Norfolk State Women's Hoops Announces 2018 Signing Class

NORFOLK, Virginia --  Norfolk State women's basketball head coach Larry Vickers announced on Friday the addition of the five-member 2018 recruiting class. The class features a pair of high school standouts and three junior college transfers.

"I am excited to announce my third women's basketball class here at Norfolk State University," Vickers said. "We think we have a great class, not only in terms of basketball abilities, but who they are as young women. Every piece fits the overall scheme of what we want to bring to NSU to win a championship."

Jameila Barrett
5-9 G, Baltimore, Md.

Barrett signed with NSU in the fall of 2017 and attended Catonsville High School in Catonsville, Maryland. Barrett led Catonsville to the 2018 Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association (MPSSAA) Class 4A state championship game as a senior and averaged 18.2 points, four assists and four steals per game.

"Barrett is a very good defender and takes pride in it," Vickers said. "She is the perfect size as a combo guard and will be tough to guard."

The 5-9 guard garnered first team Class 3A/4A all-state honors from the Maryland Basketball Coaches Association (MBCA) in 2018 and was a MBCA All-Academic honoree. Barrett joined the 1,000-career point club as a senior and made the Baltimore Sun's All-Metro second team.

Barrett's junior season saw her named to the MBCA All-Academic team and the All-Baltimore County first team. The Comets claimed the MPSSAA Class 4A state title in 2016-17, and Barrett averaged 10.7 points and 5.8 rebounds and tallied over 100 steals on the season. In the Class 4A semifinal, Barrett exploded for 26 points and five rebounds on 10-of-15 shooting.

"Barrett is very inquisitive about life and about the game of basketball," Vickers said. "She is also an incredible student that will fit into our Spartan culture."

Dana Echols
5-5 G, Auburn, Ala.

Echols joins Norfolk State after two seasons at Shelton State Community College in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where she teamed up with current Spartans Kendrea Dawkins and Raven Russell in 2016-17.

During the 2017-18 campaign, Echols received second team All-Region 22 North Division honors after starting all 37 games for the Bucs and averaging 8.2 points, 5.7 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 3.0 steals in 23.6 minutes per game. The Auburn, Ala. native shot 41.1 percent from deep, the 36th-best mark in National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division-I, on nearly three attempts per game and ranked inside the top-10 nationally in assists (210, fourth), steals (112, sixth) and assist-to-turnover ratio (3.0, 10th).

"We are extremely impressed by Dana's 3-point shooting, ball handling and her overall experience," Vickers said. "We hope she will bring a great deal of maturity, instinct and leadership. She has proven that she can make everyone on the court better."

The Bucs ran through the regular season in 2017-18, going 29-0 and 13-0 in Alabama Community College Conference (ACCC) North Division contests. Shelton State CC also claimed the ACCC Tournament championship and reached the semifinals of the NJCAA D-I Tournament, where its perfect season was spoiled by an overtime buzzer-beater. The Bucs rallied with a blowout win in the consolation game to finish the year 36-1.

As a freshman, the 5-5 guard averaged 6.4 points, 4.7 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 2.2 steals in 16.1 minutes per game as the Bucs posted a 34-3 record, won the ACCC and placed third at the NJCAA D-I Tournament. Echols averaged nearly one 3-pointer per game while leading all Shelton State CC qualifiers in 3-point percentage (39.3).

Echols joined Shelton State CC from Auburn High School in Auburn, Ala., where she was a four-year contributor on the varsity women's basketball team. As a senior, Echols averaged 16.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.6 steals per game and was named first team Class 7A All-State by the Alabama Sports Writers Association (ASWA) and player of the year by the Opelika-Auburn News.

Danyael Goodhope
5-5 G, Norfolk, Va.

Goodhope returns home to Hampton Roads from Odessa College in Odessa, Texas, where she appeared in 30 games for the Lady Wranglers during the 2017-18 season, averaging 4.4 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 11.4 minutes per game. The 5-5 guard turned in an 11-point, five-rebound performance in the Region V championship game against New Mexico Junior College and reached double figures in scoring four times, including a season-high 18 points against Palo Alto College.

"Danyael is an experienced guard who has played at three high-level programs, including local powerhouse Princess Anne High School," Vickers said. "We saw a powerful player that plays non-stop, is always alert and is never standing still."

Goodhope transferred to Odessa from Winthrop, where she played in 24 games as a freshman in 2016-17. At Winthrop, Goodhope made 16 starts and averaged 8.4 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 27.2 minutes per game. She was named Big South Conference Freshman of the Week on Dec. 19, 2016 after scoring 10 points against No. 3-ranked Baylor and adding a team-high 15 points and seven rebounds against Mercer.

Goodhope competed for four years at Princess Anne High School in Virginia Beach, where she was a three-time Virginia High School League (VHSL) Group 5A state champion. She was named a team captain for her senior campaign in 2015-16 and earned first team All-Atlantic Conference honors while being named the conference's defensive player of the year. Goodhope also earned All-5A South Region honors as a senior and made the 2016 Virginian-Pilot All-Tidewater second team.

