Winning resolutions for black college sports

by Herb White, Black Voices

Excerpt:
It's a new year, and many of us will resolve to do something differently. Why shouldn't black college sports? Here are a few that just beg for attention.

Develop platinum programs.
The best programs bring good athletes to campus, coach them up and put resources behind the product. That takes commitment and money for the long haul, something too many administrators and fans fail to understand. S.C. State football is an example of how to do it right. The Bulldogs win consistently, including the 2008 MEAC title with a competitive effort in the first round of the Division I playoffs. Grambling is on the same level if the Tigers could actually get into the playoffs, which the SWAC championship game prevents. Among non-revenue sports, St. Augustine's track is a national program that can hold its own on an international stage. Coach George Williams has produced a string of all-Americans and Olympians, proof that the program is top of the line.

Better support.
HBCU fans may love their team, but something's not right when half the crowd at a football team goes missing after the bands do their thing at halftime. Is the music really that much better than the game itself? If so, then perhaps the on-field product is in need of an overhaul. Basketball seems to be an afterthought on many campuses, where good seats can be found from tip-off to the final horn.

READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE, CLICK BLOG TITLE.
























FAMU's Coach Tony Trifonov has succeeded in leading FAMU to the top of the heap nationally in women's volleyball despite inadequate funding, incompetent athletic department support, seven less scholarship players, no recruiting budget, and attempts by ineffectual school administrators to destroy international recruiting pipelines for this valuable, inclusive program.

Herb White hits the nail squarely with this timely blog, especially in his comments regarding basketball and non-revenue sports. I can understand 1,000 fans not showing up for an NCAA Division I national championship bowling match at a local bowling alley (2008 NCAA Division I National Champions - University of Maryland Eastern Shore), but how do you explain only 100 fans or less consistently showing up at Florida A&M's Gaither Gym to support the Volleyball team? FAMU's volleyball program (until 10/18/08) had won 98 consecutive conference games over 10 seasons, eight straight MEAC conference championships and eight consecutive appearances in the NCAA Division I Championship Tournament.

The conference games win streak would probably be alive today, if the team had greater than EIGHT student/athletes in 2008. Division I volleyball is played with a SIX player team each -- i.e., the eight players on FAMU's roster made the Rattlers the smallest team in the NCAA Division I 64-team national championship tournament. How can the Lady Rattlers and other HBCUs truly compete at the Division I level with SEVEN less scholarship players than the other major conference opponents? How does FAMU compete successfully in the MEAC with FOUR less scholarship players than their own conference opponents? How does FAMU practice or scrimmage for an opponent with six starters and possibly two subs (if there are no injuries) for a 27 game season?

Although the deck is consistently stacked against Coach Trifonov, he has succeeded with his ability to select high quality new players from film and referral, which are typical of his teams in the past in that they’re very mature and have a lot of international experience. The Lady Rattlers come with a ton of game necessary to run with Florida, Florida State, Clemson, Michigan State, Long Beach State or Nebraska which have dominated the Rattlers out of conference schedule in guaranteed payment road games, necessary to keep the program afloat.

More importantly, the Lady Rattlers have been ranked nationally in the NCAA Top 25 Division I polls over the past few seasons, which brings increased positive notoriety to Florida A&M.

Do you think the 12,000+ FAMU student body and administration is punch drunk with the exceptional success of the underfunded and under supported Lady Rattlers volleyball team, so much so, that they believe the program can operate with neither adequate funding, less scholarships and little, if any, fan support?

No doubt, non-revenue programs need fan/student support and sufficient funding, too. It is a disservice to the student-athletes when HBCU administrations breach their commitment to the athletic program with disingenuous management of the university resources and facilities. The business community will never support athletic programs that are run into the ground with little support by the university stakeholders and fans.

FAMU sets a great example of how poorly managed athletic departments at HBCUs can totally destroy an existing championship program by cutting back funding to the point the program cannot possibly succeed on a regional or national level. Athletic administrators and fans should not expect to win NCAA Division I national championships on a budget less suitable for a intramural athletic program. After 30 years of trying, HBCUs -- especially Division I classified programs -- should know the outcome and set their sights on developing platinum programs as Mr. White describes.

Believe it or not, bloggers are tired of writing about the everyday occurrence with HBCUs that hit the road for a beat down--and a paycheck, that are routed, pounded, steamrolled, smashed, over-matched and blasted unmercifully in athletic competition by non-HBCU programs that didn't even field a sports team 25-30 years ago. And all HBCUs do in response is send their bands to shake their booty and entertain the opposition drunken fans as our sport teams, fans are embarrassed time and again by our lack of competitive capability. If money is so much in short supply--the bands should stay on campus as marching and pep band is not a collegiate sport.

