CANTON Timken High School senior Christian Alston signed a letter of intent Friday morning to continue his basketball career at Stillman College.
Stillman is a Division II school in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Michael Grant, the brother of former McKinley star Gary Grant, recently took over the head coaching job for the Tigers after stints at Central State and Southern.
Alston, a 6-foot-2 guard, was a starter and the second-leading scorer on Timken's 24-1 team this winter. He averaged 12.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.5 steals as he helped the Trojans win their first district title since 1978 and advance to a regional championship game. Alston will receive a full ride at Stillman.
Dixie State College of UT looking for new mascot/nickname
Officials exploring new mascot ideas
Whitney Phillips | Dixie Sun Staff Writer
Dixie State College will no longer be the home of the Rebels as of June 30, leaving a burning question of what new mascot will represent the college.
Dixie State College will no longer be the home of the Rebels as of June 30, leaving a burning question of what new mascot will represent the college.
DSC’s Board of Trustees decided in October that the Rebel would no longer be the symbol of the college. Christina Schultz, DSC’s vice president of advancement, said the decision partly came as a way to distance the college from any connection the Rebel name has to the Confederacy. She said the goal now is to focus on an identity that represents the true origins of the college.
Business major Brandi Barrett, a freshman basketball player from Hurricane, said she understands that some might be offended by the Rebel name but isn’t sure the change is necessary.
“I know it has that negative connotation, but it is a part of our history,” Barrett said.
Whether or not the change is necessary, a committee is now in action, exploring the college’s history and brainstorming possible new icons.
Public Relations Director Steve Johnson said it is important to include everyone connected with DSC in the decision, so a list of suggestions will be formulated during the summer. He said the new mascot will be decided on in the fall after students and community members have had a chance to voice their opinions.
As of now, the committee has not narrowed mascot suggestions down enough to say what the possible options are.
However, this long transition period between old and new mascots brings up several issues for DSC. One of the main problems is that, come fall, fans will not have a team name to chant.
“It’s hard to sell something without a brand,” Athletic Director Dexter Irvin said.
Irvin said it is necessary to change the Rebel mascot, yet he sees a problematic situation with drawing out the selection process of a new mascot. For instance, without a mascot, several teams are ordering new jerseys bearing only a DSC logo, which will eventually have to be changed. Irvin said it is important for teams to have an identity to stand for on the field. For now, that identity will simply be DSC.
Yet some see DSC itself as enough of an image to represent.
As a member of DSC’s football team, freshman Julian Dalanhese, a criminal justice major from South Jordan, said he thinks the team will represent DSC on the field in the same way, even without the Rebel nickname.
“We all think we’re Dixie,” Dalanhese said. “It’s just who we are.”
Barrett agreed with that idea.
“We play for the school, not really the mascot,” she said.
With only the Rebel name missing from the field, there are changes to consider elsewhere on campus. One of those is the fact that students will no longer be able to buy Rebel memorabilia in the bookstore in the fall. Since there is no decision as to what the new nickname will be, bookstore merchandise, like team jerseys, will only bear the DSC logo.
Scott Talbot, executive director of business services, said the mascot change will not have a huge financial effect on the college. He said the costs will be minimal, especially if the new icon is designed within the college.
“It’s more of an income producer than it is a financial issue,” Talbot said.
Talbot also said he sees a new mascot as something people will embrace and support. He said the big issue right now is deciding on a new identity, not how much it will cost.
Since DSC students are caught in between Rebels and something new, they can still focus on and represent DSC itself.
Miles College and Clark-Atlanta Lady Basketball Teams were named Most Improved Teams
Miles College and Clark-Atlanta Lady Basketball Teams were named Most Improved Teams in Division II.
Clark-Atlanta and Miles College Lady Basketball Teams were both named to the 2007-08 Most Improved NCAA Women's Basketball Teams for Division II. Miles College(17-11) improved the most,winning 14 more games over the previous year's win total tying for 1st place with the best turn around with Francis Marion. Clark-Atlanta(18-11) improved by 12 wins to finish fourth on the list. The list of the 34 most improved teams in Division II was compiled and published by the NCAA Statistics.
