For the Week of August 15 - 21, 2017 More than Grambling in the SWAC LUT WILLIAMS Grambling lost the top HBCU pick in the BCSP Editor NFL draft, wide receiver Chad Williams as All four HBCU conferences completed well as big-play receiver Verlan Hunter. Bruis- ™ their preseason football events in July where ing running back Jestin Kelly is not on the prognostications for the 2017 top players and preseason roster. They also lost heavily on the teams were unveiled. defensive side of the ball including as many as We'll do the BCSP preview on all four con- seven starters. ferences continuing this week with the SWAC. Perhaps no one is more confident than re- You'll find some picks here you didn't find turning Grambling senior quarterback Devante BCSP Photo at or in the preseason media events! Kincade who believes that his team this year is MAHORN: Former big more talented than last year's squad. Head coach baller leads tough team Southwestern Athletic Conference Broderick Fobbs echoes the same sentiment. SWAC to unbeaten record (SWAC) Footman Kincade While this year's Grambling team might be more and regular season title in talented, they don't have the experience or sea- PREDICT first year of BIG3 league. Don't pencil Grambling State in just yet in ond half and led to Grambling's first TD (17-7). soning that last year's team had. the SWAC. – receptions of 33 and 31 yards set up a sec- The fact is, no one would be surprised to see MAHORN'S TEAM ON TOP OF BIG3 LEAGUE; For the last two years, Alcorn State and ond score (17-14). a Grambling vs. Alcorn State three-peat on De- GRAMBLING NOT ALONE AS SWAC CONTENDER Grambling have met for the SWAC champion- – a 26-yard pass play and fumble recovered cember 2 in what will be the last SWAC Cham- ships. Alcorn State won in 2015. Grambling an the Alcorn 2-yard line led to a third score (20- pionship Game. won in 2016. 20). But, as I've said, don't necessarily pen- Alcorn State should have won in 2016. Grambling outscored the Braves 27-3 in the cil Grambling in just yet. Its major challenges UNDER THE BANNER Alcorn State will win in 2017. At least, second half to pull out a 27-20 win. are expected to come from West Division foes that's the opinion of the Black College Sports For the game, Alcorn outgained Grambling Southern and Prairie View A&M. WHAT'S GOING ON IN AND AROUND BLACK COLLEGE SPORTS Page as the 2017 season begins. on the ground (189 to 175 yds.), thru the air Southern has a senior quarterback with The Braves, champions of the East Division (259 to 237), led in time of possession (34:04 to more experience and seasoning than Kincade in ELLIS JOINS KNICKS FRONT OFFICE: last year in their first year under Fred McNair 24:56) and had eight sacks to Grambling's four. Austin Howard, already the Jags' career pass- Harold Ellis, Morehouse 's all-time lead- and winners of three straight division crowns, Why did Alcorn lose? One of the reasons ing leader. Under head coach Dawson Odums, finished 5-6 overall and only 5-4 a year ago in is a wide open tight end incredibly dropped two Southern has been just a step behind Grambling ing scorer, has been named to the SWAC play. (two?) walk-in touchdowns near the Grambling since winning the 2014 West title. Don't count front office of the Knick- Beset by injuries all season, Alcorn was end zone that could have helped keep the G- the Jaguars out. erbockers. Ellis will be player fortunate to come away with the division title. Men at bay. Ditto for Prairie View. They feature pre- personnel director as announced All four of its losses in conference play were If he pulls in those passes, Grambling likely season first team all-SWAC standouts in wide by Knicks general manager Scott to West Division teams. Against the East, they doesn't win the SWAC, doesn't play in and win receiver Khadarel Hodge and defensive line- Perry. were 4-0, beating division teams by an average the Celebration Bowl and is not crowned HBCU man Devohn Reed and a promising young quar- 40-15 score (159-60 total). national champion. terback in 6-4, 230-pounder Jalen Morton. Ellis joins the organization af- Grambling finished 11-1 overall, an unde- McNair described it at the preseason SWAC Texas Southern is a sleeper pick. ter five seasons with Orlando as di- Harold Ellis feated 9-0 vs. SWAC competition in taking the Media Day as "the one that got away." He said Alcorn may be head and shoulders