Howard Tops Obama's Brother-in-Law, Oregon State

LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY

The fans who flocked to tiny Burr Gymnasium last night didn't see any future world leaders, but they launched a resplendent celebration nonetheless. Howard University's 47-45 victory over Oregon State spoiled the debut for first-year Beavers coach Craig Robinson, the brother-in-law of President-elect Barack Obama, and prompted many of the more than 2,000 fans in attendance to dance in the aisles. A few dozen, including a man wearing a Howard cape, stormed the court.

"I am glad the crowd didn't leave when Obama didn't come," an ecstatic Howard coach Gil Jackson said. "They stormed the court? I have never seen that. They stormed the court at Howard."

A little more than two miles from the White House, Howard showed just how hard Robinson's job will be at Oregon State. It took Obama 20 months to make a quick ascension from senator to president-elect. Robinson, who spent the past two seasons as Brown's head coach, knows it will take longer to turn the Beavers into a contender.

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FAMU Marching 100 headlines 2009 Honda Battle of the Bands

The stage is now set for the seventh annual Honda Battle of the Bands (HBOB) Invitational Showcase (http://www.hondabattleofthebands.com/) scheduled to take place Saturday, January 24, 2009 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. Ten Historically Black College and University (HBCU) marching bands have been chosen to participate in the 2009 Invitational Showcase through a combination of online voting by fans and a selection process involving HBCU band directors and university presidents.

Fine-tuning their instruments, practicing their drum major acrobatics and choreographing the dance team's routines all in preparation to "stomp at the Dome," the 2009 lineup includes:

--Virginia State University and Fayetteville State University, representing the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA);
-- Florida A&M University and North Carolina A&T State University, representing the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC);
-- Tuskegee University and Kentucky State University, representing the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC); and
-- Jackson State University and Texas Southern University, representing the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC);
-- North Carolina Central University and Edward Waters College, both independents.

The ten bands selected to participate in this year's Invitational Showcase will be awarded $20,000 by American Honda for their music scholarship programs--a $10,000 increase over last year. They also will receive an additional $1,000 grant for their participation in the Celebration Tour, HBOB's pre-qualifying event series. In total, $244,000 in scholarship monies will be granted to HBCU music programs through this program for 2008-09.

This year Honda Battle of the Bands welcomes four new bands and looks forward with anticipation to the return of HBOB's longest running participant, Virginia State University, and the goliath of all marching bands -- 440 member-strong Florida A&M University. This year's show, filled with HBCU pageantry and tradition, is sure to be one for the history books as world-class musicianship, show-stopping drum majors, scintillating dance teams and syncopated drum lines come together with one basic goal in mind: To win the crowd.

Florida A&M Universiy Marching 100

"The Honda Battle of the Bands Invitational Showcase not only celebrates the pageantry and showmanship of America's HBCUs, but also works to expose people, young and old, to the power and importance of music and higher education," said Marc Burt, Senior Manager, Office of Inclusion and Diversity for American Honda. "Music education has been shown to have a strong correlation with high academic achievement, and American Honda has been humbled to bring an event that combines both. Our overarching objective is that this program continues to grow in stature and significance."

HBCU Recruitment Fair

The Honda Battle of Bands HBCU Recruitment Fair will return this year for the fourth year in a row. This event, held prior to the main event in the Georgia World Congress Center, presents young people with the opportunity to meet with marching band and admissions recruiters from all around the country to discuss their unique music programs and distribute information about admissions requirements, academic programs and scholarship opportunities. Last year thirty-four schools exhibited and nearly 2,000 young people attended.

Interested high school students and their parents are welcome to visit the Honda Battle of Bands HBCU Recruitment Fair from 10:00 a.m. -- 2:00 p.m. the day of the event to learn more about the nation's black colleges, their music programs, scholarships and admissions requirements.

