Scott Brown's SportsBytes on WKDZ

Griffin Joiner hammers two home runs in UK softball win

Former Christian County standout Griffin Joiner had two home runs and six RBIs to help Kentucky beat #24 North Carolina 18-0 Tuesday in Lexington.

True freshman Katie Henderson pitched a no-hitter in her first home game for the Wildcats.

Joiner's two round-trippers marks the 19th time in school history a player has hit two homers in a single game and her six RBIs marks just the fourth time ever a UK player has ever had six runs knocked in and is the first since Rachel Riley vs. Austin Peay in 2011

UK's 18 runs ties the most runs scored in a game in school history.

Kentucky's 19-4 record ties the best 23-game start in program history.

Video highlights of the game courtesy of ukathletics.com

 

Corey Wilford drains eight 3-pointers in SEMO win

Corey Wilford set a Dunn Center record with eight 3-pointers in Southeast Missouri's 108-91 win at Austin Peay Thursday night.

The former Christian County standout hit his first six attempts and had 20 points in the first 11 minutes of the game.  He finished with 26 points on 8-of-12 shooting from behind the arc.

He missed setting the SEMO record for 3-pointers made in a game by one.

As a team, SEMO hit a school-record 20 3-pointers in 33 attempts.

Wilford, a senior, is averaging nearly 15 points a game for the Red Hawks this year.

Dave Winder gives us a Murray State Racer hoops update

Murray State has the weekend off before getting ready for Bethel Tuesday at the CFSB. The Racers are 5-1 on the season with tough matchups with region rivals Evansville and Western Kentucky on the horizon.

Murray State SID Dave Winder talks about the Racers and their continued national exposure in the first of a two-part interview.

Dave Winder gives a Racer update on the Saturday Morning Sports Report

 

Corey Wilford settling in with Southeast Missouri State

Former Christian County standout Corey Wilford is taking advantage of his increase in playing time with Southeast Missouri State.

Wilford came off the bench to score a season-high 15 points for SEMO in their 81-73 loss to Murray State Thursday.  Several of Wilford's family members made the trip to Murray to see him play, and he didn't disappoint.

Wilford came off the bench and drilled consecutive 3-pointers to extend SEMO's lead from 15-14 to 21-14 in the first half.  However, Wilford was also assigned with the task of defending Murray State guard Isaiah Canaan late in the first half when the Racer guard caught fire.

After two seasons at Conners State Junior College, Wilford is averaging 20 minutes a game over their last four.  While he is averaging 5.3 ppg. on the season, he has boosted that to 8 ppg. over the last four.

Wilford and SEMO get a return shot at Murray State on their home court on February 15.

Corey Wilford talks about his role at SEMO this year

 

Isaiah Canaan talks about his 32 point night against SEMO

With four minutes to go in the first half, Murray State's Isaiah Canaan was scoreless and the Racers trailed SEMO 33-23.  The junior guard drained a couple of threes and a couple of free throws to finish with eight points in the half.

The second half was owned by Canaan.

SEMO led 46-35 with 17:00 left in the game.  Murray outscored the Redhawks 24-2 over the next six minutes to take a 59-48 lead and essentially claim the game.  Canaan had 16 of Murray's 24 points in that run.

Canaan finished with 32 points as Murray State improved to 22-0 overall and 10-0 in the OVC.

Isaiah Canaan talks about his 32-point night

 

Murray State SID Dave Winder talks about the Racers

Murray State SID Dave Winder talks about the increased national exposure the Racers are getting thanks to the basketball team's 22-0 start.  It's also made him a busier person, and he doesn't mind one bit.

Interview with Murray State SID Dave Winder

 

UK Women vs. LSU today on WKDZ

The Kentucky women look to snap a two-game SEC losing streak as they host LSU today at Memorial Coliseum.  UK was shocked by South Carolina 66-61 Thursday.  The Wildcats (18-6, 7-4) are fourth in the SEC standings, while LSU (17-9, 7-5) sits in fifth.

Airtime on WKDZ 100.9 FM is 12:15pm.

 

85-foot shot to beat the buzzer

Stephanie Quattrociocchi hit an 85-foot shot to end the first half for the University of the Cumberlands in their game Saturday with Campbellsville University.

The bomb gave UC a 34-27 halftime lead before Campbellsville rallied for the 73-60 win.  Caldwell County's Melly Heaton had four points for Campbellsville, who improved to 15-2 with the win.

 

College Basketball Update

Here is an update on how some of the local college basketball players are doing on the court:

GUYS

• C.J. Trotter (Christian County) leads the University of Southern Indiana in scoring at 16.8 ppg., free throw percentage (90%), and 3-point percentage (44%).  USI is 7-1 and ranked in the top 25.
• Corey Wilford (Christian County) leads Conners State in scoring at 17 points a game and has hit 43 3-pointers in 14 games.  Conners State College (Okla.) is off to a 14-0 start.
• DaQuan Brown (University Heights) is scoring just under five points a game for Drury University.  Brown is averaging 14 minutes a game and hitting 56-percent from the field for the Panthers, who are 7-1.
• Leon Swope (Hopkinsville) and DaQuan Murden (Christian County) are part of the Shawnee Community College squad that is off to an 8-3 start.
• Tyshwan Edmonson (University Heights Academy) leads Austin Peay in scoring at 19.7 points and steals at 1.9 per game.  Edmonson had 24 points and 10 rebounds in a 70-68 loss to Memphis Thursday night.  Jon Fraley (Heritage Christian Academy) is averaging 8.4 points and 7.4 points a game for the Governors, who are 6-6 on the season.
• Scotty Hopson (University Heights) leads Tennessee in scoring at 16.5 points a game and is second in 3-point shooting.  Hopson scored a career-high 27 points in the Vols' recent win over Pitt.
• Shaquille Wilson (Christian County) is averaging 3.7 points a game for Wabash Valley College, who is off to a 12-2 start.

