FOR THE WEEK OF JUNE 5 - 11, 2012

And Still I Rise: O'Quinn heads to Chicago

LUT WILLIAMS
BCSP Editor

O'QUINN MAKING NOISE

Norfolk State Sports Photo

CELEBRATIN': Norfolk State center Kyle O'Quinn may have more to celebrate at the June 28th NBA Draft.

NEW WOMEN'S HOOPS COACH AT DELSTATE; NORFOLK STATE EXTENDS ANTHONY EVANS

UNDER THE BANNER

WHAT'S GOING ON IN AND AROUND BLACK COLLEGE SPORTS

MEAC baseball champion Bethune-Cookman bowed out of the NCAA Div. I Gainesville Regional this weekend in two games. The Wildcats were victims of a no-hitter from Florida pitcher Jonathan Crawford in a 4-0 loss on Friday. Florida, the region's host and top seed, benetted from a three-run home run in the fth inning that broke the game open. B-CU Sports Photo Rayan Gonzalez took the loss BEVERLIN and fell to 9-2 on the season. The 'Cats were eliminated in an 8-2 loss to College of Charleston on Saturday. College of Charleston jumped out to an 8-0 lead thru the middle innings. B-CU scored two runs in the sixth on Josh Johnson's two -run homer. B-CU could generate only two hits over the nal three innings. B-CU, in its rst year under head coach Jason Beverlin, nishes the season at 34-27, logging the most wins for a rst-year Wildcat coach. The 'Cats lose ve players to graduation. SWAC baseball champion Prairie View A&M dropped two games this weekend to be eliminated from the Houston Regional. The Panthers fought hard before bowing to top seed and host Rice on Friday in a pitching duel, 3-2. The game was decided on a solo homer by Rice in the bottom of the seventh inning. The Panthers got 6 2/3 innings of great pitching from Derrick Prairie View Sports Photo Mitchell, who surrendered only CULLIVAN three runs (two earned). Mitchell took the loss and fell to 6-5 on the season. Daniel Castillo came in and pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings. The Panthers bowed out of the tournament in a 4-2 loss to Sam Houston State Saturday. The Panthers were one hit short of extending their season, loading the bases in both the eighth and ninth innings. The Panthers nished 28-25 under Waskyla Cullivan.

B-CU FALLS IN BASEBALL PLAYOFFS:

PRAIRIE VIEW ALSO GOES DOWN:

The meteoric rise of 6-10 former Norfolk State basketball center Kyle O'Quinn continues. Sports Illustrated writer Sam Amick, in his "Inside the NBA Column" in the May 21st edition of the magazine, has projected the 2011-12 MEAC player of the year, defensive player of the year and tournament MVP as a potential rst round pick in the June 28th NBA Draft. Amick's mock draft has O'Quinn going to the Golden State Warriors with the 30th and nal pick of the rst round. The Sporting News has him doing even better, going with the 26th pick (to Indiana) in the rst round. Draft Express projects him as the 41st pick (to Portland) in the second round. ESPN Draft Analyst Chad Ford rates him as the 35th best prospect, sixth best at his position. Not bad for a player not likely on the NBA radar prior to the season. And he has a chance to consolidate and maybe improve his draft stock this week. O'Quinn is one of only 60 players and the only black college player invited to this week's (June 6-10) Chicago Draft Combine where all the top draft prospects are expected to be in attendance. The Combine along with private team workouts will likely be the nal determinants of a player's draft status. The Combine includes skill drills, 3-on-3 scrimmages, athletic and psychological testing and interviews with players projected to be in the draft and draft lottery. O'Quinn also participated in the rst NBA draft workouts in New Jersey on May 19-20 and in Minnesota on May 30-31. According to an ESPN Insider report, 28 teams and 17 general managers attended the New Jersey workouts along with more that 150 executives, coaches and scouts. O'Quinn was given an honorable mention nod and it was noted that scouts were impressed with his 7-5 wingspan O'Quinn led Norfolk State to its rst tournament championship since joining the MEAC 15 years ago and its best record since joining Div. I (26-10). He gained national attention by leading the 15th-seeded Spartans to a big 86-84 upset win over 2nd-seeded Missouri in the rst round of the NCAA Tournament and then becoming a media darling with his witty quips following the

ON THE RISE: The affable Quinn in the interview room after Norfolk State's rst round upset of Missouri in the NCAA Tournament.

