Charleston's West Ashley Football Star Commits to Howard Bison

CHARLESTON, South Carolina - Marvin Harris has shut it down. The West Ashley High senior just recently made his decision as to where he will be suiting up next season. The 6-4, 240 pound OL/DL will be taking his skill set to Howard University, a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, also known as the MEAC.

Harris chose Howard over North Carolina A&T, North Carolina Central, amongst several other small DI programs. Harris, who primarily lined up at right tackle for the Wildcats last season, informed us that the coaching staff at Howard plans to bring him on as a tight end.

Harris took his official visit to Howard University on this past weekend, where he was highly intrigued with what the prestigious MEAC program had to offer.





READ THE ARTICLE

Grambling adds trio of commitments

GRAMBLING, Louisiana  -  The Grambling State defense helped carry the Tigers to a Southwestern Athletic Conference championship this year. On Wednesday, the Tigers got verbal confirmation that reinforcements are on the way as a pair of defensive recruits committed to play at GSU.

The Tigers added size in 6-foot-2, 254-pound Houston defensive lineman Devaughn Madise and speed in Byrd cornerback/return specialist Nicholas Peoples (5-10, 180). Peoples was The Times' All-City Defensive Player of the Year after recording 62 tackles and intercepting four passes for the state semifinalist Yellow Jackets.

Grambling also secured an offensive commitment, landing Dallas Skyline receiver Travondre Raybon, whose build is similar to that of departed big-play receiver Mario Louis. The 6-2, 190-pound Raybon expressed a strong level of commitment to Grambling.

READ THE ARTICLE

XU's Rush, Nuggets will face challenging 2012 schedules

COACH ALAN GREEN
MEN'S & WOMEN'S TENNIS HEAD COACH
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA



NEW ORLEANS — The Xavier University of Louisiana tennis teams will get a heavy concentration of ranked NAIA opponents and NCAA Division I opponents in 2012.

Alan Green, in his ninth season as coach of the Gold Rush and Gold Nuggets, announced Tuesday the spring portion of the schedules.

Approximately 65 percent of both teams' schedules will consist of opponents which were ranked in the final 2011 NAIA coaches top 25 poll or are NCAA D-I members. Xavier competes in the NAIA.

Competition will begin this weekend when the XU men visit Tulane at 2 p.m. Saturday. XU's women will visit Tulane at 9 a.m. Sunday. The first home duals will be Feb. 1 when Xavier's men and women play the University of New Orleans at the City Park/Pepsi Tennis Center, which opened 10 months ago. That facility will play host to most of Xavier's home matches this season.

Ranked 2011 NAIA teams on the schedules of the Gold Rush and Gold Nuggets include top-10 programs Auburn Montgomery — whose women won the national championship this past season — Point Loma Nazarene and Vanguard. NCAA Division I opponents will include the men and women of Nicholls State and the women of Louisiana Tech and South Alabama.

"This will be our toughest men's and women's schedules ever," Green said. "I'm not looking to play a lot of cream puffs. We want to challenge ourselves with difficult competition and use those challenges to become better and stronger."

For the second straight year the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference will not crown tennis champions — only Xavier, Tougaloo and Fisk sponsor the sport — but both XU teams will compete in an NAIA unaffiliated group tournament in the Atlanta area in late April for automatic bids to the NAIA National Championships.

Xavier's men will attempt earn a fourth consecutive berth at the NAIA nationals, and the women will attempt to qualify for the sixth time in eight seasons. The Gold Nuggets missed qualifiying last year after reaching the previous three seasons.

The first NAIA team rankings of the season will be announced next Wednesday.

2012 Xavier Women's Tennis Schedule
January
29 Sunday: at Tulane, 9 a.m.

February
1 Wednesday: NEW ORLEANS, 3 p.m. (1)

4 Saturday: at South Alabama, 11 a.m.

10 Friday: at Prairie View A&M, 3 p.m.
12 Sunday: at McNeese State, noon
18 Saturday: • TOUGALOO, 10 a.m. (2)
18 Saturday: BELHAVEN, 3 p.m. (2)
24 Friday: at Southeastern Louisiana, 6 p.m.
25 Saturday: WILLIAM CAREY, 10 a.m. (1)