After finishing the 2006-07 season with a 3-25 overall record,MC led by 4th year head coach Phillip Wallace compiled a 17-11 record en route to a 6th place finish in the SIAC. Their improvement, according to NCAA Statistics,was equivalent to 14.0 games. Miles was led by seniors Precious Paulk and Brittany Marion. Their team also benefited from twin duo Cyntonia and Cyntauria Jones who both led the team in scoring. Cyntonia Jones was also named to the SIAC All-Conference 2nd Team.
Clark-Atlanta finished the 2006-07 season with a 5-22 record, but turned things around in 2007-08 winning 12 more games to finish the season 18-11. Fifth year head coach Vanessa Moore brought in many changes to the roster including adding sensational All SIAC,Shamtrell Moss who led the the conference in scoring averaging 20.1 points per game. Junior Guard Danielle Walker provided leadership and experience as she averaged 12.8 points per game and led the CAU charge through the SIAC tournament before falling short in the semi-finals. Moss was also named to the SIAC All Tournament team. Their improvement was equivalent to 12.0 games.
In 2006-07, Michelle Clark-Former Head Coach of
the Kentucky State University Thorobrettes led her team to a 14.0 game turn around to finish second on the list of 34.
To determine games improved,which includes the post season,add the difference in victories between the two season to the difference in losses,then divide by two.
Blow is prepared for challenge. Falcons greet coach
Lonnie Blow hopes to lead St. Augustine's to a new level of basketball success
A.J. Carr, Staff Writer
RALEIGH - When he was a little boy frolicking on playgrounds, Lonnie Blow Jr. liked to diagram basketball and football plays in the dirt.
Even at that young age, he watched games at a "different angle" from most kids, studying it from a coach's perspective.
Now 48, Blow, who was introduced as St. Augustine's men's basketball coach Wednesday, hopes to diagram plays and draw up game plans that will lift the Falcons to championship status.
St. Aug's has had successful teams yet has claimed just one men's CIAA title (1997) in its hoops history. That's why officials didn't renew the contract of 10-year coach Thomas Hargrove, who produced five winning records -- but no championship -- in the past six seasons.
"We're trying to get to another level; we want some CIAA championships and national,'' said athletic director and coach George Williams, who has won 30 NCAA Division II track and cross country crowns.
After interviewing six candidates, St. Aug's officials think they've found the right man in Blow, who arrived wearing a navy blue suit and later covered his shaved head with a Falcons cap.
Details of his contract were not disclosed, but winning a championship surely would fatten it in the future.
A Philadelphia native, Blow made his mark as a successful high school coach in the Tidewater Virginia area, then served as an assistant at Hampton and Norfolk State.
Before that, he was a two-time All-America at Division III Virginia Wesleyan.
A pal of Lefty's
"I'm more than ready to accept this challenge," said Blow, a friend of former ACC coach Lefty Driesell, with whom he has had X's and O's discussions. "He's my buddy. If I need help or have questions, I call him."
As for goals at St. Aug's, Blow talked about discipline, about character and about upgrading grade point averages.
Blow stopped shy of predicting titles but said, "This is an opportunity for excellence ... with the nucleus and a few [more] pieces, we can be very successful."
Walter Sanders, one of several players attending the news conference, liked how Blow articulated his philosophy and said, "I think he'll be excellent."
Donna Blow, the coach's wife and mother of the couple's son, said she has never seen anybody as passionate about something as her husband is about basketball.
That passion doesn't guarantee success. But Blow keeps a sign in his office that reads:
Newberry College teams’ nickname banned
By PATRICK OBLEY - pobley@thestate.com
In order to comply with an NCAA mandate barring the use of nonapproved Native American nicknames, the Newberry College board of trustees voted last weekend to strike the nickname for all of its sports teams, but chose not to replace it at this point.
“I guess you can call us the Big Red Ns,” trustee Billy Walker said Tuesday.
If the school had not complied with the directive to rid itself of the nickname, the NCAA would have banned the school from playing host to postseason events. In addition, the school’s teams would have had to place duct tape over “Indians” lettering on jerseys, uniforms and all other related equipment.
“We’re bowing to the NCAA’s ridiculous ruling,” said Chuck Wendt, Newberry College’s vice president. “We had no chance. We had no choice. The only reason we did it was for the kids.”
