DES MOINES, Iowa – Following a challenging week, the Drake men's basketball team welcomes Jackson State to the Knapp Center on Dec. 10 at 2 p.m. Saturday's game will be the Bulldogs' first under head coach Jeff Rutter, who assumed the reins of the program on Dec. 6 following Ray Giacoletti's resignation. The game will be broadcast live on Mediacom MC22/The Valley on ESPN3 as well as radio coverage provided by 1350 ESPN Des Moines.
Drake (1-7) looks to rebound after falling in overtime, 78-76, to Fresno State last Saturday. The Bulldogs used a 10-1 run in the second half to help overcome a 20-point deficit to force overtime. Drake took its first lead of the game after opening the overtime period with a three-pointer by Billy Wampler however a Fresno State layup with 3.8 seconds left was enough to give them the victory. Wampler, who led the Bulldogs with 16 points against Fresno State, has recorded double-digit points in his last three games off the bench for Drake including a career-high 17 points at DePaul. Last season, Wampler scored in double-figures just three times all season.
Junior Reed Timmer enters Saturday's game needing just three points against the Tigers to become the 24th Bulldog all-time to reach 1,000 career points. Timmer would also become just the second active Missouri Valley player to reach 1,000 points.
Jackson State (2-6) comes to the Knapp Center for the second time in three years. In 2014, Drake handed the Tigers a 76-66 loss. Last season, Jackson State finished 20-16 before advancing to the second round of the CollegeInsider.com Tournament. The Tigers are led by senior guard Yettra Specks who is averaging more than 14 points per game. Specks scored 27 points and added six assists and four steals in Jackson State's 75-64 victory over Southern Miss last weekend.
Following Saturday's game, the Bulldogs will face Iowa State in the Hy-Vee Classic at Wells Fargo Arena at 6 p.m.
DRAKE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS
Saturday, December 10, 2016
TV: SEC Network: Texas A&M Aggies Host SC State at 8 pm ET
South Carolina State (2-6) at Texas A&M (6-2)Saturday, Dec. 10, 2016 · 7 p.m. (CT)
Reed Arena (12,989) · College Station, Texas
TV: SEC Network (For more info – 12thMan.com/TV)
Dave Baker, Play-by-Play
Will Perdue, Commentary
RADIO: WTAW 1620 AM (Bryan-College Station)
Dave South, Play-by-Play
Al Pulliam, Commentary
LIVE AUDIO/STATS: 12thman.com/live
LIVE MOBILE LIVE STATS: tamustats.com
COLLEGE STATION – Seeking a third consecutive win on its home court in less than a week, the Aggie men's basketball team is back in action inside Reed Arena on Saturday as it hosts South Carolina State at 7 p.m.
Saturday's game will be part of the always popular Holiday Hoops promotion which features adult general admission tickets for $5 and youth tickets at $3. Prior to the game, families can take advantage of Kid's Court, which features a bounce house, a crafts table, a visit from Santa Claus and other activities, inside the women's practice gym from 6:00 p.m. to 6:50 p.m.
The contest will be nationally televised on SEC Network with Dave Baker calling the play-by-play and Will Perdue providing color commentary. Additionally, radio coverage will be provided on the Aggie Sports Network, which can be heard locally in the Bryan/College Station area on WTAW (1620 AM).
On the court, the Aggies (6-2) will be aiming for a third straight win after dispatching Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Denver earlier in the week as the talented young team continues to come together in advance of SEC play and another run at the NCAA Tournament.
Texas A&M's offensive attack features five players who average 9.8 or more points with just one member of the group, junior Tonny Trocha-Morelos at 10.1 points per game, being an upperclassman.
Sophomore center Tyler Davis stands out as one of the country's best big men as the Preseason All-SEC honoree leads the Aggies in both scoring (13.6 points per game) and rebounding (7.5 rebounds per game).
Classmates Admon Gilder and DJ Hogg, meanwhile, have each made huge strides forward on the court after playing supporting roles in last season's SEC Championship and run to the Sweet 16. Gilder averages 12.1 points per contest while leading the Aggies with 40 assists while Hogg, who stands out as one of the SEC most-feared sharpshooters, contributes 12.3 points per game and paces the team with 16 made 3-pointers.
Rookie Robert Williams has emerged as one of the country's most exciting players, ranking among the national leaders with 21 blocked shots while chipping in 9.8 points per contest on the offensive end.
