LSWA selects XULA' s Moses Louisiana Coach of the Year

NEW ORLEANS — For the second time in three years, Xavier University of Louisiana's Joseph Moses is Louisiana Coach of the Year in women's track and field.
     
A Louisiana Sports Writers Association of college sports publicists selected Moses. The LSWA announced the honor and its 2017 All-Louisiana men's and women's teams late Saturday.
     
Moses coached XULA to the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference women's team championship, its fourth in five years. The Gold Nuggets won just 5-of-20 events at conference but had great depth — 20-of-24 athletes scored. Freshmen and sophomores combined for 86 percent of XULA's points at conference.
    
Additional season highlights:
     •  School records in the 1,600-meter relay, 3,200 relay and 400.
     •  XULA qualified for the NAIA National Championships in four events (five entries) and scored in two.
     •  Junior Drew Chatters (javelin) and sophomore Brianna Pace (distance) were named CoSIDA Academic All-District — and Chatters earned second-team Academic All-America.
     
Moses outpolled Loyola's Nick Dodson, LSU's Dennis Shaver and Tulane's Eric Peterson for the state award. Shaver was voted men's Coach of the Year.
     
The coaching honor is Moses' 12th at the state level. In cross country, Moses has won the women's award six times and the men's honor four times.

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
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RICK CLEVELAND: In college athletics, the rich get richer

JACKSON, Mississippi -- USA Today’s recent report about athletic budgets at universities around the country raised some eyebrows in Mississippi.

The headlines told us Jackson State ($7.6 million), Alcorn State ($6.7 million) and Mississippi Valley State ($4.3 million), which all compete in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), all were among the lowest spenders in Division I.

Valley ranked No. 228 of 230 schools, Alcorn No. 225, and JSU No. 220.

Meanwhile, Ole Miss’ athletic revenue was highest among Mississippi universities at $110.5 million, followed by Mississippi State at $94.9 million.

The Southern Miss athletic budget checked in at $25.9 million.

Of course, everything is relative, and all the Mississippi schools were near the bottom of their respective conferences. JSU, Alcorn and Valley were all at or near the bottom of the SWAC. Ole Miss and State were among the lowest spenders in the SEC. And Southern Miss was next to lowest in Conference USA.

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S.C. State quarterbacks talented, but inexperienced

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- A quick examination of the 2017 South Carolina State projected preseason football roster finds six quarterbacks listed.

Missing from that group are the two signal-callers who shared the quarterbacking duties on the 2016 team. Adrian Kollock Jr. completed his studies and playing eligibility and the once-promising Caleb York (1,116 passing yards in 2016) transferred to play at Campbell University.

That leaves Bulldog head coach Buddy Pough and his staff having to rely mostly on a youthful group of quarterbacks in 2017. The group has promise and loads of talent, but little game experience. That could prove to be big in a conference that has become more and more reliant on a top performer behind center.

The Bulldog quarterback logjam most likely signals a fierce preseason battle to win the position and lead S.C. State on the field September 3 against Southern University in Baton Rouge, La.

Leading the pack are ...

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'When Rickie says something, we listen:' Former Southern star Rickie Weeks a steadying influence for Rays

ST. PETERSBURG, Florida — Inside the home clubhouse at Tropicana Field, it’s a night for good times. The sound system’s thump-thump-thump sets a fun-loving mood. Players for the Tampa Bay Rays, enjoying a victory, are making light-hearted conversation while mixing in occasional hijinks.

Over in the corner, it’s all business.

The team’s oldest player, Rickie Weeks Jr., is quietly sitting at his locker stall, slowly putting himself together, his back to the room.

Soon, he will slip away, barely making a sound.



“But when Rickie says something, we listen,’’ Rays pitcher Alex Cobb said. “He knows how to act like a pro. We respect him so much. Nobody has to say it. It’s just the truth.’’

To the untrained eye, Weeks appears to be a veteran with his best days long behind him, a name that once generated considerable buzz and All-Star votes. Now a first baseman who plays almost exclusively against left-handed pitching, the former Southern star batted .216 with two home runs and eight RBIs before landing on the disabled list.