A change is overdue!

-beepbeep

FAMU's Vann Earns His Place In History

A First-team All-American.

It is the goal of every elite college football player, but only a select few can be recognized with that special distinction. That's why Florida A&M University junior return specialist LeRoy Vann, a Blake High graduate, will always consider 2008 as his most special season. Vann, after a record-setting season, was named to the Walter Camp Foundation NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) All-America Team.

Vann runs into permanent Rattler lore with a sizzling 92 yards kickoff for TD against 2008 MEAC Champions, S.C. State Bulldogs 10/4/2008.


"He's creating a larger recognition base for himself, but it goes to show no matter where you are, if you work hard, it will not go unnoticed," FAMU coach Joe Taylor said. "Individually, it brings him great recognition, but it brings recognition to Florida A&M University in a very positive way. It's going to help with our recruiting, because young men are going to see that Florida A&M is where you can play and still get recognized."

FAMU's LeRoy Vann returns kickoff 80 yards for Rattler touchdown against MEAC foe Delaware State before national television audience on ESPNU Thursday Night game, 9/4/08 at Dover, DE.

His accomplishments were difficult to ignore. Vann, a 5-foot-9, 185-pound cornerback, was the only Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference player to make the team. He set an FCS single-season record for combined kick-return yardage (1,583 yards), breaking the mark of 1,469, set by Samford's David Primus in 1989. Additionally, Vann had six touchdowns on kick returns, tying the single-season record of Eastern Washington's Bashir Levingston (1998) and Montana State's Corey Smith (2003). He had 66 combined returns - another national record - breaking the mark of 64, set by Connecticut's Joe Markus in 1981. Vann shared the glory, giving credit to FAMU special-teams coach Rod Plummer.

CONTINUE READING, CLICK BLOG TITLE.

Bulldogs Rally to Claim 58-57 Victory over Bethune-Cookman

Courtesy: CitadelSports.com

CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Citadel Bulldogs rallied from as many as 15 down to claim a 58-57 victory over the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats Saturday night. Demetrius Nelson and Cameron Wells recorded double-figures for the Bulldogs with 18 and 10 points, respectively. The Bulldogs outrebounded the Wildcats, 29-22 with 18 of their rebounds coming in the second half. Not only diCourtesy: CitadelSports.comd the Bulldogs win the battle on the boards, but their bench outscored the Wildcats, 17-7. Bethune-Cookman was in control for most of the game.

“We were able to get stops, therefore, we didn’t have to go against their press as much,” said Head Coach Ed Conroy. “We were able to get into more of a rhythm and it was easier to look for things that we really wanted to, which was Demetrius Nelson inside. It all started on our defensive end. Our guys did a good job there with the intensity and communication, which led to us executing and getting the ball to Demetrius.”

On offense, the Bulldogs shot 47.9 percent from the field and 25 percent from the 3-point line. The Citadel continued to dominate from the foul line, shooting 63.6 percent. Bethune-Cookman shot 50 percent from the field and from behind the arc, and shot 60 percent from the foul line.

Bethune-Cookman scored the first four points of the game to take an early 4-0 lead on the Bulldogs. The Bulldogs scored their first basket of the game at 18:30 after a layup by Nelson. The first half was a back-and-forth battle for both teams with four tie scores and four lead changes. The Wildcats managed to stay in control going into halftime after they scored seven of the last nine baskets in the half. Bethune-Cookman claimed a 12-point lead at the end of the half after Alexander Starling nailed a 3-pointer to close the half.

Austin Dahn led the Bulldogs in scoring in the first half with six points, followed by Nelson with five points. Bethune-Cookman had two players in double-figures in the first half with C.J. Reed leading with 14 points. Starling recorded 10 points.

The second half opened with the Wildcats taking a 15-point lead after Jerry Jones converted a three-point play. Bethune-Cookman wouldn’t stay in control for very long as the Bulldogs continued to chip at the lead. With 15:19 on the clock, the Bulldogs cut the lead to five after Wells nailed two free throws. With 13:51, Wells hit a basket to cut the Wildcat lead to three, getting the Bulldogs within reach of a lead. The Bulldogs were able to get within one after Streeter hit a layup, making the game 45-44. Nelson followed with a layup to give the Bulldogs a one-point advantage. The Wildcats refused to go away with three tie scores and five lead changes.

