SSU players start pro chase

Flegler, Coleman attend first showcase for North American and European pro leagues

RICHMOND, Va. - Joseph Flegler stood near courtside here Wednesday, with sweat running down his face at Virginia Commonwealth University.

While many college students have started their summer vacation, the former Savannah State University guard took the first step for a possible pro basketball career May 26-28 at the VCU International Basketball Showcase.

The annual event, held at ALLTEL Pavilion at the Siegel Center, attracted about 80 players who have ended their college eligibility.

Most were from Division I schools, including such programs as North Carolina State and Dayton. But Division II and III schools were also represented in the annual event that attracts scouts and coaches from pro leagues in North America and Europe.

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S.C. State football could bring windfall to school this year

A Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship and Football Championship Subdivision playoff berth are not the only “pots o’ gold” South Carolina State hopes to find at the end of this season.

With two more games against Football Bowl Subdivision teams, the SCSU Athletics Department could see as much as $607,500 in its coffers. More important for school officials is the increased visibility obtained from facing larger schools.

The S.C. State Bulldogs have an exciting home schedule for 2008, with Benedict College, Norfolk State, Hampton and Howard. (Photo by Mark's Digital Photography)

“We’re starting to get calls to play them,” said Brantley Evans, Senior Associate Director of Athletics. “I think it helps in recruiting because of the type of athletes that the coaches are able to go after and use these games as selling points. So it helps in those two areas, as well as financially.”

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Top-seeded Miami Defeats Bethune-Cookman, 7-4 in NCAA Regional Opener

Coral Gables, Fla. - Blake Tekotte had a big two-run single in the seventh inning to help top-seeded University of Miami--the nation's top-ranked team, win a 7-4 contest against Bethune-Cookman University in the NCAA Coral Gables Regional opener at Mark Light Stadium.

Leading 5-4 in the seventh inning, the Hurricanes (48-8) Ryan Jackson was hit by a pitch to start off the at-bat. He then advanced to second on a passed ball before Dave DiNatale and Adan Severino took back-to-back walks to load the bases. That's when Blake Tekotte stepped up and delivered a bloop single to centerfield that squeezed between B-CU (36-21) second baseman Mark Brooks and centerfielder José Ortiz.

The single scored two runs to push the Hurricanes lead out to 7-4 ... thus the final score. "I was just trying to put it in play," Tekotte said. "We knew we had our work cut out for us. This was the best fourth-seeded team in the nation."

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Getting feel for CFL, Cleve McCoy eager to learn at Bomber camp

Our balls are indeed bigger, our fields more expansive and there are bigger crowds on our gridiron. So, the biggest adjustments to the CFL game have to be made by quarterbacks who grew up with four-down football. And both highly-touted Blue Bomber pivots Bryan Randall and Cleveland McCoy got their first taste of it at Winnipeg's rookie camp before about 200 interested onlookers at Canad Inns Stadium yesterday afternoon.

"It's a different-size ball," said Randall, who still fired some zingers at practice. "The NFL ball's a little thinner than the CFL ball so that will take a little getting used to. But you keep throwing the ball over and over with more reps, you get a better feel for it.

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Southern Cook-ing

Esparto, California star headed to Division I Southern University on baseball scholarship

Sometimes, finding a Division I baseball scholarship can be a long, arduous process. Other times, it can be as lucky as stumbling upon an ESPN broadcast. Possessing a left arm that throws in the high 80's also helps. In late April, Suavae Cook signed a National Letter of Intent to play baseball at Southern University, but months earlier it hardly seemed possible.

On Feb. 29, a Friday night, Esparto High School baseball coach Dennis Huitt was watching ESPN's telecast of the Urban Invitational at Jackie Robinson Stadium in Los Angeles. During the broadcast of UCLA's game against Southern University - a historically black school in Baton Rouge, La. - analyst Tim Kurjian mused about the lack of African American baseball players at the Major League level.

During the next night's telecast, when Southern played USC, the broadcasters were talking up Southern coach Roger Cador, who has won 13 SWAC Coach of the Year awards, and how in his 23 years as the Jaguars coach they had won 13 Southwestern Athletic Conference titles, when it struck a chord with Huitt.

