Benedict Season Opener Selected As Part of SIAC TV Package With ASPiRE Network

ATLANTA, Georgia -- Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference will broadcast four SIAC football games on ASPiRE Network for the upcoming 2015 football season, including Benedict College's season-opener.

"We are pleased to have SIAC football games on the ASPiRE Network this fall," said SIAC Commissioner Gregory Moore. "This partnership will provide our fans with multiple opportunities to follow our exceptional SIAC football programs and student-athletes throughout the season."

The SIAC football broadcast schedule will debut on ASPiRE on September 5th when Benedict College hosts Livingstone College in the annual Palmetto Capital City Classic in Columbia, South Carolina. The game kicks off at 4:30 p.m.

ASPiRE is available in the Columbia area on Time Warner Cable channel 185. For other areas, please check with your local cable provider. ASPiRE is not available on either satellite service – DISH and DirecTV.

In addition, ASPiRE will broadcast the Morehouse College against Tuskegee University at the historic A.J. McClung Stadium in Columbus, Georgia for the 80th annual Tuskegee/Morehouse Classic on October 10th.

ASPiRE will also broadcast games during the final two weeks of the season starting on November 7, with the 26th annual Fountain City Classic game between Albany State University and Fort Valley State University at AJ McClung Stadium in Columbus, Georgia, and the 2015 SIAC Football Championship Game between the East and West Division Champions at the Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Alabama on Saturday, November 14.

The upcoming games include:

Saturday, September 5 – Livingstone College at Benedict College. 4:30 p.m.
Saturday, October 10 – Morehouse College vs. Tuskegee University. 2:00 p.m.
Saturday, November 7– Albany State University vs. Fort Valley State University. 2:00 p.m.
Saturday, November 14 – SIAC Football Championship. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.

About ASPiRE
ASPiRE is a television network that celebrates the groundbreaking achievements of African-Americans. ASPiRE offers a diverse programming mix of movies, series and specials featuring music, comedy, drama, faith/inspiration, theater/performing arts, lifestyle and news/information. The network was launched June 27, 2012 by Magic Johnson Enterprises, which acts as a catalyst for driving unparalleled business results for its partners and fosters community/economic empowerment by making available high-quality entertainment, products and services that answer the demands of ethnically diverse urban communities. ASPiRE is available in over 20 million homes in 22 of the top 25 African-American markets including New York City, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Chicago and Washington, D.C. For more information, visit www.aspire.tv, facebook.com/aspireTV and on Twitter @tvASPiRE.

ABOUT THE SIAC:
The SIAC is a NCAA athletic conference consisting primarily of historically black colleges and universities with headquarters in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. The SIAC sponsors six women's sports and seven men's sports. Last year 388,787 fans attended SIAC football games as the SIAC once again led NCAA Division II in average football attendance for twenty-third time out of the past twenty-five years.

COURTESY BENEDICT COLLEGE SPORTS INFORMATION

Coppin State alum Stephanie Ready named first full-time female NBA game analyst

BALTIMORE, Maryland -- FOX Sports Southeast announced that Coppin State alum Stephanie Ready will make the move from the Charlotte Hornets sidelines to the broadcast booth with Eric Collins and Dell Curry, becoming the first full-time female NBA game analyst.

Ready has been a fixture with the Charlotte Hornets. She will be entering her 12th season with the Hornets telecasts. She was previously the host of Hornets LIVE! and an in-game sideline reporter.

"I've had a love affair with the game of basketball for as long as I can remember, both as a player and a coach," Ready said. "I'm honored and excited to be able to share my passion for this sport with our audience. FOX Sports and the Hornets have always taken pride in being innovative and forward-thinking. I'm extremely proud to be a part of history."



Prior to her broadcasting career, Ready was an assistant coach in the WNBA and the NBA D-League, making her the first woman to coach a men's professional sports team. Ready also spent two seasons as an assistant coach for the men's basketball program under former head coach Ron "Fang" Mitchell. At the time, Ready was the first female to hold the position of full-time recruiting assistant on an NCAA Division I men's basketball staff.

Ready was also a part-time sideline reporter for The NBA on TNT during the 2006 and 2007 NBA Playoffs, and the WNBA Playoffs on ESPN2 during 2006. Also in 2006 and 2007, Ready worked as a sideline reporter during the first and second rounds of the Women's Final Four of college basketball for ESPN2.