The Bulldogs come to Aggieland with a 2-6 overall record after falling 82-46 at Miami (Fla.) during their most recent outing. Senior guard Eric Eaves paces SC State in scoring at 13.3 points per game under the direction of fourth-year head coach Murray Garvin.
Saturday's affair will stand out as the first meeting between the schools on the hardwood, but fans may remember the South Carolina State football team made a visit to a visit to Kyle Field to take on the gridiron Aggies during the 2012 campaign.
TEXAS A&M'S STRONG TEAM DEFENSE (Through 12/8 games)
A calling card of Texas A&M basketball under Billy Kennedy has been a commitment to stifling team defense. This season is no different as the Aggies rank among the country's leaders, featuring both an in your face man-to-man defense as well as a long, athletic zone.
• Texas A&M ranks 36th nationally in scoring defense, holding opponents to just 62.6 points per game on average, and ranks 24th in the country in field goal percentage defense, limiting foes to just 37.5 percent shooting from the field.
• The Aggies have held all eight of their opponents to below their season average this season as well as limiting six of the eight teams to their lowest point total of the season ... Highlighting the list was UCLA, which ranks second nationally averaging 97.0 points per game, was held to 74 points.
WILLIAMS REVIVING AGGIES' BLOCK PARTY
Billed as one of the SEC's most athletic rookies, Robert Williams has wasted little time making his presence felt on the court for the Maroon & White and one of his biggest statistical impacts has come in the blocked shots column.
• As a team last season, the Aggies collected 133 blocks in 37 games for an average of 3.59 blocks per game ... This season in eight games, A&M has 52 blocks for an average of 6.5 per game.
• Williams has 21 blocks in eight games (2.6 per game) to rank seventh nationally in block percentage on kenpom.com (through Dec. 8 games). The metric is the percentage of opponents' two-point shots that are blocked by the player while he is on the court.
• The rookie from Vivan, La., notched five swats against Northwestern St. during his first collegiate game to become the first Aggie to notch five blocks in a game since Keith Davis vs. Sam Houston St. on Dec. 7, 2011.
• Williams also collected four swats against Denver on Dec. 7 to give him a blocked shot in eight straight games, the longest streak by an Aggie since Bryan Davis had a 17-game block streak from Nov. 29, 2009 to Feb. 3, 2010.
AGGIES FACE ARIZONA IN HOUSTON DURING LONE STAR SHOOTOUT
Having already faced a pair of Pac-12 schools this season in USC and UCLA, the Aggies will get another shot at a marquee victory against a well-regarded West Coast team when Texas A&M faces No. 20 Arizona inside Houston's Toyota Center on Dec. 17.
The contest will be the opening portion of an exciting college basketball doubleheader that will also feature Arkansas and Texas facing off on the hardwood at the Toyota Center following the A&M contest.
UP NEXT AFTER THE SOUTH CAROLINA STATE GAME
After a week off from competition, the Aggies will face their third Pac-12 opponent of the season next Saturday when they make the short trip to Houston to face No. 20 Arizona inside the Toyota Center ... Tip-off is slated for 11 a.m. with television coverage on ESPN2.
TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS
ESPN3: UMES Hawks Face 7-foot -6 Tall Order Against 6-1 Central Florida at 5 PM ET
ORLANDO, Florida -- When the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (1-8) takes on Central Florida (6-1) Saturday (Nov. 10) at 5 p.m., the Hawks will be facing their biggest challenge of the season — literally.At and 7-foot-6 and 290-pounds, sophomore center Tacko Fall is the largest player in Division I basketball. The Senegalese national is third on the team with 13.9 points per game and leads the club with 12.9 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per contest. He ranks second in the country in rebounding and in the top 20 in blocks. Fall’s best game this year came last month against Mississippi State as he netted 20 points and pulled down 13 boards in an 86-61 Knight win.
GAME NOTES
LIVE VIDEO
LIVE AUDIO
LIVE STATS
“You cannot teach size,” Hawks assistant coach Ace Custis said. “He has all the size attributes of a real true center — especially for college basketball and the professional level.”
Custis, who is 6-8, spent some time with the Dallas Mavericks and then played 14 years professionally in the U.S. and overseas after a Hall of Fame career at Virginia Tech.
“One of my former teammates, Shawn Bradley, was 7-6 in Dallas and I recall playing against him in practice and just his size a lone you have to respect. At 7-6, (Fall) will change the game just by being that size because a lot of shots in the paint and around the basket he will alter or block. You can’t get the same shots you normally do.”
