Morgan State player sues NCAA, school over weird five-year clock eligibility ruling

BALTIMORE, Maryland -- A Morgan State basketball player has taken his eligibility fight with the NCAA to the courtroom after he was ruled ineligible due to the way the NCAA determines a player’s eligibility clock.

First, some background. The way that the NCAA’s five-year clock works is pretty simple: An athlete has five years to use four years of eligibility as a student-athlete, and the clock starts ticking as soon as they enroll in college. Some exceptions can be made — like, for example, Jalan West of Northwestern State, who received a waiver for a seventh-year of eligibility after a pair of torn ACLs — but it requires the NCAA to determine the athlete should receive a waiver.

Enter Andrew Hampton. He’s currently a 24-year old accounting major and a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma honor society, according to the Baltimore Sun, but he also happens to be heading into his seventh year in college. Hampton initially enrolled at Mount St. Mary’s in 2011 — as a student, not as an athlete — and also spent time at Montgomery College, a two-year school where he also did not play sports, before finally enrolling at Morgan State in the fall of 2013. He walked onto the team in 2013-14 and averaged less than 15 minutes per game in a total of 18 games in 2014-15 and 2015-16.

Hampton did not play season, however, as the NCAA ruled that his eligibility clock started when he enrolled at Mount St. Mary’s back in 2011.

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Quarterback battle not yet settled at FAMU

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- For the third year in a row under head coach Alex Wood, two quarterbacks are battling for the starting job in fall camp.

During Wood’s first year at the helm, it was Carson Royal and Kenny Coleman. Royal emerged as the Day 1 starter, though Coleman was the No. 1 quarterback by the end of the season. Last year, Coleman battled Ryan Stanley. Coleman was the Day 1 starter, but Stanley eventually took over.

This year, the battle is primarily between Stanley, now a redshirt sophomore, and senior JUCO transfer Vincent Jefferies Jr. Stanley, who led the Rattlers to four wins last season, wants to earn the job and buck the recent trend by staying the starter through the end of the season.

Both had their chances to work with the first unit during Saturday’s scrimmage, and both struggled at times. Stanley and Jefferies both threw interceptions – Stanley’s lone pick was the result of a receiver falling down and one of Jefferies’ was batted in the air.

Wood said those interceptions were “out of their hands.”

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A.C. basketball standout Ray Bethea Jr. headed to Howard U.

ATLANTIC CITY, New Jersey -- Ray Bethea Jr. committed this week to attend Howard University on an NCAA Division I basketball scholarship.

The Washington school probably had the inside track on the recruiting of the Atlantic City High School standout.

Bethea’s sister Natasha Rae Bethea graduated from Howard in 2011. Bethea attended his sister’s graduation.



“I think it would be a good situation because I have a family line there,” Bethea said. “My sister was telling me how I would like the school, and it was a really good school.”

As a junior last season, the 6-foot-5 Bethea averaged 18 points and 6.3 rebounds. He was a first-team Press All-Star and one of the Cape-Atlantic League’s and South Jersey’s most versatile players.

Bethea visited Howard twice this summer.

“I liked the atmosphere,” Bethea said. “Everybody was very supportive. I felt like the school could make me a better man.”

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S.C. STATE FOOTBALL: The 2017 defensive line is a strength

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- Defense has been synonymous with South Carolina State football through the years.

It takes only a quick examination of the All-Conference teams in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), which the Bulldogs joined in 1970, as well as the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) – a league S.C. State participated in earlier – to bear this fact out.

Bulldogs have earned Defensive Player of the Year honors in the MEAC the past four years and the 2017 preseason pick for the accolade is, yes, from S.C. State (OLB Darius Leonard, the 2016 winner).

Overall, Bulldog players have been named DPOTY in the MEAC 14 times. Two of them – Harry Carson, 1974 & 1975) and Javon Hargrave (2014 & 2015) – have received the accolade in consecutive seasons.

The Bulldog defense is expected to play a significant role in the team’s success during the 2017 season.

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Morgan State RB Herb Walker Jr. A Study In Perseverance

BALTIMORE, Maryland -- During his sophomore year, the running back set the school's single-game and single-season rushing records and led the Bears to their first NCAA playoff appearance in 35 years. But the past two years have been frustrating for the Cleveland, Ohio, native, who has played in just four games since his record-breaking 2014 season.

Walker, who earned third-team All-Ohio recognition during his senior season at Cleveland Glenville Ginn Academy, split time with former teammate Lamont Brown III in the Bears' backfield during his freshman season. He first showed his promise during the 2013 season opener, when he gained 56 yards on 10 carries in a 28-12 loss at Army. Walker finished his first collegiate season with 390 rushing yards on 99 carries and scored one touchdown.

Walker became one of the nation's top running backs a year later. During the Bears' 7-6 season, he rushed for a school-record 1,408 yards (14th in the FCS) and scored 15 touchdowns. In his first career start, Walker ran for a school-record 271 yards on 20 carries during a 29-26 loss at Holy Cross. He followed that performance with a 180-yard effort during the Bears' 28-3 win against Bowie State. Walker went exceeded the 200-yard mark again when he rushed for 203 yards on 22 carries during a 24-9 win at Florida A&M.

After leading the Bears to the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title and an automatic berth in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision playoffs, he closed the season by rushing for 120 yards on 21 carries during a 46-24 loss at Richmond.

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Deep Delaware State Hornet backfield aims to dominate

DOVER, Delaware — The Delaware State football team’s best position last season is even deeper for 2017.

Not only do the Hornets return their top two rushers, but the backfield gets a boost because Nyfease West is now healthy.

West sat out all of the 2016 season with a knee injury. He had to watch from the sideline as the Hornets went winless.

Brycen Alleyne and Mike Waters provided some of the few bright spots for Delaware State during that losing streak. Both running backs finished in the top-five in the MEAC in rushing.

The addition of West just makes that unit more dangerous.

“I feel like we got the best backfield in the conference,” Alleyne said. “No one can compete with us in the backfield.”

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FAMU Set to Open 2017 Season on ESPNU

Kickoff time set for 12 noon • Rattlers will play four nationally-televised games this season

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- The inaugural Jake Gaither Classic will take place on Aug. 26 at Bragg Memorial Stadium. Today the FAMU Department of Athletics announced that the game has been moved to a 12 noon kickoff time to allow the game to be shown on ESPNU. This Nationally Televised game will be the broadcasts to kick off the 2017 football season. The Rattlers will reach a national audience four times this season.

“The exposure on the premier college football network is part of our strategic recruitment and branding effort. Millions of college football fans will have the opportunity to watch the debut of this year’s Rattler football team and witness the launch of the Jake Gaither Classic. Placing the Jake Gaither Classic on national television is an outstanding way to share the greatness of FAMU and honor Coach Gaither’s legacy,” FAMU Director of Athletics Milton Overton said.

FAMU will appear on ESPNU Aug. 26 for the Jake Gaither Classic, the SEC Network on Aug. 31 (Thurs.) against Arkansas, ESPNU on Sept. 28 (Thurs.) against North Carolina Central and on an undefined ESPN network on Nov.18 against Bethune-Cookman in the Florida Blue Florida Classic. This will be the first time in some time that the Rattlers will make four appearances on national television in a season.

The Jake Gaither Classic will also be a celebration of three amazing national championship football teams. The 1947, 1957 and 1977 football teams will be recognized. In addition, the undefeated 1977 Rattlers (11-0), under the leadership of Rudy Hubbard, will be honored on the field at the game. Hubbard’s team was the only NCAA team at any division to go undefeated in 1977. The game marks the 40th Anniversary of their unblemished season and the last undefeated team in FAMU history.

The Jake Gaither Classic will pit the Rattlers from the MEAC against the Tigers of Texas Southern University of the SWAC. Along with football, the game will also feature a battle of two of the best bands in the country. FAMU’s famed Marching “100” will square off against TSU’s “Ocean of Soul,” in what is sure to be an amazing halftime performance.

The game is in line with the FAMU Athletic Department’s five-year strategic plan for more visibility for both the sports teams and the university. “Our partnership with ESPN allows for opportunities to bolster the great things that happen at FAMU everyday. It will also be beneficial for our football coaches to show recruits our brand. It is a positive step in the process of building champions,” Overton said.

Tickets for the game are available now at the FAMU ticket office, located in the Al Lawson Center starting at just $15. Support the team with season tickets which will be available until the kickoff of the first game starting at just $135. They can be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com or by calling 850-599-3141.

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