The State of the Department: North Carolina A&T Aggies

GREENSBORO, North Carolina -- Earl Hilton completed his first full-year as the North Carolina A&T director of athletics. He took time out to consider the State of the Department, and to set out new goals for the future of A&T Athletics, which he hopes will improve the college experience for the 325 student-athletes of the university's 15 NCAA Division I programs.

The goal of the department is to ensure the success of student-athletes on and off the field, Hilton said.


Earl M. Hilton III, J.D., Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, North Carolina A&T State University

He is looking to start new initiatives to highlight and promote the academic success of A&T student-athletes, as well as to streamline the process for tracking their progress toward degrees, which is a crucial part of maintaining their eligibility to compete.

One of the final main projects Hilton has is to help student-athletes develop not only their scholastic and athletic skills, but also develop their world views. He wants to ensure that all student-athletes have the opportunity to travel, by flying on an airplane and by getting a passport. He also wants to establish a department-wide community service project for student-athletes.

COURTESY NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Jackson State's Robinson signs with New Orleans Saints

DONAVAN ROBINSON
Riverside High School
Hometown: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana - New Orleans Saints Executive Vice President/General Manager Mickey Loomis announced today that the team has signed LB Donavan Robinson.

Robinson, a 6-3, 250-pound linebacker, entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent out of Jackson State, signing with the New York Jets in May, with whom he spent the offseason. Prior to entering the NFL, he started 31 games at Jackson State, finishing his college career with 181 tackles and 30 sacks. As a senior in 2011, he was a Football Championship Subdivision honorable mention All-American and second team all-SWAC selection after recording 58 tackles (34 solo), 23.5 tackles for a loss, 16 sacks, four pass defenses and one fumble recovery. In 2010 the Milwaukee native was named to the all-SWAC second team after leading the conference with 18.5 tackles for a loss and ranking second with eight sacks.

COURTESY JSU ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Bethune-Cookman the perfect fit for Ortega

REDLANDS, California -- Sophia Ortega didn't leave many stones unturned during her high school career.

The Citrus Valley third baseman hit .500 in her junior year and batted just underneath the mark as a senior, topped her squad in RBIs in 2012 and 2010, helped lead the Blackhawks to a CIF-Southern Section Division 6 title in her final campaign and made back-to-back appearances in division championship games.

This fall, Ortega will be moving across the country, to the East Coast, as she's set to head to Daytona Beach, Fla., where she will suit up on the diamond in the spring at Bethune-Cookman University.

Ortega will be trying to find time on coach Chris Cochran's Wildcats, who went 30-30 this past season, and fell to national power Texas A&M in the NCAA Regionals.

On paper, it won't be an easy task, as Bethune-Cookman recently put the wraps on its third consecutive Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference crown.

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Roles for Southern U captains expanded

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- After rigorous weightlifting and a slew of sprints and other conditioning exercises, the Southern football team’s June 15 voluntary summer workout was over. Well, it should have been.

Instead of a stroll back to the locker room, a refreshing shower and some grub to recover from their 5:30 a.m. session, the 30 or so players had to drop to the ground, do a push-up and hop back to their feat, over and over.

More up-downs, and this time, it was by choice. Why? “Somebody was late,” offensive lineman Chris Browne said. That kind of self-meted punishment is one example of a team that’s gearing up for 2012 intent on having more leadership and better discipline than in the first two years under coach Stump Mitchell.  Mitchell said those two areas are among the main culprits that ...

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Melo, O'Quinn on different paths to NBA

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana -- One operated in the shadows all season long but stole the show when he stepped into the spotlight. The other, seemingly destined for stardom, found himself in the audience when it mattered most.

Few outside of Norfolk, Va., knew of Kyle O'Quinn before the 2012 NCAA Tournament. Sure, he was an accomplished player at Norfolk State, the MEAC Player of the Year. But the thing is, you have go to all the way back to 1991 to find a MEAC Player of the Year that made a dent in the NBA, and Coppin State's Larry Stewart didn't exactly become a household name.



But in one magical game, O'Quinn earned his 15 minutes of fame. He scored 26 points with 14 rebounds as Norfolk State stunned No. 2 seed Missouri 86-84. Suddenly the 6-10 forward was something more than another mid-major guy whose professional future was overseas.

At the same time, Fab Melo was nowhere to be ...

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2012 FVSU Wildcats' Football Preview

FORT VALLEY, Georgia -- In 2010 the Fort Valley State Wildcats finished the season 8-3 ready to build on a season consisting of post season play. The offseason saw a musical chair of quarterbacks losing transfer Eugene Smith and gaining hometown native and Ohio State signee slash Georgia Southern transfer Antonio Henton to run the show. Everything looked great for the Wildcats when Henton's high school teammate and Auburn signee joined the squad until the season started and injuries painted the blue and gold, black and blue.



