VSU Trojan Men's Basketball Predicted to Finish First in CIAA Preseason Rankings

ETTRICK, Virginia -- The Virginia State University men's basketball team was picked as the top team in the CIAA as the league announced its preseason predictions and All-CIAA teams ahead of Thursday's CIAA Basketball Media Day. The Trojans finished the 2016-17 season with a 22-8 overall and 13-3 conference record.

Alongside being predicted to finish in the number one spot by the league's coaches, the Trojans had two players, senior Richard Granberry (Chester, PA) and junior Walter Williams (Richmond, Va.), to earn preseason honors.

Granberry finished last season averaging 14.8 points per game and shot 60% from the free throw line and 58% from the field. During the 16-17 campaign, he secured 121 total rebounds, ranking him 3rd in the conference. Granberry led the team in points (415), field goals (167-of-288), free throws (81-of-135), rebounds (213), and blocked shots (20).

Junior Walter Williams finished last season averaging 8.3 points per game alongside shooting 40.9% from the field, 31.2 % from the 3-point line, and 75.8% from the free throw line.

VSU will start the 2107-18 campaign on Nov. 4, as they travel to take on Norfolk State University for a Division 1 exhibition matchup. Tip-off for the VSU v. NSU game is slated for 6pm at Joseph G. Echols Memorial Hall on the campus of NSU.

For the most up-to-date information on VSU men's basketball please visit www.govsutrojans.com and follow Trojans Athletics on Twitter @VSUsports.

CIAA Men's Predicted Order of Finish
1. Virginia State
2. Bowie State
3. Virginia Union
4. Winston-Salem State
5. Shaw
6. Fayetteville State
7. Johnson C. Smith
8. Livingstone
9. St. Augustine's
10. Chowan
11. Lincoln
12. Elizabeth City State

CIAA Southern Division Preseason Order of Finish
1. Winston-Salem State
2. Shaw
3. Fayetteville State
4. Johnson C. Smith
5. St. Augustine's
6. Livingstone

CIAA Norther Division Preseason Order of Finis
2. Bowie State
3. Virginia Union
4. Chowan
5. Lincoln
6. Elizabeth City State

VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

Fresh off first win, Norfolk State hopes to halt home 0-7 record vs. Florida A&M

NORFOLK, Virginia -- To win its second straight game, Norfolk State must beat a team it never has defeated in Norfolk.

The Spartans play Florida A&M (2-3 overall, 1-1 MEAC) at 2 p.m. Saturday at home, where NSU is 0-7 all-time against the Rattlers.

Norfolk State (1-3, 1-0) is coming off a bye week that followed its first win of the season, a 17-7 victory over Delaware State in a MEAC opener.

“I think we got the opportunity to see versus Delaware State what we have the opportunity to be,” coach Latrell Scott said.

Also for the first time, one quarterback played every snap of a game: freshman Juwan “Pootie” Carter. The Richmond native threw for 292 yards on 28-of-46 passing, with two TD strikes to Chuma Awanna.

Carter split time with freshman Tripp Harrington in the first three games.

“We thought coming out of, probably, James Madison (that) Pootie was gonna be the guy we went with,” Scott said. “I understand as a head coach that when you’re playing the quarterback position, when you don’t know what series is your last series it’s kind of tough to be as productive as you can be.”

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Savannah State still waiting to see hard work pay off with win

SAVANNAH STATE UNIVERSITY TIGERS ATHLETICS

SAVANNAH, Georgia -- The Savannah State football team just isn’t playing well enough to win, head coach Erik Raeburn said earlier this week.

The Tigers are doing what they need to do to be competitive. An incomplete pass in the end zone in the final seconds left them with a six-point loss against Florida A&M. They fell to Bethune-Cookman 24-12 after trailing 17-12 early in the fourth quarter.

But if the Tigers want to beat visiting Hampton University in their homecoming game at 2 p.m. Saturday at T.A. Wright Stadium, they have to cut out the self-inflicted wounds.

“We want to win, obviously,” Raeburn said. “The guys work hard, you want to see it pay off. Unfortunately, we’re just making too many mistakes. When an opponent makes a really good play, you can recover from that and still win. What can’t happen is the freebies where we make a mental error and cut loose a running back for a 70-yard touchdown, where we make a mental error, and we don’t block and we get hit for an 8-yard loss. Those are the things you can’t overcome.”

It’s true the Tigers are young with 10 freshmen either starting or seeing playing time, but four games into the season, and Raeburn said that can no longer be used as an excuse.

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Southern homecoming parade moved to Nov. 4, other events rescheduled

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Due to the potential effects of Tropical Storm Nate, Southern University officials have postponed the homecoming parade to Nov. 4. All entries unable to attend the rescheduled date will be issued a refund for the entry fee.

In addition to this change, the university has also postponed Sunday's Southwestern Athletic Conference soccer match against Alcorn State and home SWAC volleyball contest against Grambling State. The rescheduled date has not been determined at this time.

Tailgating lots will be open at 6 a.m. Saturday. Homecoming tickets will be available for purchase at the A.W. Mumford Stadium ticket booth. The SU System Foundation's dedication ceremony has been moved to 8:30 a.m. Saturday.

All inquires and concerns regarding the parade can be forwarded to the SUBR Division of Student Affairs & Enrollment Management via email at studentaffairs@subr.edu. SUBR will operate an Emergency Operations Center in 218 J. B. Moore Hall. In cases of emergency, call 225-771-4500.

The Southern University New Orleans Police Department and Housing management will institute a curfew beginning Saturday morning at 10 a.m. for students living in SUNO campus housing. Access to SUNO housing will be limited to current residents only.

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2017 Tuskegee-Morehouse Classic: Preview

Saturday's Tuskegee-Morehouse Classic will be carried live on Aspire TV.

