Morgan State Women's Basketball Star Corin 'Tiny' Adams In Midst Of International Odyssey

ATHENS, Greece -- Former Morgan State women's basketball star Corin "Tiny" Adams, whose 2,058 career points with the Bears are the most among men and women at the school, completed her seventh season playing overseas this spring after a successful season with Panathinaikos Athens. The team finished third in Greece's A1 national women's basketball league during the 2016-17 season.

Primarily a pick-and-roll style point guard, the 5-foot-7 Adams averaged 11.5 points, 4.3 assists, 3.7 defensive rebounds and 3.1 steals per game with Panathinaikos this season.

For Adams, 28, it was a long, winding road to Greece, which she described as a "great experience" and said she "felt like a real, real pro for the first time" thanks, in part, to Panathinaikos' professional staff.

Playing overseas has presented unique opportunities for Adams, such as exploring Europe with her mother, Gwendolyn, during her teams' winter breaks and experiencing different cultures -- Adams proudly said she's eaten Caracois (Portuguese snail). She's now played in 15 different countries internationally, including 13 in Europe.

But playing overseas wasn't necessarily Adams' first choice. Hailing from Brooklyn, N.Y., Adams averaged 19.4 points and 4.1 rebounds per game and was named the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Player of the Year during her senior year at Morgan State in 2009-10. She had hoped to parlay a terrific four-year college career into a shot at a WNBA roster. But that chance evaporated before it ever materialized, a harbinger of the challenges to come overseas.

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Wash High’s Blount moves on from Duquesne to NCCU

DURHAM, North Carolina -- There was much more on the mind of Khalid Blount as he got into a three-point stance during spring football practices throughout March at Duquesne University. It wasn’t a worry about execution. It was a decision about leaving.

The 2015 Washington High School graduate had a good understanding of what needed to be done to get playing time on Saturdays, rotating on the Dukes’ defensive line in 10 games as a freshman.

Blount recorded five tackles – three solo – while taking up blockers and plugging holes from his tackle spot. He knew he could play, but wasn’t sure this was the place.

“When the thought of transferring came into my head, I was always telling myself it was something I didn’t want to do,” Blount remembered.

“I liked Duquesne,” he continued. “When I was on the football field, I was happy. Once I got away from football, I just wasn’t happy. As spring progressed, I had talked to my brothers, my family and God about it.”

Through those conversations, and a desire to move further away than the 25-minute drive home Blount made on many weekends, he finally decided to transfer to North Carolina Central University.

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Ex-NCAA scoring leader Daniel ready to return for new team

KNOXVILLE, Tennessee — Tennessee guard James Daniel III finally has the chance to deliver a follow-up performance to his 2015-16 NCAA scoring title, an opportunity that essentially eluded him last season.

After an ankle injury caused Daniel to play just two games last season at Howard, the 6-foot graduate transfer brings experience and offence to Tennessee’s backcourt.

“I wanted to go on the biggest stage for my last year and try to pursue my hopes and dreams since I’ve been a little kid, which was to get to the NBA,” Daniel said.

Daniel likely won’t be shooting or scoring as much as he did at Howard, where he averaged 27.1 points per game to lead all Division I players in 2015-16. He’s more interested in getting to the NCAA Tournament, something he hasn’t done and Tennessee hasn’t accomplished since 2014.

“At this point in my career I’m ready to win,” Daniel said. “That’s pretty much what I have to do. I feel like if we win, my personal goals will be met.”

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Jackson State Football Adds Two Assistant Coaches

JACKSO, Mississippi -- Jackson State University head football coach Tony Hughes has added Carl “Big C” Roberts and Lionel Stokes to the Tigers coaching staff. Roberts will serve as the offensive line coach and Stokes will take over defensive back responsibilities.

Roberts, a long time offensive line coach at JSU, was most recently the Assistant Head Coach and Offensive Line Coach at Texas Southern (2012-2015). Roberts has over 30 years of coaching experience. He first joined the JSU coaching staff in 1983 as a graduate assistant. He came on as a full time staff member in 1987, when he served as the offensive line and strength coach. He remained a member of the JSU coaching staff until 2003. After at stint at Grambling State, he returned to JSU as a special teams coach in 2010.​

While in college, Roberts was an outstanding offensive guard for Jackson State (1979-82). He was a three-time All-SWAC team member and went on to play for the Oklahoma Outlaws and the San Antonio Gunslingers (USFL).

​”Coach Roberts brings a wealth of experience back to Jackson State,” said Hughes. ” He has a proven track record of producing great offensive linemen. He has an outstanding relationship with the community and we are proud to welcome him back.”​

Stokes comes to JSU after serving as the linebackers coach at Louisiana-Lafayette. Before coming on as a full​-​time member of the Ragin’ Cajuns coaching staff, Stokes spent two seasons (2014-2015) as a graduate assistant on Louisiana-Lafayette’s defensive coaching staff. Before going into coaching,

Stokes played two seasons at Copiah Lincoln Community College before finishing his playing career at Louisiana-Lafayette (2010-12). He was a two year starter at defensive back for the Ragin’ Cajuns. In 25 games he recorded 135 tackles and had five interceptions playing both corner and safety.