Tickets to this highly anticipated family event are on sale now and can be purchased for $10-$12 on www.HondaBattleoftheBands.com, through Ticketmaster or via the Georgia Dome box-office. For downloadable broadcast video and high resolution photos of the 2008 Invitational Showcase, or more information on the Honda Battle of the Bands Invitational Showcase bands, visit www.HondaBattleoftheBands.com.

No state of complacency: Morgan State Bears

Teams are pressing forward after successful 2007-08 seasons

"Yes, we had success, but last year is last year," said the Bears' Todd Bozeman, 2008 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Coach of the Year. "And while I appreciate [the award], it's not going to carry any weight this season." Morgan lost three key players but will bank on returning forward Marquise Kately (13.1 points per game) and guards Reggie Holmes (12.9) and Jermaine "Itchy" Bolden.

Kately, 6-5, is "the consummate team player," Bozeman said. "He rebounds, scores and covers for others on defense. Last year, he was even pressed to play point guard for two games." Morgan also corralled a handful of transfers who should help to put more distance between the Bears and their abysmal 2005-06 record of 4-26.

Though Morgan won the MEAC regular-season crown, it lost the tournament title game to Coppin State on a late basket by the Eagles' Tywain McKee. The Coppin star returns with an iffy supporting cast, but how can the Eagles top last year's wacky season in which they went 16-21 and still reached the play-in game of the NCAA tournament?

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DSU bowlers off to hot start in MEAC

WASHINGTON -- The Delaware State University bowling team went 9-1 in the opening Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Northern Division competition of the season, tops among all teams. Delaware State was 5-0 in regular team play on Saturday, posting victories over Howard, Hampton, Morgan State, Coppin State and reigning NCAA and MEAC champ Maryland-Eastern Shore.

Sophomore Angela Reynolds recorded four 200-plus games, including a 243 against Coppin State. Junior Samantha Noviscky rolled 245 against Morgan State, and freshman Jazmyne Hefflefinger had a 226 against Howard. The Hornets were 4-1 in Baker competition on Sunday, with wins over Hampton, Howard, Coppin State and UMES before falling to Morgan State.

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ASU's Barlow fires 2 assistants

A day after his team's worst offensive performance of the season, Alabama State head coach Reggie Barlow has fired offensive coordinator Ben Noonan and offensive line coach Eric Schnupp, leaving the second-year coach searching for his third offensive coordinator. Barlow confirmed the firings late Sunday evening.

Noonan and Schnupp were hired last January, a few weeks after Barlow fired offensive coordinator Maurice Harris and offensive line coach Jack Peavey -- both of whom also worked under Barlow for just one season. The Hornets currently rank ninth in the 10-team SWAC in both scoring offense and total offense

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Class Of Six Elected To SWAC Hall Of Fame

By SWAC






The Southwestern Athletic Conference is pleased to announce its 2008 Hall of Fame Class:

· Jimmie Giles, Alcorn State
· Lindsey Hunter, Jackson State
· Sam Jefferson, Jackson State
· Frank Lewis, Grambling State
· Doug Porter, Mississippi Valley State
· Carl Williams, Southern

Jimmie Giles of Alcorn State was a third-round pick in the 1977 NFL Draft. The Natchez, MS native played 13 professional seasons (1977-89) with four different teams. Drafted by the Houston Oilers, he moved on to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers one year later, where he played for nearly nine seasons (1978-86). During that time, Giles was a four-time Pro Bowl player and helped the Bucs reach the NFC Championship Game during the 1979 season. His best season came in 1981 when he caught 45 passes for 786 yards and six touchdowns. He went on to play with the Detroit Lions (1986-87) and Philadelphia Eagles (1987-89). For his career, Giles caught 350 passes for 5,084 yards and 41 touchdowns.