She is the daughter of former NSU standout and Dallas Cowboys running back Orlando Goodhope. Her older sister, Galaisha Goodhope, played women's basketball at both Old Dominion and VCU.

Shekinah Howard
5-10 G, Atlanta, Ga.

Howard joins the Spartans from Westlake High School in Atlanta, Georgia, where she averaged 9.6 points and 4.6 rebounds per game for the 2017-18 Georgia High School Association (GHSA) Class 7A state champions.

"Howard is an extremely versatile player," Vickers said. "She could play anywhere from primary ball handler to two guard, small forward or power forward, depending on matchups and what we are trying to accomplish. She has great length and talent."

Westlake blitzed through the 2018 GHSA state tournament, out-scoring opponents by nearly 20 points in five contests. The Lions won 29 games in 2017-18 and received a postseason invitation to the Geico High School Nationals Tournament.

Howard averaged 15.7 points and 10.2 rebounds as a junior, was named the team's most valuable player and received first team GHSA All-Region 2 honors. The 5-10 guard was also named to the GHSA All-Region 2 first team following her freshman and sophomore seasons.

Le'Deja James
5-8 G, Virginia Beach, Va.

A local product, James comes to Norfolk State from South Georgia Technical College in Americus, Ga., where she played two seasons.

James' sophomore season saw the 5-8 guard average 15 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 3.0 steals in 25.9 minutes per game. She shot 62 percent from the field, ranking sixth in NJCAA D-I, and 82.6 percent from the charity stripe. The Virginia Beach native garnered Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association (GCAA) Player of the Week honors for four-consecutive weeks, setting the South Georgia Tech record for most player of the week accolades in a single season.

"James is a guard that should be able to affect the game in many ways as a scorer or facilitator," Vickers said. "She can score off the bounce and possesses great athleticism. With the seniors we lost it is the perfect time to add such a versatile guard."

As a freshman in 2015-16, James made 29 appearances for the Lady Jets, starting three times and averaging 7.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.0 steals, 1.5 assists and 24.0 minutes per game.

A four-year varsity contributor at First Colonial High School in Virginia Beach, James graduated as the school's all-time leading scorer.

James averaged 21 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.8 steals per game for the Patriots as a senior and led South Hampton Roads in scoring. The All-Coastal Conference Player of the Year, she also received All-Coastal Conference first team honors and was named to the All-Group 6A South Region first team.

As a junior, James averaged 18.2 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.7 steals and racked up first team mentions on the All-Coastal Conference and All-Group 6A South Region teams.

"Each player comes from a terrific family and every player knows how to win," Vickers said. "They are unselfish players that complement each other well."

The Spartans return seven players from last year's 18-win squad, including starters Khadedra Croker, Alexys Long, Russell and All-MEAC Rookie Team honoree Armani Franklin.

NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

NSU to Install Artificial Turf at Dick Price Stadium

NORFOLK, Virginia -- Norfolk State University announced on Friday that contractor R.A.D. Sports will install a new top-of-the-line artificial turf field at William "Dick" Price Stadium for the 2018 season.

R.A.D. Sports recently broke ground on the project to replace the current grass field with a premium synthetic surface manufactured by Shaw Sports Turf. It will include updated designs for the end zones as well as the team areas between the 25-yard lines. The new turf will allow the Spartans to practice on their stadium field during the season and will enable the University to host more events year-round without damaging the field.

"We are extremely excited to have the opportunity to replace the natural grass playing surface to an artificial turf surface in our football facility, William "Dick" Price Stadium," said NSU Athletics Director Marty L. Miller. "This is a significant project that will improve recruiting, increase revenue opportunities, strengthen the football schedule and enhance the game-day experiences for our students and fans. The recent updates to the athletics facilities have been critical in positioning Norfolk State University as a major competitor in athletics for years to come."

In addition to the new turf surface, a new drainage system for the stadium will be put in place during construction. Electrical and data conduits will also be placed underneath the field. Spike Zone Pro 1.75" with Envirofill infill, a hybrid turf product from Shaw Sports Turf, will be installed during construction.

NSU has played on a natural grass surface since the stadium opened in 1997. The turf upgrade project, which costs $1.38 million, is scheduled to be completed before the Spartans open their 2018 season. NSU's first two games of the year are at home, against Virginia State in the Labor Day Classic on Sept. 1 and then James Madison on Sept. 8.

About Spike Zone Pro Turf
With Spike Zone Pro, the slit film and monofilament fibers support the requirements for the ball and athlete to perform well, while a thatch layer adds another level of consistency for each step. Spike Zone Pro has a patented design of threading all three turf fibers through one needle, essentially giving each row the same combination of fibers. As a result, the finished product has a great aesthetic look while ensuring the lack of streaks on the field. This combination of fibers allows Shaw Sports Turf to create a surface that plays and performs more consistently than any other hybrid product.

About Shaw Sports Turf
Calhoun, Georgia-based Shaw Sports Turf is the leader among synthetic turf companies and is the largest American-owned and American-made synthetic turf company in the world. Shaw Sports Turf has demonstrated industry leadership in both quality and innovation for more than two decades with over 3,000 successful installations, and an impressive list of high-profile installations, including the Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengal, Tampa Bay Rays and many others. Engineered for performance and safety, Shaw Sports Turf features a product line designed specifically to meet the needs of athletes and sports programs.