​”Stokes, who is a lifelong Mississippi resident, is a young and energetic coach,” said Hughes. “He brings a lot of intensity to the program. He has proven to be an outstanding position coach. He will enhance play making on the field, as well as with recruiting.”

JSU reports to campus for training camp on July 25 and the Tigers open the 2017 season on September 2 when they travel to Fort Worth, Texas to face TCU.

JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

MEAC Announces 2017 Football Media Day Student-Athlete Attendees

NORFOLK, Virginia -- The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) has announced its list of student-athlete attendees for the 2017 MEAC Football Media Day and luncheon on Friday, July 28 at the Marriott Waterside Hotel.

Twenty-two student-athletes and head football coaches from the MEAC's 11 football playing institutions will kick off the 2017 football season. ESPN college football analyst and former Howard University quarterback Jay Walker along with College Football Hall of Famer and former SC State head coach Willie Jeffries will serve as co-master of ceremonies for the second consecutive year.

A limited number of tickets are available to the public for the press luncheon and can be purchased by calling the MEAC Office at (757) 951-2055. Tickets are $30 per seat or $300 per table (10 persons) and must be purchased by 5:30 p.m. on Friday, July 21 in order to obtain the special rate.

Media members may obtain a credential for the luncheon and/or one-on-one interviews by completing an application found on www.MEACSports.com. One-on-one interviews will begin promptly at 9:00 a.m. followed by the luncheon at noon.

The 2017 MEAC football season kicks off on Saturday, Aug. 26 as Florida A&M will host Texas Southern in a non-conference game.

South Carolina State will travel to Baton Rouge, La. to face Southern University in the 13th annual MEAC/SWAC Challenge on Labor Day Weekend, Sunday, Sept. 3 at 2:30 p.m. Details and ticket information can be found on www.meacswacchallenge.com.

For more information about the MEAC, log on to www.MEACsports.com.

Click the link below to access the credential application:
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https://secure.sportssystems.com/events2/?eventKey=2cf59acf-db9a-4cc9-8db4-672365db65a8


Bethune-Cookman
QB Frank Brown (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.)
LB Trenton Bridges (DeLand, Fla.)

Delaware State
RB Brycen Alleyne (Wilmington, Del.)
LB Brian Cavicante (Portsmouth, Va.)

Florida A&M
OL Osman Aguilera (Miami, Fla.)
DL Calvin Darville (Belle Glades, Fla.)

Hampton
RB Yahkee Johnson (Richmond, Va.)
LB Steven Smith (Virginia Beach, Va.)

Howard
TE Howard Warren (Hopewell. Va.)
LB Devin Rollins (Miami, Fla.)

Morgan State
QB Elijah Staley (Marietta, Ga.)
DL A.J. Agbelese (Lanham, Md.)

Norfolk State
WR Marcus Taylor (Highland Springs, Va.)
DL Chris Lee (Woodbridge, Va.)

North Carolina A&T State
OL Brandon Parker (Kannapolis, N.C.)
DB Zerius Lockhart (Auburn, Ala.)

North Carolina Central
RB Ramone Simpson (Wilmington, N.C.)
DL Antonio Brown (Jacksonville, Fla.)

Savannah State
QB Tino Smith II (Carmel, Ind.)
LB Mulik Simmons (Savannah, Ga.)

South Carolina State
QB Dewann Ford, Jr. (Atlanta, Ga.)
LB Darius Leonard (Lake View, S.C.)

MEAC MEDIA RELATIONS

WSSU ready to be favorites yet again in CIAA

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- When you are the top dog in the CIAA, heading to yet another media day means one thing.

“I’m sure somebody will take whatever we say and use it against us,” coach Kienus Boulware of Winston-Salem State said.

The conference will hold its football media day later this week in Salem, Va., the site of the CIAA championship game in November, and when the preseason coaches’ poll is released it’s a safe bet the Rams will be the favorite again.

As two-time defending league champions who have most of their top players back, it would be a surprise if the Rams weren’t the favorite.

“It’s a great position to be in, and I don’t mind being the hunted,” said Boulware, who will begin his fourth season as head coach this fall. “It says a lot about where we are as a program, and because we are back-to-back champions, one of the hardest things we are going to do is try to defend those titles.”

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SC State LB Will Battle The Big Boys For The Butkus

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- He's the reigning MEAC Defensive Player of the Year and now South Carolina State senior linebacker Darius Leonard finds himself on a list with college football's heavyweights as they up for a national award.

Leonard joins Skai Moore from USC and Kendall Joseph from Clemson on the 51-player watch list for the Butkus Award. The award is named after former Chicago Bear Dick Butkus who wore the #51. A 51-person panel compiled the list of candidates for the award which is presented by the Butkus Foundation.

Leonard led the MEAC with 124 tackles and finished 4th in the FCS with 78 solo tackles. He also added14.5 tackles for a loss of 64 yards, 3.5 sacks, two interceptions, five pass deflections, four forced fumbles (8th in FCS) and two blocked kicks. Leonard also scored two touchdowns for the Bulldogs, one on offense and one on defense.

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