There's usually not much good you can say about your ball club after a 2-8 season but fourth year head man Don Pittman offered this advice to his squad. "I told the team in the spring that we were the best 2-8 team in the nation. We had some great coaching, great talent. We just had some key injuries and lost some close games, ball didn't bounce our way," says Pittman.

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Former Shaw OL Coughman signed by Seattle Seahawks



Edawn Coughman
(Photo Courtesy Facebook)

SEATTLE, Washington - - Former Shaw offensive lineman Edawn Coughman was signed to the Seattle Seahawks 90-man roster Monday.

Coughman (6-4, 305) was a 2009 First Team All-CIAA selection and made the roster after a tryout during the Seahawks' mini-camp last season.

Last season, Coughman moved into a starting slot on the offensive line for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League.

"We're proud of him," said Shaw head coach Robert Massey. "He did it right. He came here, worked hard, got his degree and is now reaping the benefits. We can now say that Shaw has someone on an NFL roster."

Coughman, however, comes to the Seahawks with some baggage. He was cut by the Argos after being arrested on a gun possession charge in Montreal in May. According to the Toronto Star, police in Montreal say a cleaning lady at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel reported seeing a gun on a table in Coughman's room. Later, a SWAT team entered the room and found a loaded gun under the mattress.

CTV Montreal reported that Coughman, 23, told a bail hearing he had bought the gun legally in Georgia and was unaware the law was different in Canada.

Prior to Shaw University, Coughman attended Dodge City Community College in Dodge City, Kansas.

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No. 50 finish in all-sports standings is Xavier's best ever

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana finished 50th, a school record, in the final NAIA Learfield Sports Directors' Cup standings of 2011-12.

It's the third time in four years that Xavier placed among the top 100. The previous best XU all-sports ranking was 83rd in 2009-10.

The Learfield Sports Directors' Cup was developed by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and USA Today newspaper. Points are awarded based on each institution's finish in up to 12 sports — six women's and six men's. This is the 17th year of the NAIA all-sports standings.

Xavier scored 251 points after a tie for fifth place nationally in men's tennis, a tie for ninth in women's basketball, ties for 17th in men's basketball and women's tennis, a tie for 25th in women's volleyball, 30th in women's cross country, 31st in men's cross country and a tie for 46th in women's outdoor track and field.

Xavier was one of three HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) to record a top-50 finish this season. Lincoln (Mo.) placed 42nd and Saint Augustine's 48th in NCAA Division II.

"I can't say enough good things about the efforts of our coaches and our student-athletes this year," XU athletics director Dennis Cousin said. "Our success is the direct result of their hard work and the continued support of our administration. Our teams won five conference championships and two group championships. There should be no doubt that this was the greatest year ever for Xavier athletics."

The top three NAIA schools were Azusa Pacific with 918 points, Shorter with 856 and Embry-Riddle (Fla.) with 771½.

Xavier in NAIA all-sports standings
2011-12 50th
2010-11 102nd
2009-10 83rd
2008-09 tie-92nd
2007-08 141st
2006-07 156th
2005-06 no teams (Hurricane Katrina)
2004-05 not in top 100
2003-04 86th
2002-03 tie-163rd
2001-02 tie-238th
2000-01 tie-199th
1999-2000 not in top 234
1998-99 tie-210th
1997-98 tie-194th
1996-97 164th
1995-96 146th

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

Xavier has 5 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars in 2011-12

Angelica Alexander

Jolie Bellow

Patrice Hightower

Jamaan Kenner

Javon Mead

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana, led by three-time recipient Jamaan Kenner, has five student-athletes recognized as Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars for 2011-12.

Kenner (men's basketball) and Javon Mead (track and field/cross country) are first-team representatives from Xavier. Diverse Issues in Higher Education, a magazine based in Fairfax, Va., sponsors the awards.

Also recognized from Xavier were Patrice Hightower in women's volleyball and Angelica Alexander and Jolie Bellow in women's basketball. Hightower was honored for the second consecutive year.

Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars are student-athletes of color who maintain a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.2 and are active on their campuses or in their communities.

Kenner, a May XU graduate from LaPlace, La., and an alumnus of East St. John High School, is the fourth from Xavier to earn the Ashe honor three times. Alexandra Broussard (women's tennis), Kelechi Okoroha (men's basketball} and Terry Richardson (men's tennis) were the others.

Hightower, a May XU graduate from New Orleans and a McGehee School alum, was an All-Gulf Coast Athletic Conference setter. Mead, a sophomore from Baton Rouge, La., and a graduate of Baton Rouge Magnet High School, was named third-team Capital One Academic All-America® on Monday. He's a two-time All-GCAC distance runner.

