For the Week oF August 29 - september 4, 2017

© AZEEZ Communications, Inc. Vol. XXIV, No. 5

™

Grambling Sports Photo

ARM TALENT AT THE FORE AS 2017 KICKS OFF;HAMPTON'S MAHORN BAGS FIRST BIG3 CROWN

UNDER THE BANNERWHAT'S GOING ON IN AND AROUND BLACK COLLEGE SPORTS

EXTENSION FOR BLAIR-LEWIS: DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Bethune-Cookman

University Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Lynn W. Thompson has announced that Women's Head Basketball Coach Vanessa Blair-Lewis has been rewarded a contract extension. She has led the Wildcats to consecutive Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) regular season cham-pionships.

Blair-Lewis' new deal runs through 2021, guarantee-ing that she will remain in Daytona Beach at the helm of the Wildcats women's hoops program for the next five years. "Not only did Vanessa Blair-Lewis lead her team to consecutive record-setting seasons and post season appearances, but through her leadership, teaching and development of student-athletes, she has established a highly successful program that transforms lives and builds champions," Thompson said. "I know that she clearly understands her role and how valuable it is in the overall student-athlete experience here at Bethune-Cook-man University. She is much more than a coach. She is a mother and wife, and through her life our students see the dynamics of a solid family unit and how effective it can be as a positive influence." In her ninth season at the helm of the Wildcats wom-en's program, Blair-Lewis led the Maroon and Gold to a 21-11 overall record – the program's highest win to-tal since the 1984-85 team went 21-5 – and picking up a program-best 15-1 mark in league play. The Cats ad-vanced to the MEAC Tournament championship game for the first time since 1992 and made a second consecu-tive WNIT appearance. She was named the BoxToRow National Co-Coach of the Year and was a finalist for 2017 HBCU Awards Female Coach of the Year presented by HBCU Digest.

The arms (QBs) have it in 2017LUT WILLIAMSBCSP Editor In the 2016 black college football season, 13 running backs gained for over 1,000 yards including two who finished their careers with all-time conference rushing records. Southern's Lenard Tillery in the South-western Athletic Conference and North Caro-lina A&T's Tarik Cohen in the Mid Eastern Athletic Conference were the record-setters and were among eight of the outstanding rush-ers who finished their careers a year ago. As the 2017 HBCU season stages its first full slate of 37 games on this Labor Day week and weekend, it appears the guys who throw the ball rather than those that run it will be the focal points and get the lion's share of the spotlight.

The Arms There were only two 3,000-yard passers in 2016 and both return in 2017 with high expecta-tions for themselves and their teams. Grambling State features senior signal-caller Devante Kincade who threw for 3,022 yards with 31 TDs and just four interceptions while leading the 11-1 G-Men to SWAC and Celebration Bowl titles and the designation as the consensus black college national champion. Kincade comes in this year as the SWAC's preseason offensive player of the year and a can-didate for a number of national honors. He leads the Tigers into their season opener Saturday (7 p.m., streaming on ESPN3) vs. Tulane. The Green Wave finished 1-7 a year ago with their only win coming in its season finale vs. UConn. Bowie State junior Amir Hall led all of black college football with 3,596 passing yards (326.9 yards per game) \while leading the Bull-dogs to the Central Intercollegeiate Athletic Association North Division title and an NCAA Div. II playoff berth. The 6-4, 180-pounder threw for 30 touchdowns with 15 picks and is back as the CIAA's marquee talent hoping to get the Bulldogs back into league and national championship contention. Their quest begins Saturday in Greensburg, Pa. (3 p.m.) when BSU, who finished 9-3 last season, opens with Seton Hill for the second straight year. SHU was 5-6 in 2016. In last year's season opener, Hall (427 yards, 5 TDs) and Se-ton Hill quarterback Christian Strong (447 yds., 5 TDs) led their teams in a 50-48 shootout won by the Griffins. Strong is also back for his senior season. The top returning signal-caller in the South-ern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference is ex-pected to be Clark Atlanta senior quarterback Johnathan McCrary. McCrary, the league's preseason offensive player of the year, threw for 190.3 yards per game in 2016 as the Panthers finished 5-5. He's back to lead CAU as it opens Thursday (7 p.m.) hosting Mississippi College. The Chocotaws were 3-7 last year. The Mid Eastern Athletic Conference is the only HBCU league that did not pick a quar-terback as its top returning offensive player. That honor went to Howard senior running back Anthony Philyaw coming off a 2016 cam-paign that saw him rush for 1,230 yards (123.0 yards per game) and nine TDs. Philyaw and the Bison were 2-9 in Gary Harrell's final year and get heralded new head

Kincade

2017 SEASONTAKESFLIGHT

POSTER BOY: Coming off 2016 BCSP national title, Grambling State QB Devante Kincade leads a star-studded list of HBCU quarterbacks.

