Showing posts with label Coach Todd Bozeman. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Coach Todd Bozeman. Show all posts

Monday, August 29, 2011

Morgan's Bozeman: Show-cause 'had a great effect on my life'

Morgan State head coach Todd Bozeman had to wait 10 years before landing another head coaching opportunity after receiving an eight-year show-cause sanction from the NCAA for paying a recruit's family as head coach of the University of California.  Former Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl received a three-year show-cause from the NCAA last week.
Baltimore, MD - In the spring of 2006, Todd Bozeman escaped the purgatory of the NCAA’s show-cause sanction. For 10 years, the prodigy-turned-castaway languished like a ghost ship. He was little more than a bar stool trivia question.

“Who was the coach of California when Jason Kidd led the team to a win over Duke in the ‘93 NCAA tournament?”

Bozeman was reborn five years ago when a little-known historically black college in northeast Baltimore tabbed him as its head coach. Morgan State University, a MEAC school with no discernible basketball history, took a flier on a washed-up cheater who sunk his own career before turning 35. That, at least, was the perception back then.

All these years later, Bozeman is still a trivia question, of sorts.

“Who is the only head coach in Division I basketball history to receive a show-cause penalty and ultimately land another head coaching gig?”

Hint: it’s not Clem Haskins or Kelvin Sampson or Dave Bliss. The answer is, indeed, Todd Bozeman.

Now, the entire state of Tennessee - and the college basketball world as a whole – wonder if ...

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Saturday, March 12, 2011

Joyner returns home to realize dream, coaches Hampton Pirates to NCAA tournament

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — They'll have a few more stories and another piece of hardware to talk about at the next Joyner family reunion, courtesy of what just occurred at the last one.

The Joyner basketball coaching tree — Edward "Buck" Joyner Sr., Stephen Joyner and his son, Little Steve — as well as assorted grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins ventured across town Saturday afternoon to Joel Coliseum to watch Ed Joyner Jr. realize a lifelong dream.

The man known to family members as "Little Buck" coaxed and encouraged and orchestrated Hampton University's men to their first MEAC tournament title since 2006.

Hampton Holds Back Morgan, Captures MEAC Title, 60-55

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- The great shooting that Morgan State displayed in the past two MEAC tournament games came to a screeching halt in the second half. Hampton got some timely baskets from Darrion Pellum to help the Pirates beat the Bears 60-55 in the MEAC Tournament Championship game at the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

The fact that MSU center Kevin Thompson got into foul trouble was a huge factor in how the game went. Morgan State head coach Todd Bozeman said about the situation, “We need him on the floor, that's obvious. He fought hard in there, it's hard when you're at the disadvantage.”

“It was a war,” Hampton head coach Ed Joyner said. “It was what we expected, it's the one we wanted to win.”

PIRATES DEFEAT MORGAN STATE TO CLAIM 2011 MEAC BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT TITLE

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Brandon Tunnell scored 12 of his career-high 20 points in the second half and Darrion Pellum added all 12 of his after intermission to help Hampton defeat Morgan State, 60-55 in the MEAC Tournament Championship at the Joel Coliseum.

“It was a war,” Hampton head coach Ed Joyner said. “It was what we expected; it’s the one we wanted to win.”

The Pirates (24-8) denied the Bears their fourth consecutive tournament title and Joyner obtained his first ever as a head coach. The win also secured Hampton an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Hampton will learn when and where they will compete in the NCAA tournament once the pairings are announced on Sunday.

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Friday, March 11, 2011

Morgan State tops N.C. A&T

Two-time defending champion Morgan State isn't ready to give up its title just yet.

The Bears, behind junior center Kevin Thompson, were never threatened by cold-shooting N.C. A&T as they rolled 77-59 in a quarterfinal game of the MEAC tournament Thursday night at Joel Coliseum.
Thompson, a big part of the Bears' first two tournament titles in Winston-Salem, scored 24 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and blocked three shots in 26 minutes.

Not that they needed more motivation, but the Bears, the fourth seed, have been under the radar after losing their final three regular-season games, including one to the Aggies (15-17) in Greensboro. Thompson, the projected player of the year in the conference, was selected to the all-conference second team.