A key for the Hawks will be to respect his size, while not getting intimidated.
“You are always going to notice his size no matter who you are on the court and whether you have seen someone his size on the court before,” Custis said. “You will always notice him and be aware of where he is at, but with a guy his size you have to attack his body, get in close to his body and take his length away from him.”
No player on the Shore roster is bigger than Isaac Taylor’s (Wachapreague, Virginia) 6-foot-8, while Derrico Peck (Atlanta, Georgia), Tyler Jones (Atlantic City, New Jersey), Deven Dorsett (Lithonia Georgia) and Bakari Copeland (Decatur, Georgia) are the only other Hawks 6-6 or bigger.
“Our guys I’m sure will be looking at his size early on and it is going to be a factor mentally,” Custis said. “But as the game goes on and they continue to play against him, they’ll relax and get back to normality.”
But as impactful as Fall will be with his size, Custis also pointed out that there are ways to counter it. It will just take execution.
“His size limits what he can do defensively,” Custis said. “You need to put him in situations where you can use his size to your advantage.”
That means among other things setting ball screens where he can’t switch or come out and hedge like a smaller quicker center would be able to should bring the Hawks some success.
But the Knights are not a one-man team. Sophomore point guard B.J Taylor leads the team in scoring (16.3 pg.), assists (5 pg.) and steals (1.4 pg.). Senior shooting guard Matt Williams is second on the team in scoring at 14.3 points per game and has made 23 3-pointers.
Junior shooting guard Ryan Andino (Fort Lauderdale, Florida) has led The Shore in scoring in three straight games. He comes into the battle in his home state averaging a team-high 14.6 points per game, while also shooting 48 percent (38-of-80) from 3-point land.
Copeland is second with 13.4 points per game and leads the team in rebounding at 5.7 per game. Logan McIntosh (Atlanta, Georgia) is third in scoring and leads the team in assists at 4.1 per game.
At 6-1, Central Florida is off to its best start since 2010-11 when it opened up at 14-0. The Knights’ only loss this season came against top-ranked defending national champs Villanova on Nov. 20.
The last matchup between the two squads happened Jan. 12 1987, when the Knights welcomed the Hawks to the old Education Gymnasium and won by a margin of 100-70. UCF had also previously played Eastern Shore at home in January of 1985, winning 70-58, before the series went on a freeze of nearly 30 years.
Games can be heard locally on Fox Sports Radio 960 AM WTGM or on www.EasternShoreHawks.com. Will DeBoer will have the call from Orlando Saturday at 5 p.m. on The Shore Sports Network.
Season tickets for the 2016-2017 season are on sale now starting at just $125, for all men’s and women’s home games. Did you know that a purchasing a season ticket helps all sports at Maryland Eastern Shore, not just basketball? To purchase season tickets, click here. For more information about the 1ticket Drive, log on to the web at easternshorehawks.com or call 410-651-6499. It’s time to show your #HawkPride!
UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS
ESPN 3: Buffalo to Face Coppin State at 2 PM ET
GAME NOTES VIDEO LIVE STATS LIVE AUDIO
Buffalo (4-5, 0-0 MAC) vs. Coppin St. (0-11, 0-0 MEAC)
December 10, 2016
Alumni Arena - 2:00 pm ET
Bulls on the Air
Radio - ESPN 1520-AM WWKB
Television - ESPN3
The Opening Tip...
• For just the second time this season the University at Buffalo men's basketball team will play inside the friendly confines of Alumni Arena when the Bulls host Coppin State on Saturday afternoon. UB is coming off a six-game road trip that saw the Bulls span the entire length of the United States, playing games in Alaska, Nebraska, New York, and Pennsylvania.
• According to the latest Kempom.com rankings, the Bulls have played the sixth toughest non-conference schedule in the nation in games played through Dec. 8. Of the top 10 teams in strength of schedule, the Bulls and Northwestern State have the most victories with four.
• Sophomore CJ Massinburg made his regular season debut on Wednesday night after missing the first eight games of the season due to mononucleosis. Massinburg played 25 minutes off the bench against Pitt, finishing the night with 14 points, three rebounds, and five assists. Freshman Quate McKinzie also made his return to the lineup after missing four games with a concussion. McKinzie had six points and six rebounds off the bench.
