Showing posts tagged “Johnson C. Smith”
Mike Potter ·
11 Feb 2010, 2:19 PM ·
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N.C. Central has announced its 10-game football schedule for 2010, with six home dates including the Eagles’ two biggest historic rivals.
NCCU has had back-to-back four-win seasons in the transition process from Division II to Division I, but should have an excellent change to surpass the .500 mark this time in the fourth season under coach Mose Rison (pictured).
Coming to O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium on Sept. 25 is former CIAA rival and both former and new MEAC rival North Carolina A&T, which will be visiting Durham for the first time since 1992.
Also visiting, on Sept. 11, will be long-time former CIAA rival Winston-Salem State.
The Eagles’ schedule opens on a Thursday night, with the Sept. 2 home game against former CIAA rival Johnson C. Smith.
The Eagles will host Edward Waters for their annual homecoming game on Oct. 30, the final game of the home schedule.
NCCU, which will be a member of the MEAC in the fall but not eligible for conference championships until the next season, will also host MEAC members Hampton on Oct. 9 and Bethune-Cookman on Oct. 23.
The four road games include a return trip to Appalachian State on Sept. 18, a game against Georgia State in the Georgia Dome on Oct. 16, a visit to MEAC member Delaware State on Nov. 6 and the season finale at Savannah State on Nov. 13.
The only first meeting is with Georgia State, which will be fielding varsity football for the first time. NCCU leads the all-time series with six opponents, the exceptions being ASU, A&T and Hampton. Continue reading »
Football, N.C. Central Appalachian State, Bethune-Cookman, Delaware State, Edward Waters, Georgia State, Hampton Pirates, Johnson C. Smith, Mose Rison, North Carolina A&T, Savannah State, Winston-Salem State
Mike Potter ·
10 Nov 2009, 12:54 AM ·
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McLENDON-McDOUGALD GYM/DURHAM LeVelle Moton knew exactly what he was getting into when he took the job as men’s head basketball coach at N.C. Central in the spring following the end of Henry Dickerson’s contract.
After all Moton (pictured), an NCCU Athletics Hall of Famer for his playing career, had already been an assistant with the program for the previous two seasons in the team’s first two as transitional members of NCAA Division I.
He and his Eagles will get plenty of exposure in their very first game Wednesday night, when they travel to defending NCAA champion UNC for a 9 p.m. game at the Smith Center. UNC (1-0) is ranked No. 4, and the game which is part of the 2K Sports Coaches vs. Cancer Classic will be shown on ESPNU. NCCU went 4-27 last season, winning the same number of games as the Eagles had the year before.
Monday was “media day” for both of NCCU’s basketball teams. Veteran coach Joli Robinson’s women’s squad, which had some more regular success last season in a 10-17 campaign, won’t have an easy season opener either. Robinson’s club will visit Maryland on Saturday in the season opener for both teams.
Moton said the opener against the Tar Heels is just the kind of game NCCU will have to play from now on. They have already played at more big-time schools than one can count on two hands including all of the state’s ACC “Big Four,” and two years ago the Eagles visited then-defending NCAA champion Florida.
“I just felt as if (the scheduling) was just meant to happen,” Moton said. “I’ve told the guys, this is something we wanted trying to become D-I and get our program prepared. It’s like trying to get into a party or into a dance, and they finally let you in. You can’t sit against the wall and complain about the music that the D.J. is playing. You’ve just got to go out there and do your best two-step and whatever happens, happens. Our first dance is with Carolina. She’s a pretty good dancer, but we’ve got to try to keep up with her.”
Moton said there’s no way his team can just throw its five players onto the floor against the Tar Heels and expect to play a respectable game. He said he may even start the game with four guards on the floor.
When more reasonable assignments arise, the starters will probably be three returnees - 5-7 junior Michael Glasker (2.8, 1.1 rebs. last season) at the point, 6-2 junior Vincent Davis (11.2, 4.0) on the wing and 6-5 senior Joshua Worthy (1.7, 2.4) at power forward - and newcomer J.C. transfers C.J. Wilkerson at shooting guard and T.J. Granger at the post.
Wilkerson was rated by The Sporting News as the top “newcomer” among Division I Independents, the same designation that went to 6-8 J.C. transfer Lamar Pittman last year. Pittman has yet to play after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in the fall of 2008, but has been medically cleared to play and is expected to go in the home opener against N.C. Wesleyan on Nov. 18.
Robinson’s team has already played an exhibition game, winning 63-51 over Johnson C. Smith on Sunday.
The Eagle women’s team will play five ACC opponents this season including UNC and Duke.
“I’ve never been afraid to play against strong competition,” Robinson said. “What you worry about is if this competition will kill your athletes’ confidence. We just don’t have the depth that the big major schools have. I hope we get there. I don’t plan on us playing five ACC schools again after this year. Hopefully being in the MEAC (beginning in 2010-11) we won’t have to do that.”
Robinson’s team will play without senior forward Jori Nwachukwu, who is being redshirted after suffering a leg injury last January.
Sophomore forward Chasidy Williams, who was NCCU’s leading scorer last season, is also injured and will not be available for the first few games of the season.
Robinson said sophomores 5-5 Blaire Houston (9.2, 2.5) and 5-5 Danielle DeBerry (5.2, 2.5) will start in the backcourt, with 5-9 senior Latoya Bennett (4.2, 6.2) and 5-8 junior Shanise Banks (1.8, 1.2) at forward and 6-0 junior Katrice Elliott (1.0, 1.1) at center.