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Jackson State named SWAC's top athletic program

Jackson State won its second straight SWAC Commissioner's Cup, league officials announced Friday. The Tigers had 164 total points, edging Southern University (142.5 points), Grambling (142) and Prairie View (142) for the James Frank Award.

Jackson State won championships in football and golf. The Lady Tigers were huge contributors, capturing titles in basketball, track and field (indoor and outdoor) and golf.

Coach Rick Comegy with the 2007 SWAC Football Championship Trophy.

"Winning the Commissioner's Cup is a testament to our university as a whole," Jackson State Director of Athletics Robert Braddy said in a statement released by the SWAC. "This demonstrates the quality of coaches and athletes that we have at Jackson State.

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LSU Baseball Handles TSU, 12-1

BATON ROUGE -- LSU sophomore designated hitter Blake Dean homered twice and drove in four runs to lead the top-seeded Tigers to their 21st straight win with a 12-1 victory over Texas Southern in the opening game of the 2008 NCAA Baton Rouge Regional in front of 6,536 fans on Friday afternoon at Alex Box Stadium.

The Tigers, champions of the Southeastern Conference Tournament, improved to 44-16-1 on the year and 19-0 in NCAA regional opening games. LSU set the single-season school record for consecutive victories in its last outing and has not lost a contest since April 19.

Texas Southern dropped to 16-33 on the season. LSU advances to play the winner of tonight’s contest between Southern Miss and UNO at 6 p.m. Saturday. Texas Southern takes on the loser of tonight’s game at 1 p.m. Saturday.

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Norfolk State-Old Dominion hoops series remains a distant dream

Maybe you think that, with Old Dominion and Norfolk State kicking around a possible football series, it would be natural for the schools to meet again soon on the basketball court.

Maybe you should think about more realistic things, like Big Brown running the Belmont Stakes backwards to clinch the Triple Crown.

Promising and compelling as the football idea is, the inert basketball situation between the schools is reminiscent of an ancient Saturday Night Live line that was funny in direct proportion...

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WSSU contributing to MEAC

As the new kid on the block in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, Winston-Salem State has made quite a splash.

WSSU helped land the MEAC basketball tournament at Joel Coliseum for the next three seasons and to do so it reached for its pocketbook. WSSU pledged $25,000 of the $100,000 the conference asked for during negotiations.

The $25,000 came from the Athletics Department, according to Donald Reaves, WSSU's chancellor.

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Rattlers to split defensive coordinator duties

Photo: Former FAMU defensive coordinator Orlando Mitjans.

Earl Holmes and Tim Edwards will share the role of defensive coordinator for FAMU's football team, a move that coach Joe Taylor confirmed Wednesday.

Taylor said he decided to make coordinating the defense a two-man job after Orlando Mitjans unexpectedly had to leave the position. Holmes and Edwards will work under the supervision of assistant head coach George Small. Mitjans decided to relinquish the position so that he could focus on a franchise business in Tennessee, Taylor said.

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(Casey Printers) Ticats expect to be right in thick of it

Photo: Former Florida A&M quarterback Casey Printers will try to jump start his CFL career with the extra baggage of being the highest paid player in the Canadian Football League for the lowly Hamilton Ti-cats.

We expect to be right in there competing with them," Taaffe said. "We played very competitively most of the time. That's part of the growing process. When you've got a chance to win in the fourth quarter, that's the next step, learning how to close the deal."

The feeling is having Casey Printers at quarterback from the start of the season (he joined the Cats mid-2007) could go a long way to this team's return to the post-season. But will an improved Printers be enough to make up for weaknesses throughout the roster?

That's where veteran CFL talent guru Bob O'Billovich enters the picture, taking over as Hamilton's GM. Known for unearthing talent, most recently for the B.C. Lions, O'Billovich has also been forced to address a losing climate in Steeltown.

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MEAC tourney coming in '09

Photo courtesy Mark's Digital Photography, www.marksdigitalphotography.com

Joel Coliseum to be host for three years

The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference has been hopping from city to city, trying to make its basketball tournaments a success. It hopes that the next stop, Winston-Salem, will be the right one.