Alexander is a sophomore from Shreveport, La., and a graduate of Byrd High School. Bellow is a sophomore from Natchitoches, La., and a graduate of Natchitoches Central High School. They helped the Gold Nuggets win GCAC Tournament championships and reach the second round of the NAIA Division I National Championship each of the past two seasons.

Mead is an accounting major; the other four are biology/pre-medical majors. Kenner — a two-time Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete and a Pattison Champions of Character Scholarship recipient his senior year — will attend LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans this fall.

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

MEAC creates model for improvement

NORFOLK, Virginia -- In the last four years, Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference schools have steadily increased their Academic Progress Rates, a notable feat for a conference composed largely of limited-resource schools. Though some trouble spots undeniably exist, the improvement is real.

The conference attributes its progress to the leadership of its presidents and chancellors in creating new strategies to work toward academic success. The bedrock of those strategies, Commissioner Dennis Thomas said, is a change in recruiting philosophy, accompanied by a new approach to academic support for student-athletes.

“As a conference, we have really stressed the importance of recruiting student-athletes who have the characteristics for success, talented student-athletes who can do college work,” Thomas said. “I want to really commend the presidents and chancellors for setting the table with higher expectations and holding people accountable for results.”

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A&T Men Fill Immediate Needs With Recruiting Class

GREENSBORO, North Carolina -- There are three pressing needs North Carolina A&T men's basketball coach Cy Alexander pinpoints when discussing the 2012-13 season. The five-player 2012 A&T recruiting class will serve as the first few steps in helping Alexander address those needs.

Forwards Corvon Butler (6-6, 225, Champaign, Ill., Champaign Central HS) and Bruce Beckford (6-6, 215, Silver Spring, Md., Montrose Christian Academy) and guards Shaun Stewart (6-0, 180, Monroe, N.C., Sun Valley HS), Lamont Middleton (6-3, 210, Bronx, N.Y., Wake Tech CC) and Khalid King (6-2, 170, Columbus, Ohio, Brookhaven HS) will suit up for the Aggies this season.

Butler and Beckford will look to provide the physical toughness and size Alexander seeks. Stewart, Middleton and King must provide solid guard play by filling the void left by the graduation of guards Marc Hill and Nic Simpson, who ranked among the Aggies top scorers for the past two seasons.

Alexander gave credit to former Aggies head coach Jerry Eaves and his coaching staff for signing a trio of solid guards. With the addition of Alexander's two recent signees, the Aggies bolstered their roster despite the coaching transition.

"Overall, for as late as we got started, I felt we got two players with outstanding college bodies in Butler and Beckford," said Alexander. "They will look like Division I basketball players when they walk in the door."

Butler made the 2012 News Gazette All-Area Boys team. As the leading scorer for Champaign Central, he led the Maroons to their first Class 3A Rantoul Regional title in four years by averaging 14.7 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. In the process, he also recorded seven double-doubles. One of those double-double performances was a 14-point, 15-rebound outing against eventual Missouri Class 5A champion McCluer North. Butler finished 30 points in the News Gazette All-Star Game. Other schools showing interest included Oklahoma State, Butler and St. Louis.

"He is a very powerful player who really attacks the rim," said Alexander. "He is someone who is starting to develop his perimeter skills, so he can attack from the wing. We're looking to use him in mismatch situations. He is quicker than most power forwards and a little stronger than most small forwards."

Beckford can also play both forward positions. Alexander calls him a late bloomer who played for a legendary coach at one of the most prestigious high schools in America. Beckford, a product of Stu Vetter's Montrose Christian Academy nationally-ranked program, had a strong finish to his senior season. Beckford's signing was considered vital by Alexander because he and his staff have established a relationship with a high school program that produces topnotch talent each season.

"He didn't play a lot early in the season. But from what I understand, over the last 10 games of the season, a light came on. I like the fact that he is a highly intelligent young man. He comes to us with a college body, so he gives us another physical presence down low. He can also step out and hit the perimeter shot."

Stewart can hit a variety of shots. He comes to A&T with the reputation of being a scorer. He is Sun Valley High School's all-time leading scorer with more than 1,700 career points. As a senior, he averaged 26.7 points, 6.5 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game for a Spartans team that won the Southern Carolina 3A/4A regular-season and tournament championships. Stewart also earned District 9 first-team recognition from the North Carolina Coaches Association.

"On film, it looks like he can come in a play for us as a freshman," said Alexander, who added that he will mostly play Stewart at the point guard position. "He has unbelievable stats for a kid six-foot, 180 pounds. Yes, he did against high school competition, but obviously this young man knows how to score the basketball."