The Opponent
• Coppin State is 0-11 on the season after an 87-63 loss at Akron on Wednesday night. The Eagles have played one of the tougher schedules in the country and like the Bulls have played just one home game up until this point. Earlier this year, Coppin State lost a close game to Ball State 79-77.
• Coppin State is led by Josh Treadwell, who is averaging 9.8 points per game. The Eagles do not have a single play averaging double figures, but they have five players averaging at least 7.4 points per game. Tre' Thomas is averaging 9.7 points per contest and Dejuan Clayton averaged 8.5 points. Trey Harris and Blake Simpson are tied for the team-lead in boards with 4.9
• Coppin State ranks 14th in the nation in 3-pt field goal attempts (255) and 30th in total rebounds (385). They lead the MEAC in both of those categories and they are third in offensive rebounding at (12.18). Coppin State shot a season-best 47% from behind the arc in the game against the Zips.
• Michael Grant embarks on his third season as the head men's basketball coach at Coppin State University. He is the sixth head men's basketball coach since 1964. In 2015-16, the Eagles advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2016 MEAC Basketball Tournament for the second straight season after upsetting NC A&T in double overtime in the opening round. He has also been the coach at Stillman College, Southern University and Central State University. A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Grant also coached at Kentucky State University, Alleghany College, Cleveland State University, and the University of Toledo.
Home Cooking Awaits Bulls
After spending the last three full weeks playing on the road, Buffalo returns to Alumni Arena a six-game road trip where UB finished 2-4, with losses coming to teams in the Big East, ACC, Mountain West, and Atlantic 10.
UB returns home to face a Coppin State squad that is still looking for their first victory of 2016-17 and a team that has not won a non-conference game vs. a Division I team since December 11, 2013. The Bulls and Eagles have met just once in the all-time series, a 69-52 victory for Coppin State back in 1993.
Mystery, Alaska
The Bulls finished in third place at the Great Alaska Shootout with a 2-1 record over their three contests in Anchorage. Senior Blake Hamilton led all scorers in the field averaging 24.3 points per game. He had a career-high 36 points against Alaska-Anchorage, tied for the eighth most in the 39-year history of the tournament. Sophomore Nick Perkins was also named to the All-Tournament team following his first career double-double in the win over Weber State.
3-Peat After Me
The Bulls are looking to do something that no Mid-American Conference school has ever accomplished and that is win three straight MAC Tournament titles. Buffalo has already become the first team since Kent State to go in back-to-back seasons when the Golden Flashes did it in 2001 and 2002, but a third straight trip would make conference history. No Big 4 school has gone to three straight NCAA Tournament since Canisius in 1955-57.
Buffalo is one of only five programs to have won conference titles in both 2014-15 and 2015-16 joining Hampton (MEAC), Northern Iowa (Missouri Valley), Kentucky (SEC), and Gonzaga (WCC). Of that group, Gonzaga is the only one to have received three straight automatic bids into the NCAA Tournament.
Road Warriors
The Bulls will be traveling over 9,000 miles during non-conference play this season, having played eight of their first nine regular season games away from home, a stretch that concluded Wednesday at Pittsburgh. UB opened the season with a 76-66 win at Niagara before falling at nationally-ranked Xavier. Following a victory over Nazareth in the home opener, UB made the long trek to the Great White North when Buffalo played in Anchorage, Alaska for the Great Alaska Shootout. UB made a quick stop in Omaha, NE on the way back to face nationally-ranked Creighton and then returned to Western New York before making a trip down to St. Bonaventure this past Saturday afternoon. The road trip concluded Wednesday night at Pittsburgh. It will be the first of two straight trips to the Steel City for UB, who will face Robert Morris down there on Dec. 21.
For The Record
The Bulls had quite the historical evening during their home-opening victory against Nazareth. In the 85-38 win, UB allowed its fewest points in a game since Feb. 1, 1979 against Fredonia State. The Bulls also allowed 47 points fewer in the win over Nazareth than they did three days earlier at Xavier. The 47-point margin between two games is Buffalo's largest since the 1987-88 season when they allowed 125 points to St. Anselm in the season-opener and followed that up by allowing just 67 points in the next game against Queens College.
Easy Blake Oven
Senior Blake Hamilton begins his final season after being one of five players named to the All-MAC East Division squad in the preseason. Hamilton was named to the All-MAC Third Team last season and enters 2016-17 as the Bulls returning leading scorer and rebounder at 13.7 points per game and 7.1 rebounds per contest. Hamilton had a stellar first season with UB in 2015-16, but it will be his shot at the end of the MAC Championship game that will always be remembered by Bulls fans.
