Southern Jaguars 84, Talladega Tornadoes 86

Senior guard Ramondo Banks from Bernice, LA returned home to help the 2009 USCAA Division I National Champions Talladega Tornadoes achieved another college basketball milestone by defeating Southern 86-84. The second year program achieved two humongous milestones last season by defeating five NCAA Division I programs (Alabama State, Alabama A&M, Mississippi Valley State, Southern, and Grambling State) in a single season on its journey to winning the NAIA Division I National Championship in its first season of competition.

Talladega triumphs in tight tilt over SU, 86-84

The game featured six lead changes in the first half alone, a box score that showed neither team with a significant edge in any area and — yes — a frantic final minute that decided the outcome. A couple of missed opportunities kept Southern from winning that final minute. As a result, the Talladega College men’s basketball team left F.G. Clark Activity Center with a victory for the second year in a row, this one an 86-84 triumph that went to the wire.

“I felt like Urban Meyer down the stretch,” Talladega coach William Brown said, referring to the Florida football coach. “My chest got tight.” Then again, Brown, whose NAIA team has lost twice in overtime and once in double overtime, has seen his share of close calls through an 8-8 start. The Tornadoes were on the right end of this one thanks in large part to Kerry Harvis and Micah Hagens, who combined for 48 points on 15-of-29 shooting.

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Delaware State Hornets 49, UCLA Bruins 66

Reeves Nelson leads UCLA to victory over Delaware State

Reeves Nelson scored a career-high 21 points and UCLA defeated Delaware State 66-49 Sunday. The Bruins have won three of their last four games, but their 5-7 record leaves them last in the Pac-10 in nonconference play. UCLA opens its Pac-10 schedule against Arizona State on Thursday at home. Marcus Neal led the Hornets (4-6) with 15 points. Frisco Sandidge added 12. Tyler Honeycutt and Nikola Dragovic scored 11 points apiece for a UCLA, which shot 52 percent from the field.

The Bruins grabbed their largest lead, 51-22, with 12:55 to play before Delaware State ended the game on a 27-15 run. Sandidge scored nine of his points during the run. In what started out as a battle of jump-shooters, the Bruins took over midway through the first half when they started taking the ball inside to Nelson, who helped spark a 14-0 run that put UCLA up 26-10.

Bruins Lock Delaware State in a Full Nelson

Box Score Photo Gallery

Reeves Nelson scored a career-high 21 points and UCLA defeated Delaware State 66-49 Sunday. The Bruins have won three of their last four games, but their 5-7 record leaves them last in the Pac-10 in nonconference play. UCLA opens its Pac-10 schedule against Arizona State on Thursday at home. Marcus Neal led the Hornets (4-6) with 15 points. In what started out as a battle of jump-shooters, the Bruins took over midway through the first half when they started taking the ball inside to Nelson, a 6-foot-8 freshman center.

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What Can the MEAC and SWAC Learn from the Southland Conference?

Coppin State University Coach Ron "Fang" Mitchell has been accused of over-scheduling the Eagles with powerhouse money games. However, the Eagles do have their share of lower Division cup-cake games this season...Lincoln (Pa.), West Virginia Tech and Washington Adventist University.

Raising the level of its competition

To improve seeding in NCAA Tournament, Southland wants teams to cut down on number of lower division foes.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Southland Conference is building its regional television network, and commissioner Tom Burnett is working with ESPN to expand the league’s reach. But there still are obstacles impeding the Southland’s quest for an enhanced national profile. They are seemingly small stumbling blocks, but part of a big issue. Try Harris-Stowe, Paul Quinn or Ecclesia. Maybe the University of Science and Arts or Mid-America Christian. Perhaps a name off Texas A&M-Corpus Christi’s schedule — Oklahoma Panhandle State.

Those schools are a sampling of the non-Division I opponents that line Southland men’s schedules this season. They are part of the reason the league is stuck in a rut of being seeded 14 or higher in the NCAA Tournament. Non-Division I schools do not count toward a Division I team’s win total when analyzed by the NCAA Tournament selection committee. The games are a lost opportunity to improve the RPI, the NCAA’s rating of a team’s or league’s strength of schedule, its opponents’ strength of schedule and how it fared against opponents. Division I teams can face up to four non-Division I schools a season, but it’s best not to use the full allotment, if any. Yet the 12 Southland men’s teams combine to face 44 non-Division I opponents this season. That does it no favors with the selection committee, which factors the RPI into its seeding process.

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The MEAC and SWAC should take note of the strategy of the Southland Conference. A 16th seed in the NCAA Tournament is always a guaranteed ticket for a quick exit home.

MEAC Men Basketball Scheduled Cup-Cakes...

1. Delaware State: Holy Family, Wilmington and Mary Washington
2. Coppin State: Lincoln (Pa.), West Virginia Tech and Washington Adventist University
3. South Carolina State: Erskine College, Allen, Southern Wesleyan
4. Florida A&M: Albany State (Ga.)
5. North Carolina A&T: Brevard College, Davis & Elkins and Carson Newman
6. Bethune Cookman: Edward Waters, Florida Gulf Coast, Carver Bible, Florida Christian College and Jacksonville
7. Winston Salem State: Atlanta Christian, Milligan, Ferrum College and Columbia Union
8. Morgan State: None
9. UMES: Stevenson
10. Howard: None
11: Hampton: None
12: Norfolk State: None

SWAC Men Basketball Scheduled Cup-Cakes...
1. Alabama A&M: Oakwood, Martin Methodist, Stillman and Tuskegee
2. Alabama State: Columbus State and West Alabama
3. Alcorn State: Tougaloo College, Mississippi College and University of Detroit-Mercy
4. Grambling State: Centenary College (Louisiana), Paul Quinn College (Texas)
5. Jackson State: Spring Hill
6. Mississippi Valley: Champion Baptist
7. Prairie View A&M: Schreiner, Florida Gulf Coast, Champion Baptist, Ecclesia, Dallas Christian
8. Southern: Xavier (La.), Talladega, Central Arkansas and Chicago State
9. Texas Southern: Northern Colorado, Dickinson State, Jarvis Christan University
10. Arkansas Pine Bluff: None

Other Division I HBCUs
1. Tennessee State (OVC): Detroit-Mercy
2. North Carolina Central (Indep/MEAC): North Carolina Wesleyan, Carver Bible College, Florida Gulf Coast, Tennessee Temple University and The Apprentice School
3. Savannah State (Indep): Webber International, University of North Florida, University of Virginia-Wise, Allen University, Carver Bible College and Jacksonville University.

Delaware State: A speed bump for UCLA? Not likely

A speed bump for UCLA? Not likely

The Bruins, looking for some momentum heading into Pac-10 Conference play later this week, meet Delaware State today -- a deliberate, disciplined team that moves at a snail's pace. Momentum has been tough to come by -- or too often moving in the wrong direction -- for a struggling UCLA team this season. So when the Bruins face Delaware State at Pauley Pavilion this afternoon, they will be eager to grab a second consecutive victory. But they can't be too eager, not against an opponent that tends to move at a snail's pace.

Delaware State (4-5) averages only 49 shots a game by holding the ball for 15 or 20 seconds, trying to score near the end of each possession. Impatient defenses can get burned with back-cuts and back-screens. "It's going to be a game where the tempo is slow," Coach Ben Howland said. Last week, the Hornets held No. 17 Ohio State to a season low in scoring, losing 60-44. "They may be the most disciplined team I've ever seen in my life," Ohio State Coach Thad Matta said. "I would have had a hard time in that one as a player. Our guys had to focus for the full 40 minutes."

Heading into the UCLA game, Hornets Coach Greg Jackson has a 311-221 career record. More importantly, the Hornets are nearly unbeatable at Memorial Hall with a 74-22 record over the past ten years.