March

3 Saturday: at Southern, noon

6 Tuesday: TENNESSEE WESLEYAN, 3 p.m. (1)
7 Wednesday: SHORTER, 3 p.m. (1)
9 Friday-11 Sunday: at AUM Invitational, Montgomery, Ala.
14 Wednesday: NICHOLLS STATE, 3 p.m. (1)
17 Saturday: LOUISIANA TECH, 11 a.m. (1)
17 Saturday: LOYOLA, 5 p.m. (1)
20 Tuesday: CENTRAL OKLAHOMA, 4 p.m. (1)
24 Saturday: AUBURN MONTGOMERY, 4 p.m. (2)

April

2 Monday: at Point Loma Nazarene, 4 p.m. (2 p.m. PDT)

3 Tuesday: at Westmont, 4 p.m. (2 p.m. PDT)
4 Wednesday: at Concordia (Calif.), 4 p.m. (2 p.m. PDT)
5 Thursday: at Vanguard, noon (10 a.m. PDT)
14 Saturday: • at Tougaloo, 9 a.m.
14 Saturday: at Alcorn State, 3 p.m.
27 Friday-28 Saturday: NAIA unaffiliated group tournament at Norcross, Ga.

May
15 Tuesday-19 Saturday: NAIA National Championship at Mobile, Ala.

Home matches in BOLD TYPE
• Gulf Coast Athletic Conference match
All times are Central except where noted
(1) at City Park/Pepsi Tennis Center
(2) at University of New Orleans Tennis Center
TBA — to be announced

2012 Xavier Men's Tennis Schedule

January

28 Saturday: at Tulane, 2 p.m.

February
1 Wednesday: NEW ORLEANS, 3 p.m. (1)
10 Friday: at Prairie View A&M, 3 p.m.
11 Saturday: Bethany (Kan.), 10 a.m. (3)
18 Saturday: • TOUGALOO, 10 a.m. (2)
18 Saturday: BELHAVEN, 3 p.m. (2)
25 Saturday: WILLIAM CAREY, 10 a.m. (1)

March
6 Tuesday: TENNESSEE WESLEYAN, 3 p.m. (1)
7 Wednesday: SHORTER, 3 p.m. (1)
9 Friday-11 Sunday: at AUM Invitational, Montgomery, Ala.
14 Wednesday: NICHOLLS STATE, 3 p.m. (1)
17 Saturday: LOYOLA, 5 p.m. (1)
24 Saturday: AUBURN MONTGOMERY, 4 p.m. (2)

April
2 Monday: at Point Loma Nazarene, 4 p.m. (2 p.m. PDT)
3 Tuesday: at Westmont, 4 p.m. (2 p.m. PDT)
4 Wednesday: at Concordia (Calif.), 4 p.m. (2 p.m. PDT)

5 Thursday: at Vanguard, noon (10 a.m. PDT)

14 Saturday: • at Tougaloo, 9 a.m.

14 Saturday: at Alcorn State, 3 p.m.

27 Friday-28 Saturday: NAIA unaffiliated group tournament at Norcross, Ga.

May

15 Tuesday-19 Saturday: NAIA National Championship at Mobile, Ala.

Home matches in BOLD TYPE

• Gulf Coast Athletic Conference match

All times are Central except where noted

(1) at City Park/Pepsi Tennis Center

(2) at University of New Orleans Tennis Center

(3) at Prairie View, Texas

TBA — to be announced

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

TSU's Jasmin Shuler named adidas® OVC Player of the Week

JASMIN SHULER
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL - JUNIOR CLASS
HOMETOWN: CLARKSVILLE, TN
KENWOOD HIGH SCHOOL

NASHVILLE, Tennessee - Tennessee State University women's basketball junior Jasmin Shuler was named the adidas® OVC Player of the Week on Tuesday.

Shuler, a 5-8 guard, led TSU in scoring last week to help the Lady Tigers go 1-1 in Ohio Valley Conference action. The Clarksville, Tenn. native averaged 30.0 points per game and shot over 50 percent from the field and beyond the arc.

She exploded for a career-high 38 points on 14-of-23 shooting, including 5-of-9 from three-point range in an, 86-80, overtime win against Morehead State. She also tallied five rebounds, four assists and two steals in the victory.

Against Eastern Illinois, she led the Lady Tigers with 22 points on 9-of-17 shooting. She knocked down three triples and registered four rebounds in the game.

Shuler leads TSU while ranking sixth in the OVC in scoring with 15.9 points per game. She is also fourth in the league in made three-pointers and ninth in three-point field goal percentage.