About R.A.D. Sports
R.A.D. Sports, based out of Rockland, Massachusetts, is a family-owned business that specializes in the construction of high-quality athletic and recreation facilities. It has completed projects with schools such as Rhode Island, Providence, Harvard, Yale, New Hampshire and Boston College, as well as Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots, and the Baltimore Ravens practice facility. Since 1994, R.A.D. Sports has grown to be one of the most trusted and successful athletic and recreation facility contractors in the industry.

By: Mike Bello, Asst. SID
NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

The Next Big Thing: New Video Board to Transform Experience at CAU Panther Stadium

ATLANTA, Georgia -- Rising out of the south end of CAU Panther Stadium will be the next big thing for Clark Atlanta University athletics.

Big, as in large and bright.

Soon, the current scoreboard at the stadium will be coming down and a new, state-of-the-art video board will be erected in its place. The LED video screen is 27 x 42 feet with a versatile display that can be configured as a scoreboard or as a complete video board.

Panther football fans will now be able to see highlights, instant replays, promotional videos, advertising and other content on the new video board.

"The video board will provide a stirring, heart-throbbing game experience for CAU alums and supporters, will showcase the work and impact of faculty, staff and students, and positions our corporate partners to communicating with new and existing cliental," said CAU Athletic Director J Lin Dawson.

"This video board not only changes the landscape in the Atlanta University Center, but it also positions Clark Atlanta University to host regional and national events," Dawson said. "People are going to feel like they are right in the action. It will be an entirely new experience."

Workers have already started the rewiring of the old scoreboard connecting to the stadium press box in preparation for the new board that will go up in the far south corner of the stadium in the coming weeks.

The video board is just one of the more than 30 facility improvements that have taken place across the CAU athletics landscape over the past several months. L.S. Epps Gymnasium has seen everything from a new floor, new bleachers, new goals, weight room, team room and locker rooms for all of the Panthers and Lady Panthers sports teams housed there.

Coming up in the near future will be the resurfacing of the track surrounding the CAU Panther Stadium football field; upgrades to the adjacent Lady Panthers softball field; enhancements of the football locker room, along with a new weight room. New brick and iron fencing around the stadium is also scheduled, as is a new entry way design for the stadium.

One of the more ambitious projects will be the reconditioning of the pool at Epps Gymnasium, a project that is being spearheaded by Steve Ewing, president of Wade Ford.

But first will be the new video board that will able to be seen clearly across the field by drivers traveling up and down Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Besides being a focal point of CAU football games, the video board will also serve as an important advertising venue throughout the week.

"The video board and the 32 other project in athletics stem from the vision that CAU president Dr. Ronald A. Johnson has set for the University and athletics," Dawson said. "Our objectives are simple – being the university of choice, the employer of choice and to be the investment of choice."

CLARK ATLANTA UNIVERSITY PANTHERS SPORTS INFORMATION

Under Construction: FAMU's Bragg Memorial Stadium

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TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- This camera is located at Bragg Memorial Stadium and will cover the installation of the 3d Root Zone Series Astro Turf.  The process has begun and it will be installed in time for the Sept. 1 opener against Fort Valley State.

The turf that is being installed in Bragg Stadium is currently installed at Boston College, Oklahoma State and Camping World Stadium in Orlando, to name a few venues.

Bragg Memorial Stadium Quick Facts

• Named after: Father and son team of J.B. "Jubie" and Eugene Bragg (Considered the fathers of Rattler Football)R
• EugRene Bragg coached the Rattlers during the early 1930s and 1940s.
• Originally built: 1957 (state appropriations)Original capacity: 10,700
• Original amenities: Contained a dirt track.
• Renovation: 1980
• Renovations: Expanded press box, press box elevator, the field was lowered by six feet to accomodate the drain and sprinkler systems, two electronic scoreboards were added.
• Current capacity: 25,500
• Natural grass surface from 1957-2018

FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Big South takes on a new look with Hampton, USC Upstate coming aboard

HAMPTON, Virginia -- The Big South is getting a makeover this weekend.

Hampton and USC Upstate officially come aboard the conference Sunday, the same day flagship member Liberty exits for the Atlantic Sun Conference.

"It's certainly a shift," said Robert Lineburg, the athletic director of Big South member Radford. "[But] it still remains a very viable and strong mid-level conference."

Radford is losing its closest and biggest league rival with the departure of Liberty.



"We'll miss that rivalry," Lineburg said.

But the Big South still has three Virginia members, thanks to the addition of Hampton. Lineburg is looking forward to having a Tidewater school in the league.

"That Tidewater area … has a lot of opportunities for us from a recruiting standpoint — not only from athletics, but it'll help us … [with] overall student recruitment to have a Big South school in that area," Lineburg said.

"The Tidewater area's huge for us," Big South commissioner Kyle Kallander said. "All of our institutions recruit there, so it's great to have a presence."