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SWAC Basketball Tournament Trophy To Be Named After Legendary Coach Davey Whitney

LORMAN, Mississippi  -- The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) men's basketball championship trophy will bear the name of an iconic Alcorn State University sports figure.

The SWAC Council of Presidents and Chancellors voted to name the Men's SWAC Championship Basketball Tournament trophy after the legendary Coach Davey L. Whitney.

Whitney posted a 508-292 record at Alcorn including a 259-115 mark in the SWAC. He coached the Braves for 27 seasons over two stints from 1969-89 and 1996-03.

Whitney guided Alcorn to 12 SWAC Championships and was a nine-time SWAC Coach of the Year winner. His 508 wins are the most in school history, ahead of Dwight Fisher who recorded 190 victories from 1948-56.

Furthermore, Whitney coached three SWAC Player of the Year winners (Larry Smith twice and Michael Phelps once) and six SWAC Tournament MVP's (Larry Smith twice, Aaron Brandon twice, Albert Irving and Marcus Fleming).

President Alfred Rankins Jr. commended the Council for recognizing Whitney's achievements.

"I am pleased that the SWAC Council of Presidents and Chancellors recognized the great accomplishment and contributions of Coach Whitney by naming the tournament championship trophy in his honor," said Rankins. "Coach Whitney was one of the best Division I coaches of all time."

Whitney, who passed away in 2015, coached at Alcorn to a win over Mississippi State 80-78 in the 1979 National Invitation Tournament (NIT). Whitney led Alcorn to a win against South Alabama in the first round of the 1980 NCAA Tournament, which was the first time a historically black college and university had won in the tournament. Whitney also guided Alcorn to NCAA Tournament wins in 1983 and 1984 and six appearances in the dance.

Whitney was elected to the Kentucky State University Hall of Fame in 1976, the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 1991, the Alcorn State University Hall of Honors in 1993, the Alcorn State University Sports Hall of Fame in 1996 and the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010.

The Whitney family expressed their appreciation upon receiving the good news. Gail Whitney, Coach Whitney's daughter, said that the family is grateful for the love and support that the SWAC and the University has shown for her late father.

"The Whitney family would like to extend our appreciation to the Southwestern Athletic Conference and Alcorn State University for honoring the legacy of our father, Davey "The Wiz" Whitney, Sr.," said Whitney. "We look forward to the first presentation of the trophy at the 2017-2018 SWAC Basketball Tournament Championship."

Alcorn renamed its basketball gym to the Davey L. Whitney Complex in 1995. It was previously known as Scalpin' Grounds Arena. Whitney was one of the few coaches in the history of the sport to ever coach in a building that was named after him.

ALCORN STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Fobbs: GSU Offense may take time to be as potent

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Expectations on the offensive side of the ball soar when the conference Offensive Player of the Year returns to the huddle.

With rising senior quarterback DeVante Kincade piloting the attack, Grambling State’s offensive firepower in 2017 has the chance to pack more gunpowder than last season’s potent arsenal that put up almost 40 points per game and scored 66 touchdowns.



Kincade, in his first year starting, accounted for 35 of those scores, with 31 coming through the air along with 3,022 passing yards, making him the lone 3,000-yard passer in the SWAC last season and landed him Preseason Offensive Player of the Year honors at the conference’s annual Media Day Friday in Birmingham.

Preseason first-team All-Conference running back Martez Carter, looking to improve off his successful junior campaign of 891 yards and 10 touchdowns, also comes back to fully load the backfield chamber, giving the Tigers the most proven one-two punch in the league.

But standout wide receiver Chad Williams is gone and now lines up wide with the Arizona Cardinals. Three of GSU’s offensive linemen have graduated, and while those departures don’t diminish fourth-year head football coach Broderick Fobbs’ confidence, they do illicit some pause.

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FAMU High School Band Camp Halftime Show 2017

COURTESY: Derrell Smith, Videographer