THE STAT CORNERWHO ARE THE BEST PERFORMERS IN BLACK COLLEGE SPORTS

2017 SWAC FOOTBALL TELEVISION SCHEDULE

Date Game time (Ct) Network

Sat. Aug. 26 Texas Southern at FAMU 11 a.m. ESPNUSat., Sept. 2 Alabama A&M at UAB 1:30 p.m. WHNT (L)Sat., Sept. 2 Miss. Valley St. at N. Dakota St. 2:30 p.m. ESPN3Sat., Sept. 2 Grambling State at Tulane 7 p.m. ESPN3Sat., Sept. 2 Jackson State at TCU 7 p.m. FOX Sports NetworkSat., Sept. 2 Prairie View at Texas Southern 8 p.m. PoStPoNeD Sun., Sept. 3 S.C. State at Southern 1:30 p.m. ESPN2Thurs., Sept. 7 Sam Houston St. at Prairie View 6:30 p.m. ESPNUThurs., Sept. 7 Houston Baptist at Texas Southern 7:30 p.m. AT&T Sports Net (L)Sat., Sept. 9 Alabama A&M at Vanderbilt 3 p.m. SECN AlternateSat., Sept. 9 Alabama State at Troy 5 p.m. ESPN3Sat., Sept. 9 Miss. Valley St. at S. Illinois 6 p.m. ESPN3Sat., Sept. 9 Southern at Southern Miss 6 p.m. Stadium TVSat., Sept. 9 Jackson State at Tennessee State 6 p.m. Fox Sports SoutheastSat., Sept. 9 Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Akron 6:30 p.m. ESPN3Sat., Sept. 9 Alcorn State at FIU 6:30 p.m. beIN SportsSat., Sept. 16 Alabama A&M at South Alabama 6 p.m. ESPN3Sat., Sept. 16 Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Ark. St. 6 p.m. ESPN3Sat., Sept. 16 Jackson State at Grambling St. 6 p.m. ESPN3 / ESPNU (TD)Fri., Sept. 29 Alcorn State at Texas Southern 8 p.m. AT&T Sports Net (L)Thurs., Oct. 5 Alcorn State at Alabama St. 6:30 p.m. ESPNUSat., Oct. 7 Texas Southern at Kennesaw St. 6 p.m. PeachTree TV (L)Sat., Oct. 14 Alabama State at Texas Southern 2 p.m. AT&T Sports Net Sat., Sat., Oct. 28 Alabama A&M vs. Alabama St. (BH) TBA ESPN3 / ESPNU (tTD)Sat., Nov. 11 Southern at Texas Southern 5 p.m. AT&T Sports Net (L)Sat., Nov. 25 Southern vs. Grambling State (NO) 4 p.m. NBC SportsSat., Dec. 2 SWAC Championship (Houston) 3:30 p.m. ESPNUSat., Dec. 16 Celebration Bowl (in Atlanta) 11 a.m. ABC

Schedule subject to change. L (Local) TD (Tape Delay)

G A M E S T H I S W E E K

THURSDAY, AUGUST 31Catawba vs. Saint Augustine’s in Salisbury, NC 7p Clark Atlanta vs Mississippi College in Atlanta, GA 7p Delaware vs. Delaware State in Newark, DE 7pUNC Pembroke vs. Winston-Salem State in Pembroke, NC 7p West Georgia vs. Fort Valley State in Carrollton, GA 7pESPN3 Georgia State vs. Tennessee State in Atlanta, GA 7p

