Over 85 Alabama A&M Bulldogs report for Fall Camp

NORMAL, Alabama – The Bulldog football coaching staff welcomed over 85 players to the A&M campus on Wednesday to begin work for the fall preseason camp.

On Wednesday, July 31st, the Maroon and White will hit the field for preparations for the 2013 season. AAMU will take the field six days a week for the two and a half-week fall camp, which concludes on Wednesday, August 14.

All practices during the preseason camp are open to the public. All visitors to practice, during and after, please remember that no photography, video or cell phone use is permitted during practice and that everyone must remain off the field.

The A&M sports information office would to thank everyone for their cooperation before, during and after practices.

Here is the fall preseason practice schedule. This is SUBJECT TO CHANGE:

Wed., July 31- Practice at 7:00 p.m.

Thur., Aug. 1 - Practice at 9:15 a.m.

Fri., Aug. 2 - Practice at 9:15 a.m.

Sat., Aug. 3 - Practice at 9:15 a.m.

Sun., Aug. 4 – Off Day

Mon., Aug. 5 - Practices at 9:15 a.m.

Tue., Aug. 6 - Practice at 8:30 a.m./7 p.m.

Wed., Aug. 7 - Practices at 9:15 a.m.

Thur., Aug. 8 - Practice at 8:30 a.m./7 p.m. Scrimmage

Fri., Aug. 9 - Practices at 9:15 a.m.

Sat., Aug. 10 – 2 p.m. Scrimmage

Sun., Aug. 11 - Off Day

Mon., Aug. 12 - Practice at 8:30 a.m./7 p.m.

Tue., Aug. 13 - Practice at 2:00 p.m.

Wed., Aug. 14 – Practice at 8:30 a.m./7 p.m.

Thur., Aug. 15 – School Starts!!!!!

Sat., Aug. 17 - Fan Day Scrimmage 3 p.m.

For more information on A&M Athletics, visit aamusports.com.  Fans can also find the Bulldogs on Twitter at @aamubulldogs or on Facebook at Facebook.com/Alabama-AM-Bulldogs.

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COURTESY ALABAMA A & M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Alabama State Hornets Football Reports for Camp August 1

MONTGOMERY, Alabama — The official start to the 2013 football season will begin Thursday, August 1, as the Alabama State Hornets report to camp between 8 a.m. and noon at the Houston Markham Football Complex.

Following a day of moving in, physicals, equipment fitting and team meetings, the Hornets will begin practice on Friday, August 2 with a 3:30 p.m. practice. The first five days of practice are all one day practice settings with each session scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m.

Two-a-days will begin on Aug. 8 with the morning session scheduled for 9 a.m. and the evening session scheduled for 7 p.m. There will be five two-a-day sessions with the final day being Aug. 19. Classes will begin on the 21st and ASU will go back to their usual practice sessions of 3:30 p.m. on Monday-Wednesday-Friday and 11 a.m. on Tuesday and Thursday.

The coaching staff has planned to hold three 9 a.m. Saturday scrimmages on Aug. 10, 17 and 24, with the final scrimmage being a short and controlled scrimmage to lead into the season opener on Aug. 31 when Jacksonville State comes to Montgomery for a 5 p.m. kick off.

All media are reminded to contact Darrell Orand in the ASU sports information office to set up interviews with any coaches and players. Head Coach Reggie Barlow will be available for interviews during preseason practice 15 minutes before each practice session.

Preseason Practice Schedule (through final scrimmage)

Aug. 1 Report for Camp

Aug. 2 3:30 p.m.

Aug. 3 3:30 p.m.

Aug. 4 3:30 p.m.

Aug. 5 3:30 p.m.

Aug. 6 3:30 p.m.

Aug. 8 9 a.m./7 p.m.

Aug. 9 3:30 p.m.

Aug. 10 9 a.m. Scrimmage

Aug. 12 9 a.m./7 p.m.

Aug. 13 3:30 p.m.

Aug. 14 9 a.m./7 p.m.

Aug. 15 3:30 p.m.

Aug. 16 9 a.m./7 p.m.