Hamilton missed most of the preseason due to a broken non-shooting hand, but he returned to the starting lineup for the regular season opener at Niagara where he had 11 points, eight rebounds, and five assists in 26 minutes of action. Hamilton recorded a career-high 11 assists in the win over Nazareth, the most by a UB player so far this season. He then showed his scoring touch in the opener of the Great Alaska Shootout with a career-high 36 points against Alaska-Anchorage, including 29 of those in the second half. The 36 points are tied for 10th in school history for a single game and the most since current teammate CJ Massinburg had 36 last season against Ohio. The 36 points are also tied for eighth most in a single game in the 38-year history of the Great Alaska Shootout. Hamilton added 23 points and eight rebounds in the win over Weber State and he led all scorers in the Great Alaska Shootout field. Hamilton added 21 points against Creighton and 20 points at St. Bonaventure and he scored over 20 points in four of the six games on the previous road trip.
UNIVERSITY OF BUFFALO ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS
Buffalo (4-5, 0-0 MAC) vs. Coppin St. (0-11, 0-0 MEAC)
December 10, 2016
Alumni Arena - 2:00 pm ET
Bulls on the Air
Radio - ESPN 1520-AM WWKB
Television - ESPN3
The Opening Tip...
• For just the second time this season the University at Buffalo men's basketball team will play inside the friendly confines of Alumni Arena when the Bulls host Coppin State on Saturday afternoon. UB is coming off a six-game road trip that saw the Bulls span the entire length of the United States, playing games in Alaska, Nebraska, New York, and Pennsylvania.
• According to the latest Kempom.com rankings, the Bulls have played the sixth toughest non-conference schedule in the nation in games played through Dec. 8. Of the top 10 teams in strength of schedule, the Bulls and Northwestern State have the most victories with four.
• Sophomore CJ Massinburg made his regular season debut on Wednesday night after missing the first eight games of the season due to mononucleosis. Massinburg played 25 minutes off the bench against Pitt, finishing the night with 14 points, three rebounds, and five assists. Freshman Quate McKinzie also made his return to the lineup after missing four games with a concussion. McKinzie had six points and six rebounds off the bench.
The Opponent
• Coppin State is 0-11 on the season after an 87-63 loss at Akron on Wednesday night. The Eagles have played one of the tougher schedules in the country and like the Bulls have played just one home game up until this point. Earlier this year, Coppin State lost a close game to Ball State 79-77.
• Coppin State is led by Josh Treadwell, who is averaging 9.8 points per game. The Eagles do not have a single play averaging double figures, but they have five players averaging at least 7.4 points per game. Tre' Thomas is averaging 9.7 points per contest and Dejuan Clayton averaged 8.5 points. Trey Harris and Blake Simpson are tied for the team-lead in boards with 4.9
• Coppin State ranks 14th in the nation in 3-pt field goal attempts (255) and 30th in total rebounds (385). They lead the MEAC in both of those categories and they are third in offensive rebounding at (12.18). Coppin State shot a season-best 47% from behind the arc in the game against the Zips.
• Michael Grant embarks on his third season as the head men's basketball coach at Coppin State University. He is the sixth head men's basketball coach since 1964. In 2015-16, the Eagles advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2016 MEAC Basketball Tournament for the second straight season after upsetting NC A&T in double overtime in the opening round. He has also been the coach at Stillman College, Southern University and Central State University. A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Grant also coached at Kentucky State University, Alleghany College, Cleveland State University, and the University of Toledo.
Home Cooking Awaits Bulls
After spending the last three full weeks playing on the road, Buffalo returns to Alumni Arena a six-game road trip where UB finished 2-4, with losses coming to teams in the Big East, ACC, Mountain West, and Atlantic 10.
UB returns home to face a Coppin State squad that is still looking for their first victory of 2016-17 and a team that has not won a non-conference game vs. a Division I team since December 11, 2013. The Bulls and Eagles have met just once in the all-time series, a 69-52 victory for Coppin State back in 1993.
Mystery, Alaska
The Bulls finished in third place at the Great Alaska Shootout with a 2-1 record over their three contests in Anchorage. Senior Blake Hamilton led all scorers in the field averaging 24.3 points per game. He had a career-high 36 points against Alaska-Anchorage, tied for the eighth most in the 39-year history of the tournament. Sophomore Nick Perkins was also named to the All-Tournament team following his first career double-double in the win over Weber State.
