BCSP Notes . . .
SIAC unveils 2008-09 hoops choices
The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic
Conference announced the 2008-09 men's and women's preseason all-conference basketball
teams and predicted order of finish as chosen by the league's coaches.
This year both the men's and women's teams are comprised of mostly returning players from the 2007-08 campaign including nine players on the men's team and seven on the women's. Highlighting the list are both freshmen of the year from the men's and women's teams; Michael Holmes of Benedict and Kadeidra Freeland of Fort Valley State, who were both chosen to their respective second teams.
Picked by men's and women's coaches to win the SIAC at the end of the season are Benedict College's men and Kentucky State's women.
This year's preseason all-conference team for the women features seven women that return from the 2007-08 regular season all-SIAC team. Shantrell Moss led the surprising Clark Atlanta Lady Panthers to the semi-finals in the conference tournament last season and led the conference in scoring averaging 20.8 points per game and 8.7 rebounds per game. Along with Moss on the first team is Takesha Riggs of the always highly favored Fort Valley State Lady Wildcats, Mattie Jones of Kentucky State, Cyntonia Jones of Miles and Nikia Trice of Albany State.
For the men, nine returners make up the team including Benny Lewis and Michael Holmes both second team selections who led Benedict to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Div. II Tournament, a first for the SIAC in nearly 15 years.
For the men, behind Benedict is Claflin and Morehouse. Claflin, who will begin their first official season as a conference team, dominated the SIAC last year going 24-2 and losing to only Benedict and Morehouse. For the women, Fort Valley State is predicted to finish second followed by Clark Atlanta.
ALL CONFERENCE
WOMEN - First Team
Shantrell Moss, Sr., CAU; Takesha Riggs, Jr., FVSU; Nikia Trice, Sr., ASU;
Mattie Jones, Sr., KSU; Cyntonia Jones, Jr., MC
MEN - First Team
Rasuul Buulu, Sr., LOC; Flawaan Flaggs, Sr., MC; Kenney Boyd, Sr., MHC;
Scheraun King, Sr., ASU
PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH
WOMEN
1) Kentucky State 2) Fort Valley State 3) Clark Atlanta 4) Tuskegee 5) Claflin 6)
Albany State (tie) Miles 8) Stillman 9) Benedict 10) Paine 11) Lane 11) LeMoyne-Owen
MEN
1) Benedict 2) Claflin 3) Morehouse 4) Clark Atlanta 5) Tuskegee 6) Kentucky
State 7) Albany State (tie) Fort Valley State 9) LeMoyne-Owen 10) Paine 11) Miles 12)
Lane 13) Stillman
NCAA places St. Augustine's on three years probation
The NCAA Division II Committee on Infractions has penalized
St. Augustine College for major violations in its athletics program.
The infractions, which included a lack of institutional control, began in
the 2003-04 academic year and continued through 2007-08. St. Augustine
was found to have allowed 29 student-athletes to practice or compete
while ineligible to do so. Of the 29 ineligible student-athletes, 15 participated
in football.
Penalties for the violations include three years of probation; a vacation (forfeiture) of wins; a $2,500 financial penalty; and a reduction in scholarships for seven sports for the next two years.
The penalties adopted and imposed by the committee include three years of probation beginning October 3, 2008 and concluding on October 2, 2011, vacation of all wins in which ineligible student-athletes participated, reduction in scholarships in football, men's basketball, softball, volleyball, men's tennis, men's track and women's track for 2009-10 and 2010-11. and a financial penalty of $2,500 to the NCAA.
© 2008 Azeez Communications, Inc.