MEAC officials awarded the conference's men's and women's basketball tournaments to Winston-Salem and Joel Coliseum yesterday for the next three years. The contract will begin with the 2008-09 tournament scheduled for March 10-15. All men's and women's games will be played at Joel Coliseum.

Commissioner Dennis Thomas of the MEAC praised Winston-Salem for having all the ingredients to help the tournament grow.

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BCU Wildcats Like Chances At College World Series

Photo: Bethune Cookman University head coach Mervyl Melendez has the Wildcats poised for the upset in the NCAA Regionals.

ORMOND BEACH -- The road to the College World Series begins soon for the best NCAA programs in the game, and Central Florida has a potential giant-killer to add to the mix.

Bethune-Cookman University is heading to its third-consecutive NCAA baseball regional and they are underdogs. They have had a great season so far, but now they are headed to Coral Gables to face Missouri, Ole Miss and the No. 1 team in the country -- the Miami Hurricanes.

"It's going to be a way-different scenario now. NCAA regionals. There's something on the line. You have to lose two games, so I'm sure it's going to be a tougher game, but we're going to be ready for the challenge. A lot of people are probably not giving us a chance to play well or beat University of Miami and I think that we have a very good chance," said Mervyl Melendez, the BCU head coach.

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North Carolina A&T football player dies from heat illness complications

Greensboro, N.C. — A senior offensive lineman on the North Carolina A&T State University football team died Wednesday from complications of heat illness, school officials said.

Chad Wiley, 22, collapsed Tuesday after a supervised voluntary workout on campus, officials said. An A&T athletic trainer treated Wiley on the field before he was transported to Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital.

A&T officials said Wednesday afternoon that Wiley had been running hills during a workout when he became dizzy. A trainer gave him water and he continued his workout. He lost consciousness inside the training room.

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READ: Update 4:22 p.m., http://www.news-record.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080528/NRSTAFF/957891935

READ: Aggie Football Player Dies After Workout, http://www.digtriad.com/news/mostpopular/article.aspx?storyid=104275&provider=top

Wiley profile from North Carolina A & T State University Athletic Website: http://www.ncataggies.com/Football/profiles/wiley_chad.htm

Dawn of a rivalry? ODU and NSU talk football series

Old Dominion and Norfolk State are negotiating a long-term series between the schools' football teams, with ODU officials looking at 2013 as a starting point.

Norfolk State athletic director Marty Miller was even more proactive when reached Tuesday. "Why not 2012?" he asked. ODU would have its first class of fifth-year seniors in 2012.

The Monarchs, after nearly seven decades without football, are kick-starting a Division I-AA program that will begin play in 2009 and will join the Colonial Athletic Association in 2011. The school's first class of recruits arrives on campus this fall.

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You gotta love Marty Miller's attitude--stomp Old Dominion University in the turf before they get any momentum to becoming a winning program. Great question, why wait until 2013? NSU has two opportunities with Colonial Athletic Conference foes William and Mary, and now ODU, that should improve the MEAC's future strength of schedule profile. These local contests are great for college football and its good to see NSU take a proactive approach to getting these games on their schedule.

ODU first game will be against CIAA newcomer (in football only), Chowan University Hawks on September 5, 2009.

-beepbeep

Texas Southern faces #7 National Seed LSU in NCAAs

Photo: Texas Southern Tigers will face the LSU Tigers on their home field in the first round of the NCAA Baseball Tournament.

LSU is the No. 7 national seed in the NCAA baseball tournament field released today, and the Tigers could host a super regional at Alex Box Stadium for the first time since 2004.

LSU would be at home for the super-regional round if it wins this weekend's regional at Alex Box Stadium.

The Tigers will face Texas Southern (16-32) at 1 p.m. Friday in the regional opener in Baton Rouge. New Orleans (42-19), the No. 3 seed in the regional at LSU, will face No. 2 Southern Miss (40-20) at 6 p.m. Friday in the other first-round matchup.