above rector of pro scouting. Previously, West Division crown. The Tigers were domi- his squad has put it behind them and is ready to others in the East. he spent four seasons with Detroit as a scout (2009-12) nant, outscoring all their opponents the way Al- go after the 2017 title. and as an assistant coach (2008-09) and six seasons with corn did its East foes, 40-16. Grambling handily It's highly unlikely that Alcorn will have the MY PICKS: Alcorn State in the East. Atlanta as a minor league coordinator/scout. defeated Alcorn State 43-18 in the regular sea- injuries to key people that derailed its fortunes a son and was a big favorite to run away in the year ago. The Braves return as many skill posi- Grambling State in the West. Prior to the NBA, he coached Rome (GA) of the in the title game. championship game. tion players as does Grambling and their players Alcorn State WBA to back-to-back league titles in 2005 and 2006, But something strange happened in the title have more experience. earning himself consecutive Coach of the Year honors. PLAYERS TO WATCH: game. They include both quarterbacks (Lenorris Martez Carter, RB, Grambling State He also served as a coach for Roanoke (G League), Alcorn jumped up early on the G-Men and Footman and Noah Johnson), its top two run- Austin Howard, QB, Southern Rockford (CBA), and Las Vegas (IBL). He played three pitched a first half shutout to lead 17-0 at the ning backs (DeLance Turner and Aron Baker) Devante Kincade, QB, Grambling State seasons in the NBA, averaging 5.8 points in 145 games break. Grambling made big plays in the second and top wideouts (Norlando Veals and Mar- Lenorris Footman, QB, Alcorn State half. quis Watford). Watford is also a special teams Jordan Bentley, RB, Alabama A&M for the L.A. Clippers and Denver, and also played in the – a 73-yard kickoff return opened the sec- star. Marquis Watford, WR/RB, KR, Alcorn State CBA, USBL and in Greece. The only Maroon Tiger to have his jersey number retired, Ellis averaged more than 30 points per game and led Morehouse to the 1991 NCAA Division II Final Four.

TSU'S MARTIN INKS OVERSEAS CONTRACT: Recent Tennessee State graduate Wayne Martin (, N.Y.) signed his first contract to play professional bas- ketball overseas for Prishtina BC in Carter Howard Bentley Watford Fobbs McNair Odums Kosovo. "I don’t think I’ve ever been more proud of an individual than I am of Wayne Martin," TSU Head Coach Dana Ford said. "He’s a BCSP Notes Wayne Martin college graduate of Tennessee Mahorn's team goes unbeaten in BIG3 regular State University and now he's a professional basketball season, heads to championship round player. All the credit belongs to Wayne and his mom and Former Virginia Union and NBA standout Charles Oakley is not the their willingness to allow us to help him become who he only black college product leading a team in 's BIG3 Basketball is today." League. Martin starred for the Tigers for the last two seasons, In fact, another HBCU product's team is on top of the 8-team league helping lead TSU to back-to-back winning seasons. After standings as the new 3-on-3 professional hoops iteration ends the regular season and heads towards Saturday's (August 20) playoffs. transferring to TSU from Navarro College in Texas, the , the former Hampton 6-7 forward put up 12.8 points and 9.1 rebounds per game University and CIAA standout who en- in his two seasons in Nashville. joyed an 18-year NBA career including He finished second in the Ohio Valley Conference in winning the 1989 NBA championship rebounds at 9.2 per game last season and tied for third in with a squad dubbed the the conference with ten double-doubles. He scored 14.4 "Bad Boys," is the head coach of Tril- ogy and has led his squad to the only points per game to earn second team all-OVC honors. He undefeated record in the league. had 20 double-doubles in his two-year career. Trilogy knocked off the Killer 3s Sun- Former Livingstone product with the array of medals she won "Coach (Dana) Ford got me ready for the real world day in 50-41 to complete HAYES: while competing at the CIAA school. and for professional basketball," Martin said. the regular season with an unblemished 8-0 record. Livingstone's Hayes part of 4x400 relay TEMPORARY HOME FOR EDWARD WATERS Trilogy Head Coach Mahorn's troops will now face Ghost Rick Mahorn Ballers in the BIG3 Championship for winning U. S. team