Ben Ball Gameday Roundup: End Of Out Of Conference Season

Excerpts:
"The only plan we had was to limit their possessions and keep them out of transition, and I thought for the most part our kids did that. We don't have the talent that they have." It was as close to a stall game as you'll find during the era of the shot clock. Ohio State was held to a season-low in points despite coming in 10th nationally (84.7 per game). "To hold them to 60 points is obviously a success for us," Jackson said. "We had a plan to come in and shorten the game and keep them on the defensive end as much as possible. The only chance we had was to limit possessions and take them out of areas that they like to operate."

The Hornets are lead in scoring by Marcus Neal, who averages 13 points a game and Frisco Sandidge who leads the team with 6.4 rebounds per game. Sandidge is also second in the scoring department as he averages about 12 points per game. Despite some recent struggles, Delaware State has played solid defense all season and that can be reflected in the stats. So far this year, DSU has only allowed opposing teams to score 58.8 points per game, which is the nation's 26th best scoring defense. The Hornets also rank pretty high in turnover margin (22nd with +4.8) and steals (15th 10.0).

Delaware State starting guard Jay Threatt has been one of the best players in the country in steals this season. As of Dec. 13, Threatt was ranked No. 5 in the nation in steals with an average of four per game and had recorded 25 overall. Also, Threatt tied the school record for steals in a game Nov. 16 against Wilmington when he recorded nine. The Hornets are now 0-4 on the road this season. This is just the 3rd meeting between the Hornets and UCLA with the Bruins leading the series 2-0 with both games being contested in Pauley Pavilion. UCLA posted a 56-37 victory in the last meeting on Nov. 19, 2005.

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Unfinished business: Grambling State Tigers Football

Unfinished business: Grambling didn't live up to own championship expectations

By Grambling’s standards, 7-4 isn’t cutting it. After consecutive trips to the SWAC Championship — including a victory to claim the conference crown in 2008 — it’s hard to call the Tigers’ 2009 season anything but a disappointment. “Coming into the season we wanted a championship,” junior defensive end Christian Anthony said. “It’s always our No. 1 thing. Winning is the No. 1 thing. We fell short of that goal. ”Watching the Tigers, they had the look of a championship-caliber team. The talent was there, with nearly all of GSU’s 2008 starters returning on both offense and defense. The coaching was there, too. But it never quite came together. A tendency to self-destruct early in games, combined with a few untimely injuries, turned the Tigers from the odds-on favorite to win the SWAC to also-rans.

Grambling's Anthony earns two All-America honors

Celebrated Grambling defender Christian Anthony has been named to the 2009 Sports Network Football Championship Subdivision All-America team, released on Wednesday. The team is headed by Walter Payton Award winner Armanti Edwards and Buck Buchanan Award recipient Arthur Moats. Anthony was one of just two from the Southwestern Athletic Conference to be included on the first team, joining kick returner Mareo Howard of Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Grambling punt returner Kiare Thompson earned second-team honors. Anthony was also named to the American Football Coaches Association’s FCS All-America first team. He was one of only three from the SWAC on that unit, joined by Southern wide receiver Juamorris Stewart and Prairie View punter Pedro Ventura.

Grambling’s Christian Anthony named SWAC defensive player of year

Grambling State end Christian Anthony has been named the 2009 Southwestern Athletic Conference defensive player of the year. “I don’t think about all of these honors,” said Anthony, who has one more year of eligibility. “My whole thing is to go out and play as hard as I can every game.” Grambling kicker Ari Johnson was named freshman of the year. GSU offensive lineman Revay Smith, linebacker Cliff Exama and returner Kiare Thompson were named first-team All-SWAC. Running backs Frank Warren and Cornelius Walker earned second-team nods. Anthony, a Birmingham, Ala., led the SWAC in solo tackles (55) as he tied for sixth in the conference with 76 tackles. “He’s as good as anybody I’ve ever coached,” said Grambling coach Rod Broadway. “I think he has an opportunity to do something special. I think he will have an opportunity to play on Sundays.”

Photo of Grambling's Dillon honored by SportsCenter; see the shot!

A photo of Grambling quarterback Greg Dillon scoring during the Tigers’ 31-13 victory over Southern in the State Farm Bayou Classic was selected as the SportsCenter Bud Light Freeze Frame photo of the week. The photo taken by Associated Press photographer Patrick Semansky is of an upside down Dillon scoring as he dives into the endzone over Southern cornerback Tim Berry in the first half of the game. The shot of Dillon beat out photos of UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel holding his players back after they nearly had an all-out fight with USC and of Tennessee Titans wide receiver Kenny Britt celebrating after making the game-winning catch against the Arizona Cardinals. The winning photo was selected by a national online poll of voters from the Sportscenter website. The photo of Dillon received 62 percent percent of the votes.

2009 Sports Network Football Championship Subdivision All-America Team

FIRST TEAM OFFENSE: QB - Armanti Edwards, Appalachian State, Sr; RB - Deji Karim, Southern Illinois, Sr; RB - Pat Paschall, North Dakota State, Sr; FB - Tommy Fraser, Coastal Carolina, Sr; WR - Terrell Hudgins, Elon, Sr; WR - Marc Mariani, Montana, Sr; WR - Tim Toone, Weber State, Sr; TE - Clay Harbor, Missouri State, Sr; C - Kyle Mutcher, Weber State, Sr; G - Jeff Hansen, Montana State, Sr; G - Matthew McCrackern, Richmond, Sr; T - Vladimir Ducasse, Massachusetts, Sr; T - Ben Ijalana, Villanova, Jr; AP - Matt Szczur, Villanova, Jr.

FIRST TEAM DEFENSE: DE - Arthur Moats, James Madison, Sr; DE - Danny Batten, South Dakota State, Sr; DL - Christian Anthony, Grambling, Jr; DT - Sean Lissemore, William & Mary, Sr; DT - Mychal Savage, Youngstown State, Sr; LB - Matt Coen, Lehigh, So; LB - Brandin Jordan, Southern Illinois, Sr; LB - J.C. Sherritt, Eastern Washington, Jr; LB - D.J. Smith, Appalachian State, Jr; CB - Cortez Gilbert, Appalachian State, Sr; CB - Josh Morris, Weber State, Sr; SS - Jeromy Miles, Massachusetts, Sr; FS - Mark LeGree, Appalachian State, Fs; S - Terrell Whitehead, Norfolk State, S.

FIRST TEAM SPECIAL TEAMS: PK - Matt Bevins, Liberty, So; P - Trevor Ward, Southern Utah, Sr; KR - Mareo Howard, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, So; PR - Leroy Vann, Florida A&M, Sr.

SECOND TEAM DEFENSE: DE - Dane Fletcher, Montana State, Sr; DE - Adrian Tracy, William & Mary, Sr; DL - Austen Lane, Murray State, Sr; DT - Christian Clark, Sacramento State, Jr; DT - Martin Parker, Richmond, Jr; LB - George Howard, Morgan State, Sr; LB - Adrian McLeod, Western Carolina, Sr; LB - Terrence Thomas, Villanova, Jr; LB - Jabara Williams, Stephen F. Austin, Jr; CB - Korey Lindsey, Southern Illinois, Jr; CB - Patrick Stoudamire, Western Illinois, Sr; SS - Terrence Klein, New Hampshire, Sr; FS - Charles Graves, Delaware, Sr; S - J.J. Vercammen, Dayton, Jr.

SECOND TEAM SPECIAL TEAMS: PK - Zach Kutch, Illinois State, Sr; P - Jonathan Plisko, Old Dominion, Fr; KR - Scotty McGee, James Madison, Sr; PR - Kiare Thompson, Grambling, Jr.

THIRD TEAM OFFENSE: QB - *Ryan Perrilloux, Jacksonville State, Sr; QB - *Dominic Randolph, Holy Cross, Sr; RB - Brent Grimes, Central Arkansas, Sr; RB - Toddrick Pendland, McNeese State, Jr; FB - Marlin Meeks, Nicholls State, Sr; WR - Duane Brooks, Stephen F. Austin, Sr; WR - Pat Simonds, Colgate, Sr; WR - Juamorris Stewart, Southern, Sr; TE - Nathan Overbay, Eastern Washington, Sr; C - Chaz Millard, Eastern Illinois, Sr; G - Dorian Brooks, James Madison, Sr; G - Terran Hillesland, Montana, Sr; T - Levi Horn, Montana, Sr; T - David Pickard, Southern Illinois, So; AP - Taiwan Jones, Eastern Washington, Jr.