"I'm excited about it," Ready said about becoming the first full-time female NBA game analyst. "I look back at my career and the careers of other ladies who are in the same industry and I think of Ann Meyers, who is with the Phoenix Suns organization. She's a vice president there, so she's on the executive staff but she also is a television analyst. She's been on their broadcasts for a while, just not on a full-time basis because, as I said, she's an executive as well. She has proven herself and proven to people out there who might be a little more narrow-minded, that women are perfectly capable of doing the same jobs in this industry that men can do."

A native of Takoma Park, Maryland, by the time she graduated cum laude with a bachelor's degree in psychology, Ready was ranked in the top-10 on the career women's basketball list at Coppin State in steals (second), assists (fourth), points (eighth) and rebounds (tenth).

The following is courtesy of Matt Rochinski of hornets.com, who caught up with Ready to discuss her historic move.

On making the move to the Hornets broadcast booth:
I am thrilled – I'm over the moon with excitement. When I was a coach and considered getting into television, this was the job that I wanted. This was the reason that I got into sports broadcasting, because I wanted to be a game analyst. Even though I've done it all these years – some college games and some NBA games on a fill in basis – this will be the first time I get to focus primarily on the job that I love the most in television. I couldn't be more excited.

CLICK TO READ THE REST OF THE INTERVIEW HERE FROM NBA.COM

COURTESY COPPIN STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION 

Smith Named Chowan Assistant Women's Lacrosse Coach

MURFREESBORO, North Carolina -- The Chowan University Athletic Department along with Head Women's Lacrosse Coach Melissa Nakasuji announced the addition of Kyle Smith on Wednesday afternoon. Smith enters his first season with the Hawks and serves as the Assistant Women's Lacrosse Coach. He noted, "I am so excited to be part of a developing program and am thankful to Coach Nakasuji for bringing me in at such an exciting time".

Prior to joining the staff at Chowan, Smith served as the Women's Lacrosse Coach and Program Director at Otay Ranch High School in California during the 2014-15 season. While serving in that capacity, Smith was responsible for the development and supervision of the varsity and junior varsity programs. Under Smith's direction, the Otay varsity lacrosse team posted a 19-2 overall record and made an appearance in the Division 2 State Semi Finals. The team had four First Team All-Conference recipients and four Second Team All-Conference honorees. That same season, the program enjoyed an 11-game win streak and a Mesa Conference Championship.

Smith also gained experience as the Assistant Coach and Vice President of the Black Widow LAX Women's Lacrosse Club. As part of the organization, Smith organized practice and tournament schedules, developed practice plans and was an integral part of player recruitment and skill development and budget management.

Additionally, Smith served as an Assistant Coach/Defensive Coordinator for the Olympian High School men's varsity lacrosse program in 2014. After the program posted a 4-16 record in their inaugural season, Smith helped guide the team to a 13-7 record the following season including a Semi-Final playoff appearance in the state's Division 2 playoff. Smith also coached the South Bay Outlaws Boy's Lacrosse Club for three seasons.

Smith has a Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice from Western Michigan University and gained Professional Trainer/Nutritional Specialist Certifications from the International Sports Science Association in Carpenteria, California.

The Chesterfield, Michigan native currently resides in Murfreesboro with his wife, Kelly.

COURTESY CHOWAN UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Norfolk State Spartan Fan Fest is Aug. 29

NORFOLK, Virginia --  The Norfolk State University Department of Athletics will host Spartan Fan Fest beginning at noon on Saturday, Aug. 29.

The event, which is free and open to the public, begins with the Spartan football team's final preseason intrasquad scrimmage at noon at William "Dick" Price Stadium. Following the scrimmage, fans will have the opportunity to meet the football coaches and players, get autographs, play games, shop from vendors on site, and purchase their football season tickets and game-day parking passes. Football pocket schedules and posters will also be available for pickup.

Also at the Fan Fest, parents will be able to register their children for the 2015-16 Spartan Youth Club. Kids in attendance can also take advantage of face painting and back-to-school giveaways. Concessions will be available and a DJ will also be on location.

Matt Michalec, Asst. AD/Communications
COURTESY NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Duck Joins Chowan's Women Basketball Coaching Staff

MURFREESBORO -- The Chowan University athletic department along with Associate Athletic Director/Head Women's Basketball Coach Patrick Mashuda announced the addition of Dominique Duck to the women's basketball coaching staff.  Duck enters her first season with the Hawks and serves as the Assistant Women's Basketball Coach. 

Mashuda noted, "We are blessed to find such a quality person with a true passion for the game.  Dominique brings with her outstanding experience as a player at Western Kentucky as well as her time as a coach in the Western PA Bruins AAU program.  I believe we have two young coaching superstars working with our program". 