Middleton is from The Bronx, but he graduated from Enloe High School in Raleigh (he did not play basketball there). He will enter A&T as a junior after spending two seasons at Wake Tech Community College in Raleigh. Last season, Middleton averaged 19.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. He also shot 45 percent from the field and 32 percent from 3-point range. He posted 44 points against Catawba Valley Community College and finished with 36 points and 11 rebounds in a win over Patrick Henry Community College. During his Wake Tech career, he scored 30 or more points three times, 20 or more points 10 times and he grabbed 10 or more boards five times. For his efforts, he earned first-team National Junior College Athletic Association honors.

"He will compete for a starting job, but I'm not quite sure yet at what guard position," said Alexander. "What I like about him is that he will rebound as a guard. He will get in there and mix it up. He is a tough-minded player who can get his shot off the dribble."

Khalid King was an early signing for A&T. He played varsity all four years at Brookhaven High School under head coach an Aggie alumnus Drew Williams. He was the leading scorer on his Club Ohio AAU team and made the Top-20 All-Star Game at the Buckeye Prep Shootout. MVP honors came his way at the 10th annual Capital Transportation All-Star Game. Prep Spotlight Magazine ranked him among the top 100 players in the state of Ohio.

"From what I am told, he is very athletic and has a good attitude. He is very coachable," said Alexander. "He is an off-guard who could play (point guard) if we needed him there, but we're going to give him a chance to play the big guard position."

The Aggies five signees will be complemented by seven returning seniors on the 2012-13 squad.

COURTESY N.C.A&T STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

HU ineligible for 2012 FCS football playoffs

HAMPTON, Virginia -- The opening of football practice is more than a month away, but it's already certain that Hampton University's postseason drought will extend to six seasons. The Pirates learned Wednesday that they are ineligible for the playoffs for failing to meet NCAA Academic Progress Rate requirements.

Hampton is one of only three Division I schools whose student-athletes are ineligible for the 2012 Football Championship Subdivision postseason, and two are from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. MEAC school North Carolina A&T also fell below the required four-year APR average of 900 for postseason eligibility, as did Texas Southern of the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

A primary reason for the drop-off is the 2010-11 football team's APR of ...

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XU's Pieri, Mead selected CoSIDA Academic All-America

Javon Mead

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's Matt Pieri and Javon Mead have been chosen to the Capital One Academic All-America® college division men's track and field/cross country team. Pieri was a second-team selection, and Mead made the third team.

Pieri and Mead are the second and third from Xavier to be chosen to an Academic All-America squad. Distance runner Joe Drexler-Dreis made the second team in men's track and field/cross country in 2009.

The College Sports Information Directors of America has sponsored the Academic All-America program since 1952. CoSIDA announced the team Monday.

"Matt and Javon are outstanding representatives of Xavier, the athletics department and our cross country program," XU coach Joseph Moses said. "They take care of their business in the classroom, in workouts and in competition. They're always focused on improvement and doing the right thing."

Matt Pieri

Pieri, a junior from New Orleans and a graduate of Brother Martin High School, is a pharmacy major at Xavier with a 3.79 grade-point average. Pieri is a three-time All-Gulf Coast Athletic Conference runner and was the league's 2010 individual champion. He was a 2011 Daktronics Scholar-Athlete and was inducted into the Chi Alpha Sigma National College Athlete Honor Society. Pieri has won a GCAC career-record 10 Runner of the Week awards, four this past season. He has 13 top-10 finishes and nine top-5s in three seasons.

At the Gulf Coast Stampede in Pensacola, Fla., on Oct. 1, Pieri ran 8,000 meters (4.97 miles) in 26 minutes, 51.1 seconds. That was Xavier's best time at that distance since Farris Gransberry set the school record of 25:54 in 1998.

Mead, a sophomore from Baton Rouge, La., and a graduate of Baton Rouge Magnet High School, is an accounting major with a 3.66 GPA. Mead is a two-time All-GCAC cross country runner who finished third in the conference meet in 2010 and fifth in 2011. He has four top-10 finishes and two top-5s in two years.

Academic All-Americans are starters or important reserves with at least a 3.30 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale. They also must have completed at least one full calendar year at their current institution and reached sophomore athletic eligibility. Pieri and Mead were announced May 31 as Academic All-District 4, which automatically advanced them for national consideration.

Xavier is a six-time defending GCAC team champion in men's and women's cross country. Both squads qualified for the NAIA National Championships three of the past four seasons, including 2011. The Gold Rush and Gold Nuggets will begin the 2012 season Aug. 31 in the Mississippi College Opener at Clinton, Mississippi.