Series history with Morehouse
* 82 years ago, Morehouse and Tuskegee played for the first time at A. J. McClung Memorial
Stadium in Columbus, Georgia. The series began in 1902 and TU owns at 71-27-7

Outscoring the Maroon Tigers
* Tuskegee has won 19 of the last 23 meetings against Morehouse outscoring them 166-36
in the last four meetings

Last Meeting - 2016
Kevin Lacey tossed four touchdown passes and threw for 300 yards as TU's second half
surge led them past Morehouse 28-19. Osband Thompson finish with 10 tackles in the win

Chattahoochee River Golden Tigers
*Three players (Dashae Hubbard, Cordarius White, and Daymeonta White) all
hail from the city of Columbus, Georgia

Golden Tigers return to the sideline as coaches again in 2017
* Three former Golden Tigers continue to give back to their alma mater, returning to the
sidelines is: Kelvin Powell, Ramone Nickerson and Andre Brunson.

Slater vs. The House
* Tuskegee head coach Willie Slater, who is in his 12th season enters Saturday's game with
a 10-1 advantage when coaching against Morehouse

Reflecting Back - 2014
* The last time Tuskegee posted a 3-2 record after their first five games was 2014. That
same year The Golden Tigers claimed the SIAC Championship

October fest
* In the last five seasons, Tuskegee has posted a record of 20-2 in the month of October.
Their last defeat came in 2015 against UNC-Pembroke

Homecoming Change
* Tuskegee University and the Tuskegee University Athletic Department announce that
the university's 2017 homecoming game has been rescheduled from November 4 to the
Golden Tigers' matchup with the Central State Marauders on October 28. The change in
the date for homecoming will not affect the 1 p.m. scheduled kickoff time on October 28

Tuskegee leads SIAC, ranked second in NCAA Football attendance
*For the third consecutive year, and the seventh time in school history, Tuskegee University
football finished second in attendance in NCAA Division II according to the numbers
released by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The Golden Tigers
finished first among schools in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

Running back by committee
* Four running backs (Eric Bight, Marquez Burdette, Justice Owens), have all scored
touchdowns this season.

Road Warriors
* Out of 10 games this season, seven will be played on the road. Tuskegee is featured
in three annual classics leaving only three hame games in 2017

Tuskegee Digital Network
Frank Lee and Ken Woodard will provided commentary for the 2017 football season. Lee
returns to booth after providing play-by-play duties for the Golden Tigers for over 25
years. Woodard will provide color analysis for the network. The former TU great played
linebacker with Denver Broncos, San Diego Chargers and the Pittsburgh Steelers. He is
also known

To find the listing in your area, go to http://aspire.tv/find-channel/ and put your zip code into the space provided. 

In the Atlanta area, the game can be seen on:
 
158 AT&T U-verse TV
 
1158 AT&T U-verse TV - HD
 
188 Comcast Atlanta
 
381 DIRECTV - HD

TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Donald Hill-Eley Named Interim Head Football Coach for Alabama State University Hornets

DONALD HILL-ELEY
INTERIM HEAD FOOTBALL COACH
ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY 

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- Alabama State University President, Dr. Quinton T. Ross, Jr., has announced that Donald Hill-Eley will move into the role of Interim Head Football Coach after Brian Jenkins was relieved of his duties Friday afternoon.

"I am extremely impressed with the wealth of experience Coach Eley has brought to our athletics program as Associate Head Coach," Dr. Ross said. "His knowledge of Hornets football will be of great benefit as we continue to support our student athletes and the University's football program."

Eley joined the program in 2015 after a one-year stint as the wide receivers coach at Norfolk State and has served in the role of Associate Head Coach during that time. The longtime Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) coach spent 13 seasons at Morgan State (2001-13). After his first season as offensive coordinator, Eley spent the final 12 as head coach and was named 2002 MEAC Coach of the Year. His 59 wins rank third all-time in Bears' history.

"We would like to thank Brian Jenkins for his time at Alabama State," Interim Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Jennifer Lynne Williams said. "It was a tough three years in terms of wins and losses for coach; but I am comfortable that he will have success in his future endeavors and will end up on a sideline soon."

He spent four seasons at Hampton (1997-2000) as offensive coordinator and pro liaison, helping the Pirates win an HBCU National Championship, two MEAC titles and the 1999 Heritage Bowl.

Eley spent four seasons in professional football in the Canadian Football League, first with the Baltimore Stallions (1994-95) as receivers coach before two seasons with the Toronto Argonauts as a guest coach (1996-97). Hill was on the staff of three straight Grey Cup championship teams (1995-97) during his time in the CFL.

"I would like to thank Dr. Ross and Alabama State University for entrusting me with the football program during these tough times," Eley said. "I look forward to the opportunity of leading these young men at this point n their lives."

Eley will assume his duties immediately.

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

ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Alabama State fires head football coach Brian Jenkins

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- Alabama State fired football coach Brian Jenkins, five games into the season and four days after its new president took over leadership.

Alabama State University President Quinton Ross announced that Donald Hill-Eley will serve as interim head coach after Jenkins was fired Friday afternoon.

Disappointment and frustration surrounded the team after its dismal performance against Alcorn State on Thursday night. The 24-10 defeat was in front of many empty seats and on national television, a rare occurrence for the Hornets.

Fans booed the team during the game, and a few joined in negative chants after Alcorn led 24-0 at halftime.

“We would like to thank Brian Jenkins for his time at Alabama State,” Interim Athletic Director Jennifer Lynne Williams said in a news release. “It was a tough three years in terms of wins and losses for coach, but I am comfortable that he will have success in his future endeavors and will end up on a sideline soon.”

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