 GALS

• Arnika Brown (Christian County) leads Western Kentucky in scoring at 11.2 ppg. and rebounding at 8.1 per game.  She is shooting 57% from the field.  The Lady Toppers are 3-6 on the season.
• Tayla Foster (Madisonville) is second in scoring for Tennessee State at 8.1 ppg.  Denisha Mumford (Christian County) has played in five games for the Lady Tigers, who are 3-7.
• Janada Acree (Trigg County) had four points and six rebounds for Wabash Valley College in their 97-40 win over Danville College.  Acree, a sophomore starter, has helped WVC to a 9-2 start to the season.
• Laquisha Boyd (Trigg County) is averaging 1.3 points and one rebounds a game in seven minutes of action for Spaulding University, who is off to a 2-4 start.
• Melly Heaton (Caldwell County) and Millie Deason (Todd County Central) are key components for Campbellsville's 7-2 team that is ranked in the NAIA Top 25.  Heaton is scoring 9.2 points and leads the team in assists at 3.0 per game.  Heaton is second in steals and is tied for the team lead in 3-pointers made.  Deason is averaging 3.0 points and 1.8 rebounds in nine minutes of action per game.
• Olivia Akridge (Lyon County) leads Transylvania University in scoring at 17.5 points a game and steals (2.0) and is second in assists.  Transy is 5-3 on the season.
• Former Todd County Central teammates Evelyn Turner and Holly Simons are playing contributing roles for Brescia University.  Simons is averaging 4.7 points with a season-high of 15 points.  Turner is scoring 2.7 points with a season-high of eight points.  Brescia is 9-1 on the season.
• Kayla Shull (Livingston Central) is second in scoring for Midway College at 12.7 points a game.  Shull is shooting 48-percent from the field and has a season-high of 22 points.  Jessica Cozart (Crittenden County) is scoring 2.8 points a game for Midway College, who is 4-10 on the season.
• Audrey Futrell (Trigg County) has played in two games for Mid-Continent University as she battles for playing time in the backcourt.

 If you know of any other players absent from this list, e-mail me at [email protected]

 

Keith Tandy named to the All Big East First Team

Former Christian County Colonel Keith Tandy has been named to the All Big East First Team defense in the annual voting conducted by the league's head coaches.

Tandy, a junior cornerback from Hopkinsville, led West Virginia and the Big East Conference in interceptions with six and was second in the conference with nine pass break-ups.  Tandy is fifth on the team in tackles with 54.

Tandy was also named to SI.com's All-American list.

Here are some video highlights of Tandy in action this year.

 

Dee Lett adjusting to new role at Alabama A&M

Dee Lett is not only adjusting to a new position, but a new life at Alabama A&M following his transfer from Ball State.

The former Christian County Colonel standout had nine tackles, including five for loss, in A&M's 21-7 win over Mississippi Valley State last week.  Lett has made the move from linebacker to defensive end, and the move appears to have paid off for the redshirt sophomore.

READ MORE ABOUT DEE LETT IN REGGIE BENSON'S ARTICLE IN THE HUNTSVILLE TIMES

Midweek Women's Basketball recap

Here is a recap of how the local girls basketball players are faring in college:

• Audrey Futrell (Trigg County) scored two points for Mid-Continent University in their 76-54 exhibition loss to Murray State Monday.  Futrell, a freshman, has played in two games for MCU this year.
• Janada Acree (Trigg County) scored two points for Wabash Valley College as they beat Vincennes University 71-64.  Acree, a sophomore, is a second-year starter for Wabash Valley.
• Olivia Akridge (Lyon County) scored 23 points to lead Transylvania to a 79-75 win over Wilmington College Tuesday in the season opener for the Lady Pioneers.
• Tayla Foster (Madisonville) had eight points and eight rebounds for Tennessee State in their 57-43 win over Southern Illinois Tuesday.  Christian County's Denisha Mumford did not play for the Lady Tigers.
• Melly Heaton (Caldwell County) had two points for Campbellsville University in their 56-55 loss to Bethel University.  Heaton was one of CU's leading scorers last year.  Todd County's Millie Deason is also on the Campbellsville roster but didn't score against Bethel.
• Speaking of Todd County, former Lady Rebels Holly Simons and Evelyn Turner had a hand in Brescia's 69-62 win over UC-Clermont.  Simons had five points and five rebounds, while Turner added three points and a rebound.
• Arnika Brown had an off night for Western Kentucky in their season opening 71-55 loss at Louisiana Tech.  Brown was scoreless in 13 minutes for the Lady Toppers.
• Former Livingston Central standout Kayla Schull had 16 points and nine rebounds for Midway College in their 78-68 loss to Kentucky Christian Tuesday.  Schull, a junior, is averaging 14.1 points a game for the Lady Eagles this year.  Jessica Cozart, a freshman, came off the bench to score three points and grab two rebounds.

 

Midweek Men's Basketball recap

Here is a look at how some of the local men's basketball players are doing in college. 

• Juniors Tyshwan Edmondson and Josh Terry, of the Austin Peay State University men’s basketball team were named the Ohio Valley Conference co-Newcomers of the Week, the league office announced.  The pair of junior-college transfers led the Govs in a 64-61 win at St. Louis, Friday, in non-conference action. Terry (Henderson County) finished with 18 points, including a 4-for-4 effort at the free-throw line. The Three Rivers product did not miss a shot in the first half, and scored 10 points in the final stanza. Edmondson (UHA), meanwhile, also had 10 second-half points en route to a 17-point APSU debut. The Midland College transfer scored six straight points to spark the Govs comeback run.
• Sophomore Corey Wilford (Christian County) had 14 points Monday to lead Conners State JC (Okla.) to a 76-63 win over Southern Nazarine.  Conners State is 7-0, and Wilford is averaging 25.0 points a game to lead Conners State this season.
• A couple of former crosstown rivals have helped Shawnee Community College to a 4-0 start.  sophomore DaQuan Murden (Christian County) is averaging 7.6 points a game, while Leon Swope (Hopkinsville) is scoring 2.5 points a game.
• DaQuan Brown had two points and three rebounds in 19 minutes of action for Drury University in their 88-69 win over Upper Iowa.  Brown, a former University Heights Academy standout, transferred to the Division II school from Southeastern Illinois College after two seasons there.
• Freshman Shaquille Wilson (Christian County) is scoring four points a game for Wabash Valley College in Illinois.  Wabash Valley is off to a 4-0 start.
• C.J. Trotter (Christian County) scored 21 points to lead the University of Southern Indiana to a 90-68 win over McKendree College Tuesday night in Evansville.  Trotter, a senior, is averaging 13.3 points a game for the Eagles.
• Tennessee senior Scotty Hopson (University Heights Academy) scored 18 points and grabbed five rebounds to help lead the 24th ranked Volunteers to an 85-76 win over Belmont Tuesday night in Knoxville.  The Vols are off to a 2-0 start.