Aug. 17 9 a.m. Scrimmage

Aug. 19 a.m./7 p.m.

Aug. 20 3:30 p.m.

Aug. 21 Classes begin no practice

Aug. 22 11 a.m.

Aug. 23 3:30 p.m.

Aug. 24 9 a.m. Scrimmage

COURTESY ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

 

Howard Bison, Texas Southern Tigers to play basketball powers in 2013 Legends Classic

HOUSTON, Texas -- The University of Houston Men's Basketball program will play host to a pair of Regional Round games during the Legends Classic.

The Cougars will meet Lehigh on Nov. 17 and then face Howard on Nov. 21 with both games being played inside historic Hofheinz Pavilion. Game times for both contests will be announced at a later date.

Earlier this month, officials from the Gazelle Group - which is hosting the tournament - announced that the Cougars would play Stanford in a semifinal game on Nov. 25 inside the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. It will be the first time the two programs will meet on the hardwood since the 1991 NIT.

The Houston-Stanford game will be the second semifinal contest of the night, while Pittsburgh will face Texas Tech at 6:30 p.m. (CST) in the first game. Both games will be shown live on ESPN2.

From there, the Cougars will play the winner or loser of the Pitt-Texas Tech game on Nov. 26. The Consolation Game tips at 6 p.m. (CT) and will be shown on ESPN3 with the Championship Game starting shortly after on ESPNU.

Legends Classic Bracket

ABOUT THE TEAMS

Howard Bison - Head Coach Kevin Nickelberry (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) Head coach Kevin Nickelberry is rebuilding the Bison into the force they once were in the MEAC...with 10 new players on the 2013-14 roster, including seven freshmen, 6-5 swingman Prince Okoroh will be called upon to provide leadership...Okoroh is the Bison's leading returning scorer at 6.9 ppg and rebounder at 4.6 rpg.

Texas Southern Tigers - Head Coach Mike Davis (Southwestern Athletic Conference) The Tigers won the SWAC regular season title in going 16-2 in league play, including 12 straight wins to close the season, in head coach Mike Davis' first year at the helm of the program...for the Tigers' success, Davis was named SWAC Co-Coach of the Year...this year TSU returns three starters, led by third-team all-league selection Ray Penn, a guard who scored 14.0 ppg and handed out a team-best 5.7 apg...he is joined in the back court by Lawrence Johnson-Danner, who tallied 8.5 ppg.

Lehigh Mountain Hawks - Head Coach Brett Reed (Patriot League)
Head coach Brett Reed guided Lehigh to its third 20-win season and postseason berth in the last four years as the Mountain Hawks went 21-10 and played in the CBI presented by Buick...two starters return, led by second-team Patriot League selection Mackey McKnight, who led the team with 153 assists while scoring at an 11.9 ppg clip...back court mate Anthony D'Orazio netted 6.4 ppg while starting 29 of 31 games.

South Dakota State Jackrabbits - Head Coach Scott Nagy (Summit League)
The Jackrabbits are coming off back-to-back Summit League titles and a 25-10 season mark, the second straight 25-win season for SDSU...head coach Scott Nagy, who has won over 340 games at SDSU, welcomes back a trio of starters in 2013-14...second-team All-Summit selection Jordan Dykstra tallied 12.5 ppg while leading the Jackrabbits with a 7.9 rpg average...Chad White heads the back court after having recorded 9.8 points and 3.9 rebounds a game last season.

Pittsburgh - Head Coach Jamie Dixon (Atlantic Coast Conference) 2013 marked the 24th NCAA Tournament appearance by the Panthers, including 11 bids in the last 12 years...Pitt ended its Big East membership with the league's best record over the last dozen years (141-63, .691)...head coach Jamie Dixon sees the return of three starters and five of last season's top 10 scorers as Pitt enters its first year as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference... 6-foot-5 swingman Lamar Patterson (10.0 ppg, 94 assists) and 6-foot-9 forward Talib Zanna (9.6 ppg, 6.1 rpg) headline the returnees...the Panthers were 24-9 in 2012-13.