2011-12 Capital One Academic All-America
Men's Track and Field/Cross Country

College Division First Team
Name School Yr. Hometown GPA and Major
Brayden Barrientez Oklahoma Christian Jr. Haysville, Kan. 3.96 Religious Edu./Children's Ministry
Hildon Boen Wayland Baptist Jr. Eldoret, Kenya 3.40 Business Adm., Accounting
Isaac Bryan Taylor Gr. Perkasie, Pa. 3.82 Higher Edu.&Student Devmt.
Andy Coy Dakota State Jr. Hill City, S.D. 3.96 Biology
Luke Fischer Northwest (Wash.) Sr. Kalispell, Mont. 3.75 Business
Jacob GunderKline Goshen Jr. Yellow Springs, Ohio 3.71 Interdisciplinary Studies
Bryson Harper Bryan Sr. Pikeville, Tenn. 3.90 Exercise and Health Science

John Harris Morningside Jr. Holstein, Iowa 4.00 Engineering Physics, Mathematics

Bo Johnson Concordia (Ore.) Jr. Toledo, Ore. 3.79 Exercise & Sport Sciences

Monte Larsen Morningside Sr. Neola, Iowa 3.98 Elementary Education

Tracy Marshall Oklahoma Christian Jr. Hutchinson, Kan. 3.96 Electrical Engineering

Micah Marvin Doane Sr. Crete, Neb. 3.96 Mathematics and Physics

David McWilliams Oklahoma Christian Jr. Naperville, Ill. 4.00 Youth Ministry
Tim Wyland Concordia (Ore.) Sr. Umatilla, Ore. 3.47 Exercise & Sport Sciences
Eric Whalen Concordia (Ore.) Sr. Tualatin, Ore. 3.37 Exercise & Sport Sciences

College Division Second Team

Name School Yr. Hometown GPA and Major

Brian Aukshunas Biola Sr. Orange, Calif. 4.00 Business Administration

Cordell Baker Oklahoma Baptist Jr. Sapulpa, Okla. 3.89 Biology

Brad Higgins Doane Jr. Norfolk, Neb. 3.61 Mathematics, Physics

Matt Huseman Northwestern (Iowa) Jr. Sac City, Iowa 3.34 Elem. Education

Matthew Hussey Roberts Wesleyan Gr. Marion, N.Y. 3.93 Teacher Education

Zachary Kraus Embry-Riddle (Fla.) So. New Milford, Conn. 3.85 Aerospace Engineering

Vincent Krejci Doane Jr. Crete, Neb. 3.74 Biochemistry
Randy Magnuson Taylor Sr. Aurora, Ill. 3.79 English Education
Lucas Manring Central Methodist Sr. Stockton, Mo. 3.56 Accounting
Greg Montgomery College of Idaho Jr. Boise, Idaho 3.48 Biology
Matt Pieri Xavier Jr. New Orleans, La. 3.79 Pharmacy
Austin Simikns Oklahoma Christian So. Fayetteville, Ark. 3.87 Accounting
Randy Sterk Grace Sr. McBain, Mich. 3.68 Biology
Nate Teten Doane Sr. Auburn, Neb. 3.59 Business Administration
Nate Winters Mount Vernon Nazarene Sr. Hilliard, Ohio 3.58 Chemistry (Pre-Medicine)


College Division Third Team
Name School Yr. Hometown GPA and Major
Gabe Aeschliman Biola Sr. Colfax, Wash. 3.79 Business Administration
Austin Basterrechea College of Idaho So. Gooding, Idaho 3.74 Undecided
Neal Ellis Oklahoma Baptist Jr. Midlothian, Texas 3.93 Applied Communication
Mike Huseman Morningside Jr. Alta, Iowa 3.52 Management Information Systems
Samuel Jones Goshen Jr. Timber Lake, S.D. 3.61 Theater
Anthony Lee Mount Vernon Nazarene Jr. Lisbon, Ohio 3.84 Sports Management
Jason McLeod Bryan Jr. Ocoee, Fla. 3.81 Exercise&Health Science, Business Adm.
Javon Mead Xavier So. Baton Rouge, La. 3.66 Accounting

David Parry McPherson Sr. Morganville, Kan. 3.90 Automotive Restoration

Jon Schoening Clarke Jr. Glenwood, Iowa 3.89 Biochemistry

Ryan Sherman Central Methodist Jr. Fayette, Mo. 3.60 Business
Peter Stacy Biola So. Issaquah, Wash. 3.69 Biology, Chemistry
Anthony Stasiak Park So. Liberty, Mo. 3.46 Chemistry

Alex Stephens Bryan Jr. Cleveland, Tenn. 3.79 Communication

Collin Whitsett Southern Nazarene Sr. Tulsa, Okla. 3.94 Biology

Monte Willett Embry-Riddle (Fla.) Sr. Grapevine, Texas 3.78 Aerospace Engineering

More on this Academic All-America team

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

71 Year Old Michigan Man Has 29 College Degrees and Counting; none honorary or from online classes

KALAMAZOO, Michigan -- Every June, students all over the country don their caps and gowns for graduation. Whether it's from high school, college or graduate school, most people could easily count their own graduations on one hand.