A red block form of the letter “N” will stand as the school’s logo until a new nickname can be agreed upon. The school had been prepared for that contingency. When a new football playing surface was installed at Setzler Field, the word “Newberry” was stenciled onto both end zones. A large “N” was placed at midfield where an arrowhead would have gone.
“The NCAA has a gun to our head, and it’s not fair to our kids,” Walker said. “What the deal is, is our kids can’t compete on a fair basis if we keep the nickname. It’s political correctness gone amok.”
When the NCAA originally mandated the ban of Native American mascots and nicknames in 2005, a vast majority of schools either complied or sought permission from tribes to continue use.
As the years passed, three schools remained defiant. The University of North Dakota sued the NCAA to keep its “Fighting Sioux” nickname name despite the disapproval of the various Sioux tribal bands.
Alcorn State (Braves) and Newberry took a wait-and-see approach and notified the NCAA they would study the issue. In both instances, the schools wanted to see how North Dakota’s case turned out.
“It’s litigation that has cost $2 million,” Walker said. “We can’t spend $2 million to do that.”
North Dakota’s suit is pending.
Newberry’s original nickname was based on the color of the uniform the baseball team wore. When the team was established early in the 20th century, it had no money for uniforms. Another local team donated its red uniforms to the school, leading opposing teams to call Newberry’s players “Red Men.”
The nickname evolved from there.
Bob Williams, the NCAA’s managing director of public relations, welcomed Newberry’s decision.
“There’s been communication back and forth,” he said. “Newberry actually sent us a memo basically saying they intended to change their nickname by the fall of 2008. They were one of several institutions that felt strongly that they should keep their name.”
Walker and Wendt said the school will spend the next year or two studying the issue to determine whether to come up with a new name or possibly reinstate the Indians. One avenue they are exploring is gaining approval from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Nation, whose ancestral territory the college is situated on.
Eastern Band chief Michelle Hicks performed the ceremonial coin toss before Newberry’s final home football game last season, and a Cherokee Nation delegation will visit the campus next month.
“We respect what the NCAA has to say,” Walker said. “We’re going to try and do the right thing, but a lot of people are livid. There are people buried in cemeteries here with Indian heads on their gravestones. It’s tough. It would seem like the NCAA would have better things to do instead of caring about who’s wearing what.”
If the school chose to return to its original “Red Men” nickname, Williams said the NCAA would take it under consideration. There is a precedent for the nickname’s use. Recently, Carthage (Wis.) College changed its nickname from “Redmen” to “Red Men” to comply with the NCAA.
Michael Grant Named Stillman Men’s Basketball Coach
Former Southern University coach, Michael Grant, has been officially named Stillman’s head men’s basketball coach, athletics director Curtis Campbell announced this weekend.
Grant, an Ohio native, comes to Stillman after a recent two-year stint (2003-2005) at Southern where his teams were 26-31 during his tenure.
“Coach Grant will be a great addition to our staff because he brings credibility, experience and a history of winning to our program,” Campbell said. “Though he’s widely known for being able to turn programs around in the past, we don’t consider ours to be in rebuilding mode.
“When this search began last month, we simply wanted to find the best coach available to lead our program in the right direction. I think we have that in Coach Grant.”
Before his two-year stint at Southern, Grant coached for seven seasons at Central State University in Wilberforce, OH, compiling an overall record of 126-94. Grant takes over for Tim Waller who was dismissed in March following his second season with the school.
“This is a tremendous opportunity for me,” Grant said. “I feel the timing is right and I feel like Stillman is a great fit. I’m energized, excited and looking forward to getting back into coaching after being out of it for a couple of years.
“I don’t think the program is very far away from being successful again,” Grant said. “My main objective right now is to utilize the players that we already have in place, bring in some additional players that I know can help the program, and attempt to win right away.”
Other stops for Grant include assistant coaching stints at Allegheny College (PA), Kentucky State University, and the University of Michigan under Steve Fisher. Grant is the older brother of former NBA star Gary Grant, who played at Michigan during his time as an assistant.