 

Western Kentucky trio lead Austin Peay to win over Chattanooga

Caleb Brown buried a 3-pointer with 0.2 seconds left to give Austin Peay State a 70-67 win at Chattanooga Monday.

However, it was a trio of former western Kentucky high school stars that did the most damage.

Former Henderson County standout and APSU junior Josh Terry had 17 points, seven rebounds, and three steals.  Junior Tyshwan Edmonson (University Heights Academy) added 14 points and six rebounds, and junior Jon Fraley (Heritage Christian Academy) had seven points and 11 rebounds.

Austin Peay (2-0) returns to action Thursday at Lipscomb.

 

Ole Miss has a new mascot and they aren't the Mathematicians

Hat tip to Jason Strickland for pointing this out...

Ole Miss has a new mascot to replace the controversial Rebel colonel that was popular for decades.  The Black Bear will be the new Ole Miss mascot roaming the sidelines of football and basketball games.  Ole Miss will still be known as the Rebels.

The new black bear mascot was chosen by the Ole Miss student body after a vote.  And after looking at the breakdown of voting, it's obvious the Mathematicians were not an option.  Check out the second paragraph of the press release from the University of Mississippi web site.  The Back Bear got 62-percent of the vote.  The Land Shark drew 56-percent.  The Hotty Toddy got 42-percent of the vote. 

The 160-percent turnout is one that would make Chicago elections proud.

 

Caldwell County's Ford Branch featured on ESPN's Outside the Lines

Caldwell County's Ford Branch Jr. was featured on a segment of ESPN's Outside the Lines dealing with aspiring college basketball officials.

Branch has called high school basketball games in the Second Region the past few years as well as games in the state tournament.  He also officiated 15 Ohio Valley Conference games last year.

Below is the video of the segment and a link to the story on ESPN.com.  The story also talks about Princeton native Kelly Davis, who like Branch also aspires to move up the college basketball officiating ladder.

CLICK HERE to read the ESPN.com story

Mr. Football Antionio Andrews enrolls at Western Kentucky University

Former Fort Campbell quarterback and 2009 Mr. Football Antonio Andrews has enrolled at Western Kentucky University.

Andrews was in attendance at last night's Fort Campbell game at Christ Presbyterian Academy in Nashville.  He told the WHVO game crew that he had enrolled at WKU.  The former Falcon standout had considered the Hilltoppers among other schools before committing to the Air Force Academy in the spring.  It's not known if Andrews enrolled for classes at Air Force. 

Andrews said he expected to start practice today.  It is likely Andrews will red shirt the 2010 season.

Fort Campbell statistician and WHVO analyst Donny Caver confirmed Andrews' comments on the Saturday Morning Sports Report this morning.

Andrews accounted for 51 touchdowns last year in leading Fort Campbell to their third straight Class 2A state title.  He threw for 1,667 yards and ran for 1,597 more. 

Fort Campbell was 29-0 with Andrews as a starter.  In his career, he threw for 3,365 yards and 50 touchdowns, while running for 3,368 yards and 56 scores.

UPDATE: Nick Baumgardner of the Bowling Green Daily News has more on the story on HIS BLOG, including a comment from somone one close to the situation on Andrews' status.

Matt Jones takes national media to task

Matt Jones of the pro-UK blog Kentucky Sports Radio shines a light on the double standard that is the national media.

He especially zeroes in on Pat Forde of ESPN.com and formerly of the Louisville Courier-Journal for his negative reporting on John Calipari despite his apparent conflict of interest with Rick Pitino, who he teamed with to write a book.

CLICK HERE to read a post that makes several valid points.

Area players to lead college softball teams into the postseason

Some area college softball players will lead their teams into the postseason this week.

Union College will play in the Appalachian Athletic Conference Tournament this week in Kingsport, Tennessee.

Union (16-16, 8-8 AAC) is the six seed in the tourney and will play three seed Montreat College (22-21, 10-6 AAC) Tuesday afternoon.  Union split two games with Montreat last week.

Senior pitcher Sarah Driver leads the pitching staff with a 9-7 record and a 2.02 ERA.  The former Christian County Lady Colonel has struck out 93 batters in 107 innings.  Driver is also batting .360 with a team high 11 doubles.

Senior first baseman Bethany Outland, also from Christian County, is hitting .361 this year while leading the team in fielding percentage at first base.

Sophomore Ali Blauser is batting .321 for the Lady Bulldogs with a team-high 13 stolen bases.

Freshman Autumn Greenwell has started 25 games for Union, hitting .222 with three homers and 10 RBIs.

Ali's sister Layla Blauser is an assistant coach for Union College.

Meanwhile, Lindsey Wilson College swept a doubleheader from the University of the Cumberlands over the weekend and will be the top seed in the Mid-South Conference Tournament that begins this week in Danville.

The Lady Raiders are 41-12 on the season, including a 22-6 conference mark.

Former Lyon County standout Lindsey Bridges has started 25 games for LWC, hitting .270 with three homers and 18 RBIs.

Elsewhere, Brescia freshman Stephanie Olp (Hopkinsville High) is 7-6 on the mound with a 4.33 ERA and ranks in the top 20 in NAIA in walks per nine innings at just over one.