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Bethune-Cookman Travels to Miami for NCAA Baseball Regional

Wildcats draw top-seeded Hurricanes for opening game

Daytona Beach, Fla. - Bethune-Cookman University Baseball found out Monday afternoon that they will stay in state and travel down I-95 south to the University of Miami for their NCAA Regional in Coral Gables, Fla. The Wildcats will be making their third consecutive trip to the NCAA Baseball Regional, as well as their third trip to a Regional hosted by the Miami Hurricanes. B-CU traveled to Coral Gables in 2003 and 1999 as well.

Joining the Wildcats in the Coral Gables (Fla.) Regional will be the University of Mississippi [Ole Miss], Missouri and of course homestanding and host University of Miami. B-CU faced off against the Rebels of Ole Miss two years ago in the Oxford (Miss.) Regional in one of the most exciting Regional games in Bethune-Cookman history. The `Cats fell 3-2 to the Rebels in the opening game in front of a sell-out crowd.

Bethune-Cookman University will make their second trip this season to Coral Gables to tangle with the Hurricanes. B-CU dropped both games of a midweek doubleheader (10-5 & 7-6) to the Canes earlier this season while Miami was ranked #3 nationally. The `Cats and Canes will hook-up on Friday afternoon at 4 p.m. at Mark Light Stadium on the campus of the University of Miami. The entire Coral Gables Regional will be shown live on ESPNU, with games at 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday. If necessary, Monday's contest will also be shown live on ESPNU at 7 p.m.

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Student Jazz Singers of Howard University

NPR - All Things Considered - Nine music majors at Washington, D.C.'s Howard University are also part of the schools vocal jazz ensemble AfroBlue. Michele Norris talks with the group's director, Connaitre Miller, and listens as the students demonstrate "crunchy" harmonies on a familiar tune, as well as some smooth chords on a cappella versions of "Surrey with a Fringe on Top" and "Sometimes I'm Happy."

LISTEN NOW: http://www.npr.org/templates/player/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=90832142&m=90832117

Former HU - Rookie Dixon Trying To Complete Trying Journey To NFL Cowboys

IRVING, Texas - Making the team will be hard enough as an undrafted free agent for rookie Marcus Dixon. The Cowboys signed Dixon to a non-guaranteed three-year, $1 million free-agent deal made up of three minimum base salaries, along with a modest signing bonus, and days later he found himself here at Valley Ranch for the rookie mini-camp.

"I haven't gotten any calls from Oprah, but I have gotten calls from people who have supported me," he said after his first practice. "I've gotten e-mails. Everyone is just overwhelmed."

Dixon was just like every other rookie that first weekend - cramming in an unfamiliar playbook and trying to keep up with the speed a pro team works at during these non-pad practices. He returned with the majority of the rookies this past week to also begin his off-season strength and conditioning program, along with taking part in the three-day OTA workouts, which continue with another three-day session out here on Tuesday.

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Former NCCU Eagles set to give back

For More Info: https://www.nccueaf.org/

Upcoming Schedule of Events

Date Event
7/01/2008 - 2008 Membership Drive
7/19/2008 - Inaugural Golf Tournament in Winston-Salem, NC
8/24/2008 - 2008 Membership Cookout

Hunter & Co. late last year founded the Eagle Athletic Foundation, a nonprofit organization in Charlotte dedicated to providing support for football student-athletes at N.C. Central.

Football is a topic that's close to the heart of the EAF executive team. Why? Because they're all former Eagle football players who developed a special bond that continues some 20 years later.

They are: Gerald Mack, a four-year starter at cornerback (1985-88); Gerald Patton, a four-year starter offensive lineman (1982-86); Robert "Green" Horsley, a three-year starter at wide receiver (1983-86); center Eric Montgomery (1983-86); linebacker Gregory Tate (1981-85); Brian McCorkle, a three-year starter offensive lineman (1986-89); and Hunter, a three-year starter at wide receiver (1979-1983).

They all know firsthand the trials and tribulations of being a student-athlete on an HBCU campus.

"Each of us experienced trying times during our tenure at NCCU - lack of money and lack of equipment," said Hunter, the spokesperson for the group. "But we're thankful for the program, and with NCCU being the elite institution that it is, we believe we should try to give back."

NCCU also has the support of other organizations like the Eagle Club, which gives thousands of dollars to the entire athletic department, and the QB Club, whose name says it all.