3-Peat After Me
The Bulls are looking to do something that no Mid-American Conference school has ever accomplished and that is win three straight MAC Tournament titles. Buffalo has already become the first team since Kent State to go in back-to-back seasons when the Golden Flashes did it in 2001 and 2002, but a third straight trip would make conference history. No Big 4 school has gone to three straight NCAA Tournament since Canisius in 1955-57.
Buffalo is one of only five programs to have won conference titles in both 2014-15 and 2015-16 joining Hampton (MEAC), Northern Iowa (Missouri Valley), Kentucky (SEC), and Gonzaga (WCC). Of that group, Gonzaga is the only one to have received three straight automatic bids into the NCAA Tournament.
Road Warriors
The Bulls will be traveling over 9,000 miles during non-conference play this season, having played eight of their first nine regular season games away from home, a stretch that concluded Wednesday at Pittsburgh. UB opened the season with a 76-66 win at Niagara before falling at nationally-ranked Xavier. Following a victory over Nazareth in the home opener, UB made the long trek to the Great White North when Buffalo played in Anchorage, Alaska for the Great Alaska Shootout. UB made a quick stop in Omaha, NE on the way back to face nationally-ranked Creighton and then returned to Western New York before making a trip down to St. Bonaventure this past Saturday afternoon. The road trip concluded Wednesday night at Pittsburgh. It will be the first of two straight trips to the Steel City for UB, who will face Robert Morris down there on Dec. 21.
For The Record
The Bulls had quite the historical evening during their home-opening victory against Nazareth. In the 85-38 win, UB allowed its fewest points in a game since Feb. 1, 1979 against Fredonia State. The Bulls also allowed 47 points fewer in the win over Nazareth than they did three days earlier at Xavier. The 47-point margin between two games is Buffalo's largest since the 1987-88 season when they allowed 125 points to St. Anselm in the season-opener and followed that up by allowing just 67 points in the next game against Queens College.
Easy Blake Oven
Senior Blake Hamilton begins his final season after being one of five players named to the All-MAC East Division squad in the preseason. Hamilton was named to the All-MAC Third Team last season and enters 2016-17 as the Bulls returning leading scorer and rebounder at 13.7 points per game and 7.1 rebounds per contest. Hamilton had a stellar first season with UB in 2015-16, but it will be his shot at the end of the MAC Championship game that will always be remembered by Bulls fans.
Hamilton missed most of the preseason due to a broken non-shooting hand, but he returned to the starting lineup for the regular season opener at Niagara where he had 11 points, eight rebounds, and five assists in 26 minutes of action. Hamilton recorded a career-high 11 assists in the win over Nazareth, the most by a UB player so far this season. He then showed his scoring touch in the opener of the Great Alaska Shootout with a career-high 36 points against Alaska-Anchorage, including 29 of those in the second half. The 36 points are tied for 10th in school history for a single game and the most since current teammate CJ Massinburg had 36 last season against Ohio. The 36 points are also tied for eighth most in a single game in the 38-year history of the Great Alaska Shootout. Hamilton added 23 points and eight rebounds in the win over Weber State and he led all scorers in the Great Alaska Shootout field. Hamilton added 21 points against Creighton and 20 points at St. Bonaventure and he scored over 20 points in four of the six games on the previous road trip.
UNIVERSITY OF BUFFALO ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS
TV: ACC Regional Sports Networks: #11 Louisville Hosts Texas Southern at 2 pm ET
Date: Dec. 10, 2016Time: 2:04 p.m. ET
Site: KFC Yum! Center/Crum Court, Louisville, Ky. (22,000) (104-14 in 7th year)
Television: ACC Regional Sports Networks Wes Durham, play-by-play; Jason Capel, analyst.