Lindsey Hunter was one of the most prolific scorers in SWAC history. The Jackson native earned SWAC Freshman of the Year Honors at Alcorn State in 1989 before transferring to Jackson State. In his three seasons with the Tigers, Hunter averaged more than 24 points per game. He was a SWAC All-Tournament selection in 1992 and 1993, and as a senior led J-State to the SWAC regular season title in 1993 and an NIT berth, where Jackson State defeated Connecticut and another future NBA player Ray Allen. Hunter was a lottery pick (10th overall) by the NBA’s Detroit Pistons in 1993. He played 14 seasons in the league with the Pistons (1993-2000, 2003-08), Milwaukee Bucks (2000-01), Los Angeles Lakers (2001-02), and Toronto Raptors (2002-03). He had his best season in 1996-97, when he averaged 14.2 points per game for the Pistons. Hunter, who has averaged nearly 9 points per game in nearly 900 career games, won an NBA title with the Lakers in 2002.

Sam Jefferson was the first Sports Information Director in Jackson State history, serving from 1973-2002. During his tenure, Jefferson promoted more than 50 All-America athletes that wore the blue and white, including future NFL Hall of Famers Walter Payton and Jackie Slater. While updating and researching historical and statistical records for the Jackson State athletic department, he served as host for JSU’s football television highlight show for 12 years, hosted the award winning “Tiger Rap” radio show, and served as color analyst for basketball broadcasts and play-by-play for radio broadcasts. He was selected conference SID of the Year eight times.

Grambling State product Frank Lewis led the SWAC in scoring three consecutive seasons from 1968-70. The Houma, LA native then went on to a 13-year NFL career, playing seven years with the Pittsburgh Steelers and six years with the Buffalo Bills. During his years with the Steelers (1971-77), he played on back-to-back Super Bowl champion teams in 1975 and 1976. Lewis scored had arguably his best season with the Steelers in 1974, catching 30 passes for 365 yards and four touchdowns. In 1981, Lewis had a career year with the Bills, catching 70 passes for 1,244 yards with four touchdowns. For his career, he caught 397 passes for 6,724 yards and 40 touchdowns.

Doug Porter was the head coach of Mississippi Valley State from 1961-65, and in his third season, led the Delta Devils to their first winning season in five years. He was an assistant coach at Grambling State and Coach Eddie Robinson for nine seasons before becoming the head coach at Howard from 1974-78. He then took over Fort Valley State in 1979, and led them to the conference title that same season. He posted a 166-105 record as head coach, with just five losing seasons in 26 years. As an administrator, he was actively involved in creating the framework of the rules and regulations that still govern Mississippi Valley State and the Southwestern Athletic Conference to this day.

Carl Williams was the Director of Sports Medicine/Head Athletic Trainer at Southern University from 40 years (1963-2003). “Doc” began his career in 1953 as a student trainer for the National Industrial Basketball League. The Houston native and Texas Southern graduate worked was a trainer at Houston-area high schools and for the Houston Independent School District prior to be hired at Southern. Williams also was the Assistant Athletic Trainer for the Dallas Cowboys from 1973-91.

These legends will be officially inducted into the SWAC Hall of Fame on Thursday, December 11, at the Sheraton Hotel in Birmingham. The SWAC Hall of Fame Gala begins at 6 p.m. with a reception, with dinner to follow at 7 p.m. Tickets are $50 to the general public and may be purchased by calling 205/241-3474.

Pirates' slide continues

HAMPTON, VA - Hampton University got inside the Bethune-Cookman 4-yard line on three series Saturday, inside the 20 another time and inside the 25 another. The Pirates netted only two field goals. The wasted scoring opportunities were decisive in the Pirates' 17-6 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference loss to the visiting Wildcats. And a 2008 season that looked so promising three games ago, when the Pirates were 5-1 and ranked No. 22 in the nation, is sliding precariously toward the program's first losing season in more than a decade.

The Pirates (5-4 overall, 4-2 MEAC) can secure their 12th consecutive winning season by winning on the road at Florida A&M or Morgan State. But the freefall will continue if the Pirates continue to squander their scoring chances. "We've lost three in a row and the same thing happened over and over," Pirates coach Jerry Holmes said. "It was 0-0 against South Carolina State at halftime and we had missed a bunch of scoring opportunities, and it was the same last week against Winston-Salem State.

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