A layup by Nelson with 3:48 would seal the deal and give the Bulldogs a permanent lead, putting them up, 54-52. The Citadel managed to get up by as many as five after Wells hit a jumper to put the Bulldogs up, 58-53. The Wildcats continued to battle, cutting the lead to three after back-to-back free throws by John Holmes. Reed was able to get the Wildcats within one with six seconds on the clock after he scored a layup. A quick foul would put Wells on the line for a 1-in-1. A missed foul shot gave the Wildcats one last chance to take the game. Reed shot a 14-footer that rolled off the rim to give the Bulldogs a 58-57 victory.

The Bulldogs had only four turnovers in the second half and forced five turnovers against the Wildcats. They shot 56 percent from the field and 85.7 percent from the line, which was much improved from the first half. The Bulldog defense held Reed to nine second half points and only allowed Starling to score four points in the second half. Reed finished with 23 points, while Starling collected 14. The Wildcats drop to 6-7 on the season, while the Bulldogs improve to 6-7, tying their winning record from last season with six wins.

“This is an excellent basketball team,” added Conroy. “They are very well coached and they made us pay.”

Box Score

CONTINUE READING, CLICK BLOG TITLE.

Fast Start Leads Kent State To 68-43 Win Over Hampton

Courtesy: Kent State Athletic Communications

HAMPTON, VA — Kent State used a 14-0 run to start the game on the way to a 68-43 win over host Hampton University tonight at the Hampton Convocation Center. The Golden Flashes improved to 7-6 with their fourth win in the last five games after holding the Pirates (6-7) scoreless for the first seven minutes of the game.

Playing in his home state, junior Tyree Evans (Richmond, VA/Motlow C.C. (Tenn.) scored six points during the opening run and finished the game with a team high 21 points, including five three pointers Junior guard Chris Singletary (Chicago, IL/Florida Prep.) added 11 points while handing out five assists. Singletary now has 24 assists in his last four games. “I was very amped up for the game and I was excited that my family came out and supported me” said Evans. “It was a good game for Kent State basketball. We talked on defense and let the offense take care of itself.”

Behind the 14-0 start Kent State took a 35-18 halftime lead by forcing the Pirates into 13 turnovers. The Golden Flashes started the second half with a 14-4 run as they built up a 27-point cushion and never looked back. Evans, who is shooting 53.8 percent (14-26) from three this season hit two three-pointers during the stretch.

Senior Julian Sullinger (Columbus, Ohio/Fork Union Military Academy (VA)), scored 10 points to round out the double-digit scorers for Kent State which shot 48.2 percent from the field. Hampton connected on just 23.2 percent for the game. “We played solid defense, but it was a tough shooting night for them,” said Head Coach Geno Ford, “It was nice to get the win, but our defense look a lot better because they missed some open shots.”

Kent State travels to Temple on Monday. Hampton travels to Bethune Cookman on January 10th for a 4 p.m. contest.

Nebraska Huskers down Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks

Courtesy: NU Media Relations

Lincoln, NE --- Senior guard Ade Dagunduro continued his torrid shooting to help Nebraska post season highs in points and field-goal percentage as the Huskers ran past Maryland Eastern Shore, 88-56, on Saturday at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. The 88 points were the most in a regulation game under Coach Doc Sadler, and equaled the high set against Oregon in overtime last year. The 61.1 percent shooting, which included an impressive 64.3 percent after the break, was a season high, bettering NU's previous high which came four games ago as the Huskers hit 60.9 percent against Alabama State.

To get to the season-high totals, Nebraska took care of the ball at a record pace. The Cornhuskers tied the school record with just three turnovers, matching the mark originally set in 2002 at Iowa State. NU had just one turnover at the break and notched two miscues in the second half.

The 6,146 in attendance nearly saw another record as Dagunduro came close to matching the same school mark for the second time in four games. The senior from Inglewood, Calif., hit his first eight shots from the floor before missing his last attempt on a layup off an inbounds pass. He finished the day 8-of-9 from the field, just missing the single-game school record he tied against UMBC by going 9-of-9. Over the past four games, Dagunduro has hit 26-of-32 for a scorching 81.3 percent field-goal accuracy.

Behind Dagunduro's 18 points, the Huskers blew past the Hawks, taking a 12-point halftime lead out to as many as 36 points in the final four minutes of the contest. Dagunduro was followed by Steve Harley, who had 12 points, including 10 in the first half, while 10 other Huskers scored in the contest. Nebraska blew out of the gates in the second half, hitting nine of their first 10 shots from the field to open a 60-38 lead on Paul Velander's only 3-pointer of the game with 12:00 remaining in the contest. His basket was part of a 7-0 run that came just before the Huskers' biggest defensive stand of the night.