But not 71-year-old Michael Nicholson of Kalamazoo, Michigan

Nicholson has earned 29 degrees and is now pursuing his 30th.

"I just stayed in school and took menial jobs to pay for the education and just made a point of getting more degrees and eventually I retired so that I could go full-time to school," Nicholson told ABCNews.com.

"It's stimulation to go to the class, look at the material that's required and meet the teacher and students. It makes life interesting for me," he said. "Otherwise, things would be pretty dull."

Nicholson has one bachelor's degree, two associate's degrees, 22 master's degrees, three specialist degrees and one doctoral degree.

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Former TSU standout Christian Lowe signs contract to play volleyball in Germany

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- Former Tennessee State University volleyball player Christian Lowe has signed a contract to play with Turnverein Dingolfing (Dingolfing TV) in Germany.

The Dingolfing TV was established in 1868 and has almost 2,000 members.

Lowe, a native of San Antonio, Texas played two years with Tennessee State. As a junior she helped TSU claim the 2007 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament Championship and the program's first NCAA tournament berth.

Christian Lowe
(Photo Courtesy TSU Sports Information)

A 6-0, Opposite Side Hitter, Lowe was named to the OVC All-Newcomer team in 2007 and was third on the team in kills and blocks per set. As a senior, she led the team in total kills and blocks while ranking third in the league in points and fourth in kills per set. She also garnered two OVC Offensive Player of the Week awards during her senior campaign.

"I have always wanted to play professional volleyball," said Lowe. "That was the plan after college, but I became pregnant my senior year and I had to be there for my daughter. It wasn't until last October, when a friend asked me to play in an all-day tournament, that I realized that I could still hang."

Lowe says that after playing in that tournament and consulting with her sister, who has played volleyball in Germany for ten years, she really felt like she could pursue a career professionally. She continued working out, competing in all-day tournaments and practicing with the TSU volleyball team to keep her mind focused on her dream.

"My sister has been a huge help," Lowe added. "She set up all the tryouts, translated and negotiated with the teams."

Lowe and her daughter, Jentelle, will travel to Germany next month.

"I am excited, extremely nervous and scared all at the same time. I haven't played and practice in a competitive way in years, so that makes me scared and nervous. All I want to be is the best I can be (that's with everything I do). But I am so excited; this dream that seemed so far away is in the palm of my hands."

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Hawaiian Islanders Come to St. Augs. Campus

RALEIGH, North Carolina -- The 2012 recruiting class for Saint Augustine's College's football team includes two players from Hawaii. Christian Kama, a 6-5, 275-pound offensive tackle, and Joseph Pelesasa, a 6-foot, 245-pound linebacker, will arrive on campus later this week. The recruits hail from Waimanalo, Hawaii, a small community on the island of Oahu.

Saint Augustine's College football coaches recruited Kama and Pelesasa while in Hawaii to support the Lady Falcons basketball team during their tournament on the island.

Assistant coach Tremayne Henry said the players are tough kids and hard workers. Out of all the potential recruits the coaches met in Hawaii, Henry said these two were the ones who had the most initiative and enthusiasm.

"They were excited about the opportunity to come to the mainland," Henry said.

Kama and Pelesasa are just two players in a solid recruiting class for the Falcons.

"The rule is, you want to recruit better than what you have," Henry said. "I think we've done that."

The attraction of playing in the new stadium has been a good recruiting tool, Henry said.

COURTESY SAINT AUGUSTINE'S UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Blazers target second-round picks in Monday workout

TUALATIN, Oregon – The Trail Blazers resumed draft workouts Monday with a focus on their second-round picks. The Blazers, who have the 10th and 11th picks of the second round, brought in six players, all but one of whom played four years of college.

“It was a good group, a competitive group, a lot of good guys,” Blazers general manager Neil Olshey said. “They’re four-year guys, and we’ve scouted them a ton. But just getting them in the gym, there are some guys here that have the ability to do more than you would find based on their role with their teams.”

The most intriguing player might have been Kyle O’Quinn, who played at Norfolk State and won the Lou Hensen Award given to the nation’s top mid-major player. O’Quinn did not start playing basketball until his junior year of high school. He said he grew from 6-foot-2 to 6-10 while attending Campus Magnet High School in Cambria Heights, N.Y.






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GSU approves Doug Williams' contract

GRAMBLING, Louisiana -- The University of Louisiana System Board of Supervisors, at its monthly meeting this morning in Baton Rouge, approved the three-year contract for Grambling State University’s (GSU) Head Football Coach, Doug Williams.