Duck added, "I am extremely excited to work with Coach Mashuda and to be part of the Chowan Hawks family.  I look forward to this upcoming season and to bringing my passion and love for the game of basketball with me every day to work". 

Prior to coming to Chowan, Duck gained coaching experience in the youth basketball arena.  She has served as head coach for the Western PA Bruins tenth and fifth grade AAU teams, respectively, and has also served as Assistant Coach/Head Junior Varsity Coach at Penn Hills High School and the Pittsburgh Obama Academy.  At each stop, Duck worked to mentor youth basketball players while teaching them fundamentals of the game, sportsmanship, teamwork and discipline. 

Duck served as a graduate assistant at Slippery Rock University from 2010-2011 where she assisted in opponent scouting, developed practice plans, monitored student-athlete academic progress and aided the coaches' recruiting efforts. 

Duck competed as a women's basketball student-athlete at Western Kentucky University.  She served as a team captain for two seasons and was named Sun Belt Conference Tournament Most Valuable Player in 2008.  Duck concluded her collegiate playing career as the No. 16 scorer in Western Kentucky program history with 1,344 points while setting the school record for career games played (137), tied for third in games started (121) and was ranked seventh in blocked shots (113). She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies from Western Kentucky University.  The Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania native resides in Murfreesboro.  

COURTESY CHOWAN UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Clemons Joins NSU Spartans Men’s Basketball Coaching Staff

C.J. CLEMONS
ASSISTANT MEN'S BASKETBALL COACH
NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY

NORFOLK, Virginia --  The Norfolk State athletics department announced today that local native and Norfolk State graduate Carlton "C.J." Clemons has joined the Spartan men's basketball program as an assistant coach.

Clemons arrives at NSU after spending two seasons as the head coach of Bryant & Stratton College in Virginia Beach. A graduate of Salem High School, Clemons brings extensive knowledge of Hampton Roads basketball after spending time at Booker T. Washington High in Norfolk and coaching with the Boo Williams 17 and under AAU team.

"Adding C.J. to our program was a huge accomplishment," said NSU head coach Robert Jones. "He has a big presence in Virginia basketball and especially in the 757 community. He will immediately strengthen our recruiting ties in the area. As an NSU grad, he possesses a special Spartan passion. He is a great basketball mind, and I look forward to working with him."

In addition to his coaching duties at Norfolk State, Clemons will serve as the liaison for the athletics compliance department, supervise the team's student managers, help run the program's summer camps, and handle all of the team's community outreach initiatives. Because of his extensive ties in the area, Clemons will also be in charge of local recruiting.

He led Bryant & Stratton, a Division II member of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), to a two-year record of 38-16 during the program's first two years of existence beginning in 2013-14. The Bobcats advanced to the NJCAA Region 10 semifinals in 2015 on the way to averaging 78 points per game and finishing as the No. 13 ranked team in NJCAA D-II.

Before joining Bryant & Stratton, Clemons spent time as the junior varsity head coach and assistant varsity coach at Booker T. Washington HS from 2008-13. Prior to his start with NSU, he coached with the Boo Williams 17 and under AAU team from 2009-15, including the final three years as the head coach. Clemons also coached with the S.M.A.R.T. Athletes Basketball Camp, run by former Spartan Kyle O'Quinn, from 2012-15.

Clemons graduated from Norfolk State in May 2005 with a bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary studies. His hiring completes NSU's coaching staff after the appointment of Kevin Jones as an assistant coach earlier this month.

 

By Mike Bello, Asst. SID

NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

 

Savannah State University security remains heightened; Deal comments; GBI says killer still unknown

SAVANNAH, Georgia -- As Savannah State University President Cheryl Dozier took the podium in front of Hill Hall late Friday morning, a Georgia Bureau of Investigation forensics truck was parked in front of the school’s police department.

“The Savannah State University family is grieving today,” she told reporters and faculty members in the wake of the Thursday night slaying of 22-year-old student Christopher Starks on campus. “Each of our students’ lives are precious and valued. It is a sad day any time a life is taken by senseless violence, and this is a particularly sad day for the Savannah State University family.”

Starks, a junior from Stone Mountain, died at Memorial University Medical Center after being shot at 9:15 p.m. during a fight in the university’s Student Union, said Cathy Sapp, the special agent in charge of the GBI’s local office.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports Starks was an aspiring musician who started his college career at Appalachian State University on a football scholarship.



CONTINUE READING