Hoops Round-up
Stretch drive begins
Headed into the final month of basketball's regular season, here's how the races stack up.
WOMEN
North Carolina A&T of the MEAC and Prairie View A&M of the SWAC are the only undefeated teams in conference play and have built two-game leads in their respective leagues.
Patricia Bibbs' Lady Aggies (15-5, 8-0) lead Hampton (12-8, 6-2), Maryland-Eastern Shore (12-8, 5-2) and Delaware State (10-11, 5-2). A&T hits the road this week for its Florida trip vs. Florida A&M Saturday and Bethune-Cookman Monday.
Prairie View (14-7, 9-0), under former WNBA star Cynthia Cooper, has a two-game lead over Jackson State (9-10, 7-2) headed into a match-up vs. Texas Southern Saturday.
In the CIAA, cross-town Raleigh rivals Shaw (13-10, 10-2) and St. Augustine's (13-6, 10-2) have moved to the top of the standings. St. Aug's will host Fayetteville State (14-8, 10-3) Saturday, one of the teams chasing the Falcons, while Shaw is at Bowie State (13-4, 8-4). Shaw has two wins over St. Aug's this season.
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Tuskegee (8-5, 7-1) heads into this weekend's game at Albany State with a slim lead over Fort Valley State (11-6, 8-2) in the SIAC.
MEN
Midway thru its conference schedule, surprising Alabama State (12-7, 8-1) under Lewis Jackson has a two-game lead in the SWAC race over Southern (8-12, 6-3). The Hornets will face two of its toughest pursuers this week, Mississippi Valley State (7-13, 5-4) on Saturday and Arkansas-Pine Bluff (9-11, 5-4) Monday.
Morgan State (13-8,8-1) is tied with Hampton (13-7, 7-1) in the loss column atop the MEAC but has a win over the Pirates already this season. Todd Bozeman's Bears host non-conference foe Winston-Salem State Saturday and South Carolina State Monday. Hampton travels Saturday to Delaware State, currently tied at 5-3 with N.C. A&T for fourth place.
St. Augustine's (14-4, 10-2), despite two losses to Virginia Union, currently rules the CIAA. The Falcons have tough dates this week hosting Fayetteville State Saturday and travelling to J.C. Smith on Tuesday. An eight-game win streak powered by conference scoring and rebounding leader Anthony Hilliard has moved defending Tournament champ Elizabeth City State (15-4, 9-3) ahead of Virginia Union into second place. The Vikes host St. Paul's Saturday and UDC on Monday.
Benedict (13-4, 10-2) takes a two-game SIAC lead into home games this week vs. Clark Atlanta (Sat.) and Paine (Tues.).
NCAA prez to speak at CIAA Tourney
NCAA President Myles Brand and high-ranking WNBA administrator Renee Brown will be guest speakers for the CIAA Men's and Women's Tip-Off Banquets later this month.
Brand, also CEO of the NCAA, has served as president of the NCAA since January 2003. Known as the "education president," Brand has presided over passage of the most comprehensive academic reform package for intercollegiate athletics in recent history - a package that refocuses the attention of student-athletes, coaches and administrators on the education of student-athletes.
He will give the address at the men's banquet which will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 25 at the Charlotte Westin Hotel at 6:30 p.m.
As Chief of Basketball Operations and Player Relations for the WNBA, Brown oversees all player scouting and acquisitions for the league as well as the administration of player-related policies and programs. Brown has been with the WNBA since 1996. A 1978 graduate of UNLV, Brown served as an assistant coach at Kansas, Stanford and San Jose University.
She will address the Women's Tip-Off Banquet on Sunday, Feb. 24 at the Westin.
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