in London The Edward Waters Department of Athletics has Round Sunday (August 20) in Seattle's KeyArena. , coached After the drama in the men's 4x100 meter relay when Usain Bolt announced that Andrew Jackson High School Stadium by George "The Iceman" Gervin, finished in a third place tie with pulled up with cramps on the last leg, it was a similar story for Jamaica in will be the home venue for five of six home contests dur- at 4-4 but is seeded fourth. Power is coached by . the women's 4x400 meter relay, as second-leg runner Anneisha McLaugh- ing the 2017 Tiger football season. Only the top four teams advance to the championship round. The lin-Whilby pulled up injured while in second place. Located on the corner of 48th Street and Main Street second-place team, 3-Headed Monster coached by , finished In the heats 24 hours prior, the USA quartet of Quanera Hayes of near Downtown Jacksonville, Andrew Jackson Stadium second with a 6-2 record and will face Drexler's Power squad on Sunday. Livingstone (CIAA), Kendell Ellis, Shakima Wimbley and Natasha Hast- The first BIG3 Championship Game is scheduled for Sunday, August ings made their intentions clear, setting a world lead of 3:21.66. is less than 10 minutes away from the EWC campus. "We 26 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. That game will be car- The USA team was the overwhelming favourite heading into the final, were looking for a home venue that had close proximity ried live on FOX. having taken victory at both the Olympic Games in Rio last year and at the to our campus as well as large enough to accomodate our It should be no surprise that the Trilogy team is big and tough with IAAF World Relays Bahamas 2017. fans," said Interim Director of Intercollegiate Athletics perhaps the most well-known of the Bad Boys, Mahorn, at the controls. In the finals, they swapped in freshly crowned world 400 meter cham- Stanley B. Cromartie. "We are eagerly are anticipating The team includes former NBA top draft choice and pion Phyllis Francis and bronze medallist Allyson Felix. opening our own Community Stadium in 2018. We feel as big men enforcers able to bully the majority of their op- Victory was never in any doubt and the quartet ponents, just like Mahorn did in his prime. The league's No. 1 draft choice, of Hayes, Felix, Wimbley and Francis enjoyed a that Andrew Jackson Stadium will provide a great home Rashard McCants, teams with , and Janerro Par- gun-to-tape victory, extending their winning mar- field advantage for our football program this season." go to provide the firepower. gin on every leg. The lone contest that will be played on campus will Harrington even has the ability to stretch his game all the way out to "We passed the test," said Hayes. "Well done to be played on Saturday, October 7th at 3:00pm as Edward the 4-point circle - making him one of the best all-around scorers in the all the girls, they all ran awesome legs." Waters will host the University of Faith for the annual BIG3. He's seventh in the league in scoring. At the end of leg one, Hayes (50.56) took the Homecoming game. McCants, who recently blamed his failed NBA career on a relation- lead over Jamaica's Chrisann Gordon (50.98) and ship with Khloe Kardashian, is fourth in the league in scoring at 20.8 Nigeria's Patience George (51.46). With a 48.64 2017 Edward Waters College Home Football Schedule points per game and has the second highest single-game scoring output clocking – the fastest of all the relay runners – Fe- Sat., Sept. 16 Cumberland University 4:30pm lix extended the USA's lead by more than three Sat., Sept. 23 University of The Cumberlands 4:30pm with 27 points. Saturday, Oct. 7 *University of Faith (@EWC Field) 3:00pm If he can recapture some of the talent he showcased during his days at Hayes seconds at the halfway point. Wimbley continued Saturday, October 21 Warner University 4:30pm the USA's dominance with 49.60 – the only other Saturday, October 28 University of God's Chosen 12:00pm North Carolina, McCants may get another look in the NBA. Saturday, November 4 Southeastern University 7:00pm White leads the league in assists, is also tops in 3-point percentage sub-50-second clocking of the race. * - Homecoming (.471) and is second in free throw percentage (.833). Francis (50.22) continued the US procession on the anchor leg.

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