Western Kentucky finds ways to pass the time during a rain delay

Western Kentucky and Florida Atlantic found some interesting ways to pass the time during a recent rain delay in south Florida.

Autistic teen has picked a perfect NCAA bracket

My bracket is still in good shape (Duke picked over Kansas State) despite the loss of Final Four pick Georgetown on the first day.

However, Illinois teen Alex Herrman still has a perfect bracket.  No misses so far.  Alex also has Autism.

Herrman, who has autism, says that he studied all season for the tournament ... but unfortunately entered one of the only online pools that doesn't have a prize. Yahoo offers $1 million for a perfect bracket; SportsBook.com offers $13 million.

 CLICK HERE for more on the story from MSNBC.com

News Channel 5 March Madness TV Schedule

Here are the first round games scheduled to be on WTVF, Channel 5 out of Nashville.

THURSDAY

11:20am - (10) Brigham Young vs. (7) Florida - Kevin Harlan and Dan Bonner

1:30pm - (4) Vanderbilt vs. (13) Murray State - Spero Dedes and Bob Wenzel

6:15pm - (1) Kentucky vs. (16) East Tennessee State - Dick Enberg and Jay Bilas

8:55pm - (6) Tennessee vs. (11) San Diego State - Verne Lundquist and Bill Raftery

FRIDAY

11:25am - (6) Xavier vs. (11) Minnesota - Ian Eagle and Jim Spanarkel

1:45pm - (7) Clemson vs. (10) Missouri - The fantastic Gus Johnson and Len Elmore

6:15pm - (7) Oklahoma State vs. (10) Georgia Tech - Ian Engel and Jim Spanarkel

8:55pm - (8) California vs. (9) Louisville - Jim Nantz and Clark Kellogg

Seth Davis says Kentucky has the toughest road to the Final Four

Seth Davis picks three #1 seeds to advance to the Final Four, but Kentucky isn't one of them.  He says Kentucky has the toughest road to the Final Four.

Here are some of the highlights from my interview with the CBS college basketball analyst:

• Davis says Kentucky is capable of winning the NCAA Tournament but their age could work against them.
• Doesn't think Texas would be Kentucky's toughest opponent in the first three rounds.  He says Temple will be.
• Has Kentucky losing to West Virginia in the Elite 8.
• Likes Murray State but picked Vanderbilt to beat the Racers.
• Doesn't like Louisville's inconsistency at the guard position and says the likely won't beat Duke.
• Davis likes (11) San Diego State to beat (6) Tennessee, (13) Siena to beat (4) Purdue; and (12) Utah State to beat (5) Texas A&M.
• Doesn't think a mid-major will crash the Final Four.
• Says the NCAA uses geography in keeping team close to home over using the so-called 'S-Curve' when placing teams and seeds in the bracket.
• Picks Kansas to win it all.

My interview with Seth Davis

 

Here is your printable NCAA Tournament Bracket

CLICK HERE for your NCAA Tournament Bracket.

WKDZ Selection Sunday Live Blog

Here goes as we enter another round of March Madness.  Refresh often for updates.

A few thoughts leading up to the big reveal:

• Everywhere I've seen have Kentucky, Kansas, and Syracuse as number one seeds.  Joe Lunardi of ESPN has Duke as a number one seed.  Bracketography.com, Sean Bartels and Gary Parrish of CBS Sports has West Virginia pegged as the number one seed. Lunardi and Bartels say Kentucky will play in Milwaukee.  Bracketography says Kentucky will play in Syracuse.
• If Mississippi State and Minnesota are both bubble teams, Mississippi State's loss to Kentucky is worth more to me than Minnesota's loss to Ohio State.
• If Duke is indeed a number two seed, look for the NCAA CBS to put them in Kentucky's region.
• For the local cable fans, here's hoping Kentucky plays at a time opposite of Tennessee and Vanderbilt since Mediacom only offers one CBS station.
• Anyone want to give an over/under for Masters promos by CBS during the selection show?
• Dave Winder said CBS will have a live look-in at Murray State during the show

And now time for the big reveal:

• TOP OVERALL SEED: Kansas, in the Midwest Region.  Kentucky is the number one seed in the East Region.  Duke is the number one seed in the South Region.  Syracuse is the number one team in the West Region.
• Duke is a number one seed so that they match up with Kentucky in the semifinals.  Thanks CBS.
• That means Sweet 16 and Elite 8 in Syracuse for UK if they advance that far.

MIDWEST REGION

• Two mid-majors against each other.  Theme of the NCAA selection people.
• Michigan State vs. Kansas a potential tough Sweet 16 matchup.
• Great 7-10 matchup with Oklahoma State and Georgia Tech
• Georgetown slips to a three seed.  Ouch.
• Tennessee slips to a #6 seed.  Was expecting a 4 or 5.  Seth Davis predicts San Diego State to beat Tennessee.
• At first glance, that's an awful tough bracket for Kansas.  Michigan State, Tennessee, Ohio State, and Georgetown.  Wow.

WEST REGION

• Wow.  A potential Gonzaga/Syracuse second round game.
• Vanderbilt is a #4 seed and will play Murray State, a #13 seed.
• Florida sneaks in as a bubble team.
• Minnesota gets in as a bubble team.  I think Mississippi State's bubble just burst.
• Good draw for a good UTEP team
• A much easier bracket top to bottom than the Midwest.

EAST REGION

• Kentucky vs. East Tennessee State on Thursday.  Not a lot of turnaround from today.
• Texas is the #8 .  Wake Forest is the #9.
• Temple could be a tough third round game for UK.
• West Virginia is the #2 seed opposite Kentucky.  Wow.
• A Pac-10 team makes it in.  Washington is in.
• Not a real scary bracket for Kentucky, although Wisconsin and Temple both slow it down.
• Seth Davis doesnt agree with me.  He calls it "brutal"

SOUTH REGION

• Cal/Louisville first round game opposite Duke
• Utah State is another bubble team that got in
• Purdue slips to a #4 seed.  Robbie Hummel's injury killed them
• Villanova is the #2 seed.
• St. Mary's is a #10 seed.  Tough matchup for Villanova.
• Baylor is a #3 seed
• Mississippi State does not make the tournament

OTHER NOTES

• Big East gets 8.  Non-power conference gets 8 in.  SEC gets four in.
• Rhode Island and Virginia Tech have the best argument for not being in.

