Basketball Times


SU ready for key stretch

By RANDY ROSETTA
Advocate sportswriter
Published: Feb 18, 2006

First place seems like a pretty comfortable place for the Southern University men’s basketball team.

A two-game lead in the Southwestern Athletic Conference with five games remaining should have the Jaguars feeling relatively safe.

But the next three games, including this weekend’s road swing to Alabama A&M and Alabama State, has proven to be a troublesome stumbling block for Southern in years past. So first-year coach Rob Spivery doesn’t want his team feeling to cozy.

The SU women and men meet Alabama A&M in a SWAC doubleheader at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. today at Elmore Gymnasium in Normal, Ala.

“We’ve played very consistent basketball during the SWAC season, and it’s important that we keep playing with that same kind of poise, maturity and understanding in these last five games,” Spivery said. “We need to play well on this road trip because the last few years this has been one of the toughest trips for visiting teams.”

That has been true for the Jaguars (12-11, 11-2 SWAC), and this year should present some challenges.
 
NIT has new criteria for 40-team field

February 16, 2006

NEW YORK (AP) -- All regular-season conference champions not in the NCAA tournament field will be guaranteed a berth in the National Invitation Tournament, and teams no longer have to have .500 records to be selected for the NIT's 40-team field.

The changes, announced Thursday, come less than a month before the NIT selection committee meets to select the field for the first time since the tournament was purchased by the NCAA.

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The committee is comprised of former Division I coaches, including Naismith Memorial Hall of Famers Dean Smith and chairman C.M. Newton. The other members are Don DeVoe, Reggie Minton, Jack Powers and Carroll Williams.

In the past, a team had to win at least half its games to be chosen for the NIT.

The regular-season champions of the 31 Division I conferences not in the NCAA's field of 65 will be invited.

"The committee was unanimous in its view on this matter," Newton said. "It formalizes what postseason basketball should be -- a reward for success throughout the regular season."

The field will be announced March 12, hours after the NCAA field is revealed.

The 40 teams will be seeded and the higher seeds will host games as they advance unless there are extenuating logistical circumstances.

Opening-round play begins on campus sites on March 14 with the second round starting on March 17 and the quarterfinals on March 21.

The semifinals and finals will be played at Madison Square Garden in New York on March 28 and 30
 

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JagHammer said:
NIT has new criteria for 40-team field

February 16, 2006

NEW YORK (AP) -- All regular-season conference champions not in the NCAA tournament field will be guaranteed a berth in the National Invitation Tournament, and teams no longer have to have .500 records to be selected for the NIT's 40-team field.

The changes, announced Thursday, come less than a month before the NIT selection committee meets to select the field for the first time since the tournament was purchased by the NCAA.

ADVERTISEMENT


The committee is comprised of former Division I coaches, including Naismith Memorial Hall of Famers Dean Smith and chairman C.M. Newton. The other members are Don DeVoe, Reggie Minton, Jack Powers and Carroll Williams.

In the past, a team had to win at least half its games to be chosen for the NIT.

The regular-season champions of the 31 Division I conferences not in the NCAA's field of 65 will be invited.

"The committee was unanimous in its view on this matter," Newton said. "It formalizes what postseason basketball should be -- a reward for success throughout the regular season."

The field will be announced March 12, hours after the NCAA field is revealed.

The 40 teams will be seeded and the higher seeds will host games as they advance unless there are extenuating logistical circumstances.

Opening-round play begins on campus sites on March 14 with the second round starting on March 17 and the quarterfinals on March 21.

The semifinals and finals will be played at Madison Square Garden in New York on March 28 and 30
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That's super news, lets just hope all schools that have to participate in the NIT take full advantage of it.
 
Wish they would have had that a couple years ago when we had all them great teams, but choked in the tournament. That is a good thing, so the SWAC could possibly send two teams to post-season play. A regular season champ to the NIT and a Tournament Champ to the NCAA Tournament. :D
 
Southern men defeat Alabama A&M, 84-80

By REGGIE BENSON
Special to The Advocate
Published: Feb 19, 2006

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Since entering Southwestern Athletic Conference play, Southern has followed a similar script to vault to the top of the league standings. The Jaguars grab a lead, hold off a late charge and emerge victorious.