Radio: WKRD (790 AM) - Paul Rogers, play-by-play; Bob Valvano, analyst (Sirius channel 134, XM 193, Internet 955)
Series History: First meeting
UofL National Ranking: 13th USA Today, 11th Associated Press
Officials: Ted Valentine, Jeb Hartness, Bill McCarthy
Next UofL Game: Dec. 17 vs. Eastern Kentucky, Billy Minardi Classic, KFC Yum! Center, Noon ET (Regional Sports Networks)
Louisville will play its second of five straight at home in the KFC Yum! Center as the Cardinals face the Texas Southern Tigers on Saturday. Louisville prevailed 74-51 over Southern Illinois on Wednesday after the Cardinals bolted out to a 19-4 lead in about the first eight minutes of the game. Louisville limited the Salukis to 35.2 percent shooting from the field, 12 percentage points below their average entering the game and the sixth time this season that UofL has held an opponent below 36 percent accuracy from the field.Two Cardinals are averaging double figures after the first three games of the season. Sophomore Donovan Mitchell leads Louisville in scoring with 11.3 points per game while Quentin Snider is second on the team with 10.3 points. Deng Adel is the third leading scorer with 9.9 points per game. Jaylen Johnson leads the team on the boards with 8.2 rebounds per game while also averaging 9.2 points per game. Snider leads the team with 32 assists on the year.
As a team, the Cardinals are shooting 42.9 percent from the field and 31.2 percent from behind the arc. UofL is averaging 44.1 rebounds per game while holding opponents to just 34.8 rebounds a game.
Texas Southern fell 74-70 over Southern Illinois -- UofL's opponent on Wednesday – on Dec. 3 in its last outing as Zach Lofton led the Tigers with 26 points and four steals. The Tigers have had the week off before visiting Louisville, the eighth straight road game for Texas Southern. TSU led by two with 1:30 remaining before SIU scored the last six points of the game.
The Tigers have had the week off before visiting Louisville, their eighth straight road game. Texas Southern (4-4) posted an 18-15 record last year, won the Southwestern Athletic Conference regular season championship and participated in the postseason NIT. Sophomore forward Derrick Griffin, the SWAC Player of the Year last season, averages 12.1 points and a team-high 9.6 rebounds while shooting 77.1 percent from the field, sixthbest
in the nation. Junior guard Zach Lofton is the Tigers' top scorer, averaging 21.0 points per game (36th in the nation). Highly regarded freshman guard Demontrae Jefferson is expected to make his debut for Texas Southern against Louisville on Saturday.
Texas Southern is the second first-time opponent for the Cardinals this season (Baylor was the other). Louisville has a 47-3 record in first-time meetings with opponents under coach Rick Pitino, including an 18-1 record since the 2010-11 season.
CARD FILE
- UofL Coach Rick Pitino, who has a 399-163 record in his 16th season at Louisville, will be seeking his 400th victory with the Cardinals on Saturday. He won his 750th career collegiate victory when the Cardinals beat Wichita State on Nov. 24. He is one of five active coaches with at least 750 victories.
- Louisville has a 28-4 record during the month of December over the last five years, winning 16 of its last 19 in that month.
- Attendance at the KFC Yum! Center surpassed the 2.5 million mark in its last game. A total of 2,515,173 fans have flocked to the arena to watch UofL play in the Cardinals' seven seasons, an average of 21,315 fans per game.
- Louisville has won 51 of its last 52 non-conference games at home in the KFC Yum! Center, spanning the last seven seasons. UofL has an overall 104-14 record in the spectacular arena, including a 60-3 record against non-conference opponents. The Cards have won their last 15 home games vs. non-conference opponents.
- Donovan Mitchell leads the ACC and is 21st in the nation in steals (2.4 per game). His seven steals against Old Dominion matched the fourth-most ever at UofL. His 22 steals in nine games is just three less than he had his entire freshman year.
- Louisville's 154 victories over the last six years are the fifth-most wins in the nation in that stretch. The Cards are one of just three teams to win at least 30 games in three of the last five seasons (30-10 in 2011-12, 35-5 in '12-13, 31-6 in '13-14).
- Louisville is one of just four schools which have won 20 or more games in each of the last 14 seasons (also Kansas, Duke and Gonzaga).
UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS
Friday, December 9, 2016
MSU promotes Fred T. Farrier to full-time head coach
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| FRED T. FARRIER |
Farrier, a native of Cleveland Heights, Ohio, becomes the 14th head football coach in MSU history.
"In my assessment of the football program it became clear to me that Coach Farrier is committed to the values of Morgan State University and the athletics department," said Scott. Fred has shown a true commitment to the overall student-athlete experience and he provides much needed stability for our program moving forward."
"I am confident that under Coach Farrier's leadership our young men will make us all proud, in the classroom, community and on the field."
Since taking over as interim coach in February, Farrier has guided the Bears to a 3-8 overall record and a 3-5 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference mark. The Bears completed the season with four student-athletes recognized to the All-MEAC Team and 15 selected to the MEAC's All-Academic Team.