Thompson Dominant In Win Over North Carolina A&T, 77-59

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Kevin Thompson put in a dominating performance, coming off the bench to pour in a gamer-high 24 points, grab 12 rebounds and block three shots to help Morgan State defeat North Carolina A&T, 77-59 in the quarterfinal round of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference men's basketball tournament at the Joel Coliseum.

The Bears (16-13), the Number 4 seed, advance to the semifinal round where they will play Bethune Cookman, the Number 1 seed at 6 pm.

Thompson set the tone early in the first half when he entered the game and proceeded to score 18 points, connecting on all six of his shots from the floor. Morgan State led, 43-33 at intermission.

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Sunday, February 27, 2011

O'Quinn's double-double sparks NSU's upset of Morgan

NORFOLK - Norfolk State has become the enigma of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. Behind a 23-point, 18-rebound effort from center Kyle O'Quinn, the Spartans beat defending MEAC champion Morgan State 69-63 Saturday night at Echols Hall.

The Bears (15-11, 10-4) had rolled into Echols Hall tied for first in the MEAC in the loss column with Bethune-Cookman. But for the second time this season, they walked off the court victims of O'Quinn and a Norfolk State team that's hard to figure. Norfolk State had lost five of its previous six, but was far and away the best team on the court Saturday.

And O'Quinn was far and away the best player.



Norfolk State Upsets Lady Bears, 66-65

NORFOLK, Va. - On a day which Norfolk State honored all of its past championship teams on Alumni Day, and held its ring ceremony for its 2009-10 women's and men's cross country, indoor and outdoor championship teams, the Spartans women's basketball team played like champions as well this afternoon.

Rae Corbo scored a team-high 20 points, including four three-pointers and Rachel Gordon grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds to go with her nine points to lead Norfolk State to a 66-65 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) victory over visiting Morgan State on Saturday afternoon at Echols Hall.



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Thursday, February 24, 2011

Morgan men pull out 'ugly' 42-39 win over Delaware State

Morgan State suffered through atrocious foul shooting (7-for-19), unforced turnovers (17 in all) and a 14-point second half Wednesday, but the Bears still managed to pull out a 42-39 victory over Delaware State at Hill Field House on Wednesday night.

The victory, on Senior Night, moved Morgan (10-3) within a half-game of first-place Bethune-Cookman (11-3) in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference with three games to play. It was the Bears' fifth straight win in February and the 100th of the Todd Bozeman era at Morgan.

"You want to do it more efficiently, like we practice it, but I'll take the win," Bozeman said.


BALTIMORE -- Delaware State missed two potential game-tying 3-point shots in the last eight seconds, falling 42-39 to Morgan State in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference action on Wednesday night.

Desi Washington fired off a 3-point shot that rattled inside the rim before coming out with eight seconds left to play.

Morgan State rebounded the miss, and the Hornets fouled Justin Black with 6.7 seconds remaining. Black missed the front end of a one-and-one, giving DSU another chance with 3.8 seconds left. Washington took the inbounds pass, but misfired on a long 3-point try as time expired.

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Sunday, February 20, 2011

Keydets Drop BracketBusters Game to Morgan State

BALTIMORE, Md. - The Morgan State Bears held the VMI Keydets to 27 second half points, en route to a 67-62 win in the Sears ESPN BracketBusters game between the teams, played Saturday afternoon at Hille Field House in Baltimore, Md.

Morgan State (13-10) hit six straight free throws over the last 22 seconds of regulation to quell a VMI rally and extend the Bears win streak to three games. The Keydets saw their three-game win streak snapped and fell to 15-12 in the non-conference game.

VMI was led in scoring by senior guard Austin Kenon, who toiled through a 6-for-20 shooting afternoon but hit a trio of 3-pointers to finish with 18 points. Junior guard Keith Gabriel added 15 points, including 11 before intermission after nailing three 3-pointers in the first half. Freshman center D.J. Covington posted his third consecutive double figures scoring game with 10 points and led VMI with eight rebounds.

The Keydets didn't find an answer for Bears 6-9 power forward Kevin Thompson who hit all nine of his shot attempts from the floor to finish with a team-high 18 points. Center Rodney Stokes scored 16 points and grabbed 11 rebounds while sophomore forward Dewayne Jackson added 10 points. MSU junior forward Aric Brooks hit just 1-of-9 from the field, but converted seven of nine-from-the line including four straight in the waning seconds of regulation to preserve the win for the Bears.