That was the theme again Saturday at Elmore Gym. Southern built a 10-point halftime lead, withstood a late charge by defending champion Alabama A&M and came away with an 84-80 victory before an announced crowd of 1,060.

“We’ve been a team that has played well in the first half all year,” Southern coach Rob Spivery said. “We’ve built up a 10-15 point lead and then we have to hold off the opposing team. That’s been the script all year and we followed it again tonight.”
 
Southern goes cold late, falls to Alabama St.

By RANDY ROSETTA
Advocate Sports Writer
Published: Feb 21, 2006

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Southern University’s defense was razor-sharp in the second half for all but a handful of Alabama State possessions Monday when the two teams met at the Joe. L Reed Acadome.

And thanks to the Jaguars’ stingy defense, they clawed almost all the way back from an unfamiliar double-figure halftime deficit.

But the few Hornets possessions when Southern didn’t have an answer proved to be just enough for ASU to squeeze out a 63-59 victory and at least temporarily derail the Jaguars’ bid for a Southwestern Athletic Conference regular-season championship.

Alabama State (11-14, 9-5) notched its seventh consecutive win since losing to SU in Baton Rouge on Jan. 23 and crept within two games of the first-place Jaguars (13-12, 12-3) in the league standings.

The Hornets survived despite shooting just 29 percent (9 of 31) from the field in the second half (34.4 percent for the game) as Southern cranked up its defense to fuel a rally.
 
SU tries to keep lead in SWAC at Alcorn St.

SU tries to keep lead in SWAC at Alcorn St.

By DOMINIC BAUDOIN
Advocate sportswriter
Published: Feb 25, 2006


Traditionally, it?s been a tough stretch for the Southern University men?s basketball team.

Three straight road games at Alabama A&M, Alabama State and Alcorn State have been treacherous for the Jaguars, who haven?t won two of those three since 1999.

But Southern has a chance to do it today with a win over Alcorn State at 7:30 p.m. in Lorman, Miss., after splitting games at Alabama A&M and Alabama State.

?That was our goal at the start of the road trip, just come out 2-1,? Southern coach Rob Spivery said.

To do that the Southwestern Athletic Conference-leading Jaguars (13-12, 12-3) will try to win at Alcorn, which has been traditionally a tough place to play.

The Southern women also visit Alcorn State, taking on the Lady Braves at 5:30 p.m. today.

The Alcorn men (6-18, 6-9) are tied for seventh place in the league standings with Arkansas-Pine Bluff with three games to go. Eight teams make the SWAC tournament.
 
Re: SU tries to keep lead in SWAC at Alcorn St.

SU topples Alcorn St., remains in first place

By GEORGE MORRIS
Advocate staff writer
Published: Feb 25, 2006

LORMAN, Miss. — Defensive basketball games aren’t always pretty, but when it means controlling a championship destiny, it looks like a masterpiece to the Southern Jaguars.

In a game filled with missed shots and turnovers, SU held off Alcorn State 69-57 Saturday night at the Davey L. Whitney Complex. The victory clinches at least a share of the Southwestern Athletic Conference regular season title for the Jaguars (14-12, 13-3) after Grambling (12-10, 10-5) lost to Arkansas Pine-Bluff, 78-68.

Junior swingman Alvin Mott came off the bench to score a career high 21 points that included 3-of-4 on three-pointers and was perfect on eight free throws.

He and center Jared Campbell (11 points on 5-of-9 shooting) were two of the few sharpshooters for Southern. Guard Chris Alexander hit just 4-of-15, including 1-of-6 from outside the arc, to finish with 12.
 
aamusports.com

Trotter and Martin Star as A&M Handles Prairie View
Bulldogs steady in key conference road win



Joe Martin's line vs. Prairie View: 21 pts, 17 reb, 8 ast, 2 stl, 1 blk



Feb. 26, 2006



Prairie View, Tex. - Obie Trotter nearly has a quadruple-double, and Joe Martin (pictured) nearly a triple-double in Alabama A&M's 86-70 win Saturday at Prairie View. The victory was a key matchup in the league as the Bulldogs moved within a game of Alabama State and Jackson State, and two games behind Grambling for second place in the league. Alabama A&M cannot catch Southern for the top spot in the regular season race, but could finish as high as second in the seeding for the SWAC Tournament.