NCAA Photo

KYLE O'QUINN: Former Norfolk State center rising on NBA Draft boards

shocking win. Though he didn't play well in a second round tournament loss to Florida, he garnered more attention and perhaps solidied his draft potential by being named MVP of the postseason Portsmouth Invitational Tournament (PIT) in April. This season O'Quinn was the only MEAC player to average a double-double, putting up 15.9 points per game and league-best 10.3 rebounds per game. The rebounding total was 16th best in the nation. He also posted 20 double-doubles tying him for fth nationally with four others, among them National Player of the Year Anthony Davis of national champion Kentucky. O'Quinn also led the MEAC and was 14th nationally in eld goal percentage (.573) and

topped the league and was 15th nationally in blocked shots at 2.69 per game. After the season he was named this year's recipient of the Lou Henson National Player of the Year Award given to the nation's top Mid-Major player in Div. I basketball. If he were to be drafted, he would be the rst from Norfolk State since Lee Johnson was taken by Detroit in the third round of the 1988 Draft. If he were to make an NBA roster, he would be the rst Spartan since former Spartan and CIAA star David Pope's career ended in 1986. If he is selected in the rst round, the would be the rst black college rst round selection in 18 years. Six-eleven forward Carlos Rogers of Tennessee State was the last black college player taken in the rst round going to Seattle with the 11th overall selection (See STAT CORNER). Amick's take on O'Quinn's draft status:
O'Quinn, who worked out for the Warriors last week, may not make the rst-round cut. But he has improved his stock signicantly in recent months, and Golden State is seeking depth down low (though the team may go in a different direction with this pick if Sullinger is, in fact, its choice at No. 7). O'Quinn rst made headlines as the classic March Madness darling, getting 26 points and 14 rebounds to lead No. 15 Norfolk State past No. 2 Missouri in the rst round. O'Quinn kept it going in April at a heavily scouted tournament for college seniors, the Portsmouth Invitational, where he was named MVP and showed off the skills that helped him average 15.9 points and 10.3 rebounds as a senior. Not bad for a player who received a scholarship offer only from Norfolk State and didn't play until his junior year in high school.

STILL RISIN': O'Quinn receiving the 2012 Lou Henson National Player of the Year Award after being voted the nation's top mid-major Div. I player.

Lou Henson Award Photo

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn. com/2012/writers/sam_amick/05/31/mock.draft/ index.html#ixzz1wvJgiPdh

BCSP Notes
DOVER, Del. A new era has begun for the Delaware State University women's basketball team as President Harry L. Williams introduced Tamika L. Louis, a former championship junior college head coach and Division I assistant coach, as the new head coach Thursday morning in a press conference. "I expect that she will bring a high-level energy and excitement to our women's basketball program," Williams remarked. Louis arrives at Delaware State with 14 years of coaching and recruiting experience on the NCAA Division I, junior college and high school levels. Most recently, she served as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator during the 2011-12 season at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. "We will establish a winning culture here with an expectation to excel in the classroom and on the court, resulting in MEAC championships," Louis stated. "Just as important, we will develop future leaders who, upon graduation, will make an immediate impact in our global society and positively represent DSU." The decision to hire Coach Louis culminated a two-month search process that began in late March upon the retirement of former head coach Ed Davis. From 2009-11, Louis was an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for St. John's University, where she was in charge of organizing all recruiting initiatives, game scouting, overseeing player academic progress and of-court mentoring. Prior to her time at SJU, Louis served as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for the University of Illinois from 2007-09. From 2002-05, she was the head women's basketball coach at Mott Community College in Flint, Mich., where she led her squad to a 58-33 overall record during her tenure. The 2004-05 squad boasted a 16-0 conference record and was 27-7 overall en route to a NJCAA Region XII championship and bid to the NJCAA Tournament. For her efforts during this stellar season, Louis was named the Michigan Community College Athletic Association and Region XII Coach of the Year. Before joining the collegiate coaching ranks, Louis had stints as an assistant and associate basketball coach at Central High School in Fresno, Calif., Rhodes High School in Cleveland, Ohio and Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland, Ohio. After playing her freshman year (1993-94) at West Virginia University, Louis transferred to Fresno State, where she was the starting point guard and captain from 1995-98. She earned her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts Degrees in communications from Fresno State University.

Tamika Louis to replace Ed Davis leading Delaware State women's hoops

DSU Sports Photo

NEW LADY HORNETS' MENTOR: New Delaware State head women's coach Tamika Louis is introduced by DSU President Harry L. Williams.

NSU Sports Photo

RE-UP: Norfolk State head coach Anthony Evans in house for three more years.

THE STAT CORNER

WHO ARE THE BEST PERFORMERS IN BLACK COLLEGE SPORTS

History of Black College players in rst round of NBA Draft

YEAR/PICK NAME COLLEGE NBA TEAM

1957 (8th) 1959 (5th) 1961 (6th) 1962 (3rd) 1967 (2nd) 1969 (14th) 1971 (3rd) 1972 (13th) 1975 (3RD) 1975 (9th) 1976 (14th) 1978 (5th) 1979 (20th) 1980 (21st) 1981 (17th) 1984 (23rd) 1985 (9th) 1993 (10th) 1994 (11th) TOTAL: 19

Sam Jones Dick Barnett Ben Warley Zelmo Beatty Earl Monroe Mike Davis Elmore Smith Travis Grant Marvin Webster Eugene Short Larry Wright Purvis Short Frank Sanders Monti Davis Kevin Loder Earl Jones Charles Oakley Lindsay Hunter Carlos Rogers

N. C. College Tennessee State Tennessee State Prairie View Virginia Union Kentucky State Kentucky State Morgan State Jackson State Grambling Jackson State Southern Tennessee State Alabama State UDC Virginia Union Jackson State Tennessee State

Boston Syracuse Syracuse St. Louis Baltimore Buffalo LA Lakers Atlanta NY Knicks Washington Golden State San Antonio Philadelphia Kansas City LA Lakers Cleveland Detroit Seattle

Winston-Salem State Baltimore

under the supervision of coach Evans," Miller said. "We are fortunate to have one of the great up-and-coming basketball coaches in America leading our men's basketball program for the next ve years." Evans led the Spartans to an historic season in 2011-12. NSU set a new Division I era school record with 26 victories en route to its rst MEAC title and NCAA Division I Tournament berth. The Spartans, seeded 15th in the West Region, pulled off one of the biggest upsets in modern day NCAA Tournament history by defeating No. 2 seed Missouri 86-84 in the West Region second round in Omaha, Neb. Evans' accolades from the season include being selected 2012 MEAC Tournament Most Outstanding Coach and the Clarence "Big House" Gaines Award winner as the nation's top Division I minority head basketball coach. "I'm extremely grateful for the opportunity that (NSU President) Dr. (Tony) Atwater and Mr. Miller have given me in continuing to lead the mens basketball program," Evans said. "I look forward to building on the programs recent success in the coming years." Overall, Evans has a 78-82 record in his ve seasons as NSU's head coach. His ledger also includes two winning seasons (16-15 in 2007-08, 26-10 in 2011-12) and the rst two MEAC Tournament nals appearances in school history (2009, 2012). xfgf

Simon out as Alcorn State AD

By School
4 3 2 2 1 1 Morgan State NC College Prairie View Southern UDC W-Salem State 1 1 1 1 1 1

Norfolk State's Evans gets three-year extension

Tennessee State Jackson State Kentucky State Virginia Union Alabama State Grambling

SOURCE: basketballreference.com
AZEEZ Communications, Inc. Vol. XVIII, No. 45

NORFOLK, Va. Norfolk State University athletics director Marty L. Miller has announced that Spartan men's basketball coach Anthony Evans has agreed to a three-year contract extension through the 2016-17 season. Evans, whose current contract would have expired after the 2013-14 season, will also have his annual salary increased from $125,000 to $175,000 beginning July 1, 2012. "The overall performance of the men's basketball team has improved

After just over two months on the job, Alcorn State University Director of Athletics Patric Simon has submitted his resignation from the SWAC program for personal reasons. Alcorn State hired Simon from Langston University in Oklahoma, where he had previously served as director of athletics for four years at the NAIA school. He began working at Alcorn State on April 1, 2012. Simon's resignation came just one week after Alcorn State named Jay Hopson as its new head football coach. Hopson becomes the rst nonAfrican American to lead a football program in SIMON the SWAC. Simon said that he was appreciative of the opportunity that was given to him, but that he needed to move on and take care of important business in other aspects of his life.