VMI dropped only its second game in 15 outings when it held a lead at halftime.

The Keydets shot 44% in the first half but cooled down to 31% from the floor in the second half.

VMI trailed by as many as seven points in the first half (27-20) after Thompson hit a layup with 7:41 left in the opening half. VMI answered with an 11-2 run and jumped out on top when Gabriel canned back-to-back 3-pointers including a swisher with 2:02 to play before halftime.

Box Score

VMI led 35-34 at the break and pushed the lead to four points (40-36) following a pair of Austin Kenon free throws at the 16:46 mark.

The Bears used a string inside game to retake the lead with nine unanswered points as guard Larry Bastfield both started and sandwiched the string with a free throw and a layup to put Morgan State back on top. Thompson's back-to-back layups during the spurt put the Bears up for good and the hosts led 45-40 with 13:49 remaining.

VMI never retook the lead, but never trailed by more than seven points the rest of the way. Bastfiled nailed a jumper to push Morgan State ahead 61-54 with 4:19 left, but the Keydets twice cut the deficit to a one-possession scenario just under the three-minute mark. Stan Okoye hit a layup at the 2:37 mark to pull VMI within 61-58 and the Keydet defense generated stops on MSU's next three trips down the floor.

VMI could not capitalize, however, and missed back-to-back 3-point tries by Gabriel and Kenon converted one of two free throws by Covington to close within a pair, 61-59, with :24 left. The Bears then put the game away at the line with their string of six straight charity tosses and spoil VMI's debut in the BracketBusters event.

VMI returns to Big South play next Thursday at Clinton, South Carolina as it faces Presbyterian College at 7:00 p.m.

VMI HEAD COACH DUGGAR BAUCOM - "The guys fought hard and I was proud of them. They really competed. Morgan State made some plays down the end and he (Thompson) was virtually unstoppable. We had some open looks at the end and if we make those shots, it's a different outcome."

"We stopped making shots in the second half that we made in the first. It was a dogfight the entire second half. They made some 18-footers that you want them to shoot and made their free throws down the stretch when we chose to foul."

"The best thing about this is we didn't get anyone hurt. I told our guys it's time to move on and get ready for next week."

Courtesy: VMIKeydets.com             Release: 02/19/2011

Friday, February 18, 2011

Bracketbuster: Morgan State Ready To Shine In ESPN Spotlight

Morgan State and the Virginia Military Institute will play each other in men's basketball Feb. 19 for the first time as part of ESPN's Bracketbuster weekend.

The Bears (12-10, 8-3 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) are returning to Hill Field House after a two-game road trip in which they beat Bethune-Cookman and South Carolina State. It is Morgan State's third appearance in ESPN Bracketbusters.

The Keydets (15-11, 8-8 Big South) have won three games in a row, most recently topping Liberty, 79-69, at home. VMI has a 7-3 record in nonconference matchups this season -- 1-2 in away games. Morgan State is 4-7 in its nonconference games, with a 2-1 home record.

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Videographer: UrbanSportsITG

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Where Are They Now? MEAC player of the year to make D-League debut

For Reggie Holmes, father might prove to know best in this situation, too.

After finishing his career as Morgan State's all-time leading scorer with 2,051 points last season, Holmes ended up going overseas to play in Morocco. His father, Mark, thought Reggie should have tried something else instead.

"He wanted me to go to the D-League from the jump," Holmes said. "I was like, 'Nah!' and he said, 'You're grown now.' "

With things not going to his full liking overseas, Holmes, 23, has decided to give his dad's suggestion a shot. Holmes will make his D-League debut for the Erie BayHawks in their 7 p.m. game today against the New Mexico Thunderbirds (14-18) at Tullio Arena. OK, Dad, he'll give this a shot.

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TODAY'S BAYHAWKS GAME
New Mexico Thunderbirds (14-18) at Erie BayHawks (20-9)
Today, 7 p.m., at Tullio Arena.
On the air: WFNN-AM/1330; www.nba.com/dleague

The Erie BayHawks are the NBA Development League Affiliate of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors. The NBA Development League is the official minor league of the NBA.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Jackson lifts Morgan Bears to win over N.C. A&T, 68-66

BALTIMORE, Md. -- DeWayne Jackson scored 18 points, including the game-winning free throws with 15.5 seconds left, as Morgan State edged North Carolina A&T 68-66 Monday night.

“We are very, very fortunate, there's no doubt about it,” said Morgan State head coach Todd Bozeman about the game's finish. “Sometimes you got to have that type of game, but I'll take the win, because every win in Division I is not easy.”

The Bears (10-9, 6-2 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) also got a season-high 15 points from Larry Bastfield and 10 apiece from Ameer Ali and Aric Brooks.

Thomas Coleman had 20 points and 11 rebounds for the Aggies (9-13, 4-4), but also committed...


Videographer: pvimaging; Morgan State University Choir - "The Battle of Jericho"

MSU Beats Aggies On Late-Second Shot

BALTIMORE - One last second shot deserves another. Two days after beating Coppin State on a last-second shot, the North Carolina A&T women's basketball team was defeated in the late seconds on Monday as Morgan State came away with a 51-49 win at Hill Field House.

Brittany Dodson's jumper with 1.2 seconds remaining broke the sixth time of the game to give the Bears the win. Three minutes earlier, Tracy King connected on a 3-pointer to give N.C. A&T a 47-45 lead.

Kyla Rollins tied the game on two free throws. The two teams swapped turnovers. The Aggies had a chance to take the lead, but Jaleesa Sams' jumper bounced off the rim and into the hands of Theresa Davis, who was fouled by Nikia Gorham.

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Sunday, January 30, 2011

MSU Bears Upset At Home By Norfolk State, 76-74

NSU Men's Coach Anthony Evans
BALTIMORE, Md. – Kyle O'Quinn scored 24 points to help lead the Norfolk State Spartans to a 76-74 upset victory over the Morgan State Bears Saturday afternoon in an ESPNU nationally televised game. Rob Hampton tallied 19 points for Norfolk State (6-13, 4-3), which got 15 points from Pendarvis Williams and 11 points from Aleek Pauline.

DeWayne Jackson poured in a team-high 19 points in the loss for Morgan State (9-9, 5-2), who suffered its first conference home loss since falling to South Carolina State 71-68 on February 15, 2010; Coincidentally, that game was also during an ESPNU televised matchup at Hill Field House.

4 Score in Double Figures as Spartans Win 4th in a Row, Top Morgan State

BALTIMORE, Md. – Kyle O’Quinn scored a game-high 24 points to lead four Spartans in double figures, and Norfolk State extended its winning streak to four games with a 76-74 win over two-time defending MEAC champion Morgan State on Saturday at Hill Field House.

Rob Hampton added 19 points, Pendarvis Williams had 15 and Aleek Pauline 11 for NSU (6-13, 4-3 MEAC), which broke a four-game losing streak against the Bears (9-9, 5-2) and improved to 3-0 in ESPNU-televised games this year.

Morgan State Holds Off Spartans, 64-60

BALTIMORE, Md.- Brittany Noel scored a game-high 16 points, while Kyla Rollins added 13 points to help Morgan State to a 64-60 victory over visiting Norfolk State on Saturday afternoon in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) game at Hill Field House. The win was the Lady Bears' seventh straight over Norfolk State.

Noel, who shot 4-of-8 from the field, including 4-of-7 from three-point range, also recorded a game-high four steals in the victory. Rollins, who was playing in just her second game as a Lady Bear, notched a game-high nine rebounds in her home debut, falling shy of a double-double for the second consecutive game.

Free Throws Lead Morgan State Past NSU, 64-60

BALTIMORE, Md. – The Norfolk State women’s basketball team got oh-so-close, but numerous free throws by Morgan State allowed the Bears to take a 64-60 win over the Spartans Saturday afternoon at Talmadge Hill Field House.

NSU tied the score with as few as five minutes left in the game, but the Spartans were unable to convert on several chances late in the half as the Bears held on. The Spartans fell to 8-9 overall and 1-6 in the MEAC, while the Bears improved to 11-8, 5-2.

Sophomore Batavia Owens and junior Sarah Daily led the balanced NSU scoring with 13 and 11 points, respectively, while Daily and sophomore Marian Brooks tied for the team lead with seven rebounds.

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Sunday, January 9, 2011

Morgan Bears Roll Past Howard, 75-62

MSU Coach Todd Bozeman
BALTIMORE, Md. -- Kevin Thompson recorded his seventh double-double of the season by halftime, and finished with 15 points and 15 rebounds to help lead Morgan State to a 75-62 home victory against Beltway rival Howard on Saturday.

Aric Brooks matched his season-high by scoring 17 points, including 10-for-10 shooting from the free throw line with four assists. With the win the Bears improved to 6-7 overall and 2-0 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). The win also improved Todd Bozeman's record to 39-7 (.848) inside the confines of Hill Field House.

“Every win in Division I is a good win, especially a conference win,” said Morgan State coach Todd Bozemen. “Starting off 2-0 in the conference is a good thing, we just want to take it one game at a time.”

MORGAN STATE’S INSIDE PRESENCE AND DEPTH THE DIFFERENCE

Baltimore, MD—January 8---Mike Phillips poured in a game- and career-high 25 points and Dadrian Collins contributed 14, but it was not enough to offset the depth as Morgan State downed Howard, 75-62 in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference game Hill Fieldhouse.

It appeared as though Phillips would single handedly lead the Bison to victory when he scored 12 points and grabbed 6 rebounds in the first 20 minutes. But the Bears (6-7 overall, 2-0 in the MEAC) parlayed the power of Kevin Thompson and Ameer Ali, who combined for 18 points and 14 rebounds and their bench into a 47-33 halftime lead.

The undermanned Bison (2-12 overall, 0-2 in the MEAC) battled the defending champs despite foul trouble. Morgan State Coach Todd Bozeman went to his bench early and often and it paid dividends.

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Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Recap: Louisville vs. Morgan State

Preston Knowles scored 31 points, Kyle Kuric had 25 and No. 22 Louisville carried its 30-point halftime lead to the final buzzer in a 104-74 rout of Morgan State.

Kuric hit five three-pointers and scored 17 of his points in the first half for the Cardinals (11-1), who built a 58-28 lead after 20 minutes and went ahead by as many as 34 in the second half.

Knowles and Kuric combined to go 13-for-19 from three-point range in the game as Louisville earned its third straight win since being upset by Drexel on December 14.

Preston(!), Kuric post career highs as Louisville rolls

In one of the best shooting performances in program history, Louisville hit 17-of-23 three-point attempts and routed visiting Morgan State 104-74 in their final tune-up before Friday's showdown with arch-rival Kentucky.

The bulk of the damage from beyond the arc was done by Preston Knowles and Kyle Kuric, who combined to hit 13-of-19 from three. Each posted career scoring highs, Knowles with 31 and Kuric with 25.

It was the second straight 100-plus performance by the Cards, who crushed Western Kentucky 114-82 on Dec. 22.

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Sunday, December 26, 2010

Morgan State (4-5, 1-0 MEAC) at U of Louisville (12-1, 0-0 Big East)

Morgan State Bears Coach Todd Bozeman
MSU Gamenotes

Game 10
Morgan State (4-5, 1-0 MEAC) vs. Louisville (12-1, 0-0 Big East)
Monday, Dec. 27, 2010 – 7 p.m. (ET)
KFC Yumi! Center – Louisville, Ky.
Television – WHAS TV (Ch. 11 in Louisville)
Radio – WKRD 790 AM
Websites: www.MorganStateBears.com; www.uoflsports.com

Follow Morgan State men's basketball on twitter @morganstbears for in-game updates and the latest news on the squad.

The Opening Tip
Morgan State, the 2010 MEAC champions, will take on Louisville on Monday, Dec. 27 at 7 p.m. at the KFC Yumi! Center in Louisville, Ky. MSU 4-5 will look to rebound from a 97-55 non-conference loss at No. 5 Syracuse on Dec. 20 at the Carrier Dome. Louisville dropped Western Kentucky 114-82 on Wednesday night at the E.A. Diddle Arena to improve to 10-1. Monday night's game will mark the third meeting between the teams, Louisville holds a 2-0 advantage.

Big East Basketball: Louisville hosts Morgan State - Monday Night

THE STORY: Fresh off a dominating performance in their first road game, No. 25 Louisville returns home for another tuneup before the schedule gets much tougher. The Cardinals will try not to overlook Morgan State with a visit from No. 14 Kentucky scheduled for Friday and the Big East slate starting next week. Rick Pitino’s team has impressed all season with its ability to get out and run off pressure defense and shoot 3-pointers, a style that plays well with a young team and a 10-man rotation.

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Friday, November 5, 2010

Morgan State enters basketball season with high expectations … again

Morgan State coach Todd Bozeman remembers the days of fielding phones call from coaches telling him about players they thought could play for the Bears.

Bozeman, now in his fourth season, politely rejected those suggestions and continued to pursue players who could compete in higher conferences, but wanted to play for Morgan State. After two consecutive Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament championships, two straight trips to the NCAA tournament and an appearance in the NIT, the Bears are landing marquee players and are now considered one of the top mid-major programs in the nation.

College Basketball Preview - Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - OUTLOOK: Morgan State ran away with the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference last year, finishing with a 15-1 record. The Bears, who logged 27 total wins, claimed their second MEAC Tournament title and coach Todd Bozeman has a roster full of talent this season, giving the Bears another shot at having another highly successful campaign.

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Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Thompson, Morgan State earn acclaim in MEAC men's basketball poll

Coach Todd Bozeman looks forward to another MEAC championship in 2010-11 and NCAA berth.

Morgan State junior forward Kevin Thompson (Walbrook) was voted the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Preseason Player of the Year and the Bears were ranked first in the preseason poll of the league's head coaches and sports information directors.

Morgan sophomore swingman Dewayne Jackson also was voted to the All-MEAC preseason first team. The Bears received 20 of 22 first-place votes and 474 points; South Carolina State was second with 378. UMES was seventh with 242 and placed junior guard Hillary Haley on the second team. Coppin State received 84points, tied for last with Florida A&M.

The Secret World of HBCU Sports: 'More Than Just Games'


Proud and productive, I’m a child of an HBCU – a 2006 graduate from Morgan State University, but you won’t catch me in any letter jackets or riding with personalized school license plates—I’m much too discreet for that. However, whenever prompted to state my affiliation, I reel off my origin with no hesitation. My graduate friends from bigger schools (i.e. the University of Maryland-College Park, Penn State and UCLA) never seem to understand my loyalty to the HBCU circle.

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Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Q&A with Morgan State coach Todd Bozeman

Morgan State coach Todd Bozeman will have a lot of new players to work with during the 2010-11 season. Reggie Holmes, the Bears’ career scoring leader, has exhausted his eligibility, along with versatile wing Troy Smith and reserve big men Buford Foote and John Long.

Point guard Danny Smith, meanwhile, is still in school but not on the roster. And sources say guards Sean Thomas and Joe Davis are also off the team. Thomas and Davis are reportedly facing a situation similar to that of former UNLV forward Matt Shaw. Despite those departures, Bozeman has a talented group of veterans returning in addition to a promising group of newcomers. Morgan State has three scholarship freshmen on its roster...



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Friday, July 30, 2010

Digital Harbor's Justin Jackson selects Morgan State

Justin Jackson was all set to stay in Baltimore for college until a Division II program in Ohio extended a late scholarship offer earlier this month. Digital Harbor’s (formerly known as Southern-Baltimore), star point guard planned on visiting the Urbana University campus before deciding between the Blue Knights and a preferred walk-on opportunity at Morgan State. But ultimately, Jackson never took the trip to Ohio.

“I was just talking to my family and they said that Morgan looks like a good choice because they’ve got the [financial aid] situation straight, so it’s good,” Jackson said. “… [The Morgan coaches] basically thought I was going there from Jump Street, so they were just happy to have me on the board. I talked to my assistant coach and I’ll be playing there my first year.”

Jackson’s been a well-known name throughout the city basketball scene for the past several years, culminating with the 2008-09 high school season when he and older brother George Jackson guided the Rams to the Class 1A state championship. Jackson looked the part of a Division I prospect, but things didn’t go quite as planned after the initial buzz about his game.



Digital Harbor's Justin Jackson is #15 (dark blue) in this video clip.

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Friday, July 9, 2010

MSU Homecoming for Towson Catholic grad Bastfield

Three years ago Larry Bastfield couldn’t wait to get away from home for college. Today, the former Towson Catholic standout couldn’t be happier to be back. A second-team Baltimore Sun All-Metro selection in 2008, Bastfield signed with Toledo in the fall of 2007 and completed his sophomore season with the Rockets in the spring. When Toledo coach Gene Cross left the university in March, however, Bastfield decided to head home to Baltimore and finish out his college career at Morgan State.

“It’s for the better,” said Bastfield, who is already taking classes this summer at Morgan. “It really hit me when I came home. I was really ready to come back when I was in Toledo. I was ready for a better situation and ready for the next step.” Bastfield’s college career got off to a rocky start before he had even enrolled at Toledo. Stan Joplin, the longtime Rockets coach who recruited him, was fired after the 2007-08 season. Bastfield stuck with his commitment and played two years for Cross.

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Saturday, March 20, 2010

NCAA: Morgan State Bears 50, West Virginia Mountaineer 77

[Morgan State Coach Todd] Bozeman said he felt historically black college and universities, with the right approach by administrators, could become a major player in Division I basketball.

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- West Virginia fought off an early scare, got its act straightened out and rolled past Morgan State, 77-50 this afternoon at the HSBC Arena in Buffalo in a first-round NCAA tournament game. The Mountaineers -- the No. 2-seed in the East region -- advanced their record to 28-6 and, on Sunday, will play Missouri. Morgan State, looking to become the fifth No. 15-seed in tournament history to earn an opening round win, had its season end with a 27-10 record as West Virginia was led in scoring by Kevin Jones, who had 17, and Devin Ebanks' 16.

West Virginia was deplorable at the beginning, as the squad missed its first 11 shots and fell behind, 10-0 in the early going, and didn't score a field goal in the opening 7 minutes, 45 seconds. But the Mountaineers remaining steady against Morgan State's zone, never deviating from their intended offensive course and slowly climbed back into it. They narrowed the disadvantage and narrowed the disadvantage until West Virginia took its first lead, 22-21 with 5:42 remaining in the half on a Joe Mazzulla free throw. Coach Bob Huggins' team never trailed again. From there, the Mountaineers cruised into halftime, distancing themselves from the MEAC champions and securing a 38-27 halftime lead.

Loyal Bozeman Rebuilds Morgan State and His Reputation

Buffalo, NY - When Todd Bozeman faced the news media Friday, he was pleasant but far more somber than he had been a day earlier as he talked about Morgan State’s chances against West Virginia in the opening round of the N.C.A.A. tournament. Bozeman’s 15th-seeded Bears were crushed by No. 2 West Virginia, 77-50, but he told his players not to let the defeat mar what had been a heroic season. Heroic, not because of victories or a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship, but for displaying grace under pressure during a season of heartbreaks.

The father of sophomore guard Ameer Ali committed suicide.

The senior guard Troy Smith’s daughter, who was born blind, had a tumor removed.

The popular freshman forward Anthony Anderson, who redshirted last season, was found to have leukemia sometime after the first day of practice.

Bozeman used the numbing events to underscore his favorite message: the power of overcoming obstacles. “Everybody is going to have adversity,” he said. “It just depends on how you deal with it.” Bozeman is an embodiment of fighting through adversity. He has endured a grueling journey, a rebound from a steep fall from grace. In a close-knit industry that is built largely on relationships, Bozeman’s odyssey through the treacherous waters of N.C.A.A. basketball is a testament to tempering rabid ambition with loyalty. He dabbled in the dark side of ambition, and it changed his life.

Click HERE to watch Morgan State vs. West Virginia game.

Morgan State University superstar, senior guard Reggie Holmes.

Morgan State is no stranger to emotion

Hugs can linger at the NCAA men's basketball tournament. It is an emotional time for coaches, parents, fans and players - especially those who are playing their final time in their collegiate careers. But even by those standards, the embrace shared by Morgan State coach Todd Bozeman and his senior guard Reggie Holmes at the end of a 77-50 loss to West Virginia Friday was long. The seconds flew by, until the hug stopped just shy of 30 seconds, by one rough estimate.

"Great career," Holmes said Bozeman's first words were. "We've been here the last four years, since it's started. Since our run started." "You ain't gonna tell them I told you I loved you, man?" Bozeman inquired at the podium. "Yeah, you love me," Holmes said, trailing off. The declaration of love is not a rare thing for Morgan State, the Baltimore school that came into the tournament as a 15th seed in the East region. No, on this day, every player had his emotions tattooed on his face.

And at many times this year, the emotions have been overwhelming. One Morgan State fan who made the trip to Buffalo held up a sign that read "Do It 4 Big Ant." That would be Anthony Anderson, the 6-foot-10 forward who did not play as a red-shirt freshman last year, and found out he had leukemia after the team's first practice this year. "Just imagine waiting for Christmas, then on Christmas, they take it away from you," Bozeman said yesterday.

NCAA tournament blogging – Morgan-W.Va. final thoughts

There really isn't a whole lot to add on Morgan State's loss. The Bears started strong, West Virginia started cold, and then Morgan State just got overwhelmed by the West Virginia size, depth and athleticism. If they played this game 100 times, West Virginia would probably win 98 of them. The Mountaineers are going to be tough to beat with their rebounding ability.

But I think we shouldn't walk away from this contest without acknowledging one very nice moment for the Bears that happened with 30 seconds left. Todd Bozeman called a timeout, and took Reggie Holmes out of the game. Holmes, a senior, is Morgan State's all-time leading scorer, and when the two men met at the scorer's table, Holmes started to cry. And then Bozeman started to cry.

Holmes was one of the first kids to buy into what Bozeman was selling four years ago when he got this job. He's a shy kid, but a year ago, we sat in the stands and talked about his decision to enroll at Morgan, which wasn't easy. The kids he grew up playing against in his neighborhood thought Morgan State was a joke. There was almost more pride in not playing at all instead of playing for a school like Morgan State back then, but Holmes believed what Bozeman told him. He was a good player, but if he came to Morgan State, he could develop and become a great player.

Mountaineers cruise to easy win

Da'Sean Butler, West Virginia's all-Big East swingman, once explained how current coach Bob Huggins differs from former coach John Beilein as such: Beilein teaches first and screams second. Huggins screams first, second and third and then gets down to the teaching. Given their coach's quick fuse and harsh critiques, one might expect the Mountaineers would have shed their penchant for listless starts by the 34th game of the season. Seriously, who among them could possibly enjoy heading to the first timeout knowing what's transpired to that point will send spittle and invective spewing from the mouth of Mount Huggins?

For whatever the reason, West Virginia has been incapable of shaking its malady. Like a sleeping engine on a winter's morning, the Mountaineers are simply slow to warm. And while the affliction might one day prove their undoing, Friday wasn't that day. If anything, West Virginia's 77-50 destruction of Morgan State at HSBC Arena spoke to the immensity of the Mountaineers' capabilities. They fell behind, 10-0. They needed almost eight minutes to score from the floor. And yet just seven minutes after their first field goal they had moved in front, by halftime they were up by double digits and the second half amounted to seven subs making early pitches for more playing time this season.

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BEST QUOTES OF THE DAY:

"Those damn 40-minute games," joked Morgan State coach Todd Bozeman. "If we had it at 12, we would have won the game."

"Coach Bob Huggins makes a mockery of the term "student-athlete"...even by today's threadbare standards. He once went four consecutive years at Cincinnati with a graduation rate of zero. Statistically speaking, you'd think at least one guy would get a diploma, just by accident. Nope. That's dedication, my friends." by SABREGUY29

One Morgan State fan who made the trip to Buffalo held up a sign that read "Do It 4 Big Ant."

"Just imagine waiting for Christmas, then on Christmas, they take it away from you," by Coach Todd Bozeman, MSU Bears.

Friday, March 19, 2010

Morgan State Coach Todd Bozeman is making the most of his second chance

Todd Bozeman is on the other end of the phone and he wants to talk about the team he's coaching right now, Morgan State, which is a perfectly reasonable request since this Bears team has one of the best players in school history, a kid named Reggie Holmes, and it's 27-9 and heading into the NCAA tournament for the second consecutive season. But I was a whole lot less interested in Morgan State than I was in talking to Bozeman about Bozeman, mostly about what happens from here going forward, about reputations and second chances and whether he'll ever coach on the big stage again.

See, it's no surprise to anybody that Morgan State won the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference for the second straight year to get to the NCAAs, or that Bozeman won the league's coach-of-the-year award for the third straight time, or that he's got a couple of really big-time players in Holmes, a 6-foot-4 senior guard, and Kevin Thompson, a 6-9 sophomore forward.

Bozeman, a Washington native, can recruit and he can coach and anybody who tells you anything else is a fool. In 7 1/2 years as a Division I head coach, at the University of California and Morgan State, Bozeman has been in five NCAA tournaments and an NIT.

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