“The University is delighted that Coach Williams successfully led the Tiger Football team to an astounding 2011 football season that culminated in winning the 2011 SWAC Championship. Having received all appropriate signatures and board approval on the contract, the university will continue to move forward in preparation for another victorious season this fall,” states GSU President, Frank Pogue. “On behalf of the Grambling State University family, we express our appreciation to the University of Louisiana System Board of Supervisors for their support.”

“After talking with Dr. Pogue and all other interested parties, we were able to come together on common ground. We all want what’s best for Grambling State University and to ensure that the university continues to move in a positive direction,” says Coach Doug Williams.

Alabama A&M athletics: Hicks ready for challenge

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- There are not enough hours in the day for Bryan Hicks to do everything he wants to do as he begins to put his signature on Alabama A&M's athletic department. Hicks, who just completed his second week on the job as athletics director, made it clear to his staff and The Times in an interview last week what is important to him.

"First and foremost, the student-athletes are going to be at the heart of the program," said Hicks, an A&M graduate. "Every decision we make is going to be about improving and assisting our student-athletes to be productive not only on campus, but in the community and giving them the skills to be successful when they complete their degree.

"If we put our student-athletes at the heart of our program, the community will get to know them. They will see the great work they do and understand the committment to their success in the classroom, the playing field and in the community. Why wouldn't you support them? I'm going to challenge our alumni, our administration and our community. It's going to be all hands in to grow the athletic program and the university."

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Williams Concludes Successful TSU Boys Basketball Camp

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- Tennessee State University men's basketball coach Travis Williams held his inaugural boys basketball camp that concluded Thursday at the Gentry Center.

The four day camp focused on teaching fundamentals and introducing enthusiasm to the game of basketball to young men ages six to 15. Approximately 65 campers from the Nashville community participated in the event.

"I thought it was a great overall camp," noted first year head coach Travis Williams. "It was great to see smiling faces and young kids running down the court having fun. It felt good to see all of these young kids from the community participate in this camp."

The Tennessee State men's basketball program finished the 2011-12 season with a 20-13 record and earned a postseason berth the CollegeInsider.com Tournament. Coach Williams was hired as TSU's 16th head coach on April 13.

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LeMoyne-Owen student-athlete Deyquan Nesbit overcame the odds to become 142nd graduating class valedictorian

MEMPHIS, Tennessee -- The valedictorian for LeMoyne-Owen College's 142nd graduating class is a young man who has overcome challenges on and off the court. Deyquan Nesbit is not only this year's MVP of LeMoyne-Owen College's men's basketball team, but also the top student on campus with a 3.93 grade point average. He received his Bachelor of Business Administration degree with an emphasis in Finance on May 12, 2012.


Deyquan Nesbit
Hometown: Harlem, New York
2012 Valedictorian (142nd Class)
LeMoyne-Owen College

Nesbitt joined the LeMoyne-Owen College Magicians in 2010 after transferring from Monroe Community College in Louisiana. Originally a shooting guard, at 5' 10”, he was a bit small for the position in LeMoyne-Owen's Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC). An assistant coach at the time, Antonio Burks convinced Magician's Coach William Anderson to take on Nesbitt at the point guard position. Burks took him under his wing and helped him make a smooth transition from a sharp shooter to a floor general.

This year Nesbitt finished the season with the following stats per game:
• Points: 5.6
• Assists: 5.7
• Steals: 2.8
• Rebounds: 2.4
• Minutes played: 23 minutes No injuries

Nesbit was born and raised in Harlem, New York. He developed a passion for basketball in his teens. He began his collegiate basketball career at Hostos Community College in Bronx, New York and transferred to Monroe Community College before arriving at LeMoyne-Owen College.

Nesbit not only has been the Magicians' team captain for the past two years, but also was selected as a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference All-Academic Team for 2010/2011 and 2011/2012.

LeMoyne-Owen's student athletes are required to participate in community service as an important part of their education. Nesbitt's service has included speaking to student athletes at Manassas High School and participating in the campus clean up event for the past two years. He also served as a skills development instructor for potential student athletes this past spring.

Coach William Anderson lauds Nesbitt for being so coachable. “His leadership abilities on and off the court begins with his supreme work ethic. He goes hard in every practice and works on his game in his free time. He truly leads by example. He is the epitome of coachable. Early on in this season, we realized the key to our success was going to be the point position and DeyQuan. He rose to the challenge which is why we voted him MVP.”

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A woman’s touch from Fingers

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- When Southern football players got a first look at their new strength and conditioning coach this spring, most opinions ranged from doubtful to incredulous. They’d heard Corliss Fingers might be joining the team, but now it was real.

The person in charge of getting them physically ready for another season and helping them chase the dream of a pro career would be … a she?

