Thursday, June 23, 2011

Banks trying to spur Southern rebound

Baton Rouge, LA - When the calendar turns to June and the temperature climbs close to 100 degrees, it’s usually high time for college basketball coaches to hit a beach. Or a golf course. Maybe both.

Roman Banks, for his part, hasn’t seen either. Behind a heavy door in the lower hallway of the F.G. Clark Activity Center, the new Southern men’s basketball coach is knee-deep in meetings.

In the past week alone, he’s had impromptu chats with players, meeting after meeting with his newly assembled staff and encounters with an untold number of other people associated with the Southern University athletic department. In other words, the new boss is a little busy. Then again, he has to be. His program has a lot of catching up to do.

“You have to get everybody acclimated to a new way of life,” Banks said. “You’re concerned about the game of basketball. But right now, we have to be concerned about getting everybody’s eligibility back so we can play the game of basketball.”

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TSU star works out for NBA Sacramento Kings

Sacramento, CA - Tuesday morning wasn't the first time Kevin Galloway wore a jersey with Sacramento on it. Before Galloway helped Texas Southern win the Southwestern Athletic Conference regular-season championship last year, he starred at Sacramento High School, earning The Bee's Player of the Year honor in 2005.

Galloway was at the Kings' practice facility as part of the team's final workout before Thursday's NBA draft. Galloway's college career began at USC in 2006, then continued at the College of Southern Idaho and Kentucky. He appeared to have found a home in Kentucky until the coach who recruited him, Billy Gillispie, was fired and replaced by John Calipari after the 2008-09 season.



Galloway ended up having a good senior season at Texas Southern, where he was the SWAC Newcomer of the Year after averaging 10.9 points, a conference-leading 6.3 assists (eighth in the NCAA) and 1.8 steals. His 6.9 rebounding average was second in the SWAC.

The 6-foot-7 guard enjoyed finishing his career at Texas Southern.

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CIAA rules ECSU's Bonner eligible next season

Elizabeth City, NC - The Michael Bonner saga has a happy ending after all.

Bonner, the former Perquimans standout basketball player who sat out last season in an eligibility controversy at Elizabeth City State after transferring from Winston-Salem State, has been granted a waiver from the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association and ruled eligible for the upcoming season.

“Man, it’s been a fight,” said Bonner, who will have two years of eligibility remaining. “I lost a year (of eligibility) out of the three years I would have had, but I was just grateful get it over.”

Bonner, the 2007 Daily Advance Player of the Year, was caught up in a mess created when Winston-Salem abandoned its Division I plans and rejoined the CIAA in 2010.

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READ RELATED ARTICLES:
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Harris: Seems like it was a little too late for Bonner

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NCCU near NCAA Division I full membership, school trustees told

DURHAM, NC -- North Carolina Central University's eight-year trek to Division I status in athletics has almost reached the finish line. The university found out earlier this spring that the NCAA -- the governing body for intercollegiate athletics -- had certified the school's athletic programs "without conditions." The NCAA could have accredited the programs with certain conditions.

At the beginning of this month, NCCU submitted its final strategic plan and annual athletics report to a subcommittee of the NCAA's advisory council. The subcommittee reviewed the strategic plan last week and the full committee will make a decision on whether to forward to the Leadership Council by the end of the month.

The council -- the last necessary vote -- should give final approval to the move by August.

"We should know very shortly," athletics director Ingrid Wicker-McCree told the university's Board of Trustees Tuesday. "Everything has gone well so far and we just have this last step to go through."



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Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Melendez makes ASU believe: New Hornets baseball coach inspires higher expectations

It's a resume that is among the best in small college baseball.

Mervyl Melendez has transformed Bethune-Cookman into a baseball powerhouse, not only making the Wildcats the envy of Historically Black Colleges and Universities programs everywhere but even those small college programs that dare to dream the impossible dream.

