Southern basketball class grows by two more

Southern University men's head basketball coach Rob Spivery.

All too often, during a long, grim season for the Southern men’s basketball program, Rob Spivery watched his offense disappear for minutes on end. The result was predictable. All too often, Southern lost. “There were times last year when we just couldn’t buy a basket,” said Spivery, who enters his sixth season as SU’s coach. So as the offseason began, Spivery made his top priority Spartan simple: He vowed to recruit a few scorers. In adding to his signing class Tuesday, Spivery said he believes he has found two more: Mike Celestin, a 5-foot-11 point guard from Mount Laurel, N.J., and Fred Coleman, a 6-5 forward from Memphis, Tenn.

Celestin spent last season at Trinity-Pawling, a prep school in New York, where he averaged 17.0 points, 4.1 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game. He will have four seasons of eligibility. oleman spent the last two seasons at Marion (Ala.) Military Institute, where he averaged 12.0 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. He will have two seasons of eligibility. Celestin and Coleman join Arsenio Francis, a 6-foot-4 forward from Baton Rouge Community College; Marceis Davis, a 6-4 guard/forward from Richwood High in Monroe; and Lloyd Hickerson, a 6-6 forward from Western Nebraska Community College.

“I think all these guys we’ve brought in, they have that scoring element to them,” Spivery said. “I think we’ve got a pretty good crew.”

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JSU Tigers make some history, deal more misery to Mississippi State Bulldogs‎

PEARL, MS — Quintavious Drains pumped his fist, walked toward the Jackson State dugout and then met the mob of players pouring out in ecstatic celebration. There were chest bumps, bear hugs, high-fives and even a bit of dancing. Yep, David had beaten Golliath. Jackson State beat Mississippi State 3-1 Tuesday night at Trustmark Park, knocking off the tradition-rich program for the first time in 18 years. The Tigers (29-14), in position to win their first SWAC title in a decade, won their 10th straight game and won for just the eighth time in 58 meetings with Mississippi Sate (20-24).

"We were ready. We were ready," said Drains, a sophomore pitcher who got the save. Said JSU coach Omar Johnson: "It means a lot to the people at the university." Meanwhile, the Bulldogs dropped their seventh straight and lost to JSU for the first time since an 8-4 defeat in Jackson in 1992. State, which was swept in the past two SEC weekend series, beat Jackson State 18-2 on April 6 in Starkville to make it 23 in a row over the Tigers. This time around the Bulldogs failed to handle Drains and JSU starter Cortney Nelson. They had a season-low three hits and hit into three double plays. Their only run came in the sixth on Connor Powers' homer.

PHOTO GALLERIES: JSU - MSU

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Fired B-CU coach sues university

DAYTONA BEACH, FL -- Alvin Wyatt, the winningest football coach in Bethune-Cookman University's history, has sued the school, claiming breach of contract for firing him in November after a 5-6 season. Neither Wyatt nor his attorney could be reached for comment Thursday, but the lawsuit filed in circuit court Wednesday claims the 62-year-old coach was "wrongfully terminated" without cause and without written notice, as required in his contract with BCU.

Alvin Wyatt, Sr., former head football coach, B-CU.
















Wyatt seeks more than $800,000, including five years of his base salary of $90,000, five years of television appearance income at $35,000 per year and five years of "additional guaranteed income" that totaled $40,000 in 2009. The suit also opens the door for a possible age-discrimination action in federal court after the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission completes its review of the case. Former Rutgers assistant coach Brian Jenkins, 39, was hired to replace Wyatt in December.

Liz Poston, a university spokeswoman, confirmed that B-CU has been served with the complaint, but declined to comment, saying the university has a policy to not discuss personnel matters publicly. Athletics Director Lynn Thompson also refused comment. Wyatt was fired on Nov. 23, 2009, two days after the Wildcats lost to arch-rival Florida A&M, 42-6. He compiled a record of 90-54 in 13 seasons as B-CU's head coach.

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SSU Men's Basketball Signs Three

Coach Horace Broadnax adds three solid players to the Tigers Den for their first MEAC basketball season.

SAVANNAH, Ga.- Savannah State men’s basketball head coach Horace Broadnax has announced the signing of three players to join the SSU basketball program for the 2010-11 school year. Inking with the Tigers were Christopher Spears, Jyles Smith and Stephen Wilson.