It is the 500-pound barbell in the room, and Fingers likes to address it early. “Yes, I’m a female. We’ll get over that in about 10 minutes, and we’ll move on,” she said.

That’s about how long it took Fingers to make it clear that there would be no sugar and spice in her weight room. She hadn’t officially begun her new job at Southern; the day was supposed to be spent shadowing coach Stump Mitchell, to watch his players work out. Just a nice, easy visit.

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Former UDC, Coppin State head coach hired at Northeastern

BRITT KING

BOSTON, Massachusetts -- Head coach Daynia La-Force and the Northeastern women's basketball team has announced the hiring of Britt King as a new assistant coach. King's duties will include recruiting, scouting and post development.

“I am very excited to be working with one of the brilliant minds in our game," La-Force said. "I welcome her back to a game she is so passionate about and a game she has exceled in both as a player and a coach. Our women's basketball team will benefit from what Coach King can bring to every aspect of the program.”

King comes to Huntington Ave after spending more than 25 years as a fixture on the women's basketball scene, both as a player and as a coach. Her most recent coaching experience came from 2006-09, when she was the assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Appalachian State. During her time with the Mountaineers, King helped to recruit four Southern Conference All-Freshman performers.

Prior to her stint at Appalachian State, King worked as an assistant coach at American University from 2004-06, where she also graduated with an MBA in in 1989. While working at American, King was tasked with coordinating all practices and workout schedules and also had a hand in recruiting.

King also possesses a plehtora of head coaching experience, most recently at Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania from 2002-04. For four seasons from 1998-02 King guided Fresno State as the program's head coach. While with the Bulldogs, King recruited and developed five All-WAC conference performers, along with the 2001 WAC Co-Freshman of the Year, Aritta Lane. Her 2001 recruiting class was nationally ranked.

Before her time in Fresno King spent a season as the head coach at Coppin State, where she recruited future MEAC Player of the Year, Keisha Brooks. Her first head coaching gig came from 1992-97, when she guided the Division II University of District of Columbia Firebirds. King took the upstart program to national prominence, pushing UDC to a national ranking and an appearance in the NCAA tournament. King compiled a 64-57 record in her career at UDC, including a 20-6 mark in 1994-95.

King got into the coaching game after a highly successful playing career. King spent four years as a star of the Providence College Friars from 1982-86. She was inducted into the Providence Hall of Fame in 2008. King left the Friars as the program's all time leading rebounder with 1,205 boards, and averaged 13 points and ten rebounds a game during her career. During her time in Providence she earned All-Big East First Team honors (1985-86), All-Big East Second Team laurels (1984-85), Big East All-Tournament honors (1986) and was a KODAK District I All-American in 1985. King also earned Providence College Female Athlete of the Year in 1986.

Following her sterling collegiate career, King played overseas for two seasons with the El Masnou Club in Barcelona, Spain. King was selected as one of the squad's two Americans.

The Northeastern women's basketball team finished 8-22 last season, winning four of five to close the regular season before a 70-60 defeat at the hands of George Mason in the first round of the Virginia 529 Collegiate Savings Plan CAA Championship. The Huskies return three of their top four scorers from last year's squad for the 2012-13 campaign.

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MSU's Kenny Ridley Named to CFPA Preseason Watch List

BALTIMORE, Maryland -- Morgan State junior Kenny Ridley (Hillside, N.J./Hillside) was one of three defensive backs from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference selected to the College Football Performance Awards preseason watch list. The CFPA announced the defensive backs list on Monday (June 11) as part of its weekly position announcement this summer.

Ridley led the Bears with four (MEAC ranked T-2nd) of the team's 12 interceptions (MEAC ranked No. 6th) last year while breaking up six passes. He recorded a personal-high 42 tackles playing in all 11 games and recorded three tackles for a loss.

Ridley is one of three returning starters in the secondary, and is hungry to improve upon last season's accomplishments.

The goal of the CFPA, as it states on its website, is to provide the most scientifically rigorous criteria in college football. Recipients are selected exclusively based upon objective scientific rankings of the extent to which individual players increase the overall effectiveness of their teams.

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Jackson State names new women's basketball coach

JACKSON, Mississippi - Surina Dixon, who was fired as the Texas Southern women’s head basketball coach in 2008 before coaching a game there, returned to the SWAC today. Dixon is the new women’s coach at Jackson State, the school announced in a news conference.

Dixon, 50, was fired at Texas Southern in June 2008. Last August, she was awarded $730,000 by a jury after filing a federal lawsuit in which she claimed her firing was retaliation for complaining about gender discrimination regarding her contract.


Dixon’s hire comes nearly a year after Denise Taylor was fired by JSU last June. Taylor filed a federal lawsuit earlier this year against the university alleging wrongful termination and discrimination. A May 2013 trial date has been set for her lawsuit.

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