Trotter's line was impressive: 19 points, nine rebounds, eight steals, and seven assists.

So was Martin's: 21 points, 17 rebounds, and eight assists. Also scoring in double figures for A&M were Evan Hilton and Galen Gardenhire with 12 and 11, respectively.

Alabama A&M never pulled away from the Panthers, but were also never truly threatened in the game. The Bulldogs maintain a double-digit lead throughout most of the second half. AAMU won the battle on the glass 49-29 and shot 54 percent from the field.

Mike Ford didnt make the trip because of family issues in Huntsville.
 
DAHILL said:
Prairie View, Tex. - Obie Trotter nearly has a quadruple-double, and Joe Martin (pictured) nearly a triple-double in Alabama A&M's 86-70 win Saturday at Prairie View.
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The key word in all of that is NEARLY.....sort of like couldu, shouldu, wouldu.....

Trotter had a good 1st half with 13 points but was off in the 2nd. It was Martin that was the monster of the game.
 
people in this league only care about one thing and that is SCORING...

I look at every stat.... you cant be "OFF" if you got 8 steals, 7 assist, 9 rebounds. He may not have been scoring but Obbie can beat you in parts of the game. I wish Mike would have made the trip so PV could have experienced the 3 headed monster again. He scored 25 points in 19 minutes last game against PV.

Obbie is the most COMPLETE player in this league point blank.
 
Obie started off hot and I'm like "here we go again"......Joe Martin went crazy in the second half....I don't know if Trotter knew of his accomplishments late in the game...

come to find out he's a Sigma from what I hear...

Martin would drive and dish the ball off.....it was too easy for him at times
 
the band fan said:
Obie started off hot and I'm like "here we go again"......Joe Martin went crazy in the second half....I don't know if Trotter knew of his accomplishments late in the game...

come to find out he's a Sigma from what I hear...

Martin would drive and dish the ball off.....it was too easy for him at times
Click to expand...

yeah Obbie crossed Sigma either last year or the year before.... the Sigmas go crazy everytime he touches the ball at home games.
 

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A&M Completes Texas Sweep 76-66 Over Tigers
Gladness grabs career high 11 boards, Gardenhire scores 19

Galen Gardenhire score a career high 19 points vs. Texas Southern

Feb. 27, 2006

453578.jpeg

Galen Gardenhire score a career high 19 points vs. Texas Southern



Feb. 27, 2006


Houston, Tex. - Galen Gardenhire (pictured) scored a career high 19 points and Mickell Gladness blocked five shots and grabbed a career high 11 rebounds. Obie Trotter scored 30 points, and Joe Martin recorded his seventh double-double on the season with 12 points and 13 rebounds. More details to come after the team travels home.
 
Southern stays perfect at home

By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN
Advocate Sports Writer
Published: Mar 3, 2006



They entered their own homecourt introduced as champions for the first time in their career, a feat no Southern men’s basketball team has done since 1989-90.

Then the Jaguars backed up the breakthrough accomplishment with a 19-point blowout of Prairie View that was as buoyant as it was overpowering.

Balanced scoring, nine blocked shots, 21 assists and an 18-point rebounding margin fed into an 81-62 game that showcased a team in stride.

Guard Chris Alexander scored 17 points and added seven rebounds, while forward Peter Cipriano had 16 points, 13 rebounds, four assists, four blocks and two steals. Guard DeForrest Riley-Smith added 14 points and Ralph Hishaw, a reserve forward, provided seven points, five rebounds and five assists.

“It was one of those games where we are the better team and we should win the ballgame and the guys went out and played relaxed,” Southern coach Rob Spivery said. “That’s what we talked about before the game — going out and having fun.”

Prairie View (5-23, 2-15 SWAC) began with a 5-0 lead. But the last-place team in the conference, the worst-rated program in the nation, with a roster shrunk to four bench players mostly because of several academic casualties, these Panthers never had the staying power.

While Southern (15-12, 14-3) wasn’t happy with 13 first-half turnovers, the Jaguars pulled away from an 18-14 deficit eight minutes into the first half by going on a 20-2 run and led by a dozen points at halftime.

Southern then hit its first two shots after halftime, jumpers from Cipriano and Riley-Smith, and drew a quick timeout from Prairie View — 43 seconds into the second half — that never had much of an effect.

“We were a little stagnant in the first half,” Cipriano said. “We just came out in the second half. We got in the huddle and said, ‘let’s go have fun.’ We were having fun, playing ball and it showed.”

From there, the game turned into as much of a wink as it was a win.

At one point, during a quiet moment of the second half, one section of fans yelled, “Put us in, coach.”

A no-look pass from Riley-Smith for a layup. A nice alley-oop in the lane between interior players, with center Jerrid Campbell with the dish from the high post and the satisfying smile and Cipriano with the throwdown. An oh-so-sweet windmill jam from fan fave Hishaw for SU’s largest lead, at 70-46 with 6:37 remaining.

And then the piece de resistance, the coup de grace: senior guard Brandon Wardlow showing off his springs for the first time in his career with a two-hand jam in the final half-minute.

Cleared for takeoff on an easy breakaway, the only question was to be if his shorts, which were starting to slide off, would get in the way.
 
Southern seniors leaving as champions

Jaguars prepare to host Texas Southern

By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN
Advocate sportswriter
Published: Mar 4, 2006

For Peter Cipriano, this is his second Senior Day.

But even though his family won’t be here like they were a year ago, this one might be even more special, because of where his team stands today — as champions.

Cipriano, granted an extra season of eligibility after an NCAA rule change after last season concluded, has seen Southern University climb from once being rated as the worst team in college basketball to the program’s first regular-season Southwestern Athletic Conference championship since 1989-90.

“It feels good going out on a good note,” Cipriano said.

“Every year, we improved. The first couple of years were hard. It was hard not winning. You definitely appreciate (the regular-season title).”

Southern (15-12, 14-3 SWAC) hosts Texas Southern (8-21, 6-11) at 4 p.m. today in the F.G. Clark Activity Center.
 
Blue, Thursday did you sit behind PV bench in the low level? If you did I saw you I was right their not to far about 7 seats by you. I will be at the Tourney leaving Wednesday at around 10:00AM. I know our girls will play at 5:30 or 7:30PM.
 
Jag-BR said:
Blue, Thursday did you sit behind PV bench in the low level? If you did I seen you I was right their not to far about 7 seats by you. I will be at the Tourney leaving Wednesday at around 10:00AM. I know our girls will play at 5:30 or 7:30PM.
Click to expand...


So you were the one doing the jumping jacks.
 
Jag-BR said:
Blue, Thursday did you sit behind PV bench in the low level? If you did I seen you I was right their not to far about 7 seats by you. I will be at the Tourney leaving Wednesday at around 10:00AM. I know our girls will play at 5:30 or 7:30PM.
Click to expand...

:lmao: :lmao: :lmao:
 
Bulldogs' seniors in the spotlight

Saturday, March 04, 2006
By REGGIE BENSON
Times Sports Staff reggieb@htimes.com
Chris Collins' career hasn't gone the way he had hoped.

After signing with Alabama A&M out of Butler High School four years ago, Collins had hoped to blossom into a star for the Bulldogs. Instead of blossoming, Collins has had to settle for a few moments of stardom.

He had nine points and 10 rebounds in a narrow home loss to Southern. Collins had 12 points on 6-of-10 shooting against Alabama State and he had six points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots in a win over Alcorn State.

"I've had some good moments," said Collins, one of four seniors who will be honored today when A&M hosts Grambling in the Southwestern Athletic Conference regular season finale for both teams. "We had a great season last year and won a championship and hopefully we can do it again this year."

Collins will be honored today along with seniors Obie Trotter, Joe Martin and Kevin Smith.

"This is a special group of seniors because they helped us win our first Division I championship," A&M coach Vann Pettaway said. "Obie and Chris came in together. Obie has had a great career and Chris has played better for us of late. Kevin came here three years ago and has been an energy player for us and Joe has been here for two years and he's been a warrior for us in the middle.

"They've helped us get our program off the ground at the Division I level and I'm thankful to them for the contributions they've made to our program."

A&M has won four straight games and with a win tonight can secure the No. 2 seed at next week's SWAC Tournament in Birmingham.

"That's what we're shooting for," Pettaway said. "Finishing second will be a big accomplishment for this team after the year we've had. If we can win, we'll go into the tournament as the hottest team in the league and with a lot of confidence."

Huntsville Times
 
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