And when Melendez stepped to the podium on Tuesday to entertain questions as the new baseball coach at Alabama State, there were plenty of optimistic observers who believe the Hornets' baseball program has stepped into a new era as well. Daring to dream can be contagious.

"It was never about money with him," said ASU athletic director Stacy Danley. "He's all about vision and the direction of the university and the baseball program. He was sold on Alabama State University. This is a clear message to everyone that we are taking our program to the next level. He understood that, could see it and knew we were not just talking."

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Throwback: HBCU Greatest Football Champions of the Last Era

Players and Coaches from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have played a significant role in the history of college football.

Black College football and NFL quarterback pioneers Pro Bowl MVP James "Shack" Harris and Super Bowl MVP Doug Williams have personally made this journey and remain committed to preserving the HBCU legacy. It is this promise that inspired them to establish the Black College Football Hall of Fame. The City of Atlanta, with its central proximity to more than half of the nation™s HBCUs, was selected as the perfect home for the Hall of Fame.

Shack and Doug next turned to the task of establishing a prestigious selection committee, with a special understanding and knowledge of the many great HBCU players and coaches. Numerous prominent journalists and football executives enthusiastically joined the Committee, which determines the Hall of Fame selection criteria, reviews nominations and chooses inductees.

N. Carolina A&T Names Veney New Track and Field Director

Coach Anthony "Tony" Veney

GREENSBORO, N.C. - North Carolina A&T Director of Athletics Earl Hilton announced the appointment of Tony Veney as the new director of track and field programs, effective July 1. Veney will be responsible for guiding the success of N.C. A&T's six track and field programs, which include men's and women's cross country, men's and women's indoor track and field and men's and women's outdoor track and field.

"I'm really excited about the prospects and potential we have at North Carolina A&T," said Veney. "I have been doing my homework and research, and the program has an amazing history. I believe with the wealth of talent in the Southeast region, or first and foremost within the state itself, we have a chance to do something special. I feel fortunate to be taking over the reins of a well-established program. It is both a challenge and a blessing."

Veney spent six seasons (2003-09) at UCLA as an assistant coach for sprints and hurdles. Veney established himself as one of the premiere hurdles and sprints coaches in the nation. Fifteen Bruins earned either indoor or outdoor All-American status under Veney. He also coached six Pac-10 Champions and four NCAA West Regional Champions. Veney also served as the recruiting coordinator at UCLA.

Before joining the Aggie Family, Veney's latest coaching position was as the head men's cross country and head men's and women's track and field coach at Ventura Community College. His other collegiate experience includes stints at Portland State (2001-03), the University of Oregon (1998-01) and Cal State Los Angeles (1996-98).

Veney began his coaching career in 1976. He served as Occidental College's head women's track and field and cross country coach until 1979. In 1983, he returned to the college ranks as the assistant track and field and cross country coach at Cal State Northridge. In 11 seasons, Veney coached three NCAA National Champions, 33 NCAA All-Americans and 15 conference champions.

A USATF Level I, II and III Clinician and certified USATF Master of Coaching, Veney has produced two sprint and hurdles training videos, has written two sprint and hurdles training manuals and published a sprint/hurdle book called "Conditioning for Track & Field."

There is also an international component to Veney's background. Veney was the head women's coach for Team USA at the Goodwill Games in Brisbane, Australia in 2001. Eleven years earlier, he was the Olympic Festival Sprint Coach. Veney was also the sprints coach at two Pan American Games, the 1991 Junior Pan Am Games in Kingston, Jamaica, and the 1995 Senior Pan Am games in Mar Del Plata, Argentina.

Veney graduated from UCLA in 1976 with a B.A., degree in history. As an athlete for the Bruins, he was a part of two Pac-8 and NCAA Championship teams. He received his Master's Degree in physical education from Azusa Pacific University in 2010.

By North Carolina A&T State University Sports Information
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Grambling Legends to induct third class into Sports Hall of Fame

The Grambling Legends Sports Hall of Fame will induct its third class of honorees during a gala ceremony to be held Saturday, July 16, at the Frederick C. Hobdy Assembly Center on the campus of Grambling State University.

This year’s honorees include former NFL Pro Bowl MVP James “Shack” Harris, former Super Bowl champions Gary “Big Hands” Johnson and Everson Walls, former NBA champion Larry Wright and Douglas Porter, already a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.

Tickets may be purchased through the PayPal link on the group’s Web site, at gramblinglegends.net, or by contacting Albert Dennis III by phone at (318) 261-0898 or by email at albertdennis3@bellsouth.net.

Biographical details on this year’s class of inductees follow:

FRANK GARNETT (baseball) – A New Orleans native, Garnett was a three-sport letterman and a state champion in both baseball and basketball at St. Augustine High. He then served as a team captain on the 1962-63 Grambling baseball teams, as the Tigers advanced to the national NAIA baseball tournament for the third of what would be four times between 1961-67. He was named all-conference in each of his four years on campus – once at first base, twice at third base and once a shortstop – and earned first-team All-America honors in 1963. Garnett, later a longtime Los Angeles area educator, then signed a baseball contract with the Washington Senators, and played seven seasons of minor league baseball.

JAMES “SHACK” HARRIS (football) – A senior personnel executive for the NFL’s Detroit Lions, the Monroe, Louisiana, native led Grambling to SWAC championships in each of his four years as quarterback and was named MVP of the 1967 Orange Blossom Classic. Drafted by the AFL’s Buffalo Bills, he would become the first black player to start a season at quarterback, the first to start a conference championship game and the first to be named MVP of the Pro Bowl over the course of a career that also included stops with the Rams and Chargers.

TASHA HOLLIS (women’s basketball) – A standout at Grambling from 1988-91, the Mobile, Alabama, native scored a total of 2,058 points. She boasted a career shot percentage of 58 percent, and a free-throw average of 64 percent. That included scoring in double figures 75 times in 85 games played. The Lady Tigers, under fellow Grambling Legends Sports Hall of Fame coach Pat Bibbs, claimed the SWAC regular-season and tournament titles in 1988-89. Hollis also notched double figures in rebounds in 69 career games, and had 140 blocked shots and 142 steals.

DELLES HOWELL (football) – Famously started at Grambling as a freshman cornerback, then in the NFL as a rookie. The Monroe, Louisiana, native starred on a trio of Southwestern Athletic Conference title teams for fellow Grambling Legends Hall of Fame coach Eddie Robinson, then for the New Orleans Saints and New York Jets in a six-season NFL career – collecting 17 career interceptions. He has found a second calling in the ministry, serving as pastor of New Light Baptist Church in northeastern Louisiana.

JAMES “HOUND” HUNTER (football) – Drafted 10th overall out of Grambling, where the two-time All-SWAC corner claimed a league championship in 1974, Hunter led the NFL’s Detroit Lions in interceptions in 1976-77 and in 1980, eventually logging 27 career picks. Hunter was runner-up for NFL defensive rookie of the year before a neck injury in the early 1980s shortened a promising pro career. He died of an apparent heart attack in 2010; Hunter was just 56.

GARY “BIG HANDS” JOHNSON (football) – A three-time All-SWAC defensive tackle, the Shreveport, Louisiana, helped Grambling to a trio of conference titles before becoming the first pick of the 1975 draft for San Diego, playing for the Chargers until a 1984 trade to San Francisco – where he won a Super Bowl. Johnson made the Pro Bowl in each of the 1980-83 campaign, setting a 17 ½ sack season record for San Diego that still stands. Johnson died in August 2010 at age 57, having never recovered from a stroke he suffered the previous July.



JAMES JONES (basketball) – Averaged 20 points and 8 rebounds a night over 104 career games, as fellow Grambling Legends Sports Hall of Fame coach Fred Hobdy led the Tigers to three SWAC championships, then was selected 13th overall by the Baltimore Bullets in the 1967 NBA Draft. He finished as one of the old ABA’s all-time leaders in every category, becoming just the second in league history to score more than 2,000 points in one season. Jones played seven years in the ABA and then three with the NBA’s Washington Bullets.

FRANK LEWIS (football) – Part of the Pittsburgh Steelers first two Super Bowl-winning squads, Lewis helped Grambling to a SWAC crown and then led the league in scoring over his final two seasons. A two-time all-conference wingback, he finished with 42 career touchdowns at Grambling, then had nearly 400 receptions and 40 touchdowns in the NFL. Later an all-pro with the Buffalo Bills, Lewis was the first player in league history to gain 100 yards in receiving in postseason games for two different clubs. He is employed in workforce development in south Louisiana.

ALEX PERO (baseball) – In 1962-63, Pero had a staggering 0.00 ERA to help Grambling to the national NAIA baseball tournament. Grambling led the nation in ERA that season, and the team would earn NAIA berths four times between 1961-67 under fellow Grambling Legends Sports Hall of Fame coach R.W.E. Jones. In 1965, Pero set a Division II mark for strikeouts per nine innings amongst 50-game starters that to this day remains second all time. He played for three seasons in the minor leagues. Pero passed in 2009 at age 65.

EVERSON WALLS (football) – An all-conference selection for the SWAC champion Tigers, Walls led the nation in interceptions in 1980 – setting a school record that still stands. He then played 14 NFL seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants and Cleveland Browns, leading the league in picks in both 1982 and 1985, earning All-Pro honors three times and a Super Bowl after the 1990 season with the Giants. The Texas native works as a businessman in Dallas.


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ROBERT WOODS (track and field; football) – A two-sport star, Woods left Grambling in 1978 with a SWAC championship and all-conference honors as an undersized but unstoppable wingback for fellow Grambling Legends Sports Hall of Fame coach Eddie Robinson. He was the Bayou Classic MVP of 1977, then was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in ’78. Woods played two seasons in the NFL. Now executive director of a residential treatment center for adolescents in Houston, Texas, he has worked in the mental health field for more than 20 years.

LARRY WRIGHT (basketball) – Wright, of Richwood, Louisiana, helped Grambling to the 1976 league tournament championship and then led the Washington Bullets to an NBA title in 1978. A former head basketball coach for the Tigers, Wright was a two-time all-conference selection, a two time NCAA small college All-American and the SWAC player of the year in 1975-76. Later, Wright was a celebrated player overseas, earning MVP honors as Roma claimed its first-ever European title. He currently serves as an associate high school principal in northeastern Louisiana.

AL DENNIS JR. (pre-1960 honoree) – A New Orleans native and World War II veteran, the late Dennis was one of Grambling’s most celebrated early football captains. Playing from 1946-49, he was a two-time All-America blocker for future College Hall of Famer Paul “Tank” Younger. In 1968, he would become the first African-American to receive a master’s degree in health and physical education from Northwestern State University in Louisiana. He coached and taught for more than 45 years, notably at Brown High in Springhill, Louisiana.

DOUGLAS PORTER (contributor) – A former assistant at Grambling under Eddie Robinson, Porter was a head coach at FCS programs Mississippi Valley State (1961-65) and Howard (1974-78) and finally at Division II Fort Valley State (1979-94), earning induction into the College Football Hall of Fame (2008). He has remained a trusted advisor for every coach to have succeeded Robinson, and was instrumental in the efforts to construct a museum in Robinson’s honor on the Grambling campus.

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Howard women's basketball set to face Baylor in Preseason WNIT

Pairings Set for 2011 Preseason WNIT

The pairings for the 2011 Preseason Women's National Invitation Tournament were announced today, and Howard women's basketball is set to face Baylor in the opening round.

Top 10 teams Baylor, Notre Dame, and UCLA headline the field that features nine teams that played in the postseason last year. The Preseason WNIT field includes Akron, Chattanooga,Detroit, Drexel, ETSU, Hartford, Howard, Indiana State, Long Island, Manhattan, McNeese State, Tennessee Tech, and UAB. Here is the first-round schedule. Please see below for team notes.

First-round Preseason WNIT games
All 2010-2011 team records in parentheses

Friday, Nov. 11, 2011
McNeese State (26-7) at UCLA (28-5), 5 p.m. ET
UAB (20-15) at Chattanooga (17-14), 7 p.m. ET
Tennessee Tech (23-8) at ETSU (19-12), 7 p.m. ET
Akron (14-16) at Notre Dame (31-8), 7 p.m. ET
Long Island (19-11) at Drexel (19-13), 7 p.m. ET
Howard (16-18) at Baylor (34-3), 7:30 p.m. ET
Detroit (13-18) at Indiana State (16-16), 8 p.m. ET
Manhattan (24-10) at Hartford (17-16), 8 p.m. ET

The Preseason WNIT features a three-game guarantee format. The event opens Nov. 11 with first-round games. Second-round games will be played Nov. 13-14 and sites will be announced following the first round results; semifinals will be Nov. 16-17; and the championship is set for Sunday, Nov. 20. Teams that lose in the first two rounds will play consolation games on the second weekend, Nov. 18-19. All games are hosted by participating schools.

In last year's Preseason WNIT, Purdue defeated DePaul 67-58.

- Akron loses just one senior from its 14-16 team, and with the return of four starters, the Zips expect to get back to their form of 09-10 when they posted their best season in school history at 18-14.

- Baylor is a favorite to win next season's national title after advancing deep into the NCAA Tournament. The Lady Bears have U.S. Basketball Writers Association coach of the year Kim Mulkey to lead freshman of the year Odyssey Sims, All-American Brittney Griner, and the vast majority of the Bears that went 34-3 last season and captured the Big 12 Conference regular-season and tournament titles.

- Chattanooga won 11 straight Southern Conference titles until last season's youth-laden team lost in overtime in the semifinals of the tournament. This year's team is a year older and will build on a 17-14 mark with everyone on the roster back for another season under coach Wes Moore.

- Detroit is a program on the rise, as the Titans return all five starters from their 13-18 team that defeated Michigan on the road for the first time since 1983.

- Drexel earned its third straight trip to the postseason and finished 19-13 despite suffering some key injuries. The Dragons welcome all but one player back for next fall.

- ETSU has won three of the past four Atlantic Sun Tournament titles. The Lady Buccaneers return three starters from their 19-12 team, including Destiny Mitchell, who earned all-conference freshman team honors after suffering a season-ending knee injury in February.

- Hartford finished last season on a high note by winning the America East tournament and earning its sixth trip to the NCAAs after a slow start with an inexperienced team. The Hawks, who were 27-5 a year ago, will again be a favorite this fall in the America East.

- Howard finished runner-up at the MEAC championships and returns conference Player of the Year Saadia Doyle for her junior season. The 16-18 Bison return all five of their starters for their first appearance in the Preseason WNIT.

- Indiana State head coach Teri Moren set a school record for most wins in a rookie season as the Sycamores were 16-16. They get all but one player back from a team that advanced to the Missouri Valley tournament's semifinal round.

- Long Island returns its top players from a 19-11 team in the Northeast Conference, including senior Ashley Palmer, a two-time NEC first-team all-conference honoree.

- Manhattan is coming off its winningest season in school history, as it finished 24-10 and played in the postseason. The Jaspers welcome back four starters.

- McNeese State posted a record-setting season and tied the best turnaround in NCAA history with a 26-7 record after winning seven games the year before. The Cowgirls captured both the Southland Conference regular-season and tournament titles, and played in their first NCAA Tournament in school history. Their top players return to the team this fall.

- Notre Dame made it all the way to the NCAA championship game before falling to TexasA&M, and the Fighting Irish (31-8) will be back in force this fall for another strong run. They are led by point guard Skylar Diggins, who is among a record three Irish players who recently made the 14-player cut for the U.S. World University Games.

- Tennessee Tech won the Ohio Valley Conference regular-season title and played in the Postseason WNIT. The Golden Eagles posted a nine-game turnaround from the season before, finishing with a 23-8 overall record. They get all five starters back this fall.

- UAB rolled to its first 20-win season in a decade, going 20-15 and winning the WBI postseason event. The Blazers return four of their five starters and all but one player on their roster.

- UCLA earned more regular-season wins (26) than ever before, and matched its highest seed in history in the NCAA Tournament at No. 3. The Bruins (28-5) will have a new coaching staff led by Cori Close after Nikki Caldwell took the LSU job, but should again be picked to finish around the No. 2 spot in the Pac-12 Conference this fall.

For more information about the WNIT visit the website at www.womensnit.com.



Provided by Howard University Sports Information
Jamilah Corbett, Assistant Director of Sports Information
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Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Boys In The Hall: John Jordan "Buck" O'Neil

John Jordan "Buck" O'Neil (1911–2006) loved baseball, and immersed himself in the game from age 12 to 94. A standout Negro League player and two-time batting champion, O'Neil went on to become the first black manager of a major league team.

Kansas City, Mo. - If anybody in baseball ever had every reason to be surly and sullen during his life, Buck O'Neil is that man. Instead, nobody ever saw O'Neil when his face didn't look like a template for the yellow smiley face.

The first time I saw him was when the Cincinnati Reds played an interleague series against the Kansas City Royals. I visited the Negro League Baseball Museum and he was there, a broad smile splashed across his pleasant face.

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Video: Buck O'Neil: 'It's who you are'

When I told him how sorry I was that he was never afforded the opportunity to display his talents in the major leagues because of his skin color, the smile broadened and he said, "You'll never hear me complain about anything because I've had a wonderful life and I'm still living a wonderful life."

At the time, he was in his 80s and as sharp as ever. And he remained that was into his 90s, a man whose memories of life in the Negro Leagues were lucid, vivid and highly entertaining.



After chatting, he handed me a Kansas City Monarchs cap, like the one he wore as a first baseman for the Negro American League team and I cherish it to this day.

Few people, even knowledgeable baseball people, ever heard of O'Neil until he was 84 years old and Ken Burns used him as the spokesman/historian for his documentary, "Baseball." And a legend was born.

Video
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Note: Buck O'Neil of born in Carrabelle, Florida (Franklin County) and earned his high school diploma and two years of college credits from Edward Waters College, Jacksonville, Florida. O'Neil was initially denied the opportunity to attend high school in Sarasota, Florida (Sarasota High School) due to racial segregation. He later moved in with relatives in Jacksonville to finish his education in one of the four schools for blacks in Florida during that period.  His father built the building and his mother and grandmother opened a restaurant in Sarasota in 1934. On May 13, 2006, O'Neil received an honorary doctorate in education from Missouri Western State University where he also gave the commencement speech.

SSU getting closer to finishing major stadium renovations

Savannah, GA - It may be the summer time, but there is a lot of action going on at Savannah State to get ready for their upcoming football season and it's not the football team. If you've driven by Savannah State's campus recently, you've seen a lot happening to T.A. Wright Stadium which has been under construction for almost a year.

Part of a $17 million project that also includes a new student center, the football stadium is getting a much needed facelift; new turf is being laid, a new track put down, expanding the seating on both sides to hold 8,000, new locker rooms for home and away teams, an expanded press box and two new buildings for restrooms and concessions.

Leading the way on the project from construction company RW Allen is a former SSU football player, so a lot of pride is going into the project from all involved.



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Monday, June 20, 2011

Alcorn State's Luther Riley to host celebrity basketball camp

LORMAN, MS — New Alcorn State University men’s basketball coach Luther Riley has a message for local parents: Don’t miss out. Riley, who was named the Braves’ new hoops coach in April, is planning to bring his celebrity basketball camp to Alcorn State. And he’s trying to get many local children involved.

“Parents, if I were you, I wouldn’t miss out on this grand opportunity,” Riley said. “We have scholarships available for campers.”



The Luther Riley 2011 Celebrity Basketball Camp is open to boys ages 5 to 17 and takes place June 26-30. The camp will cost $135 for campers that will commute every day, and $200 for campers who plan to stay overnight. Overnight campers will stay in the school’s dorms on campus.

“I want every kid from ages 5 to 17 in Natchez that’s a young man to be at my camp,” Riley said. “But that’s only if you’re serious about basketball.”

The camp will feature L.A. Clippers guard Mo Williams and Sacramento Kings forward Demarcus Cousins, as well as other celebrities, Riley said. Riley himself is a certified Nike instructor.

“Anytime kids might be at the edge, where they didn’t make their high school or AAU teams, I can provide them that edge,” Riley said.

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Five-a-Side: Texas Southern's Kevin Ramsey

TSU Head Football Coach Kevin Ramsey
Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Conference champions aren't supposed to have the type of offseason that Texas Southern has had since it won the Southwestern Athletic Conference football title in December - its first in 42 years.

This spring, head coach Johnnie Cole was shown the door because of the program's poor academic performances and then NCAA sanctions were levied against the Tigers, including the loss of 14.78 of their 63 scholarships and four hours of practice time each week.

The university promoted defensive coordinator Kevin Ramsey to interim head coach and he has tried to settle the program, maintaining the "storm" will pass as the Tigers strengthen their academic requirements stardards.

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Texas Southern University Ocean of Soul Marching Band

Basketball & Golfing high school stars sign with Prairie View A&M

Golfer Josh Mitchell with parents
Jeff and Stephanie Anderson
Tomball's Josh Mitchell lands on Prairie View A&M fairway

Houston, TX - Prairie View A&M University sent Tomball senior Josh Mitchell a timely birthday present and graduation gift in the mail. A few days before turning 18 and little more than two weeks prior to accepting his diploma, Mitchell received a scholarship offer to play golf for the Panthers. Sealing his college future only enhanced a time of celebration.

“I’ve been talking to the coach for about two months,” said Mitchell, adding the scholarship will cover tuition. “We’d been talking about getting a letter of intent together. I finally got it last week and decided to sign it on my birthday (May 23). I’m very proud of my accomplishment. A lot of people didn’t think I could do it in such a short time.”

Mitchell said he got a late start on the recruiting process and did not join the Cougars until January after recovering from a broken hand. Injuries continued to provide setbacks as the senior played the District 13-5A tournament with foot trouble. “I played the district tournament with a broken toe,” Mitchell said. “I couldn’t finish my swing. It wasn’t a very good day.”

Sierra Vista High School's Jackson Joins Prairie View A&M University 

Basketball Point Guard Jeanette Jackson
Sierra Vista High School
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, NV - After four years of being on girls’ varsity basketball, senior Jeanette Jackson accomplished her dream. Jackson signed a contract to attend Prairie View Agricultural and Mechanical University in Texas for the 2011-2012 year over her other offers from Northern Arizona University and Texas-Pan American University.

"They love my personality and the way I play basketball," said Jackson. "Plus, they are in need of a new point guard."

Her contract includes a full ride scholarship that covers: room and board, meals, books, instates intuition, and all her basketball finances. "I feel like there was a lot of weight lifted off my chest, because all my hard work paid off," stated Jackson. Jackson will be majoring in business management and wishes to reach her potential in basketball.

"I want to become the best of what I strive to do, hopefully I will reach my goals at PVAMU," said Jackson. Not only is Jackson proud of herself but so is her family and her coaches Lindsey Whalen and Jennifer Brown. Right now Jackson feels everything is working out just fine.

"Now I am stress-free and can enjoy the days I have left in town," said Jackson.




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