UMES' Michael Pitt hit a 3-pointer at the 8:29 mark to pull the Hawks to 68-45 before Nebraska reeled off 13 straight points to push out to an 81-45 lead on Toney McCray's breakaway dunk. McCray got free with the ball after collecting his career-high fourth steal of the game, one of 12 Husker thefts in the contest. Sadler cleared his bench just seconds later and the third team did a solid job, holding UMES to just two baskets in the final four minutes.

Box score

CONTINUE READING, CLICK BLOG TITLE.

Next: Nebraska vs. Florida A&M, Monday, Jan. 5, 7 p.m., Devaney Center,
Lincoln, NE.

Next: UMES at Oklahoma, Norman, OK, Monday, Jan 5, 7 p.m. ET; TV: Sooner Sports Network.

#4 Oklahoma shoots down Coppin State Eagles, 93-62

Coppin State University head basketball coach Ron 'Fang' Mitchell and the Eagles faces Big 12 -Missouri (12-2) next in a January 6th game televised by Fox Sports Midwest.

Coppin State has now lost 32 straight games vs. ranked opponents.

Oklahoma vs. Coppin State Basketball Photo Gallery
Final Stats

NORMAN, OK -- Oklahoma was looking for a fast start on Saturday, and Tony Crocker was more than happy to provide it. The junior guard scored 15 of his team-high 20 points in the opening half, helping the fourth-ranked Sooners roll to a 93-62 win over Coppin State. Four days earlier at Arkansas, the Sooners (13-1) lost for the first time when they fell behind 21-8 early and trailed by as many as 25 before mounting a frantic comeback.

Although Coppin State (2-11) did not figure to present a challenge for Oklahoma, coach Jeff Capel was adamant about his team opening the game with more energy. "We definitely wanted to get off to a good start -- play with a sense of urgency. I thought we did that today," said Capel, whose team opened with an 11-2 run and never trailed. Crocker, who hit six 3-pointers and scored 18 points in the loss to Arkansas, played a key role early by burying a 3 just 16 seconds in, and added three more 3-pointers before the half. Crocker's fourth 3 of the half pushed OU's lead to 31-11, and Willie Warren followed seconds later with another 3-point basket that kept the Lloyd Noble Center crowd on its feet.

CONTINUE READING, VIEW VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS - CLICK BLOG TITLE.

Next: OU closes out the non-conference portion of its regular season schedule at home against MEAC foe (2-8) Maryland Eastern Shore (Monday at 7 p.m.). "When" Oklahoma wins, it will post the best regular season non-conference record (14-1) since 1987-88 (15-1).

Hawkins' Three-Pointer Helps Morgan Defeat Rival Coppin, 56-53

Tower of Power: 6-3 center Whitney L. Cunningham had a monster game with career high 24 rebounds and 14 points to lead the Lady Eagles. The senior Psychology major is a product of Western H.S., Baltimore, MD

by MSU Sports Information


BALTIMORE, MD - Morgan State’s Erin Hawkins hit a three-pointer from the right elbow with 1:10 left in the game, which proved to be the game winner, as the host Lady Bears defeated crosstown rival Coppin State, 56-53 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference opener for both teams at Hill Field House on Saturday afternoon. The victory ended a two-game losing skid for the Lady Bears (9-3, 1-0 MEAC), who earned their third win in the last four meetings over the Coppin State, while improving to 5-1 at home this season. Morgan’s win, also put an end to Coppin State’s eight-game winning streak on Morgan’s home floor.

For Coppin State (1-10, 0-1 MEAC), the loss overshadowed a rebounding clinic by the Lady Eagles. Whitney Cunningham finished with a career- and game-high 24 rebounds and added a team-high 14 points for the Lady Eagles. Behind Cunningham’s effort, Coppin State held a 60-26 rebounding advantage over Morgan State.

Hawkins, who finished with 14 points, all in the second half, shot 5-of-10, including 4-for-8 from three-point range. Her game winning three-pointer was part of a 6-0 run in which she hit back-to-back treys to help the Lady Bears overcome a 53-50 deficit for the win.

Morgan State stayed in the game by forcing 27 Coppin State turnovers. Moneshia Davis tallied a career- and game-high four steals, while Corin Adams, who led Morgan with a game-high 21 points added three steals. Adams also finished with a game-high six assists.

CONTINUE READING, VIEW BEAR SHOTS - CLICK BLOG TITLE.