The EAF's focus is football, also for obvious reasons. Plus every genius knows that football can make or drain an athletic department. Not to mention it's the first major sport of the season. So goes football, so goes the HBCU fan's psyche.

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Prairie View A & M University Marching Storm

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(VIDEO: The Marching Storm of Prairie View A&M University prepares for its first halftime show of the season, by The New York Times.)

PVAMU @ Dallas,Texas

PVAMU at 2008 Houston MLK Parade

PVAMU Marching Storm and the Black Foxes

PVAMU Marching Storm and the Black Foxes at Angel City Classic



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Two more I-A transfers set to join JSU Tigers

Photo: Ricardo Kemp

Former Tennessee defensive back Ricardo Kemp said Friday that he will sign with JSU, joining 2007 teammate Antonio Wardlow, who transferred recently. Kemp (5 feet 10, 185 pounds) played 26 games for the Volunteers over the last two years after redshirting in 2005. He posted 24 tackles at UT and recorded two sacks, an interception and a forced fumble last season. Kemp was also considering Hampton.

UNLV defensive end Larry Dennis, a one-time Ole Miss commitment, said Thursday he will sign with Jackson State after sitting out the 2007 season. In 2006 he was rated a four-star recruit (on a five-star scale) by Scout.com. The 6-2, 265-pound Lakeland, Fla., native attended Compton (Calif.) Junior College, then signed with UNLV before 2007 but didn't play because of academic issues.

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Sources: MEAC chooses Winston-Salem

City has won bid to hold tournament for next 3 years

Winston-Salem has won the bid to play host to the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Basketball Tournament for the next three years, according to several sources. At the MEAC spring meetings, which took place last week in Virginia Beach, Va., presidents and chancellors voted to award the tournament to Winston-Salem. The meetings ended Friday with one of the final votes determining where the tournament would be played for the next three seasons.

An announcement is expected to be made early this week. Neither Dennis Thomas, the commissioner of the MEAC, nor Chico Caldwell, the athletics director at Winston-Salem State University, could be reached for comment yesterday.

But sources have said that the vote came down to Winston-Salem and Raleigh as the final two choices. Winston-Salem officials made a strong proposal to bring the tournament to Joel Coliseum, pledging $100,000 to bring the tournament here.

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Southern University names new chancellor

Dr. Kofi Lomotey holds a Ph.D. and Master's degree from Stanford University in Educational Administration and Policy Analysis, a M.Ed. from Cleveland State University in Curriculum and Instruction and a bachelor’s degree from Oberlin College in Economics. He previously served as President of Fort Valley State University, Senior Vice President, Provost and Professor of Education at Medgar Evers College (CUNY) and as a member of the faculties at Louisiana State University and the State University of New York (Buffalo).

Southern University picked a new chancellor Saturday. Southern University System President Ralph Slaughter and the Board of Supervisors chose Kofi Lomotey, 57, of Fisk University in Tennessee out of three finalists. Lomotey was picked on a 9-6 vote at the end of a five-hour meeting that included final interviews on campus.

Those board members voting in opposition said they wanted more time to deliberate after interviewing the three for the first time Saturday. The Fisk executive vice president and provost was chosen over Southern University at Shreveport Chancellor Ray Belton and Alcorn State University Vice President for Academic Affairs Napoleon Moses.

Lomotey will lead Southern’s main campus in Baton Rouge with an enrollment of about 8,000 students starting July 1 after his contract is worked out. “I’m attracted to the tremendous potential...

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Sneads’ Perry preparing to make college choice: FAMU or ...

Former Sneads Pirates wide receiver/kick returner Alex Perry will soon choose between FAMU and Valdosta St. for his collegiate football services. Perry will take the trip to Tallahassee Monday to workout for the new Rattler coach Joe Taylor before visiting Valdosta St. June 21.

Perry, who said he has a scholarship offer from both FAMU and Valdosta St, said that Taylor wanted him to come to the FAMU campus to go through position drill training and update his 40-yard dash time. Immediate playing time will be the biggest factor in his decision, Perry said.

“Basically, what it comes down to is that I want to start in my first year,” he said. “I think I could start at receiver right off the bat as a freshman.”

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