Selection Sunday Live Blog

I will be doing a Selection Sunday Live Blog throughout the show today.  I will get started around 4:50pm and give random thoughts and predictions throughout.

Please join me today.

Arnika Brown breaks her own rebound record for WKU

It was quite a senior night for Arnika Brown.  Just seven days ago, the former Christian Couny Lady Colonel set a new Western Kentucky Lady Topper record with 24 rebounds. Last night, she topped her own mark with 25 rebounds in a 67-61 win over South Alabama.

Brown - one of four seniors playing her final game at Diddle Arena - also tied the women's arena record that was set by Robin Hendrix of Middle Tennessee on Jan. 22, 1981.  Brown also scored 18 points.

The victory helped move the Lady Toppers one step closer to securing the third seed in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament as they improved to 11-4 in league play and 17-9 overall. South Alabama fell to 14-13 and 9-7 in the Sun Belt.

Isaiah Canaan hits a half court shot from his knees

Murray State freshman Isaiah Canaan may have hit the circus shot of the year with this 3-pointer from his knees near half court in their game against Southeast Missouri tonight.

Neal Bradley of the Racer Radio Network has the call.

Austin Peay to host Oral Roberts in ESPN BracketBuster game Feb. 20

Austin Peay State University will play host to Oral Roberts, Feb. 20, as part of the ESPN BracketBuster series, it was announced Monday. Game time tentatively is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. following the 5:15 p.m., Lady Govs-Tennessee Tech Ohio Valley Conference matchup.

The game will not be televised by the ESPN family of networks.

This will be the fourth meeting between the two schools, with APSU holding a 2-1 advantage. Oral Roberts and Austin Peay, however, have not met since the 1977-78 season. This will be the Golden Eagles first trip to Clarksville.

It's also a homecoming of sorts for ORU assistant coach Chris Crutchfield, who was a member of Hopkinsville's 1985 state championship basketball team.  Crutchfield is in his third season as an assistant at Oral Roberts after previous serving on the staff at Texas Christian and New Mexico State.

This is Austin Peay’s seventh appearance in the BracketBuster-related event—more than any other OVC school. It is APSU’s third home game in the series.  For a fourth straight season all OVC schools are participating in BracketBuster. The Govs are 2-4 in BracketBuster contests.

Oral Roberts, like the Govs, owns an overall 13-10 record. It sits in third place in the Summit League with an 8-3 record. The two teams have one common opponent—the Golden Eagles defeated Missouri, 60-59, in Tulsa, Dec. 9, while the Govs lost 94-79 to Missouri in Columbia, Mo., Dec. 27. 

Scott Sutton, son of legendary coach Eddie Sutton, is in his 11th season as Golden Eagles head coach and owns a 197-136 record, having led Oral Roberts to three NCAA tournament appearances along the way.

Four Golden Eagles average in double figures, led by 6-6 forward Dominique Morrison (15.3 ppg) and 6-5 forward Michael Craion (13.1 ppg).

This is ORU’s fifth BracketBuster game but first since a 65-64 home loss to Creighton in 2008. The Golden Eagles are 1-3 all-time in the BracketBuster series.

ORU and Austin Peay are forever linked. Lake Kelley, the late former Austin Peay basketball coach who served two APSU tenures, left Austin Peay the first time after the 1978-79 season to become head coach at ORU (1977-79). Former APSU player Calvin Garrett, a first-team All-OVC selection while at APSU, joined Kelly in Tulsa and earned All-America honors at ORU. 

Former Austin Peay athletics director Bob Brooks sandwiched two tenures as Oral Roberts athletics director around his time at APSU (1984-88).

As part of BracketBuster contractual obligations, Austin Peay will visit Tulsa during either November or December of 2010 or 2011.

Austin Peay, 7-4 in the OVC, will put a three-game winning streak on the line 7:30 p.m., Thursday when it travels to UT Martin. 

Release from Austin Peay Sports

College basketball roundup

Here is a weekend roundup of college basketball games involving local players:

• Scotty Hopson hit the game-winner with 12 seconds left and grabbed the game's final rebound to lift Tennessee to a 61-60 win over Florida in Knoxville.  Hopson had 10 points and four rebounds as the Vols improved to 16-4 overall and 4-2 in the SEC.
• Southern Indiana improved to 19-0 with an 80-57 win over Lewis Saturday.  C.J. Trotter had seven points and four rebounds for USI, who is ranked second in NCAA Division II.
• Corey Wilford had six points and four rebounds to help Conners State beat Northern Oklahoma at Enid.  Conners State is 17-1 on the season.
• Karlos Thompson had eight points and a team-high seven rebounds for Spaulding University in their 72-60 loss to Greenville College.  Spaulding, in Louisville, is 8-11 this year.
• Daquan Brown had eight points and three assists for Southeastern Illinois College in an 80-72 loss to John A. Logan College.  SE Illinois is 13-8 on the season, with Brown averaging 8.4 points a game.
• John Fraley had three points and five rebounds as Austin Peay surprised Morehead State 56-55 Sunday at the Dunn Center.  The Morehead loss gives Murray State a two game lead in the OVC.  Austin Peay improves to 13-10 and 7-4 in the OVC.
• Janada Acree had eight points and two rebounds for Wabash Valley as they beat Kaskaskia College 72-60.  The Lady Warriors are now 10-8 on the season.
• Arnika Brown had 13 points and five rebounds to lead Western Kentucky to a 63-56 win over New Orleans Sunday at Diddle Arena.  Western is now 13-8 on the season and 7-3 in the Sun Belt.
• In a game heard on WKDZ, Lydia Watkins had eight points and seven rebounds as Kentucky set a school record with their fifth straight SEC win, a 69-59 win at Mississippi State.  UK's women are now 18-3 overall and 6-2 in the SEC.
• Olivia Akridge had 13 points and four assists to lead Transylvania to a 63-50 win over Rose Hulman.  Transy is now 14-5 overall and 9-2 in the conference.