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2Texas College vs. Lane in Tyler, TX 12pCentral State vs. Elizabeth City State in Wilberforce, OH 1p LIU-Post vs. Virginia Union in Brookville, NY 1p Shaw vs. New Haven in Durham, NC 1p West Virginia State vs. Charleston in Institute, WV 1p Kentucky State vs. Slippery Rock in Frankfort, KY 1:30p Alabama-Birmingham vs. Alabama A&M in Birmingham, AL 2:30pSeton Hill vs. Bowie State in Greensburg, PA 3pAlcorn State vs. Miles in Alcorn State, MS 6p Arkansas-Pine Bluff vs. Morehouse in NPine Bluff, AR 6p Chowan vs. Fayetteville State in Murfreesboro, NC 6p Gardner-Webb vs. NC A&T in Boiling Springs, NC 6p Johnson C. Smith vs. Wingate in Charlotte, NC 6p UNLV vs. Howard in Las Vegas, NV 6p Florida Tech vs. Virginia-Lynchburg in Melbourne, FL 7p CLASSICSBattle of the First Cheyney vs. Lincoln (PA) in Cheyney, PA 1pLU Classic Langston vs. Lincoln (MO) in Langston, OK 2pCapital City Classic Benedict vs. Livingstone in Columbia, SC 5p Labor Day Classic Norfolk State vs. Virginia State in Norfolk, VA 6p TV / INTERNET BROADCASTSTV Broadcast - ACC Network Miami (FL) vs. Bethune-Cookman in Coral Gables, FL 12:30pInternet Webcast - ESPN3 North Dakota State vs. Miss Valley State in Fargo, ND 2:30pTV Broadcast - SEC Network Arkansas vs. Florida A&M in Little Rock, AR 6pBull City Gridiron Classic - TV - ACC Network Extra Duke vs. North Carolina Central in Durham, NC 6pBattle for Greater Baltimore TV - SPORTSfeverTV ESPN3Towson vs. Morgan State in Towson, MD 6pLabor Day Classic - ASU Stream | Internet Webcast Alabama State vs. Tuskegee in Montgomery, AL 7pTV Broadcast - Fox Sports Network TCU vs. Jackson State in Ft. Worth, TX 7pInternet Webcast - ESPN3 Tulane vs Grambling State in New Orleans, LA 7pInternet Webcast - ASU Stream Albany State vs. Valdosta State in Albany, GA 7pInternet Webcast - ESPN3 Ohio vs Hampton in Athens, OH 7pLabor Day Classic - TV Broadcast - AT&T Sports NetworkTexas Southern vs. Prairie View A&M in Houston, TX Postponed

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 32017 MEAC/SWAC Challenge -TV Broadcast - ESPN2Southern vs. South Carolina State in Baton Rouge, LA 1:30p

SCOREStHUrS., aUGUSt 26

Bethel 19, Edward Waters 13Florida A&M 29, Texas Southern 7

SUN., aUGUSt 27 Louisburg 41, Va.-Lynchburg 10

P R E S E A S O N B C S P F O O T B A L L T O P T E N

1. GramBLiNG State (0-0) - At Tulane. NeXt: Hosting Northwestern State. 2. NortH CaroLiNa CeNtraL (0-0) - At Duke. NeXt: Hosting Shaw.3. NortH CaroLiNa a&t (0-0) - At Gardner-Webb. NeXt: Hosting Mars Hill.4. teNNeSSee State (0-0) - Thursday at Georgia State. NeXt: Jackson State in Memphis.5. aLCorN State (0-0) - Hosting Miles. NeXt: At Florida International.6. BetHUNe-CookmaN (0-0) - At Miami. NeXt: At Southeast Louisiana.7. SoUtHerN (0-0) - Hosting South Carolina State Sunday in SWAC/MEAC Chal-lenge. NeXt: At Southern Miss.8. SoUtH CaroLiNa State (1-3) - At Southern Sunday in SWAC/MEAC Chal-lenge. NeXt: Hosting Charleston Southern.9. Prairie View a&m (0-0) - Game with Texas Southern postponed because of Hurricane Harvey. NeXt: Hosting Sam Houston State.10. FLoriDa a&m (1-0) - Beat Texas Southern, 29-7. NeXt: At Arkansas in Little Rock.

coach Mike London's season started on the road Saturday (6 p.m.) at UNLV. The Rebels were 4-8 last year. But the MEAC title is likely to be decided by quarterback play. In that regard, keep an eye on conference favorites North Carolina Cen-tral, North Carolina A&T and Bethune-Cook-man and darkhorse Florida A&M. NCCU will be breaking in a new signal-caller after the departure of three-year starter Malcolm Bell. 2016 back-up Nail Ramadan, who played in five games and was 13 of 19 last year, was expected to lead the MEAC champion Eagles (9-3) but head coach Jerry Mack said on the conference's teleconference Tuesday that juco transfer Micah Zanders (6-1, 195) will get the start Saturday (6 p.m., on ACC Extra) as they travel three miles across Durham, N. C. to open at ACC-member Duke. A&T will have junior Lamar Raynard back at the controls as the Aggies (9-3 in 2016) travel to Boiling Springs, N.C. to take on Gard-ner-Webb Saturday (6 p.m.). The Runnin' Bull-dogs finished 5-6 a year ago and were third in the Big South. Raynard, the first team all-MEAC preseason selectee, missed the last three games of the 2016 season with a shoulder injury including season-ending losses to N.C. Central for the MEAC title and Richmond in the FCS playoffs, Bethune-Cookman gets a host of playmak-ers back to augment returning senior quarterback Larry Brihm, Jr. With a line-up decimated by injuries, Brihm still managed to throw for 1,368 yards including 11 TDs with just four intercep-tions in 2016. He'll have the full compliment of skill play-ers as the Wildcats (4-6 in 2016) try to tackle ACC-member Miami in the season-opener Sat-urday (12:30 p.m., on the ACC Network). Florida A&M got 217 passing yards and one TD from quarterback Ryan Stanley in its 29-7 season opening win Saturday over Texas Southern. Stanley and the Rattlers are likely to be brought back down to earth when they travel to Little Rock, Arkansas to face SEC-member Arkansas Saturday (6 p.m. on the SEC Network). Quarterback play will also be at a premium in an MEAC vs. SWAC contest when South Carolina State and Southern tangle Sunday (1:30 p.m. on ESPN2) in Baton Rouge, La. in the 2017 MEAC/SWAC Challenge Southern will feature its career passing lead-er and four-year starter in senior Austin How-ard while S. C. State head coach Buddy Pough, after looking to convert wide receiver Mykal Moody to quarterback (now a defensive back), plans to go with redshirt sophomore Dewann Ford Jr. under center. An interesting QB debut will also be in At-lanta Thursday (7 p.m. streaming on ESPN3) as Florida transfer Treon Harris (5-11, 195) leads the Tennessee State Tigers to battle vs. Georgia State. The game will be played at the new Geor-gia State Stadium that used to be Turner Field, the former home of the Atlanta Braves.

Opening Salvos In other intriguing openers, the CIAA and SIAC champions play on the road Thursday at 7 p.m. CIAA titleist Winston-Salem State travels to UNC-Pembroke while SIAC champ Fort Val-

Hall McCrary Raynard Brihm Jr. Zanders Stanley Howard Harris

ley State is at West Georgia. Alcorn State hosts Miles (6 p.m.), Arkan-sas-Pine Bluff is at home vs. Morehouse (6 p.m.) and Alabama State entertains Tuskegee (7 p.m.) in three SWAC vs. SIAC contests Sat-urday. ASU vs. Tuskegee is billed one of three Labor Day Classics. The other traditional Labor Day Classics scheduled for Saturday are Norfolk State host-ing Virginia State (6 p.m.) and Texas South-ern hosting Prairie View A&M (8 p.m. on the local AT&T Sports Network) in Houston. On Tuesday, Prairie View officials an-nounced that its game vs. TSU has been post-poned as well as all other home athletic events because of the ravages of Hurricane Harvey in the Houston area. The game has been resched-uled for Thanksgiving Day weekend at the on-campus BBVA Compass Stadium at a particular date and time to be announced later.

2017 FOOTBALL KICKS OFF

Blair-Lewis

BCSP NotesMahorn, Trilogy complete perfect Big3 seasontaking championship in Las Vegas Former Hampton and NBA standout Rick Mahorn can add

a new ring to his collection of championship jewelry. Mahorn led his Trilogy basketball team to the first championshp of Ice Cube's 3-on-3 league of ex-NBA players, The BIG3, in a 51-46 win over 3-Headed Monsters Saturday in Las Vegas. Coached by the former CIAA legend and member of the "Bad Boy" Detroit Pistons 1989 NBA championshp team, Trilogy fin-

ished the inaugural season with a perfect 10-0 record including an 8-0 mark in the regular season. The team was comprised of ex-NBA players Al Harrington, Kenyon Martin, Rashad McCants, James White and Dion Glover. McCants, the former UNC standout and first-round 2005 NBA pick who finished third in BIG3 scoring, was named the Champi-onship MVP after putting up 22 points in the title game. He scored Trilogy's last five points including a fallaway jumper in the final seconds to seal the victory. The star-studded event took place Sat-urday afternoon at the MGM Garden Arena in advance of Satur-day night's megafight between Floyd Mayweather and Conor Mc-Gregor at Vegas's T-Mobile Arena. Mahorn played and starred at Hampton from 1976-80 when the Pirates were in the CIAA. Hampton is now in the MEAC. He was a

Mahorn

three-time all-CIAA and NAIA all-American selection. He left with 18 school records before embarking on an 18-year NBA career as a 6-10, 260-pound enforcer. He was dubbed by Pistons announcer George Blaha as "The Baddest Bad Boy of Them All." He guided the Trilogy team with the same toughness and tenacity that charac-terized his play. Mahorn was earlier named the league's coach of the year. The 3-Headed Monsters were coached by Hall of Famer Gary Payton. Their roster featured former NBA players Rashard Lewis, the league's MVP, Kwame Brown, Eddie Basden, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, Kareem Rush and Hakim Warrick. The Monsters finished 7-3. Rauf, matched McCants' 22 points in the title game.