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Grambling State Adjusts 2018 Football Schedule

GRAMBLING, Louisiana -- Grambling State University released its updated football schedule on Thursday featuring a new October 6, 2018 home game facing Oklahoma Panhandle State. The Tigers will have an 11-game schedule as the Tigers will no longer face Bacone College Sept. 15.
 
In addition, High School Day, which was set to take place on September 15, has been moved to September 22, when Grambling State will face Alabama State at Eddie G. Robinson Memorial Stadium. Business and Industry Day, which was set to take place on September 15 will now be held on October 6.

The Tigers return this season after back-to-back Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) championships and will play seven SWAC games, along with four non-conference games this season. Grambling State will play its first three games in Louisiana, before ending September with a neutral site game at the annual State Fair Classic against Prairie View A&M at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas.

 
Season tickets for the 2018 football season are now on sale to the general public through the university ticket office.
 
Fans are encouraged to visit www.gsutigers.com or visit GSU's Ticket Office inside the Frederick C. Hobdy Assembly Center from Monday-Thursday 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday 7:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.  This season, ticket packages include season ticketing, tailgating, and optional early-bird tickets for the Bayou Classic. All ticket sales are final and there will be no refunds or exchanges.
 
For more ticket information, please call (318) 274-2625 or (318) 274-2629.
 

2018 GRAMBLING STATE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Date	Opponent	Location	Time
9.1	at Louisiana	Lafayette, La.	6 p.m.
9.8	at Northwestern State	Natchitoches, La.	6 p.m.
9.22	ALABAMA STATE^	Grambling, La.	6 p.m.
9.29	vs. Prairie View A&M*	Dallas, Texas	4 p.m.
10.6	OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE STATE&	Grambling,  La.	6 p.m.
10.13	at Texas Southern*	Houston, Texas	6 p.m.
10.20	at Alcorn State*	Lorman, Miss.	2 p.m.
10.27	ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF*#	Grambling, La.	2 p.m.
11.3	MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE*%	Grambling, La.	2 p.m.
11.10	at Alabama A&M*	Huntsville, Ala.	1 p.m.
11.24	vs. Southern*	New Orleans, La.	4 p.m.

 
* - Southwestern Athletic Conference Game 
# - State Fair Classic (Cotton Bowl – Dallas, Texas)
% - Bayou Classic (Mercedes-Benz Superdome – New Orleans, La.)
^ - High School Day
& - Business and Industry Day
# - Military Appreciation/Breast Cancer Awareness Day
% - Homecoming/Senior Day
All times are listed as Central 
Home Games are played at Eddie G. Robinson Memorial Stadium and are in ALL CAPS and BOLD

Follow Grambling State Athletics
For complete coverage of Grambling State Athletics, please follow the Tigers on social media at @GSU_Tigers (Twitter), /gramblingstateathletics (Facebook), @gramblingathletics01 (Instagram) or visit the official home of Grambling State Athletics at gsutigers.com. 

NSU Spartan Basketball Finishes Recruiting Class with Bishop

NORFOLK, Virginia -- The Norfolk State men's basketball program announced one last player to round out its 2018 recruiting class. Saint Louis University transfer Jermaine Bishop has signed with head coach Robert Jones and the Spartan program.

He will arrive at Norfolk State after playing one and a half seasons for Saint Louis. He was an Atlantic 10 All-Rookie team selection in 2015-16 as a freshman, averaging 8.9 points, 2.3 assists and 2.0 rebounds per game, including nearly 12 points per game in conference play.

"We are extremely happy to welcome Jermaine to the Spartan family," said Jones. "Jermaine can score at all three levels: layups, mid-range jumpers and 3-pointers. He also brings tremendous leadership and experience to the team. He will be the most productive transfer we have been able to sign at NSU. That instantly will make him one of the best guards in the MEAC from day 1. We can't wait to get him on the floor."



Bishop averaged 11.6 points, 4.7 assists and 2.9 rebounds in nine games during his sophomore year in 2016-17 before missing the rest of the year due to injury. He shot better than 80 percent from the free throw line during his time at SLU and nearly 37 percent from beyond the arc at the time of his injury his sophomore year.

During that shortened season, Bishop scored 27 points in a game against BYU after also scoring at least 20 in three games his freshman season. He also owns career highs of eight assists, eight rebounds and four steals, all achieved during his sophomore campaign.

A redshirt junior this year, Bishop sat out the 2017-18 season and will have two years of eligibility left.

He will join a 2018 recruiting class that includes freshmen guards Joe Bryant and B.J Fitzgerald, freshman forward Chris Ford, and graduate transfers Obi Momah (forward) and Armani Branch (small forward). NSU returns five players who competed last year as well as three who sat out the season.

NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Grambling State's Broderick Fobbs signs contract extension

The four-year, $1.28 million extension is effective July 1, 2018 through Dec. 31, 2022.

GRAMBLING, Louisiana -- Grambling State and Broderick Fobbs made his four year contract extension official Thursday, as the head G-man signed the deal to keep him in Grambling through the 2022 season.

Fobbs says he's glad to have this process behind him, and his excited for the future of his Tigers, "To know that, not only the university, but the foundation is really, really thinking about our family, coaches, and players. The mark of a great program is to have great stability. In order to do that, you have to have people in place. The university and the foundation is doing a really good job in trying to make sure everything stays intact and comfortable so we can continue moving the needle forward."