Spears (6-8, 225) was a four-year starter at Turner County High School in Ashburn, Georgia. Spears led his team to three final four appearances and two state championship game appearances. He was also named to the all-region team (2-A) during his sophomore, junior and senior years. With Spears in the lineup, Turner County had a record of 124-20. As a senior, Spears averaged 22 points and 12 rebounds per game and was named region Defensive Player of the Year. He was also named to the all-state team. Spears was Turner County High’s junior class president and senior class vice president.

Smith (6-8, 215) played at Creekside High School in Fairburn, Georgia where he averaged 10 points, 10.5 rebounds and 6.5 blocks a game. During the 2009-10 season Smith had three triple doubles. He was named first team all-region (4-AAAAA) and was selected to play in the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association North-South All-Star Game.

Wilson (5-11, 165) played at Mt. Zion High School in Jonesboro, Georgia where he was the team Offensive Player of the Year. During his senior year, Wilson averaged 20 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.5 steals per game. The second all-time leading scorer in Mt. Zion High history, Wilson was a third team all-region (4-AAAA) selection as a junior and a first team all-region pick as a senior.

DSU Announces 2010 Football Game Times

Director of Athletics Derek Carter (in photo) has announced kickoff times for the Hornets' 2010 home football schedule and the season opening MEAC/SWAC Challenge against Southern University on September 5 in Orlando, Fla.

The sixth annual MEAC/SWAC Challenge presented by Disney will kick off at 12:00 p.m. ET at Citrus Bowl Stadium in Orlando. The contest will be aired live on ESPN. This will mark the first time the game, which will be produced in high definition, will be offered on ESPN. Delaware State will be making its first MEAC/SWAC Challenge appearance. The contest features a team from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference against an opponent from the Southwestern Athletic Conference. Delaware State is 2-0 all-time vs. Southern. The Hornets, led by first-year head coach Bill Collick and All-American John Taylor, defeated the Jaguars 46-8 in 1985 in Baton Rouge, La. The teams met again the following year in Shreveport, La., with the Hornets coming out on top, 21-14.

Delaware State's 2010 home schedule features two night games at Alumni Stadium. The Hornets will play their home and MEAC opener on Sep. 11 against Florida A&M. Game time is 6:00 p.m.

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DSU Hornets 2010 Football Schedule

Date Opponent Site Time












Sun., Sept. 5 Southern University Orlando, Fla. 12:00 p.m. (ESPN)(MEAC/SWAC Challenge)
Sat., Sept. 11 FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY* HOME 6:00 p.m.
Sat., Sept. 18 OPEN
Sat., Sept. 25 at Coastal Carolina University Conway, S.C. TBA
Sat., Oct. 2 HAMPTON UNIVERSITY* HOME 6:00 p.m.
Sat., Oct. 9 at Bethune-Cookman University* Daytona Beach, Fla. 4:00 p.m.
Sat., Oct. 16 NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY* HOME 1:00 p.m.(Homecoming)
Sat., Oct. 23 at Morgan State University* Baltimore, Md. 1:00 p.m.
Sat., Oct. 30 SOUTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY* HOME 1:00 p.m.
Sat., Nov. 6 NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY HOME 1:00 p.m.
Sat., Nov. 13 at Norfolk State University* Norfolk, Va. 1:00 p.m.
Sat., Nov. 20 at Howard University* Washington, D.C. 1:00 p.m.

Home games in all CAPS. *-MEAC games
DSU Ticket Office: 302-857-7497/1-866-378-TIXX

Dallas Cowboys' Marcus Dixon 'to make an impact'

IRVING, Texas -- Marcus Dixon (Hampton University) knows all about wanting -- and waiting -- to prove himself. After spending parts of his first two seasons on the practice squad, the Dallas Cowboys defensive end has high hopes to make it on the 53-man roster. "He's really reshaped his career as a football player," coach Wade Phillips said. "The first day he came in, two years ago, he couldn't run one lap without collapsing. Now he's on special teams runs and he's up to 294 now, and he was 270 when he came in."