She said 5-7 freshman Joanna Miller, who scored 23 points against JCSU, will be coming off the bench when the season begins.
ACC, Basketball, N.C. Central, UNC-Chapel Hill, Women's Basketball Blaire Houston, C.J. Wilkerson, Chasidy Williams, Danielle DeBerry, Florida Gators, Joanna Miller, Johnson C. Smith, Joli Robinson, Jori Nwachukwu, Joshua Worthy, Katrice Elliott, Lamar Pittman, Latoya Bennett, LeVelle Moton, Maryland Terrapins, Michael Glasker, N.C. Wesleyan, Shanise Blanks, T.J. Granger, Vincent Davis
Mike Potter ·
8 Nov 2009, 8:55 PM ·
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Freshman Joanna Miller (pictured) had 23 points and N.C. Central won the second half, cruising to a 63-51 win over former CIAA rival Johnson C. Smith in a women’s basketball exhibition at McLendon-McDougald Gym.
Danielle DeBerry added 12 points for the Eagles as they won their only exhibition game of the year. Sophomore Brittany Myatt had 11 rebounds to go with her five points.
Demetria Bell had 10 points to lead JCSU.
The teams were tied 29-29 at halftime after JCSU had led by as many as six points in the first half. But the first basket of the second half, Latoya Bennett’s field goal with 18:06 left, put the Eagles ahead to stay.
NCCU shot 40.3 percent from the floor to 38.2 for the visitors, also winning the rebound battle 44-34.
Joli Robinson’s club, which went 10-17 last season, will travel to Maryland on Saturday at 7 p.m. for their first meeting with the Terps.
ACC, Basketball, N.C. Central, Women's Basketball Brittany Myatt, Danielle DeBerry, Demetria Bell, Joanna Miller, Johnson C. Smith, Joli Robinson, Latoya Bennett, Maryland Terrapins
Mike Potter ·
8 Nov 2009, 12:23 AM ·
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Both Durham universities will host exhibition games in women’s basketball this afternoon.
It’s the last of the season for both, and for N.C. Central it’s also the first.
Duke, ranked No. 6 in both major preseason polls and led by preseason All-ACC guard Jasmine Thomas (pictured), will host Division II power Alaska Anchorage at 2 p.m. at Cameron Indoor Stadium, while NCCU will entertain former CIAA rival Johnson C. Smith at 4 at McLendon-McDougald Gym.
UAA’s Seawolves are ranked No. 8 in the USA Today/ESPN Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll and went 31-4 last season.
Johnson C. Smith was ranked No. 1 in the Western Division in the CIAA’s preseason poll.
Duke will open regular-season play on the road Friday night at Houston Baptist.
NCCU, which will be without last season’s top scorer and rebounder Jori Nwachukwu as she recovers from foot surgery, will begin regular-season action on Saturday at Maryland, which was ranked No. 21 in the preseason coaches’ poll. Continue reading »
ACC, Basketball, Duke, N.C. Central, Women's Basketball Alaska Anchorage, Blaire Houston, Chasidy Williams, Demetria Bell, Jasmine Thomas, Joanne P. McCallie, Johnson C. Smith, Joli Robinson, Jori Nwachukwu, Joy Cheek, Kiki Taylor, Nicci Miller, Tim Moser, Vanessa Taylor, Wendy Stywalt
Mike Potter ·
14 Oct 2009, 3:46 PM ·
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N.C. Central will hold its own version of Midnight Madness - billed as “An Eagle Thriller” - to kick off basketball practice on Friday night at 10:30 at McLendon-McDougald Gym.
The promoters are encouraging fans to dress in their best Michael Jackson attire, with two tickets to the N.C. State fair awarded to the winner.
The program will also include a dance-off to the late King of Pop’s music between the men’s and women’s teams.
The men’s team, under new head coach LeVelle Moton (pictured) will open its season on Nov. 11 at UNC with its home opener Nov. 18 against N.C. Wesleyan.
Joli Robinson’s women’s club will host Johnson C. Smith in a Nov. 8 exhibition game, and then visit Maryland in the season opener Nov. 14 before hosting Campbell in the home opener Nov. 18.
ACC, UNC-Chapel Hill Campbell, Johnson C. Smith, Joli Robinson, LeVelle Moton, Maryland Terrapins, Michael Jackson, N.C. Wesleyan
Mike Potter ·
14 Sep 2009, 9:38 PM ·
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N.C. Central announced its women’s basketball schedule today, with the five previously announced road games against ACC opposition - including trips to Duke and UNC - as well as 10 home games at McLendon-McDougald Gym.
Under veteran coach Joli Robinson (pictured), the Eagles will open their season with an exhibition game at home against Johnson C. Smith on Nov. 8, with the regular-season opener at Maryland six days later.
NCCU’s home opener is against Campbell on Nov. 18.
Other teams visiting the Eagles’ house include future MEAC rivals North Carolina A&T, South Carolina State, Maryland-Eastern Shore; former CIAA rivals Shaw and Winston-Salem State; Gardner-Webb, Savannah State, Chicago State and Longwood.
ACC, Basketball, Duke, N.C. Central, UNC-Chapel Hill, Women's Basketball Campbell, Chicago State, CIAA, Gardner-Webb, Johnson C. Smith, Joli Robinson, Longwood, Maryland Terrapins, Maryland-Eastern Shore, MEAC, North Carolina A&T, Savannah State, Shaw, South Carolina State, Winston-Salem State