Stanford - Head Coach Johnny Dawkins (Pacific-12 Conference)
The Cardinal advanced to the NIT for the second consecutive season in posting a 19-15 record...head coach Johnny Dawkins will welcome back 14 players from last year's squad, including eight of his top nine scorers...leading the way are 6-foot-10 forward Dwight Powell and guard Chasson Randle...Powell led the Cardinal in scoring (14.9 ppg) and rebounding (8.2 rpg), while Randle netted 13.6 ppg and handed out 89 assists...Stanford has been to 16 NCAA Tournaments.

Texas Tech - Head Coach Tubby Smith (Big 12 Conference)
The Red Raiders are under the direction of first-year head coach Tubby Smith, who has 511 wins and 17 NCAA appearances under his belt...Smith inherits a roster that returns 10 players from a year ago, led by 6-foo-t-7 forward Jaye Crockett, who posted team highs of 11.9 ppg and 6.5 rpg...also back is 6-foot-7 frontcourt player Jordan Tolbert, who averaged 9.9 points and 5.5 rebounds per game...Texas Tech has participated in 14 NCAA Tournaments.

ABOUT HOUSTON
The Cougars return three starters and nine lettermen from a team that posted a 20-13 overall record in 2012-13, the program's first 20-win season since 2009. With a win against Big 12 member Texas inside Hofheinz Pavilion in late March, Houston advanced to the College Basketball Invitational quarterfinals.

Forward TaShawn Thomas was named to multiple All-Conference and All-District teams after averaging 16.9 points and 9.8 rebounds per game and also was selected for the Conference USA All-Defensive Team. The Killeen, Texas, was one of only two players in C-USA to rank among the league's top-five leaders in both categories.  Forward Danuel House was one of the nation's top young players entering the 2012-13 season, and the Sugar Land, Texas, native lived up to that hype. House averaged 12.4 points and 4.9 rebounds per game during his first collegiate season and was honored as the C-USA Freshman of the Year. For the first time, the Cougars will compete as members of the American Athletic Conference in 2013-14, joining Cincinnati, Connecticut, Louisville, Memphis, Rutgers, SMU, USF, Temple and UCF.

CHAMPIONSHIP ROUNDS SCHEDULE
 
Semifinal Doubleheader
Barclays Center • Brooklyn, N.Y.
Monday, Nov. 25
• 6:30 p.m. (CT) - Pittsburgh vs. Texas Tech (ESPN2)
• TBD - Stanford vs. Houston (ESPN2) 

Championship Doubleheader
Barclays Center • Brooklyn, N.Y.
Tuesday, Nov. 26 • 6 p.m. (CT)
• 6 p.m. (CT) - Consolation Game (ESPN3)
• TBD - Championship Game (ESPNU)

REGIONAL ROUNDS SCHEDULE
 
Houston Regional Rounds
Hofheinz Pavilion • Houston
Nov. 17 • Lehigh at Houston
Nov. 21 • Howard at Houston

Pittsburgh Regional Rounds
Petersen Events Center • Pittsburgh
Nov. 17 • Howard at Pittsburgh
Nov. 20 • Lehigh at Pittsburgh (ESPNU)

Lubbock Regional Rounds
United Spirit Arena • Lubbock, Texas
Nov. 18 • Texas Southern at Texas Tech (ESPNU)
Nov. 21 • South Dakota State at Texas Tech

Palo Alto Regional Rounds
Maples Pavilion • Palo Alto, Calif.
Nov. 21 • Texas Southern at Stanford
Dec 1 • South Dakota State at Stanford

SUBREGIONAL ROUNDS SCHEDULE
Brookings Subregional Rounds
Frost Arena • Brookings, S.D.
Nov. 25 • Texas Southern vs. Lehigh
Nov. 25 • Howard vs. South Dakota State
Nov. 26 • Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2
Nov. 26 • Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2

LEGENDS CLASSIC CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND TICKETS INFORMATION
Tickets for Championship Round games of the Legends Classic at Barclays Center are on sale now and can be purchased online via Ticketmaster by visiting BarclaysCenter.com or ticketmaster.com or by calling 800-745-3000.