Dixon will have steady competition for an end spot that is occupied by starters Marcus Spears and Igor Olshansky. The backups are Jason Hatcher and Stephen Bowen. Spears, Hatcher and Bowen are currently in the final year of their contracts. It's something Dixon has noticed. "My mindset is it's got to be my year," Dixon said. "This is a league of 'What have you done for me lately?' I know the coaches and the owner like me and they kept me, but it's still a league of 'What have you done for me lately?' I've been here. I got to show them something. I got to get this done and stay healthy, and I got to showcase my talents because I want to be here."

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Coach Nickelberry Lands at Howard University

Howard University Bison head basketball coach, Kevin Nickelberry.

Over the past two months, Coach Kevin Nickelberry has been the hottest coaching commodity on the Division I basketball circuit. The former Hampton University head men's basketball coach had been offered assistant coaching positions by incoming head coaches Gib Arnold at the University of Hawaii and Oliver Purnell, DePaul University. After all things considered, Nickelberry had to say no--for a better offer as the new head men's basketball coach at Howard University, in his hometown of Washington, D.C.

This is probably the best hire Howard University has made since the legendary Willie Jeffries was named the coach of Bison football. In our opinion, Coach Nickelberry is just that good and is an expectional recruiter of Division I talent. It will be interesting to see how soon Nickelberry can get the Bison back on the winning track and compete with Morgan State's Coach Todd Bozeman for the wealth of basketball talent in Washington D.C., Prince George's and Baltimore Counties. We expect a battle of public school (Morgan State) vs. private school (Howard) in this MEAC race. More importantly, Howard University has made a very serious statement with this hire -- the Bison are now serious about winning in basketball and making it to the big dance.

Coach Nickelberry replaces Gil Jackson, who was fired after five consecutive 20-loss seasons, including a 7-25 record last season.

No doubt, the Coach Nickelberry hire is definitely a strong upgrade for the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference coaching ranks. Add to the mix -- coaches Todd Bozeman (Morgan State), Horace Broadnax (Savannah State), Tim Carter (South Carolina State), Greg Jackson (Delaware State), Ron "Fang" Mitchell (Coppin State), Jerry Eaves (North Carolina A&T) and LeVelle Moton (North Carolina Central), the conference is moving in the right direction to become a mid-major force.

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Kevin Nickelberry Named Head Men's Basketball Coach at Howard

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Kevin Nickelberry, who helped UNC Charlotte and Clemson to four postseason appearances, has been named head basketball coach at Howard University."We are pleased to have a coach with the distinguished career and success of Kevin Nickelberry lead our men's basketball program," said Charles Gibbs, Director of Athletics. "This is an exciting day, not only for Howard University, but for our alumni and loyal supporters. We look toward the future under Coach Nickelberry's direction as we take the steps necessary to propel our program to a new era of excellence.”

Nickelberry, a native of Washington, D.C. and no stranger to Howard, spent the last year as the head coach of the Libya National Basketball Team. He was the head coach at Hampton University from 2006-2009. During his three years with the Pirates, Nickelberry helped guide his teams to 20 non-conference wins. He collected 49 Division I wins during his tenure, which ranks second among MEAC schools.

"This is an opportunity of a lifetime for me to be able to return to the sidelines at Howard because of its rich tradition, heritage and a strong academic dimension,” Nickelberry said. “I look forward to getting to know each of the players, building a staff and making sure that we put things in motion for the upcoming academic year."

Nickelberry began his coaching career as the head women’s basketball coach at Columbia Union College in 1991 and moved to Howard University for four seasons, from 1994-1998. During his time in the coaching ranks, Nickelberry worked in all areas including recruiting, fundraising, marketing and public relations. The 45-year-old has been a major part of every aspect, especially during his three-year tenure at Clemson from 2003-2006 when he recruited nine players on the Tigers’ 2007-08 and 2008-09 NCAA Tournament teams.

Nickelberry was the assistant coach at UNC Charlotte for two seasons. Over this period in 2001-03, he helped develop Eddie Basden, the second player in Conference USA history to win Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year awards in the same season. He also contributed to successful programs at Holy Cross and Monmouth. For his efforts, Nickelberry was rated among the Top 25 “Up-and-Coming” college basketball coaches by The Sporting News and Hoopscooponline.com in 2008.

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