Bird Averitt featured in LA Times article

William "Bird" Averitt, who led the nation in scoring as a junior at Pepperdine University, was featured in a Los Angeles Times article today.

Averitt, who starred at Hopkinsville High before moving to the west coast to play at Pepperdine, played in the ABA and NBA before returning home to Hopkinsville 25 years ago.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE LA TIMES ARTICLE

Local players still doing well at college

Scotty Hopson (UHA) had eight points and five rebounds as Tennessee rallied past Ole Miss 71-69 in overtime Saturday.  UT is now 14-2 overall and 2-0 in SEC play.

Austin Peay beat Tennessee State 79-77 Saturday as former Heritage Christian Academy star Jon Fraley had 11 points and nine rebounds.  The Governors are now 10-9 overall and 4-3 in the OVC.

Former Trigg County Lady Wildcat Laquisha Boyd had a career high 10 points and grabbed two rebounds to help Spaulding University beat Blackburn College 57-41 Saturday.  In five games for Spaulding, Boyd is averaging 3.6 points and two rebounds in just over six minutes of action. 

Former Miss Basketball Arnika Brown had 16 points and 14 rebounds to lead Western Kentucky to a 73-62 win over Florida International yesterday at Diddle Arena.  WKU is now 10-7 overall and 4-2 in the Sun Belt Conference.

Brown's former teammate at Christian County, Lydia Watkins, came off the bench to score 15 points, grab seven rebounds, and block two shots to help Kentucky beat Alabama 88-63.  UK is now 14-3 overall and 2-2 in the SEC following their 12th straight home win.

Caldwell County's Melly Heaton had six points and three rebounds to help Campbellsville beat Georgetown 73-62 on Saturday.  Campbellsville is off to the best start in school history at 17-1.

Kansas should have went to the half court set against Tennessee

I have seen some of the best basketball shots ever made while goofing off before practice.  I've seen shots made from the catwalk at Wildcat Gym by George Radford.  I saw Chris Woodall stand on the letters out of bounds under the basket, jump outward and lay it in before he hit the ground.  I remember current judge-executive Stan Humphries baseball throw one in from the other free throw line once.  And there was the night at halftime of a JV game at Wildcat Gym where I hit three half court shots in a row, to the utter delight of the dozens in attendence.

However, Kansas took pre-practice goofing off to another level last week.  They should have done more of this against Tennessee today.

Enjoy.

Wednesday's basketball roundup

• Former Christian County Colonel C.J. Trotter scored 11 of his 13 points in the first half to help Southern Indiana to a 93-73 win over Tiffin College.  Trotter hit three 3-pointers and dished out four assists as the Eagles improved to 2-0.
• Karlos Thompson (Hopkinsville) had two points and two rebounds for Spaulding University in their 70-64 loss to Muskingum College, the alma mater of former senator and astronaut John Glenn.
• Bradley Davis (Trigg County) saw his first action of the year for Mid-Continent College in their 89-62 win over William Woods College.  Davis played four minutes and attempted two shots in his first college game.
• Melly Heaton (Caldwell County) scored 17 points to help Campbellsville to a 93-72 win over Oakland City.  The Lady Tigers are now 6-0.

Monday Basketball Roundup

• Former Caldwell County standout Melly Heaton buried a 27-foot 3-pointer at the buzzer to help Campbellsville beat Bethel College 69-67.  The junior guard finished the game with 11 points as Campbellsville moved to 5-0 on the season.  On Friday, Heaton scored 13 points to help Campbellsville beat Harris-Stowe University 85-70 in McKenzie Tenn. at the Roy N. Baker Classic
• Former Christian County Colonel C.J. Trotter had six points and three rebounds in 11 minutes of action as Southern Indiana won their season opener 84-61 over Harris-Stowe State.  One of Trotter's field goals was a 3-pointer.
• Former Christian County Lady Colonel Denisha Mumford continues to contribute off the bench for Tennessee State.  The freshman guard had two points and six rebounds in 16 minutes of action as Tennessee State lost to San Diego 79-45 in the Maggie Dixon Classic in Chicago.  She also had two points against Cornell in the consolation round as the Lady Tigers fell 92-73.
• Arnika Brown had 17 points and 11 rebounds to help lead Western Kentucky to an 81-74 win over South Dakota State Sunday.  Brown was 7-of-9 at the free throw line as the Lady Toppers improved to 3-0.
• Brown's former teammate at Christian County, Lydia Watkins, saw her first action of the year for Kentucky as the Wildcats beat Chattanooga 65-55 to run their record to 4-0 on the season.  Watkins, who has battled some early injuries, came off the bench to score six points and grab three rebounds in 18 minutes of action. 
• Former Hopkinsville Tiger Karlos Thompson had four points and five rebounds in a starting role for Spaulding University as they dropped their first game of the season to Wilmington College 78-52.  Spaulding is now 1-1 on the season.
• Former UHA Blazer Scotty Hopson struggled in Tennessee's 57-53 win over DePaul.  Hopson hit just 2-of-10 shots and scored four points and grabbed three rebounds.  Tennessee (4-0) will play Purdue tonight in the title game of the Paradise Jam in the Virgin Islands.
• Hopson's former teammate, Tyshwan Edmonson scored eight points and grabbed three rebounds to help Midland College beat Southwest Texas JC 102-78.  Midland is off to a 7-0 start, with the former UHA Blazer averaging eight points a game.
• Joshua Mack had four points and four assists off the bench for Mississippi Valley State in their 102-56 win over Champion Baptist.  Mack is in his first season with the Delta Demons after transferring from Coastal Carolina.
• Former Heritage Christian Academy standout John Fraley had 16 points and 11 rebounds to help lead Austin Peay State University to a 69-67 win over Niagra in the final game of the Glenn Wilkes Classic Sunday in Daytona, Florida.  The double-double was the first of Fraley's career with the Governors.