Tickets also are available at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center.

ABOUT THE LEGENDS CLASSIC The Legends Classic is produced by the Gazelle Group of Princeton, N.J. The Gazelle Group is a sports marketing firm, specializing in event production and management, client representation, and sponsorship consulting. Gazelle produces numerous nationally-recognized events, such as the 2K Sports Classic, Gotham Classic, the College Basketball Invitational, and the All-American Championship. For more information on the Gazelle Group, please visit GazelleGroup.com.



COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS AND THE GAZELLEGROUP.COM

Southern football team reports Wednesday

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana - The Southern football team has finished its offseason weight and conditioning program.

Earlier this month, quarterback Dray Joseph and defensive back Virgil Williams joined coach Dawson Odums in representing Southern at the Southwestern Athletic Conference’s annual media day.

All that’s left is to play football.

The Jaguars will report for their first preseason camp under Odums on Wednesday afternoon, a little more than 24 hours before conducting their first practice and a little less than one month before playing their first game.

Odums, introduced Dec. 18 as Southern’s new coach, inherited the job on an interim basis two weeks into the 2012 season.

“How well can we execute what we’re trying to do?” Odums said. “I really think that’s going to be the No. 1 thing coming out of camp.”

CONTINUE READING

Jackson State eyes another run at SWAC title

JACKSON, Mississippi  --  Well, now we get to see what the encore holds.

The Jackson State players arrive to camp Thursday and the sting from last season’s overtime defeat in the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship lingers. Rick Comegy enters as a proven commodity, as he enters his eighth season with the Tigers.

Even so, Comegy and his coaches will have their work cut out for them to improve upon last year’s 7-5 campaign with several key players from that team now gone. So with that in mind, let’s look at the top storylines heading into the start of fall camp.

Five To Watch
Qua Cox, cornerback: The senior scored numerous preseason honors, most notably SWAC Defensive Player of the Year. He led the conference with five interceptions and paced the Tigers with eight pass break-ups and 13 passes defended.

Zachary Pendleton, wide receiver: The senior was second on the team in receiving yards, behind standout Rico Richardson, who signed with the Kansas City Chiefs. Pendleton posted 41.5 receiving yards per game and finished with one touchdown. He’s JSU’s most reliable returning wideout.

CONTINUE READING

Texas Southern Tigers Football Media Day Set for Aug. 10th

COACH DARRELL ASBERRY

HOUSTON, Texas --  The Texas Southern University Tigers football team is preparing for the 2013 season under second year head coach Darrell Asberry.

TSU will play their second season in their new home, the BBVA Compass Stadium, where they will host five games in 2013.  One of the biggest events in the new stadium this season is the Labor Day Classic game against Prairie View A&M on August 31^st.  The Tigers are expecting to play before their first sellout crowd in the 22,000 seat facility.  TSU will also face Alabama State, Alcorn (homecoming), Southern and a non-conference game against Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) member, Howard in BBVA Compass Stadium.

Coach Asberry continues to rebuild the program and has a renewed vigor about his program's future now that the road ahead is clear regarding the NCAA sanctions and APR issues.

"We have a clean slate and know the direction our program is heading," said Asberry.  "Our future is bright and we are building toward championship status."

Asberry has brought in new coaching blood to help with the defense, defensive coordinator Michael Vite and linebackers coach Cedric Thornton.  Vite has a wealth of experience and success throughout his more than 30-year career.  Thornton was the defensive coordinator at Alabama State before coming to TSU.  Coach Asberry says the mixture of old blood and new blood is what the Tigers need to ignite a defense that is undersized but fast.   Asberry says the key will be for the defense to play as a unit and swarm to the ball.

The Tiger offense should be dynamic; they are loaded with talent at every position.  Coach Asberry and his staff have beefed up the offensive line and brought in one of the top junior college running backs in the country, Daveonn Porter.  TSU will have nine quarterbacks in camp including Jay Christophe, MVP from the Texas-Louisiana game, Homer Causey from Shaw and redshirt junior Jamal Smalls.   Coach Asberry says he has the quarterbacks to play any style he wants.  They can get the ball down the field, read zones or make plays with their feet. "The bottom line is…I need a leader," said Asberry. "I'm looking for the guy who the team will rally around and who can take a game over and win two or three games himself."