Fobbs returned to his alma mater in December 2013 and has led the Tigers to a 39-11 overall record in four seasons. Those wins include the University’s first HBCU National Championship since 2008. Under Fobbs, the team is 32-2 in Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) play and has won back-to-back conference championships in 2016 and 2017. These achievements have contributed to Fobbs winning the SWAC Coach of the Year honor for four consecutive years.

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TSU Football Season Tickets Go on Sale July 2

SEASON TICKET BROCHURE | ORDER FORM

NASHVILLE, Tennessee --- Tennessee State University football season tickets will go on sale Monday, July 2 in the TSU Ticket Office. 

Ways to renew/purchase season tickets
1) Visit the TSU Ticket Office on the main campus 
2) Call the TSU Ticket Office and order over the phone
3) Mail in the order form or brochure (Found on tsutigers.com)

The box office will close for Independence Day on July 4 but sales will resume on Thursday. The deadline to renew season tickets is August 8.

To secure seating on TSU's side for the Southern Heritage Classic, tickets must be purchased from the TSU Ticket Office. Additionally, a limited amount of tickets for the TSU vs Hampton game (Hampton, Va.) may be purchased for $10 through the Ticket Office.

For more information, call (615) 963-ROAR (7627) or (615) 963-5841.

Season Ticket Information
Season Ticket Price - $70 
TSU Faculty/Staff - $60
Young Alumni - $50
Kid’s 12 and under - $50
Season Parking - $50

Must specify at the time of purchase for Young Alumni and Kid’s season tickets.

SINGLE GAME TICKET PRICES (50 yard line)
JOHN MERRITT CLASSIC - $40
HOMECOMING - $50
JACKSONVILLE STATE - $15
UT MARTIN - $15

Day of Game Parking - $25

Starting again: Alcorn offensive lineman ready to play after knee injury

LORMAN, Mississippi -- Alcorn State University offensive lineman Deonte Brooks has played through injuries before.

He played with a broken ankle during his junior year of high school and competed with a partially torn knee ligament in the 2016 SWAC Championship against Grambling State. That’s the name of the game for Brooks though, as offensive lineman often play with pain.

Yet in spring 2017, Brooks suffered the worst injury he couldn’t endure.

“It was a freak accident,” said offensive coordinator and offensive line coach, Ryan Stanchek. “It wasn’t necessarily a contact play. The best description is the injury was a fluke.

“It wasn’t fun to see.”

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7-time NAIA qualifier Gold Nuggets sign 4 more

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana has signed four more student-athletes to its volleyball program.
     
New to coach Pat Kendrick's Gold Nuggets for the 2018-19 school year will be:
     •  Angele McClain, a 5-foot-8 middle blocker/right side from New Orleans, a graduate of Newman High School and a transfer from Spring Hill College in Mobile, Ala. She will be a dual-degree biomedical engineering major at XULA.
     •  Marine Angely, a 5-11 outside hitter from Sirvy, France, and Lycee Arthur Varquaux. She is undecided on her major.
     •  Damilola Dada, a 5-9 right side/middle blocker from Grand Prairie, Texas, and Mansfield Summit High School. She will be a pre-pharmacy major.
     •  Beatrice Formilan, a 5-10 libero from Santorso, Italy, and Liceo Scientifico Tron. She will be a business management major.
     
McClain will be a sophomore. Angely, Dada and Formilan will enter as freshmen.
     
McClain redshirted at Spring Hill in 2016, then hit .337 with 45 kills and 15 blocks in 2017 for a Badgers team that was 27-5 overall and 18-0 in the NCAA Division II Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. She was a three-year starter at Newman and helped the Greenies win the LHSAA Division IV state championship as a sophomore in 2013.
     
McClain played four years of club ball, most recently with Blue Crab. "Angele is an athletic player who will be strong at the net in the opposite and middle positions," Kendrick said.
     
McClain's mother, Lisa, is a longtime XULA employee and the associate director of the university's Office of Campus Ministry.
     
Angely helped her club team finish third this year in the Interpole championships. "Marine is a steady attacker with outstanding ball-control skills," Kendrick said, "and she will be a force at the outside attacker position."
    
 Dada produced 132 kills, 48 blocks and 39 digs as a senior starter for Mansfield Summit. She made her school's honor roll every quarter, was a soprano section leader in the choir for three years and head dance choreographer as a senior. Dada played two years of club volleyball, most recently with NRG.
    
"Lola is a dynamic athlete," Kendrick said. "She will add depth in the middle."
    
 Formilan helped her club team, Bruel Volley Bassano, finish second in Italy's national finals in 2017.
     
XULA's previously announced signee was middle blocker Jordan Johnson of Kansas City, Mo.
     
The Gold Nuggets will open their 11th season Aug. 24 in the Mid-South Crossover Tournament at Bowling Green, Ky., against Cumberlands at 4 p.m. and Georgetown (Ky.) at 8 p.m. The first home date will be Aug. 31 with matches against Point at 11 a.m. and Mobile at 7 p.m. in the Big Easy Blastoff at the Convocation Center. XULA won the last seven Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament championships and earned seven consecutive automatic bids during that time to the NAIA National Championship.

2018-19 XULA Volleyball Signees
Name	Pos.	Ht.	Yr.*	Hometown	High School (Previous College)
Marine Angely	OH	5-11	Fr.	Sivry, France	Lycee Arthur Varquaux
Damilola Dada	RS/MB	5-9	Fr.	Grand Prairie, Texas	Mansfield Summit
Beatrice Formilan	L	5-10	Fr.	Santorso, Italy	Liceo Scientifico Tron
Jordan Johnson	MB	6-1	Fr.	Kansas City, Mo.	Liberty
Angele McClain	MB/RS	5-8	So.	New Orleans, La.	Newman (Spring Hill)
* XULA athletic classification in 2018-19 Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications XULAgold.com XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA  twitter.com/xulagold www.facebook.com/xulagold

North Carolina hurdler signs with Gold Nuggets

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana concluded its women's track and field recruiting for 2018-19 with the signing of hurdler Maya Alexander of Charlotte, N.C..

Alexander, competing for Mallard Creek High School, finished fourth in the 55-meter hurdles indoors and sixth in the 100 hurdles outdoors this year at the Class 4A state meets. Outdoors she helped the Mavericks finish fourth in the state in 4A team scoring.

Alexander's PRs include 14.74 seconds in the 100 hurdles and 48.29 in the 300 hurdles.

Alexander will be a biology/pre-medical major at XULA. She is interested in a career in cardiology.

Eight have signed with the Gold Nuggets for next season . The XULA women won five of the last six Gulf Coast Athletic Conference outdoor track team championships, including 2017 and 2018. They won the last 11 GCAC team championships in cross country.

2018-19 XULA women's track and field signees

Name Events Ht. Yr.* Hometown High School
Maya Alexander Hurdles 5-4 Fr. Charlotte, N.C. Mallard Creek
Mariah Cox Distance 5-10 Fr. Corona, Calif. Chino Hills
Ariel Ford Sprints 5-5 Fr. Mansfield, Texas Lake Ridge
Bryanna Lucas Distance 5-2 Fr. Louisville, Ky. Central
Raven Riley Hurdles, High Jump 5-7 Fr. New Orleans, La. Lusher Charter
Clarke Taylor Sprints 5-3 Fr. San Diego, Calif. Scripps Ranch
Alexis Williams Sprints 5-8 Fr. Luling, La. Hahnville
Hannah Young Sprints, Hurdles,
Triple Jump 5-5 Fr. Plaquemine, La. The Church Academy
* athletic classification at XULA in 2018-19

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
twitter.com/xulagold
www.facebook.com/xulagold 

New field turf to be installed at FAMU's Bragg Memorial Stadium

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- The cosmetics of Bragg Memorial Stadium will have a stunning shine for the 2018 season.

In addition to a new coaching staff on the sidelines, the famed venue will feature a freshly-installed field turf.

School officials made the announcement Tuesday during a press conference at Bragg Memorial Stadium.

The official groundbreaking ceremony for the new field will take place in mid-July. FAMU opens the season at home on Sept. 1 against Fort Valley State.

"The turf contributes to a safe environment for student-athletes, the Marching 100 and the FAMU DRS (Developmental Research School)," FAMU Athletic Director John Eason.

"It increases reliability and creates opportunities to generate additional revenue by hosting local, regional and national events."

The field will be installed by AstroTurf and feature ...

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Johnny Jones named Texas Southern head men's basketball coach

HEAD COACH JOHNNY JONES

HOUSTON, Texas -- The Texas Southern University men's basketball program is pleased to welcome highly accomplished and veteran coach Johnny Jones as its new head men's basketball coach.

A press conference to formally introduce Jones as head coach has been scheduled for Wednesday, June 27 at 12:00 pm at the HPE Arena located on the TSU campus.

Prior to arriving at Texas Southern Jones served as associate head coach at the University of Nevada. There he helped guide the program to an Elite Eight appearance in the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament.

Jones arrival at Nevada was following a five-year span at LSU where he served as head coach compiling a 90-72 record.

LSU hired Jones after a successful 11-year stint at North Texas where he took the Mean Green to two NCAA tournaments while compiling a 190-146 overall record.

During a 17 year career in which he has amassed a 295-234 overall mark he also spent one year as interim head coach at Memphis where his team went 15-16 prior to him taking the head coaching job at North Texas.

Jones played at LSU from 1980-84 and was an assistant coach under Dale Brown for a total of 13 seasons.

His 90 victories at the university was the most of any coach at LSU in their first five years and he concluded his career there as the fourth-winningest coach in the programs' storied history.

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FAMU players begin first day of summer weightlifting sessions

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- The success of a football program in the fall begins with weightlifting and conditioning in the offseason.

This is the mantra for the Florida A&M Rattlers as they assembled in the weight room for the first day of summer training Monday.

During the opening session, players engaged in a variety of activities from an Olympic lift to power clean. Each customized activity is designed to strengthen muscle for optimal results on game day.


The trickle-down effect of these workouts will provide a base for increased stamina and a quick recovery time between plays.

"We're trying to get these guys to use weight-room muscles on the field," said Parker Brooks, FAMU director of strength and conditioning.

"We did twice the volume of pulling today (Monday). When you do twice the volume of pulling than pressing, you pull the body into a neutral alignment. This gives increased mobility and reduces the risk of injury."

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Mitch Hill Resigns as Alabama A&M Head Baseball Coach

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- Alabama A&M University has accepted the resignation of head baseball coach Mitch Hill. Hill was the Bulldogs baseball coach for five seasons.

"We want to thank Coach Hill for his commitment to the Alabama A&M baseball program and we wish him much success on his future endeavors," Director of Athletics Bryan Hicks said.

Hill completed his career at A&M with a record of 84-188 overall and a 56-63 record in the SWAC.

A search for a new head baseball coach will begin immediately.

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'It all goes back to respect': Carlos Funchess takes over as Southern women's basketball coach

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- As the lead assistant for the Southern women’s basketball team the past 13 seasons, Carlos Funchess earned his reputation as a strong recruiter, a sound teacher and, perhaps above all else, a people person.

Parents, players and fellow coaches are happy to tell feel-good stories about Funchess, painting the picture of an easygoing guy who’s quick with a smile and a friendly handshake.

Now Funchess is the boss. And he’s got a new role to play.

On Thursday afternoon at the F.G. Clark Activity Center, SU athletic director Roman Banks formally introduced Funchess as the new head coach of the women’s basketball program — with the full expectation that Funchess can maintain the level of success set by his old boss, Sandy Pugh, who led the Jaguars to seven Southwestern Athletic Conference championships in 18 seasons.

“Sometimes you have to show commitment to the people who have been committed to you,” Banks said.

SU and Funchess agreed to a three-year contract with a school option for a fourth year, at an annual rate of $105,000 per year with incentive bonuses. The terms are similar to the last contract for Pugh, who was finishing the final year of her deal before she took the same job at Prairie View last month.

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Legendary MEAC Commissioner Ken Free Sr. inducted into South Atlantic League Hall of Fame (Video)

GREENSBORO, North Carolina -- When you play baseball, it's a dream come true to be elected into the South Atlantic League Hall of Fame and Ken Free was one of those inductees.

• Ken Free inducted into the South Atlantic League Hall of Fame
• Began playing semi-professional baseball at age 15
• Played in the Negro Leagues with the Raleigh Tigers

At the age of 15, the Greensboro native played semi-professional baseball, later joined the Army and then played professionally in the Negro Leagues with the Raleigh Tigers in 1959. He got his time to shine playing in the All-Star game at the famous Comiskey Park in Chicago.

"We were out drawing some of the major league places," he said. "Comiskey Park drew 60,000 people."

The following year he played with Hall of Famer Satchel Paige. The next season, Free would play for Hickory in the Western Carolina league where he took lessons from Paige.

"I learned how to be patient, wait until your time [and] to hustle at all times. I learned how to make sure you didn't get upset with the abuse," he said. "Satchel would teach us that type of stuff."

After his playing career, the North Carolina A&T grad was named the first full-time commissioner of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in 1978. Free helped expand the MEAC to 12 teams and lead them into Division I.

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Kenneth A. “Ken” Free’s professional baseball career began in 1952 when he played for the semi-pro Greensboro Redbirds at the age of 15. 

Free was a star baseball player and graduate of both Greensboro’s Dudley High School and North Carolina A&T State University and has always been devoted to athletics and recreation. Professionally, he played in the Negro League for The Raleigh Tigers during the 1959 season and played in the East/West All-Star game in Chicago’s famous Comiskey Park. That game highlighted the Negro League season and drew 45-50 thousand people and all the Major League scouts. He started the 1960 season traveling with Negro League icon Satchell Paige who is a member of the Major League Baseball Hall Of Fame. Free finished the 1960 season by signing a pro contract with Hickory of the Western Carolina League. In 1961 the NY Mets were approved as a MLB expansion team, bought the contract and assigned Free to their farm team, The Raleigh Caps of the Carolina League.



He began his venture into athletics management as a community center director at Windsor for the Greensboro Parks and Recreation Department. He then moved up to become a regional Parks/Recreation consultant for the state of North Carolina Department of Natural and Economic Resources. Through his professional administrative prowess and deep concern for youth and intercollegiate athletics, Free became the first full-time commissioner of the MEAC in 1978 and reigned until June 1996. He made Greensboro the conference headquarters early in his tenure. Free was instrumental in the drive for MEAC institutions to attain NCAA Division I status, which became a reality in 1980. In 1987, he was named to the powerful NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Selection Committee, becoming the first African-American appointed to that group.

After his MEAC run, Free served as Commissioner of the Eastern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (EIAC) from 1996-2006.

In 1986, Free received the North Carolina Recreation and Parks Society prestigious FELLOW AWARD, the highest honor in that association. Also, during his eight years with the state of NC, he received the ORDER OF THE LONG LEAF PINE from the late Governor James Holshouser.

Most recently, he served on the Greensboro Parks and Recreation committee.

Since 2006, Free has served on the board of the Metropolitan Junior Baseball League (MJBL), which started in Richmond, Virginia and provides opportunities for African-American children to participate in America’s pastime. Ken was instrumental in bringing the MJBL’s Annual Inner-City Classic to Greensboro, which will be held from July 17-22.

Ken Free, Sr. was inducted into the Guilford County Sports Hall of Fame in 2013.

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The Wright stuff: Success has been a constant theme for Louisiana Sports Hall of Famer

SHREVEPORT, Louisiana -- Larry Wright’s epic basketball journeys always seemed to reach the same destination.

No matter where he played, from Richwood High School to Grambling State University and into professional ball, Wright was always part of teams that won big.

“Winning has always been number one for me since I can remember starting to play at an early age,” Wright said. “Even as a small kid going to the rec center, winning was always the number one deal with me.”

Wright was a two-time Parade Magazine All-American at Richwood and won a Class 3A state championship in 1972. He transferred to Western High School in Washington D.C. as a senior and his team won the city championship. Grambling won the 1976 SWAC tournament championship with Wright starring as the conference player of the year.

Drafted in the first round by the Washington Bullets in 1976, Wright joined the franchise that won the NBA championship in 1978.

Wright finished his playing days as an international star, delivering a European Championship for Italy’s Banco DiRoma in 1983-84.

For all of his accomplishments, Wright has finally earned induction into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2018. He and 10 others will be enshrined at the annual induction dinner and ceremony at the Natchitoches Events Center on Saturday, June 30.

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SHREVEPORT, Louisiana -- Wright, who teamed with 1988 LSHOF inductee Elvin Hayes on the Washington Bullets’ 1978 NBA Champion squad, was a prep and college standout in Louisiana who played six NBA seasons, and later served as the head coach at Grambling State, his alma mater. A sharp-shooting 6-1 guard, he was a prep All-American at two schools, Richwood of Monroe and Western High School in the Washington, D.C. metro area, then was a two-time NCAA Small College All-American (1975-76) at Grambling.

After being the SWAC Player of the Year as a junior with a 25.4 scoring average for the Tigers’ only SWAC Tournament championship team, he declared for the NBA Draft and was a first-round NBA Draft pick of Washington. In four seasons with the Bullets, he scored 2,489 regular-season points in 297 games (8.4 points a game), averaging between 9.3 and 7.3 points a game each season.

After playing a season for Detroit (7.4 ppg), Wright went on to play in Europe, leading Banco DiRoma to the Italian championship in 1982-83, winning Italian Player of the Year honors in 1983. One publication named him the European Player of the Year in 1983-84 when he led the team to the European title. In 1972, he led Richwood to the state Class 3A championship, averaging 28.9 ppg. A year later at Western HS, he led the team to the Inner City championship and the Knights of Columbus championship, earning a spot on the Parade Magazine Super 13 All-American team in 1973.

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DeMatha’s Earl Timberlake, one of D.C. area’s top prospects, is racking up college offers

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Earl Timberlake was asleep Friday at midnight when his phone started to go off. There was one buzz after another, as college coaches were persistent in trying to contact him directly, but Timberlake slept through each one. When the rising junior guard from DeMatha finally woke up at 7:30 a.m. and leaned over to check his phone, he saw how many messages he missed.

On his screen were texts and voice mails from coaches from Miami, TCU, Howard, Bryant, Florida, Notre Dame, DePaul, Pittsburgh, Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, Seton Hall, West Virginia, Maryland, Oklahoma State and Providence. All are interested in the talented player out of the Washington, D.C. area and wanted to make sure their pitches were heard during the first 24 hours college coaches were allowed to have unlimited contact with rising high school juniors.

“I’ve just had random numbers keep calling my phone,” Timberlake said Sunday.

Amid the chaotic recruitment weekend, Timberlake received five offers: DePaul, Howard, TCU, Pittsburgh and Boston College. He now has offers from those schools, plus ones from Bryant, Oklahoma State, Seton Hall, Florida, Wake Forest, Providence, Penn State, Kansas State, Virginia Tech, Georgetown and Rhode Island.

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Don't think Darrell Walker is all defensive

Former CAU Panthers head coach Darrell Walker makes smooth transition to UALR

LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas -- Natural light cascaded down the staircase seating, where alumni, professors and administrators set down their glasses of wine and cans of beer to applaud the man at the base of the steps.

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock threw a reception Thursday evening to introduce its new head men's basketball coach Darrell Walker and his wife, Lisa, at the Windgate Center of Art + Design.

Walker stood behind the podium, wearing a light gray and blue checkered suit, and ducked his head toward the microphone.

"I know I'm known for defense," said Walker, 57, a former All-American guard at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. "Yeah, I played for Eddie Sutton. Defense. Defense. Defense. But at the end of the day, you have to score."

It was a sentiment Walker expressed during practice the day before, a block away at the Jack Stephens Center practice gym.

He was directing the Trojans in a four-on-four defensive drill that worked on help defense and three-point responsibility -- something that terrorized UALR last season, when it ranked 10th in the Sun Belt Conference in three-point defense (35.3 percent).

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