Keeping up with the local players

• Scotty Hopson had a career high 25 points to lead Tennessee to a 124-49 thrashing of UNC-Asheville.  The former UHA Blazer also had five assists in the game for the Volunteers, who led at one point 57-8.
• Hopson's former teammate at UHA, Tyshwan Edmonson, scored five points and had two assists to help Midland College beat Weatherford College 80-58.
• Former Christian County Colonel DaQuan Murden had seven points to help Shawnee College beat Rend Lake 76-64.  Shawnee improved to 4-0 and is averaging 106 points a game on offense.
• Another former Colonel, C.J. Trotter, had six points and two rebounds off the bench as Southern Indiana beat Centre College in an exhibition game 88-58 in Evansville.
• Corey Wilford had 10 points, five rebounds, and three assists to help Connors State College of Oklahoma improve to 6-0 with an 82-72 win over Richland College. 
• Former Hopkinsville High standout Karlos Thompson grabbed nine rebounds and blocked two shots to help Spaulding University beat Shawnee Bapstist 92-32.

Denisha Mumford scores six in her Tennessee State debut

Former Christian County Lady Colonel Denisha Mumford scored six points in 15 minutes of action in her Tennessee State debut Saturday. 

The Lady Tigers opened their season with a 74-63 loss at Jackson State.  Mumford's points came on two 3-pointers, and she added four rebounds.

Corey Wilford, Tyshwan Edmonson off to good starts

Former Christian County standout Corey Wilford is off to a fast start for Connors State College in Oklahoma. 

Wilford, a freshman, is averaging 10.6 points a game as Connors State, located in Warner, Oklahoma, has won their first six games of the season.  Wilford scored 16 points in his second game for the Cowboys, who compete in the National Junior College Athletic Association.

Meanwhile, Tyshwan Edmonson has adjusted well at Midland College in Texas.  The former University Heights Academy All-State player is averaging 8.7 points a game in helping the Chaparrals to a 4-0 record. 

Edmonson scored 12 points in Midland's 83-59 win over Lee College Thursday.  Edmsonson is a sophomore at Midland, after transferring from St. John's University in the spring.

Former Falcons are doing well on the gridiron

A couple of former Fort Campbell Falcons are doing well for Western Kentucky University despite the team's bad record. 

Sophomore Orlando Misaalefua is fifth on the team in tackles (48) and has a forced fumble. 

Josh Carter, one of the few true freshmen to play for the Hilltoppers, has 16 tackles, including two for loss from his linebacker position.

Meanwhile, Stacye Whipple is putting up solid numbers for Bethel College (Tenn.). 

The former Falcon is a freshman defensive lineman for the Wildcats and has 22 tackles in nine games, including a sack and a tackle for loss.  Whipple also has three fumble recoveries and an interception. 

Bethel is 5-6 overall but 4-2 in their conference.

At Murray State, Dexter Durrante was moved to the backfield where he has run 10 times for 55 yards.  He also had seven tackles on defense.

Linebacker Josh McWherter has 15 tackles in 10 games.

Austin Peay getting contributions from several local players

Several local players have been solid contributors for Austin Peay's football team this fall. 

Former Trigg County standout Rick Woods is wrapping up his senior season with the Governors.  Woods, a linebacker, has played in seven games, recording three tackles and recovering a fumble. 

His teammate, former Fort Campbell Falcon LaDarius Davis, has 30 tackles, including 13 for loss and has recovered a fumble from his cornerback position.  He also picked off a pass in Saturday's 24-21 win over Tennessee State. 

Freshman Darric Dillard, from Hopkinsville, has 13 tackles this year, while sophomore Chris Litteral, also from Fort Campbell, has two catches for 18 yards as a tight end for the Governors, who close out their season Saturday against Tennessee-Martin. 

Ben Collins, a defensive end from Christian County, has 13 tackles, including two for loss and is second on the team with two sacks.

Janada Acree settling in at Wabash Valley

Former Trigg County basketball player Janada Acree is settling in at Wabash Valley College in Indiana.

Acree is averaging 4.7 points and 2.7 rebounds through three games as a freshman, including a season-high eight points in her second game of the season. 

The Lady Warriors are off to a 1-2 start on the season and play Cincinnati State Tuesday.

Acree is wearing #00 for the Lady Warriors and is a teammate of Danielle Dixon from Henderson County.

Murray State has asked football coach Matt Griffin to leave

Murray State announced today that head coach Matt Griffin will not return for a fifth season as head coach.  The Racers were just 11-33 in four seasons as head coach and were never a factor in the Ohio Valley Conference race.

Murray State will play at Tennessee Tech Saturday.

HERE IS THE OFFICIAL RELEASE FROM MURRAY STATE

Curtis Pulley nabs third straight MEAC Player of the Week award

Former Hopkinsville quarterback Curtis Pulley has been named MEAC Offensive Player of the Week for the third straight time.

The Florida A&M quarterback completed 11 of 22 passes for 182 yards and two touchdowns in the Rattlers 48-10 victory over Howard.  He also rushed 13 times for 38 yards to help FAMU extend its record to 3-0.

For the season, Pulley has completed 64-percent of his passes for 531 yards and five TDs with no interceptions.  He has ran 38 times for 268 yards (7.1 ypc) and a score.

FAMU hosts Tennessee State Saturday.

 

TyShwan Edmonson has landed at Midland College

Former University Heights Academy standout TyShwan Edmonson has landed at Midland College in Texas after transferring from St. John's.

Edmonson, who will be a sophomore at Midland, played in 26 of 34 games for the Red Storm last year, averaging 1.7 points and one rebound in 10 minutes of action per contest.

Midland College in Midland, Texas competes in the National Junior College Athletic Assocation and were national champs in 2007.  The Chaparrals recently named Ross Hodge as their new head coach.

Edmonson averaged 18.4 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.7 steals a game his senior season at UHA where he earned All-State honors and was named the MVP of the All-A State Tournament.

C.J. Trotter signs with Southern Indiana

Former Christian County basketball standout C.J. Trotter has transferred to the University of Southern Indiana in Evansville and will have two years of eligibility left.

The 6-foot-3 guard played at Rend Lake College for two years, averaging 13.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists last season.

USI head coach Rodney Watson told the Evansville Courier that Trotter gives the Eagles "depth on the wing, some length.  He's an athletic wing who can run the floor and he has a long wingspan."

Trotter averaged 10.1 points, three rebounds, and two assists his senior season at Christian County, helping lead the Colonels to the Sweet 16.

Former UHA standout Harold Swanigan named coordinator of basketball operations at Notre Dame

Former University Heights Academy standout and Notre Dame forward Harold Swanigan has been named coordinator of men's basketball operations.  Swanigan, who had been serving as the coordinator of student welfare and development at Notre Dame, fills the position formerly held by Martin Ingelsby, who was promoted to assistant coach.

"I am thrilled to have Harold join our basketball staff in the operations position," Irish head coach Mike Brey said. "I think he will be such a great influence on our players given that he is a Notre Dame man, played in the BIG EAST and played for me.  He already has developed deep relationships with our current players from former position in the Student Welfare and Development Office. He was a great captain and leader for us as a player and always was a guy who put the team first. I am thrilled to have Swanny back with us."

A four-year monogram winner, Swanagan, who served as a tri-captain for the Irish during his senior season in 2001-02, played professionally in Europe for two seasons. His first stint was with ENAD in Nicosia, Cyprus, during the 2002-03 season, followed by a year with Autun in Autun, France, in 2003-04.

Swanagan returned to Notre Dame in May 2004 and served as an intern with the strength and conditioning program during the 2004-05 school year before being named to his current position the spring of '05.

While playing forward for the Irish, Swanigan appeared in 127 games (fifth all-time) and made 78 starts while averaging 6.2 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. Swanagan also helped Notre Dame to a 78-52 overall record and 37-29 mark in BIG EAST play during his four seasons.

Since returning to the South Bend area, Swanagan played professionally for the Elkhart Express (formerly of the International Basketball League) from 2005-07 and led that franchise to two IBL championship in '06 and '07. He also served as assistant varsity girls' coach at nearby Marion High School during the '04-'05 and '05-'06 campaigns. Swanagan earned his bachelor's degree in sociology from Notre Dame's College of Arts and Letters in May 2002 and received a master's degree in education with an emphasis in educational leadership from Indiana University-South Bend in May 2009.

In his role with the student welfare and development department, Swanagan worked directly with assistant athletics director Charmelle Green on the department's award-winning Life Skills and student-athlete development programs. The Student Development program focuses on providing a balanced Notre Dame experience for student-athletes by focusing on five key areas: academic excellence, athletic success, career preparation, community involvement and personal development. Much of Swanagan's job centered around coordinating community service activities for the more than 700 student-athletes on the school's 26 athletics teams and career development.

Swanagan and his wife, Andrea, reside in South Bend. She also is a '02 Notre Dame graduate and currently is the director of worldwide clubs for the University's Alumni Association.

CLICK HERE FOR THE NOTRE DAME PRESS RELEASE

Former Lyon County head coach Jeff Rogers gets college gig

Former Lyon County basketball coach Jeff Rogers has been named the new head coach at Thomas More College in northern Kentucky after spending two seasons as an assistant coach there.

Rogers was 63-49 in four seasons as head coach at Lyon County from 1999-2002 and won the Fifth District title all four years.  He left Lyon County for a head coaching job in Florida before returning to coach at Logan County for a couple of seasons.

CLICK HERE for the Thomas More release

Former UK quarterback Curtis Pulley indicted for non-support

A Christian County grand jury indicted former Hopkinsville High and University of Kentucky quarterback Curtis Pulley Friday on a charge of Flagrant Non-Support.

The Kentucky New Era also reported that an arrest warrant has been issued for Pulley.

The indictment alleges that Pulley was $6,275 in arrears and failed to make payments between February 2006 and February 2009.

Pulley was the 2004 Mr. Football at Hopkinsville High and played two seasons at Kentucky before transferring to Florida A & M prior to the 2008 season.  There, he was named First Team All Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

Western Kentucky University spring football update

Here is an update on spring football at Western Kentucky University, courtesy of the WKU sports information office.

The Western Kentucky University football team completed its second week of spring practice, signifying the midway point of the four-week, 15-practice schedule.

The Hilltoppers will now take the weekend off for Easter before returning to the field for another 8:45 a.m. practice on Monday.

“We’re about where I thought we would be at this point,” said Hilltopper head coach David Elson. “We’re going to take some time as a coaching staff to recap and evaluate things, and I think we’ll see we are where we wanted and needed to be at this point. We’re obviously going to take advantage of every practice we’re allowed this spring to keep getting these guys a lot of reps.”

Along with that development and additional repetition in drills, Elson has seen improvement in live game situations and scrimmages. “Offensively, we’re cleaning up a lot of things and limiting our penalties and movement,” added Elson. “Today we slowed things down and did a lot more teaching. When we got to the scrimmage at the end of practice, I though we were a lot sharper overall and had a better chemistry out there on both sides of the ball.”

The Hilltoppers, one of only 120 Football Bowl Subdivision (I-A) teams, are eligible for a bowl berth and the Sun Belt Conference championship for the first time in 2009.

Tyshawn Edmonson to transfer from St. Johns

Former University Heights Academy guard Tyshawn Edmonson has decided to transfer from St. Johns University after just one season,according to the New York Daily News.  The freshman averaged 1.7 points and one rebound in 26 games for the Red Storm this year.

Edmonson scored a season-high eight points against Miami Dec. 27.

The Red Storm finished 16-18 this past year, and reports say Edmonson isn't the only unhappy camper on the St. Johns roster.