It's an exciting time to be a Tigers fan.  You are invited to come out and see why we are so excited about this season.  Head coach Darrell Asberry, his assistant coaches and several key players will be available for interviews during the TSU Tigers 2013 Football Media Day.  The event is scheduled for Saturday, August 10, 2013 at 1:00pm at the BBVA Compass Stadium.

You can apply for your 2013-14 season or game credentials online at www.tsuball.com.  Go to Inside Athletics then the Sports Information page and complete the credential application.

Printed TSU 2013 Football media day programs and your season credentials will be available.  Parking is in the BBVA Compass Administrative lot on Walker St. off Dowling on a first come, first served basis.  Security will let you in the gate.  Metered parking is also available along Walker Street.  I look forward to seeing you on Saturday.  Please call me if you have any questions.

By Rodney Bush TSU Sports Information Director
COURTESY TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Defending champion XU teams to begin season Aug. 30

 

Both XU teams in 2012 recorded perfect scores at the GCAC Championships.

NEW ORLEANS — Five regular-season meets and a venue change for the NAIA National Championships are included in the 2013 Xavier University of Louisiana men's and women's cross country schedules.      Ninth-year head coach Joseph Moses announced the schedules Tuesday. Both the Gold Rush and Gold Nuggets are seven-time defending champions of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference.      Xavier will begin the season Aug. 30 in the Mississippi College Opener at Choctaw Trails Course in Clinton, Miss. The women's 4,000-meter race will start at 5 p.m., followed by the men's 5,000 at 5:30.      The other regular-season meets will be the Loyola Wolf Pack Invitational on Sept. 7 at Metairie, La. — Xavier's only competition in its home state — the Gulf Coast Stampede on Sept. 14 at Pensacola, Fla., the Ram Ramble Invitational on Sept. 21 at Fort Worth, Texas, and the

Mississippi College/Watson Ford Invitational on Oct. 4 at Clinton.
    

The Rush and Nuggets will return to Clinton for the third time in 2013 when they play host to the GCAC Championships. Both XU teams will try to qualify for the NAIA National Championships at Lawrence, Kan., for the third consecutive year and the fifth time in six years. Both GCAC team champions will receive automatic bids to the national meet, which is moving to the Midwest after four consecutive years at Vancouver, Wash.
    

Xavier has 11 returning runners who were All-GCAC in 2012: Emmanuel Detiege, David Holobowicz, Kwame Jackson, Javon Mead and Aaron Yarmush on the men's team and Donyé Coleman, Catherine Fakler, Hannah Finnegan, Zahri Jackson, Briana Simms and Hali Yarmush on the women's. Zahri Jackson is a two-time defending GCAC individual champion, and Kwame Jackson, her brother, was a GCAC individual champ in 2011. Both Jacksons are juniors. Mead and Fakler are Capital One Academic All-Americans; Mead earned that honor each of the past two years.

2013 Xavier University of Louisiana Cross Country Schedule all times Central unless noted

Aug. 30 (Fri.):  Mississippi College Opener, Clinton, Miss. — women 5 p.m., men 5:30 p.m. Sept. 7 (Sat.):  Loyola Wolfpack Invitational, Metairie, La. — women 7:50 a.m., men 8:25 a.m. Sept. 14 (Sat.):  Gulf Coast Stampede, Pensacola, Fla. — women 7:15 a.m., men 8 a.m. Sept. 21 (Sat.):  Ram Ramble Invitational, Fort Worth, Texas — 8:15 a.m. Oct. 4 (Fri.):  Mississippi College/Watson Ford Invitational, Clinton, Miss. — women 4:30 p.m., men 5:15 p.m. Oct. 26 (Sat.):  Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Championships, Clinton, Miss. — women 8 a.m., men 8:30 a.m. Nov. 23 (Sat):  NAIA National Championships, Lawrence, Kan. — times to be announced

 

 

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

XULAATHLETICS

XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA