Jackson State Favored in SWAC Men’s Basketball Race; TSU’s Travele Jones named preseason Player of the Year

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Jackson State received 11 of 20 first-place votes and outdistanced Arkansas-Pine Bluff in the preseason predicted order of finish for the men’s basketball race in the Southwestern Athletic Conference for 2010-11. The Tigers went 17-1 in the league last season, but were upset in the opening round of the SWAC Tournament, which UAPB won. The preseason teams and order of finish are selected by the league’s head coaches and sports information directors.

Texas Southern’s Travele Jones was selected as the preseason Player of the Year after helping lead the Tigers to the SWAC Tournament Championship a year ago. Jones averaged 13.7 points and 5.9 rebounds per game and was a 3rd-team all-SWAC selection a year ago.

Alabama State’s Chris Duncan has been named preseason Defensive Player of the Year. Duncan averaged 6.1 points and 3.7 rebounds per game last season, but made his defensive presence known with 50 blocked shots (1.7 per game), which was third overall in the SWAC.

Preseason Predicted Order of Finish (First-Place Votes)

Team                                                    Points

1. Jackson State (11)                183
2. Arkansas-Pine Bluff (4)      163
3. Alabama State                       133
4. Prairie View A&M (1)         128
5. Texas Southern (2)             126
6. Alabama A&M (2)               110
7. Mississippi Valley State      98
8. Grambling State                     76
9. Southern                                   47
10. Alcorn State                            38

Travele Jones, Texas Southern

Preseason Player of the Year:

Travele Jones, Texas Southern

Preseason Def. Player of the Year: Chris Duncan, Alabama State

First Team

• G   Rod Melvin, Jackson State, Jr.
• G  Donald Qualls, Grambling State, Sr.
• F  Travele Jones, Texas Southern, Sr.
• F  Grant Maxey, Jackson State, Sr.
• C  Amos Studivant, Mississippi Valley State, Jr.

Second Team

• G  Cornelius Hester, Alabama A&M, Sr.
• G  De’Suan Dixon, Jackson State, Sr.
• F  Shannon Behling, Mississippi Valley State, Sr.
• F  Tyrone Hanson, Jackson State, Sr.

Southern Picked to Win Women’s Hoops Title; PVA&M’s Smith Named Preseason Player of the Year

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Southern was predicted to win the 2011 Southwestern Athletic Conference women’s basketball title in voting from the league’s coaches and sports information directors.

The Southern women’s basketball team returns 10 players after going 23-9 and winning both the 2010 SWAC regular season and tournament championships last year.  They earned 19-of-20 first-place votes.

Southern tops the order of finish with 199 points, with Prairie View A&M (151), Alabama A&M (142), Grambling State (134) and Texas Southern (117) rounding out the top half of the league.  Alabama State (108), Alcorn State (88), Mississippi Valley State (70) and Arkansas-Pine Bluff (64) were next while Jackson State (31) rounds out the predicted order of finish.

Prairie View A&M’s Dominique Smith was picked as SWAC Preseason Player of the Year. Smith, a senior guard who was also named to the preseason first-team, averaged 13.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game last season.  She garnered All-SWAC second team honors in 2010 for her efforts.

Southern’s Freda Allen was named Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. Allen joins Smith on the preseason first-team after leading the team in rebounds (5.7 rpg) and blocked shots (34).
Joining Smith and Allen on the preseason All-SWAC first team are Southern’s Hannah Kador, Alabama State’s Tanika Jackson and Texas Southern’s Gabrielle Rosiji.  Second team consists of Alcorn State’s Kiara Ruffin, Alabama A&M’s Whiquitta Tobar and Gabrielle Williams, Grambling State’s Secrett Anderson and Arkansas-Pine Bluff’s Jasmine Abrams.

Preseason Predicted Order of Finish (First-Place Votes )

Team                                                         Points

1. Southern (19)                             199
2. Prairie View A&M (1)              151
3. Alabama A&M                            142
4. Grambling State                         134
5. Texas Southern                          117
6. Alabama State                            108
7. Alcorn State                                   88
8. Mississippi Valley State            70
9. Arkansas-Pine Bluff                     64
10. Jackson State                                 31

Dominique Smith, Prairie View A&M Preseason Player of the Year: Preseason Defensive Player of the Year: Freda Allen, Southern First Team   G          Dominique Smith, Prairie View A&M, Sr. G          Hannah Kador, Southern, Sr. F          Tanika Jackson, Alabama State, Sr. F          Freda Allen, Southern, R-Sr. C          Gabrielle Rosiji, Texas Southern, Sr.         Second Team G          Kiara Ruffin, Alcorn State, Jr. G          Whiquitta Tobar, Alabama A&M, Jr. F          Secrett Anderson, Grambling State, Sr. F          Jasmine Abrams, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Jr. C          Gabrielle Williams, Alabama A&M, Jr. Dominique Smith, Prairie View A&M

CIAA Basketball Season is Underway:
Preseason All-Conference and Predicted Order of Finish Announced

October 7, 2010

Charlotte, NC…The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association held its 2010-2011 Basketball Press Conference today at the Charlotte Convention Center.  The conference was also available for viewing live via the CIAA website, www.TheCIAA.com, courtesy of the Fayetteville State Sports Information Department.

Today’s meeting included the release of the Preseason All-CIAA Team, as selected by the Basketball Coaches Association and the announcement of the Predicted Order of Finish, also determined by that group.

The 2011 CIAA Tournament logo and slogan “99 Years in the Game” were revealed; celebrating the approach of the conference’s 100th Anniversary.

Men’s Basketball Preseason Team

Women’s Basketball Preseason Team

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va., October 5, 2010 – Morgan State’s Kevin Thompson was selected as the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference’s (MEAC) men’s basketball Preseason Player of the Year, the conference announced on Tuesday.  The defending MEAC champion Morgan State Bears were also picked to finish first in the conference’s preseason poll for the third consecutive year.  Thompson is no stranger to conference accolades having earned the MEAC’s Defensive Player of the Year and the Tournament’s Most Outstanding Performer honor last season.  In 2009-10, Thompson led the Bears to their second straight conference tournament title averaging 12.7 points and 11.8 rebounds, fourth best in the NCAA.  He was also selected to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-District First-Team. Morgan State received 20 first place votes and totaled 474 points to garner the conference’s top position.  Bears head coach Todd Bozeman, named the conference’s Coach of the Year for the last three years, led MSU to a 15-1 MEAC record and a 27-10 overall mark last season. The Bears earned the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament.  MSU, earning a 15th seed in the tournament, ended the season with a 50-77 loss to West Virginia.  MSU recorded several non-conference victories last year including wins over Albany (69-65), Maryland Baltimore County (72-57), Arkansas (97-64), East Tennessee State (72-61), Manhattan (83-74) and Towson (87-80).  Also for the third straight year South Carolina State was predicted to finish second with 378 total points.  The Bulldogs finished the 2009-10 season with a 10-6 record in the MEAC and 18-14 overall. Hampton was predicted to finish third while Bethune-Cookman was selected to finish fourth.  Last year’s runners-up Delaware State was picked to finish fifth with Norfolk State slated to finish sixth.  Maryland Eastern Shore (7th), North Carolina A&T (8th), Howard (9th), Coppin State (T-10) and Florida A&M (T-10) round out the 2010-11 preseason poll. Joining Thompson on the Preseason All-MEAC First Team are CJ Reed (Bethune-Cookman), Darrion Pellum (Hampton), DeWayne Jackson (Morgan State), and Kyle O’Quinn (Norfolk State). Reed and Thompson were selected unanimously.  The preseason poll and all-conference team selections are voted on by the MEAC’s head men’s basketball coaches and sports information directors. The 2010-11 season tips off on Friday, November 12 with 10 MEAC men’s teams in action.  The conference schedule gets underway on December 4 with five conference matchups.  Defending champs Morgan State will host local foe Coppin State in its conference opener beginning at 4 p.m. The 2011 MEAC Basketball Tournament tips off March 7-12 at the Joel Coliseum in Winston-Salem, N.C. Preseason predictions and Preseason All-MEAC Teams listed below.   2010-11 Men’s Basketball Preseason Predicted Order of Finish As voted on by the Conference’s Head Men’s Basketball Coaches and Sports Information Directors (First-Place Votes in Parenthesis)  1. Morgan State (20) 474 pts. 2. South Carolina State 378 pts. 3. Hampton 296 pts. 4. Bethune-Cookman (2) 294 pts. 5. Delaware State 288 pts. 6. Norfolk State 278 pts. 7. Maryland Eastern Shore 242 pts. 8. North Carolina A&T 148 pts. 9. Howard 118 pts. T10. Coppin State 84 pts. T10. Florida A&M 84 pts. 2010-11 Preseason All-MEAC Team  (As voted on by the Conference’s Head Coaches and Sports Information Directors) First Team             Name School Pos Ht. Wt. Cl. Hometown C.J. Reed Bethune-Cookman G 6-3 175 Jr. Daytona Beach, Fla. Darrion Pellum Hampton G 6-6 205 Jr. Hampton, Va. Dewayne Jackson Morgan State G/F 6-8 210 So. Bowie, Md. *Kevin Thompson Morgan State F 6-8 240 Jr. Baltimore, Md. Kyle O’Quinn Norfolk State C 6-10 225 Jr. Jamaica, NY Second Team             Name School Pos Ht. Wt. Cl. Hometown Calvin Thompson Howard G 6-3 180 Jr. New Orleans, La. Hillary Haley Maryland Eastern Shore G 6-6 205 Jr. Oxon Hill, Md. Darnell Porter S.C. State G 6-4 180 Sr. Long Beach, Calif. Robert Hampton Norfolk State G/F 6-4 200 Sr. Queens, NY Thomas Coleman North Carolina A&T C 6-9 235 Jr. Louisville, KY

Hampton University senior Quanneisha Perry was named the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) women’s basketball Preseason Player of the Year, the conference announced on Tuesday. The defending MEAC champion Hampton Lady Pirates were predicted to the win the 2010-11 title, as voted on by the conference’s head women’s basketball coaches and sports information directors.

Perry, the 2010 MEAC Defensive Player of the Year and All-MEAC First Team selection, averaged 12.8 points and 9.1 rebounds a year ago. The forward led her team with 13 double-doubles and earned MEAC All-Tournament Team honors after averaging 17.3 points and 12.7 rebounds in the MEAC tournament.

The Lady Pirates, who earned 14 of the 22 first place votes and totaled 467 points, concluded the 2009-10 season with a 20-12 overall record and 12-4 mark in MEAC play. Hampton returns four starters from a team that won their first conference tournament since 2004 and finished the season winning 17 out of their last 21 games.

The North Carolina A&T Lady Aggies were selected to finish second with six first-place votes and 420 points.  The Lady Aggies, who won the 2009-10 regular season crown, were 14-2 in MEAC play and  23-11 overall. They posted two consecutive wins in the Women’s National Invitational Tournament (WNIT) before ending their season with an 84-77 loss to Miami.

Howard was predicted to finish third while Florida A&M and Bethune-Cookman were chosen to finish fourth and fifth, respectively. South Carolina State were picked to finish sixth followed by Morgan State (7^th), Coppin State (8^th), Maryland Eastern Shore (9^th), Delaware State (10^th) and Norfolk State (11^th).

Joining Perry on the Preseason All-MEAC First Team are Saadia Doyle (Howard), Jeanine Manley (Coppin State), Tameka McKelton (Florida A&M) and Whitney Wiley (South Carolina State). 

The 2010-11 MEAC women’s basketball season tips off on Friday, November 12 with eight MEAC women’s teams in action. The defending MEAC champion Hampton Lady Pirates will open up their season against James Madison in the Preseason WNIT.

The 2011 MEAC Basketball Tournament is scheduled for March 7-12 at the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem, N.C.

-Preseason Poll and All-MEAC teams listed below-

2010-11 Women’s Basketball Preseason Predicted Order of Finish
As voted on by the Conference’s Head Women’s Basketball
Coaches and Sports Information Directors
(First-Place Votes in Parenthesis)

School…………………………….. Points
1. Hampton (14)………………… 467 pts.
2. North Carolina A&T (6)…… 420 pts.
3. Howard………………………… 283 pts.
4. Florida A&M………………….. 274 pts.
5. Bethune-Cookman (1)……. 267 pts.
6. South Carolina State………. 262 pts.
7. Morgan State………………… 234 pts.
8. Coppin State (1)…………….. 157 pts.
9. Maryland Eastern Shore…. 154 pts.
10. Delaware State……………. 124 pts.
11. Norfolk State……………….. 32 pts. 

2010-11 Women’s Basketball Preseason All-MEAC Teams
As voted on by the Conference’s Head Women’s Basketball
Coaches and Sports Information Directors

*Preseason Player of the Year

Atlanta, GA—The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) announces the 2010-2011 Men’s and Women’s Preseason All-Conference Teams and Predictions, as voted by the Men’s and Women’s Basketball Coaches Association.

The women’s preseason team features five returning players from the 2009-2010 teams, led by Lane’s Veronica Jackson. Jackson, a 5-10 senior, lead the SIAC in scoring in 2009-2010 with 20.2 points per game. She was also the SIAC’s sixth-leading rebounder, averaging 8.6 rebounds per contest.  

2010-2011 Women’s Predicted Order of Finish

  1.   Fort Valley State
  2.  Benedict
T3. Kentucky State
T3. Tuskegee
  5. Stillman
  6. LeMoyne-Owen
  7. Miles
  8. Albany State
  9. Claflin
10. Lane
11. Paine
12. Clark Atlanta