THIRD TEAM DEFENSE: DE - Tim Knicky, Stephen F. Austin, Sr; DE - Tim Kukucka, Villanova, Sr; DL - James Ruffin, Northern Iowa, Sr; DT - Sam Daniels, James Madison, Sr; DT - Ko Quaye, South Dakota, Sr; LB - Kadarron Anderson, Furman, So; LB - Luke Bonus, Hofstra, Sr; LB - Rob Damon, Rhode Island, Jr; LB - Jacque Roman, Appalachian State, Sr; CB - Jeremy Caldwell, Eastern Kentucky, So; CB - T.J. Heath, Jacksonville State, Jr; SS - Anthony Beck, Prairie View, Sr; FS - Jason House, Southern, Jr; S - Anthony DiMichele, Holy Cross, Jr.

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‘Rob’ Museum Nearing Reality

GRAMBLING, LA — When a museum is dedicated in memory of Eddie Robinson in February (2010), the stars will definitely be out to pay a lasting tribute to the late and legendary leader of Grambling State University’s football program. Mike Tomlin, the youngest head coach ever to win a Super Bowl championship, will be the keynote speaker for a gala banquet scheduled for the GSU Assembly Center on Feb. 12 starting at 7 p.m. Many of the former National Football League players guided by Robinson during his record-setting 57-year career at GSU are scheduled to be in attendance, both for the banquet and the museum’s ribbon-cutting ceremonies beginning at 10 a.m. Feb. 13.

Among the expected celebrities to be present for either or both events are former NFL quarterbacks Doug Williams and James “Shack” Harris; Pro Football Hall of Famers Willie Davis, Willie Brown and Charlie Joiner and former Pro Bowl defensive back Everson Walls, among many others. Also expected to appear will be Grant Teaff, former head coach at Baylor University and current executive director of the American Football Coaches Association. Invitations have been sent to the 200-plus players who starred at GSU under Robinson and later played in the NFL.

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Wake-Up Call: Vann's records make sweet music

Two-time All-American. For Florida A&M University senior LeRoy Vann (Tampa Blake High), it's a sweet sound and the best way to be remembered. Vann, a record-setting return man who garnered national attention this season through ESPN's SportsCenter and on the pages of Sports Illustrated, again made first team on the Walter Camp Football Championship Subdivision All-America team, which was announced Wednesday. "I almost can't believe some of the things that have happened to me playing college football," said Vann, a 5-foot-9, 185-pounder who plays cornerback.

To Vann, one of the most unbelievable things was when former Heisman Trophy winner Desmond Howard visited the FAMU campus to do a story for ESPN's College GameDay program. "That was crazy," Vann said. "I didn't know until right before it happened that he was coming to talk to me. I felt like a little girl, blushing and everything. I could hardly talk." All modesty aside, Vann's FAMU career was something to talk about.

FAMU's record-setting kick return specialist LeRoy Vann was named to the 2009 Sports Network Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) All-America team on 12/23/09. It was the second straight year that the 5-9, 185-pound fireball from Tampa, Florida was named to the first team, thanks to a memorable senior season which witnessed him take a school record five punts back for touchdowns; tie a single-season NCAA record for TD punt returns, while setting a new single-season return yardage mark for the school and the MEAC. Vann also finished his career as just the fifth player in NCAA FCS history to compile at least 1,000 yards on both punt returns and kickoff returns and he holds the career mark for combined kick returns for touchdown, 11 in the past two years (eight punts, three kickoffs). Vann has been named to four (4) All-American teams in the past two years as a kick returner.

It's hard to believe that Vann actually arrived at FAMU as a preferred walk-on player. While at Blake, he had dreams of earning a scholarship to a large school. But college coaches didn't share that vision. "They thought I was too small," Vann said. "I wasn't the average size they were looking for. But I think it's more than size. You've got to have no fear. You've got to play with heart."

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