A press conference to officially introduce Grant to the public and media is scheduled for Thursday, May 1, at 2 p.m. in Birthright Gymnasium.
Michael Grant’s Coaching Record
1996-97 Central State University 8-21
1997-98 Central State University 16-14
1998-99 Central State University 20-12
1999-00 Central State University 24-8
2000-01 Central State University 18-13
2001-02 Central State University 17-15
2002-03 Central State University 23-11
2003-04 Southern University 12-16
2004-05 Southern University 14-15
In sports lingo, they're David and Goliath — one a struggling organization that few fans have heard of, the other a moneymaking machine whose teams vie for championships on national television.
Now the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics and the National Collegiate Athletic Association, longtime rivals that are the two main governing bodies in college sports, are taking unprecedented steps toward working together.
A combination of factors is pushing the groups closer, including the NCAA's recent nixing of plans for a fourth division to accommodate new members, the increasing cost of travel, and a desire to improve the recruiting and playing experience for all college athletes.
In recent weeks, leaders from both groups have met to discuss a variety of ideas, including allowing teams from the two associations to schedule more games against each other, joining together to reduce health-insurance and other administrative expenses, and establishing new recruiting standards to ensure that high-school players can't renege on their commitments to one association over the other.
While any changes are probably months away, the moves could save athletics departments tens of millions of dollars every year and thaw relations between many programs.
The most obvious change could come on the playing fields. Although many NAIA and NCAA programs are located in the same cities, they rarely compete. That's because the NAIA, whose members are mostly small private colleges and universities, is widely considered to offer a level of competition inferior to that of the NCAA. In fact, NCAA teams that play many games against NAIA programs can harm their chances of qualifying for postseason play.
Jim Carr, the NAIA's president, wants the NCAA to make it easier for programs from the two associations to compete more often to save on travel costs. While it is still unclear whether the NCAA will change its championship guidelines, Mr. Carr is encouraged by what he has heard lately.
"It seems silly that schools are right across the street from each other and can't play because of ratings criteria," he said. "We're excited to be having a dialogue with the NCAA to help make that change."
Membership Challenges
Conversations between the two associations started more than a year ago, when NCAA officials began discussing ways to limit the growth of its Division III. At that point, they say, they were just keeping the NAIA in the loop about changes that could affect the smaller association.
But when talk of either creating a fourth division or subdividing Division III fell apart last month, NCAA leaders stepped up their efforts to work with the NAIA. Several top NCAA officials traveled to Louisville, Ky., in April to meet with the NAIA's leaders during their annual convention.
On paper the NCAA would seem to have little need for the NAIA. The NCAA has 1,200 member institutions, nearly 400,000 athletes, and a budget of more than $500-million. The NAIA has about 300 members, 45,000 athletes, and a $4-million budget.
But the NCAA's deep pockets make it a sought-after destination for colleges, which has led scores of NAIA programs to consider switching.
As a result, the NCAA's ranks have swelled. In 2006 it established a moratorium on Division III growth.
By encouraging more games with NAIA teams, the NCAA could help strengthen the NAIA's brand. That could lead more high-school athletes to consider playing NAIA sports and help keep the NCAA's overall membership growth at bay.
NCAA officials say they are motivated to improve the experience for all college athletes. "We are looking for ways to collaborate and have partnerships that better serve student-athletes across the country, irrespective of what association they belong to," said Bernard W. Franklin, the NCAA's executive vice president for governance and membership.
In coming months, he said, NCAA members will discuss easing championship guidelines so their teams can compete more readily against NAIA programs. Members of the two associations will also talk about combining some programs and business practices, such as catastrophic-health plans and overnight-delivery services, to help both groups save money.
What does not appear to be on the table is the NCAA's buying the NAIA, a rumor that has circulated in recent weeks. The NAIA may be small, but it has enjoyed small operating surpluses in each of the past eight years. It also has no desire to go away.
"The NCAA certainly has abundant resources, and if any of these partnerships allow us to take advantage of some of those resources, we certainly wouldn't be against that," said the NAIA's Mr. Carr. "But we only want to pursue conversations with the NCAA that keep our name and identity intact."
Offseason News (May)
Offseason News (May)
Dixie State College of UT looking for new mascot/nickname