This marks the first time that Shuler has been named the Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Week and the fourth time a Tennessee State player has received a weekly award this season. Destiney Gaston was named Player of the Week on Dec. 6 while Rachel Allen garnered two Freshman of the Week honors on Nov. 22 and Jan. 3.

Courtesy: Tennessee State University Sports Information

TSU's Avian Hughes Named BEYA STEM Award Winner

AVIAN HUGHES
6'2" JUMPS
HOMETOWN: SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS
TOM CLARK HIGH SCHOOL

NASHVILLE, Tennessee - Tennessee State University's Avian Hughes was selected as a Black Engineer of the Year Award's STEM (Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) student-athlete award winner last week.

Hughes, a member of the TSU track & field program, holds a 3.10 GPA with a major in Electrical Engineering. He has been a three-year letter winner for the Flying Tigers track & field team and a member of the Air Force ROTC program.

"Avian is a great example of what being a college student is all about," noted TSU Assistant Athletic Director for Academic Services, Dr. Johnnie Smith. "For a young man to balance academics, athletics and ROTC, and excel in all three, he is truly the epitome of excellence. I am so proud of Avian and I salute him on this national achievement."

A native of San Antonio, Texas, Hughes claimed All-Conference accolades during his freshman campaign in the long jump. Hughes primarily focuses in the long jump and triple jump.

His best triple jump mark this season came with a distance of 13.57-meters at the UNC Dick Taylor Invitational. Hughes also leapt 7.04m in the long jump at the Dick Taylor Invitational.

"First of all congratulations to Avian for being an outstanding student-athlete," said TSU Track & Field Director Chandra Cheeseborough-Guice. "He is really dedicated on what he does on the track and it shows in the classroom as well."

Hughes will be recognized at the Student Leadership Awards Dinner during the 26th annual BEYA STEM Global Competitiveness Conference in Philadelphia, Pa., on Friday, Feb. 17, 2012.

Courtesy: Tennessee State University Sports Information

Scores That Matter!!

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

MEN'S BASKETBALL

MEAC
Hampton 78, South Carolina State 66
Morehead State 75, Norfolk State 69

CIAA
North Greenville 67, Fayetteville State 65
Virginia State 66, Johnson C. Smith 63
Winston Salem State 100, Washington Adventist 84

SIAC
Lane 64, Stillman 62
LeMoyne-Owen 83, Albany State 65
Tuskegee 65, Kentucky State 60
Clark Atlanta 54, Claflin 51
Paine 60, Benedict 55
Fort Valley State 73, Miles 69



WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

CIAA
Shaw 63, Virginia Union 57
Johnson C. Smith 59, Virginia State 55

SIAC
Stillman 62, Lane 39
Tuskegee 64, Kentucky State 54
LeMoyne-Owen 76, Albany State 66
Paine 55, Benedict 28
Clark Atlanta 75, Claflin 72
Miles 59, Fort Valley State 57

GCAC
Philander Smith 66, Central Baptist AR 61

OTHERS
Voorhees SC 73, Webber International 66

Crosstown Classic returns with free tickets for XU students

NEW ORLEANS — The oldest college basketball rivalry in New Orleans, Xavier vs. Dillard, will heat up again Saturday when the Crosstown Classic returns for what should be the final time at The Barn.

The women's game will start at 5 p.m., followed by the men's game at 7. Tailgating in front of The Barn will start at 3 p.m.

The Barn, Xavier's gymnasium since 1937, will be replaced later this year by a 4,500-seat facility, the Convocation Academic Center, which is under construction.

Xavier students with a valid XU identification card will be admitted free to the doubleheader. A limited number of advance student admission tickets will be available through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the University Center information desk on the first floor and from 2 to 4 p.m. in the XU Office of Student Services, room 305b on the UC's third floor.

Additional student tickets will be available at the box office at The Barn beginning at 4 p.m. Saturday.

A limited number of $10 general admission tickets will be available in the athletics administration office of The Barn from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. through Thursday. Tickets also will be sold at the doubleheader.

"Because seating at The Barn is limited, we ask our students to arrive early to the games on Saturday, regardless of when they pick up their tickets," said Dennis Cousin, XU's director of athletics.

Fans unable to attend can watch the doubleheader on the internet via PSBLive.com. The free webcasts can be accessed at www.xula.edu/athletics/stream.

The games will be the 122nd meeting between the men's teams and the 75th between the women's teams. The men's series began in the 1947-48 season, and the women's series started in 1977-78.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA