For the Week of July 16 - 22, 2013

Anderson, Cox, UAPB, 'Bama State top SWAC preseason football picks
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Southwestern Athletic Conference released its 2013 SWAC preseason teams with Arkansas-Pine Bluff quarterback Ben Anderson and Jackson State defensive back Qua Cox spotlighting the individual honors. Defending conference champion ArkansasPine Bluff was picked to repeat in the West Division while Alabama State was picked to win the East. The announcements were made Monday during the 2013 SWAC Football Media Day. In a vote by the league's football head coaches, sports information directors and select members of the media, Anderson was named SWAC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year with Cox tabbed as the SWAC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. Both student-athletes join 49 players that total this year's preseason all-SWAC squads. All 10 member institutions were represented on this year's team. Anderson finished last season on the allSWAC first team before leading the Golden Lions to their first-outright SWAC Championship crown since sharing the title in 1966. He was named Offensive MVP of the 2012 Toyota SWAC Football Championship after lifting UAPB to a 24-21 overtime win over Jackson State. He helped the Golden Lions claim a West Division title on their way to a 10-2 record, the most wins in the program's history. With Anderson, UAPB captured the HSRN Conway Cup and the network's National Championship title. The Golden Lions were also named Black College National Champions by the American Sports Wire. Anderson completed the season with 2,346 passing yards and 16 touchdowns finishing second in SWAC. He rushed for 524 yards and recorded five touchdowns on the ground. He led UAPB in total offense (2,870) while finishing second in the league in the category. Anderson is joined on the preseason firstteam offense with running backs Isaiah Crowell (Alabama State) and Justin Billings (ArkansasPine Bluff), wide receivers Lee Doss (Southern) and LaDarius Eckwood (Arkansas-Pine Bluff), tight end Dezmond Beverly (Arkansas-Pine Bluff), along with offensive linemen Kenny Eagle (Arkansas-Pine Bluff), Damien Love (Alabama State), Tre Glover (Prairie View A&M), Dillon Bonnet (Prairie View A&M) and Edmund Davis (Alabama State). Last year, Cox led the SWAC with five interceptions leading JSU (7-5) for the second straight season. He helped the Tigers pick up five consecutive wins to close the regular season en route to winning the Eastern Division with an appearance in the SWAC Football Championship. Cox led the JSU defensive backs with eight pass break-ups and 13 passes defended. He closed the year with 50 tackles (36 solo) including five for a loss and two sacks on a defensive unit that led the league in sacks with 43. He was named to the all-SWAC first team at the end of the regular season. For the preseason, Cox was placed on the watch lists for the College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) and The Sports Network (TSN). He was also named a TSN FCS preseason All-American and selected to the network's Buck Buchanan Award watch list.
Jackson State Cornerback ArkansasPine Bluff Quarterback

FOOTBALL'S IN THE AIR: First up is the SWAC who unveiled 2013 preseason picks for individual and team honors this week.

Qua Cox
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year Qua Cox (DB) - Jackson State Preseason Offensive PlayerS of the Year Ben Anderson (QB) - Arkansas - Pine Bluff 2013 Preseason All-SWAC Football TEAMS First Team - OFFENSE QB Ben Anderson, Arkansas - Pine Bluff RB Isaiah Crowell, Alabama State RB Justin Billings, Arkansas - Pine Bluff WR Lee Doss, Southern WR LaDarius Eckwood, Arkansas - Pine Bluff TE Dezmond Beverly, Arkansas - Pine Bluff OL Kenny Eagle, Arkansas - Pine Bluff OL Tre Glover, Prairie View A&M OL Damien Love, Alabama State OL Dillon Bonnet, Prairie View A&M OL Edmund Davis, Alabama State PK Bobby Wenzig, Alabama State P Bobby Wenzig, Alabama State RS Virgil Williams, Southern DEFENSE DL Robert Simpson, Mississippi Valley State DL Damien Lee, Arkansas - Pine Bluff DL Tedderick Terrell, Jackson State DL DeMarcus Berry, Arkansas - Pine Bluff LB Jer-Ryan Harris, Arkansas - Pine Bluff LB Jerome Howard, Prairie View A&M LB Anthony Balancier, Southern DB Qua Cox, Jackson State DB Ryan Shaw, Arkansas - Pine Bluff DB, Kevin Eugene, Mississippi Valley State DB Virgil Williams, Southern

Ben Anderson

TSU STAR SIGNS WITH HOUSTON ROCKETS; ALBANY STATE LOSES STANDOUT HOOPSTER

UNDER THE BANNER

WHAT'S GOING ON IN AND AROUND BLACK COLLEGE SPORTS

COVINGTON SIGNS WITH ROCKETS:

Nashville, Tenn. On Friday, former Tennessee State forward Robert Covington signed a partially guaranteed contract with the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association. "I may not have been drafted, but Ive been given a different route to pursue my dreams," Covington said. "Im blessed for this opportunity." At 6-9, 215, Covington was Covington a member of the Rockets 2013 Orlando Pro Summer League, where he averaged 12.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.40 steals in five games (two starts) and led the team with 21 points as it lost in the championship game, 85-77 to Oklahoma City. Undrafted in the 2013 NBA Draft, Covington averaged 14.8 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.3 blocks in 118 career games over four seasons at Tennessee State, finishing his career seventh all-time in school history with 1,750 points and seventh in rebounds with 876. Covington was named second team all-Ohio Valley Conference as a senior and sophomore, while earning first team all-OVC honors as a junior. He was also named to the OVC all-Newcomer team as a freshman. As a senior in 2012-13, he ranked first on team in scoring (17.0 ppg), steals (2.2 spg) and blocks (1.7 bpg), while ranking second in rebounds (8.0 rpg). Covington was also first on the team in scoring (17.9 ppg), rebounds (7.9 rpg), steals (1.6 spg) and blocks (1.4 bpg) as a junior in 2011-12. The Rockets were one of the handfuls of teams that brought Covington in to workout. The list also includes Memphis, Oklahoma City, Utah, Philadelphia, Sacramento, Detroit, Atlanta and Chicago. The last former TSU player to play in an NBA game was Anthony Mason of the Milwaukee Bucks in 2006.

Second Team - OFFENSE QB Dray Joseph, Southern RB Tommy Gooden, Jackson State RB Rakeem Sims, Jackson State WR Julian Stafford, Mississippi Valley State WR Montarius Smith, Alabama A&M TE Justin Robinson, Alabama State TE Olatunde' Idowu, Prairie View A&M OL Keathric Brown, Arkansas - Pine Bluff OL Jordan Arthur Jackson State OL Clint Marsh, Grambling State OL Justin Goodrich, Alabama A&M OL Antonio Griggs, Mississippi Valley State PK Chris Barrick, Prairie View A&M P Travis Jatzlau, Prairie View A&M RS Johnta' Hebert, Prairie View A&M DEFENSE DL Carlton Jones, Alabama State DL Reginald Bailey, Alabama A&M DL Arthur Miley, Southern DL Corey Johnson, Alabama A&M LB Xavier Lofton, Arkansas - Pine Bluff LB Todd Wilcher, Jackson State LB DeMarques Taylor, Alabama State DB Cameron Loeffler, Jackson State DB Jamison Knox, Alcorn State DB Le'Tevin Wilcox, Texas Southern DB Derrick Harris, Alabama A&M

PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH WEST DIVISION 1. Arkansas - Pine Bluff 2. Southern 3. Prairie View A&M 4. Grambling State 5. Texas Southern 105 (14) 88 (6) 82 (3) 51 (1) 38 EAST DIVISION 1. Alabama State 2. Jackson State 3. Alabama A&M 4. Mississippi Valley State 5. Alcorn State 108 (15) 102 (9) 60 51 40

ALBANY STATE'S THOMAS LEAVES: Albany State women's basketball coach Robert

Skinner announced last week to the Albany Herald that scoring leader April Thomas is transferring to one of the Golden Rams' biggest rivals, Valdosta State. "We are going to miss her," Skinner said. "Its going to be hard to replace that kind of scoring. Her ability to score with her size was phenomenal. Since I have been coaching here, I haven't had a shooter her size Thomas that can score like her." Thomas, a 5-foot-1 guard, finished fifth in the nation in scoring as a sophomore with 20.2 points per game and averaged 18.5 points per game her freshman year, earning the SIAC's Freshman of the Year honor. She did most of her damage from long range and was third in all of Division II last season in 3-point field goals made per game (3.23). Thomas explained to The Herald that she was looking to leave Albany State to receive more exposure on the national stage. "Valdosta will be a higher challenge for me," Thomas said. "I'm just looking to play at a higher level to test my skills a little more."

Along with Cox, the preseason first-team defense includes: defensive linemen Robert Simpson (Mississippi Valley State), Damien Lee (Arkansas-Pine Bluff), Teddrick Terrell (Jackson State), and DeMarcus Berry (Arkansas-Pine Bluff), linebackers Jer-Ryan Harris (Arkansas-Pine Bluff), Jerome Harris (Prairie View A&M), and Anthony Balancier (Southern) with defensive backs Ryan Shaw (Arkansas-Pine Bluff), Kevin Eugene (Mississippi Valley State) and Virgil Williams (Southern) closing out the ranks. For the special teams, Williams (Southern) and Bobby Wenzig (Alabama State) spotlighted the selections. Wenzig topped the votes to garner the first-team place kicker and punter slots. Williams added to his first team defensive back selection receiving the votes for the return specialist. Defending champion, UAPB, led the way with 11 selections including nine voted to the first team. Alabama State, Jackson State, and Prairie View A&M had seven picks apiece. ASU and

PVAMU tallied three players on the first team with JSU posting two. Alabama A&M and Southern each recorded five picks with SU finishing the tally with three players making the first team. Rounding out the selections include: Mississippi Valley with four players, registering two on the top team. Alcorn State, Grambling State and Texas Southern posted one player apiece on the second team. For the predicted order of finish in both divisions, Arkansas-Pine Bluff totaled 105 points, including 14 first-place votes, to become the favorite out of the West Division. Southern followed with 88 points, Prairie View A&M gathered 83 points, with Grambling State (51) and Texas Southern (38) closing the divison's preseason ranking. In the East Division, Alabama State claimed 108 points with 15 first-place votes. Jackson State received 102 points followed by Alabama A&M (60), Mississippi Valley State (51) and Alcorn State (40).

NC A&T's Alexander elected to NABC Board of Directors

BCSP Notes

THE STAT CORNER

WHO ARE THE BEST PERFORMERS IN BLACK COLLEGE SPORTS

PRESEASON BLACK COLLEGE FOOTBALL EVENTS

CIAA FOOTBALL MEDIA DAY
Winston-Salem State University Reaves Student Activities Center Thursday, July 25, 2013 10:00 a.m.

MEAC FOOTBALL PRESS LUNCHEON

Norfolk Waterside Marriott Friday, July 26, 2013 10:15 a.m.
AZEEZ Communications, Inc. Vol. XIX, No. 50

KANSAS CITY, Mo., North Carolina A&T head coach Cy Alexander has been elected to the board of directors of the National Association of Basketball Coaches, the NABC announced on Wednesday. Alexander will join head coaches John Calipari (University of Kentucky) and Rick Cooper (West Texas A&M University) on this years board. Alexander, in his first season as head coach at North Carolina A&T in 2012-2013, led the Aggies to their first Mid Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament championship in 17 years. The Aggies then won their first NCAA Tournament game in ten tries with a First Four win over Liberty. As a 16-seed, the Aggies lost a second round game to top seed and eventual champion Louisville. Alexander is a three-time MEAC coach of the year, having earned those awards Alexander when he was the head coach at South Carolina State for 16 seasons. Alexander was also the head coach at Tennessee State for six seasons and has a career coaching record of 364-326 in 23 seasons. "I am honored and humbled by this selection," said Alexander. "This gives North Carolina A&T and the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference a voice in one of the oldest, most well-respected and prestigious organizations in the country. Located in Kansas City, Missouri, the NABC was founded in 1927 by Forrest "Phog" Allen, the legendary basketball coach at the University of Kansas. Allen, a student of James Naismith, the inventor of basketball, organized coaches into this collective group to serve as Guardians of the Game. The NABC has nearly 5,000 members consisting primarily of university and college mens basketball coaches.

All members of the NABC are expected to uphold the core values of being a Guardian of the Game by bringing attention to the positive aspects of the sport of basketball and the role coaches play in the academic and athletic lives of todays student-athletes. The four core values of being a Guardian of the Game are advocacy, leadership, service and education. Additional information about the NABC, its programs and membership, can be found at www.nabc.org.

BOWIE, Md. - Bowie State Athletic Director Anton Goff has announced the appointment of Eriel Jeffery as head volleyball coach of the Lady Bulldogs volleyball team. Jeffrey previously served four seasons as an assistant coach for the Lady Bulldogs. Before coaching at Bowie State, the Southern California native coached the high school varsity volleyball team at Archbishop Carroll, a Catholic college preparatory program located in Washington, D.C., and assisted various high school programs and camps around the area. Prior to her coaching career, Coach Jeffery played collegiate volleyball at The University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Jeffery where she earned many accolades and awards. Coach Jeffery was a dominant force on the volleyball team while attending UMES and was no stranger to being a scholar athlete, as she was also in the honors program and an active member of Sigma Tau Delta (an English honor society). Coach Jeffery earned her bachelors degree in English from UMES and is currently completing a masters degree (in the same field) from Bowie State University. Additionally, she is a full-time employee of Prince Georges County working as a high school English teacher.

Jeffery named new Bowie State volleyball coach