius is an athletic wing that played in a 'platoon' system in high school," Moseley said. "He's a strong, physical player that's most comfortable attacking the basket, but he's also a threat from the perimeter. His length and athleticism should allow him to be a very good defender."

Wilson earned first team all-conference and all-district honors as a junior and was a second team all-conference selection as a senior at Park Hill High. Wilson led Park Hill to a 21-6 record as a senior, averaging 13.5 points per game while shooting .360 from beyond the arc. Wilson was named to the Basehor Linwood and Blue Springs South All-Tournament teams, earning tourney MVP honors for the latter, and was also selected as a William Jewell Holiday Classic All-Star.

"Deionte was the first one in this class to commit to Lincoln," Moseley said. "He's played with really good players at Park Hill and he's proven that he belongs in that same category. He's an athletic off-guard that can score in bunches."

By Dan Carr, Assistant AD for Media Relations
COURTESY LINCOLN UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

Lincoln's Jessica Kern Joins Furman Women's Basketball Coaching Staff

ASSISTANT COACH JESSICA KERN
FURMAN UNIVERSITY WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

GREENVILLE, South Carolina  -- Furman head women's basketball coach Jackie Carson today announced that Jessica Kern has joined the Paladin staff as an assistant coach.

Kern, who served as head coach at NCAA Division II Lincoln (Pa.) University the last four years, succeeds Julia Huddleston, who recently accepted the head coaching job at Lynn (Fla.) University.

"We're excited to add Jessica to our staff and a coach of her caliber at this point in the year," said Carson in making the announcement. "She knows what it takes to win and will help further develop our winning culture here at Furman. We look forward to her assisting us in helping develop and lead our student-athletes."

Kern is coming off a 2014-15 season that saw her capture Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Coach of the Year honors after leading her squad to a 22-9 record and a share of the CIAA Northern Division title. The 22 wins marked a school record and carried Lincoln to a SSICA KECIAA Tournament championship game appearance, where the Lady Lions fell to Virginia State.

Two years ago she helped guide Lincoln to the program's first win over a Division I opponent, a 94-86 triumph over Morgan State, and later directed her squad from a 16-point second half deficit to beat Winston-Salem State, 64-62, in CIAA Tournament action.

Taking over a Lincoln program in 2011 that had won just three games the previous season, she coached the Lady Lions to seven victories in her first year, 10 triumphs the following year, and to a 12-16 season in 2013-14 before posting the 22-9 mark last season.

Before accepting the head coaching position at Lincoln, she served as an assistant coach and media specialist at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee of Horizon League for the 2010-11 campaign, immediately following a two-year stint (2008-10) as an assistant coach/recruiting coordinator at Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

Kern attended Penn State University, where she served as a basketball team captain for two years and twice earned All-Big 10 and Academic All-Big honors while also competing in track & field. After graduating in 2002 with a degree in journalism, she began a successful seven-year professional basketball career that would take her to Australia, Germany, Switzerland, Romania, and Poland.

In the off-seasons from 2002-2007 she returned home to Milwaukee, Wisc., to teach at various Milwaukee High Schools and assisted girls basketball and track & field teams. In addition, she established several basketball camps for under-serviced neighborhoods.

In the summer of 2007 she was appointed head coach of the Arkansas Lady Ballers in the Women's Blue Chip Basketball League, a 20-team national semi-pro league. Her up-tempo style helped propel the Ballers to a victory over the Canadian national team, regional championship, and national title.

Kern enjoyed one of the most successful prep careers in Milwaukee City Conference history, earning a combined 11 lettters in basketball, volleyball, and track & field at Washington High School while serving as team captain in each sport for multiple seasons. In basketball she played in four state Final Fours and won a pair of state championships. She claimed 11 individual conference championships in track & field and was a three-time all-conference performance in volleyball

She has a son, Bobby Lee Collins, Jr.

COURTESY FURMAN UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

TSU to Face Jacksonville State on ESPN 3, Sept. 19

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- On Tuesday the OVC announced the first game of the league's eight-game football "Game of the Week" package that will be carried exclusively on ESPN3 this fall.

The first game in the package will feature a match-up between Tennessee State and Jacksonville State on Sept. 19. Kick-off is set for 1 p.m. at Burgess-Snow Field in Jacksonville, Ala.

The first four game matchups will be announced over the next two days via OVC social media outlets as well as OVCSports.com. Two games will be announced each day via the league's Twitter (www.Twitter.com/OVCSports) and Facebook (www.Facebook.com/OVCSports).

The final four games of the package (to be played on October 31, November 7, November 14 and November 21) will be "Wildcard" selections which will be announced roughly 12 days before the contest.

This marks the third-straight season the league has produced the Game of the Week package in conjunction with WebStream Sports.

WebStream Sports, an Indianapolis-based company which is a proven leader in video production, streaming video and content creation. The company, founded in 2006, produces more than 1,000 events annually and has also served as a web streaming consultant for the OVC for the past three years.

Kevin Ingram, host of "The Wake Up Zone" on 104.5 The Zone in Nashville, will handle play-by-play duties while Bob Belvin, on-air talent and contributor at 100.7 FM/AM 540 (ESPN Clarksville), will provide analysis. The duo has worked together each of the past three years in the league's TV package.

The OVC Football Game of the Week package is part of an overall multiyear agreement with ESPN which was announced in October 2013.

ESPN3 is ESPN's live multi-screen sports network, a destination that delivers thousands of exclusive sports events annually. It is accessible online at WatchESPN.com, on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app and streamed on televisions through Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. The network is currently available to more than 99 million homes at no additional cost to fans who receive their high-speed Internet connection or video subscription from an affiliated service provider. The network is also available at no cost to approximately 21 million U.S. college students and U.S.-based military personnel via computers, smartphones and tablets connected to on-campus educational and on-base military broadband and Wi-Fi networks.

All other Conference football games and non-conference home contests (approximately 36 games) will be available on the OVC Digital Network, the League's web streaming platform that produces high-definition webcasts that are available at no cost on any computer, tablet or smart phone.

Courtesy Ohio Valley Conference

New state laws should help Grambling recruit

GRAMBLING, Louisiana -- The 2015 Louisiana Legislature did something that can help Grambling State University, which has been struggling with declining enrollment.

Two new laws, sponsored by Rep. Patrick Jefferson and Sen. Rick Gallot Jr., are aimed at helping increase enrollment at historically black colleges and universities in Louisiana by reducing out-of-state tuition and allowing students to take remedial courses.

“We did a lot of things during this first rendition of the legislative session, none more significant than the possibility of enabling more students to attend Grambling State University, which is awe inspiring,” Jefferson said. “The hope is it will help us to compete with our peer institutions, and it will allow Grambling to do what it has done since the beginning, which is to educate our students.”

HB 129, which goes into effect Aug. 1, will reduce undergraduate tuition and fees for out-of-state students who want to attend Louisiana’s HBCUs, making it easier for these students to afford a four-year university outside of their home state.

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FVSU Head Women's Basketball Coach Erica Henry leaving for position at Division I PVAMU

COACH ERICA HENRY
Courtesy: FVSU Athletics

FORT VALLEY, Georgia -- Fort Valley State University women’s basketball coach Erica Henry has resigned as head coach.

Henry has decided to move on after two years and accept the position of Recruiting Coordinator/Assistant Coach at Prairie View A&M University.

“We thank Coach Henry for her time here and wish her much success in the future,” said Director of Athletics Joshua W. Murfree, Jr.

Henry’s record over two seasons was 22-35 and 16-17 in SIAC (Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) action. The Lady Wildcats finished with a 9-20 overall record in 2014-15 and went 7-10 in conference play.

COURTESY FORT VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

FAMU football coach Alex Wood: summer focus is on academics

 WALTER STEWART
Defensive Ends Coach
Florida A&M University Rattlers
Alma Mater: Cincinnati '12
 

Former Cincinnati DL Walter Stewart has join Alex Wood staff as defensive ends coach. Stewart served 2-years as a defensive graduate assistant under Coach Butch Jones at the University of Tennessee.

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- It's been a busy summer for first-year Florida A&M head football coach Alex Wood, and he said academics has been the main focus for the team since the end of spring football.

"We just need our guys to do well in the classroom this summer," he said. "There's still a lot of development that needs to happen, but right now we're focused on finishing strong academically in summer school."

Wood – who will return to Tallahassee July 13 — said the academic focus is what the team needs to battle NCAA sanctions due to low APR scores. FAMU football is ineligible for the postseason for the second year in a row, and the team can't hold full spring practices until the sanctions are lifted.

Fall football practice starts Aug. 3 for the Rattlers.

"I knew APR scores were looming and I knew that would be a problem coming in," Wood said.

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Baltimore Legend, Retiring Bob Wade lauded for his leadership, ready to 'get a little rest'

The Morgan State University graduate was the first African-American men's basketball coach in Atlantic Coast Conference history when Maryland hired him in 1986.  Over his tenure at Baltimore’s Paul Laurence Dunbar High School, Wade’s teams won 91.9 percent of its games.

BALTIMORE, Maryland -- Having left an immeasurable mark on high school sports in the area, Bob Wade has retired as Baltimore City Public School System coordinator of athletics..

Wade, 70, began his tenure in 1996, bringing leadership, discipline and success to Baltimore City's athletic program, which had joined the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association three years prior.


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"I feel extremely fortunate to have been given the opportunity to work with all the student-athletes and coaches involved with Baltimore City public schools and also work hand in hand with the MPSSAA," Wade said. "I feel very good that during my tenure we made giant steps toward respectability as far as the state association and we gained a tremendous amount of credibility. I think we've come a long way. I'm happy to see the number of student-athletes being given athletic scholarships to further their education and academic scholarships as well."

In addition to strengthening Baltimore's ties with the MPSSAA, Wade was pivotal in adding softball, girls tennis and badminton programs during his watch to assure compliance with Title IX.

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