"It is an honor and a privilege to be named the permanent head football coach at Morgan State University," said Farrier. "I want to thank my family, Danita, India and Fred II for their love, support and understanding."
"I want to thank Dr. David Wilson [President], Dr. Kevin Banks [V.P. of Student Affairs] and Ed Scott for their support and trust and the opportunity to return this program to greatness. Our goal is to create men that are prepared for life and graduate with a degree from Morgan State University. Our goal is to win the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title and to play in the Air Force Reserves Celebration Bowl in Atlanta. There is a lot of work to do and I am confident we can accomplish our goals."
"Morgan State football has a bright future and I am excited to be a part of it to contribute to the legacy of those that have come before me and those that will continue to walk this beautiful campus long after my time here is completed."
Farrier originally joined the Bears in 2014 as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. He oversaw the development of quarterback Moses Skillon, who was the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference's No. 5 leading passer in 2015.
Under Farrier's watch, Skillon completed 50.5 percent of his passes for 1,616 yards and 7 touchdowns and rushed for 420 yards and five scores in 2015. In 2014, Skillon passed for 1,392 and 11 touchdowns and led the Bears to its first MEAC championship in 35 years and its first ever FCS playoff appearance.
Farrier, a 16-year veteran of college football coaching ranks, joined the Bears after spending a pair of seasons as the passing game coordinator at RPI (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute). Farrier served four seasons as the head coach of Kentucky State (2005-09), where he coached the Thoroughbreds to an average of over 30 points and 375 yards per game.
Prior to that, he was the associate head coach and offensive coordinator at Shaw University in 2004, where he led the Bears to a CIAA championship and Pioneer Bowl.
Farrier also served as the wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator at Tennessee Tech from 2001-03. Farrier broke into coaching at Michigan State University where he served two seasons (1998-99) as a graduate assistant coach under head coach Nick Saban, now head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Farrier was an all-conference athlete in football and basketball during his prep career at Cleveland Heights High School, and played wide receiver at the College of the Holy Cross. Farrier also played basketball for two seasons and received his bachelor's degree in economics and accounting in 1994, and earned his master's degree from Tennessee Tech in 2004.
Farrier, 44, and his wife, Danita, have a son, Fred II, and daughter, India.
Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified Doctoral Research Institution offering more than 70 academic programs leading to bachelor's degrees as well as programs at the master's and doctoral levels. As Maryland's premier public urban research university, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. More information about the university is available at www.morgan.edu.
MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS
Fobbs: Celebration Bowl buzz is 'amazing'
ATLANTA, Georgia -- The renewed relevancy of Grambling football is becoming so strong that coach Broderick Fobbs can't go out in public without being ambushed — in a good way.
Just a few years removed from consecutive losing seasons, the Tigers will play on the biggest stage of black college football next weekend in the Celebration Bowl against North Carolina Central.
And everyone seems to have noticed.
"The buzz is amazing. I was in the grocery story (Wednesday) just picking up something and a 70-year-old woman just bear hugged me and almost knocked me down. I almost signed her up," Fobbs joked at Thursday's Celebration Bowl press conference in Atlanta. "But it's exciting and we're excited about the direction we're headed."
Encounters like what Fobbs saw in the grocery store are common place. There's plenty of pride from Grambling fans in Louisiana and across the country with the roll the Tigers are on.
Grambling (10-1) just won its first Southwestern Athletic Conference championship since 2011 and has dropped just two conference games in Fobbs' three years at the helm.
CONTINUE READING
Just a few years removed from consecutive losing seasons, the Tigers will play on the biggest stage of black college football next weekend in the Celebration Bowl against North Carolina Central.
And everyone seems to have noticed.
"The buzz is amazing. I was in the grocery story (Wednesday) just picking up something and a 70-year-old woman just bear hugged me and almost knocked me down. I almost signed her up," Fobbs joked at Thursday's Celebration Bowl press conference in Atlanta. "But it's exciting and we're excited about the direction we're headed."
Encounters like what Fobbs saw in the grocery store are common place. There's plenty of pride from Grambling fans in Louisiana and across the country with the roll the Tigers are on.
Grambling (10-1) just won its first Southwestern Athletic Conference championship since 2011 and has dropped just two conference games in Fobbs' three years at the helm.
CONTINUE READING
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