Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Welcome to the new SCSU Women's Soccer Coach!
Glad Bugariu Head Coach
Alma Mater: University of North Carolina
Glad Bugariu begins his fourth year as Head Women’s Soccer Coach at Belmont Abbey College. The Abbey is coming of an impressive 2008 season, finishing 18-4-1, winning the conference regular season with an 11-0 record and finishing second in the conference tournament. Numerous conference records were broken during their unbeaten run, including most shutouts in a season (10), least goals allowed (1), and lowest goals against average (.09). The Abbey also finished ranked 4th in the region by the NSCAA, had the 3rd best defense in the country for NCAA Division II teams (9 goals allowed), and reached as high as 22nd in the nation during the season. Awards included five players named First Team All Conference with three gathering All-Region honors.
In the 2006 season, the Abbey finished 16-4-1 and won the CVAC tournament championship. It was the first time a Belmont Abbey coach has led the women’s soccer program to back to back conference championships. Additionally, two players were named to the NSCAA All-Region team, while four earned All-CVAC recognition.
In 2005 Bugariu guided the team to an 18-4 record, the best at the college since 1999, capturing the CVAC Tournament Title, sharing the regular season championship with Pfeiffer, and placing fifth in the regional poll. Other accolades include being ranked as the second most improved team in the nation by the NCAA, finishing 11th in the country for shutouts, defeating both the #3 and #10 teams in the nation, and having two players earning NSCAA All-Region honors.
Bugariu came to the Abbey from the state of New Mexico where he served as the Director of Coaching for Northern Soccer Club in Santa Fe. During this time the club not only grew in size, but had a number teams appear in the New Mexico Youth Soccer Association State Cup semi-finals and finals, with one team reaching the USYSA Region IV quarterfinals, something unprecedented for a club from Northern New Mexico. He also played a key role in the development of the Pueblo soccer outreach program, a project geared to introduce soccer into Native American communities.
In addition to his club duties, Bugariu worked with the Grenada Football Association, serving as assistant men’s national team coach during the World Cup and Gold Cup qualifying tournaments. During his time with Grenada, the country climbed a record 13 places in the FIFA (soccer governing body) rankings and narrowly lost to the United States during World Cup qualifying.
While in New Mexico, Bugariu was also very involved with the Olympic Development Program (ODP) serving as head coach of the ’88 Girls team and later as the Director of Goalkeeping for the New Mexico Youth Soccer Association. He also served on the state coaching education instructional staff and as an NSCAA Regional Staff Coach.
From 2000-2002, Bugariu was the Technical Director / National Team Coach of the U.S. Virgin Islands, coaching both the men’s and women’s national teams in international competition. In his tenure the Virgin Islands advanced in the FIFA rankings for the first time in their history, while recording such historic achievements as the creation of a women’s national team program, qualifying for the Copa Caribe, and increasing soccer participation 120% in the country. During this time he was responsible for the overall development of soccer in the country and coached over 30 international games.
Bugariu also has experience in the collegiate field as he served as the head women’s soccer coach at Louisburg Junior College and Meredith College prior to his accomplishments in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Born in Bucharest, Romania, Bugariu came to the United States at the age of 10 and holds a degree in Recreation and Leisure Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He was an All Region selection goalkeeper at Brevard College in North Carolina and had a stint with Romanian 4th division club Soimii Sibiu.
Bugariu holds coaching qualifications from three different countries including:
USSF “A” License
USSF “National Youth” License
UEFA “B” License
NSCAA “Advanced National” Diploma
NSCAA “Goalkeeper Level 2” Diploma
NSCAA “National Youth” Diploma
CONCACAF “Level 1” Coaching License
FIFA Sports Medicine Certificate
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Malcolm Long leads the Dogs in spring practice!
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Bulldogs kick off Spring Practice
By THOMAS GRANT JR., T&D Senior Sports Writer | Tuesday, March 25, 2008
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From a weather standpoint, the start of spring practice Monday at South Carolina State was anything but season-like.
Chilly temperatures and occasional heavy winds brought out the heavy gloves and long sleeves among the returning players. From head coach Oliver "Buddy" Pough's perspective, the less than warm temperatures provided an early look for what conditions his team could expect on a road visit this fall to Dover, Del.
"This will get us ready for Delaware State," joked Pough in reference to facing the Hornets on Nov. 1.
Overall, the Bulldogs remained in good spirits throughout the 2 1/2 hour practice session which was low on heavy contact and high on refining team fundamentals after a four-month layoff.
"I don't know if you can be physical enough now to really get much done that way," Pough said. "You're so afraid of getting people hurt and that kind of stuff, you take your physical when you can. But most of it is mental. Most of it is fundamental. Some of those kinds of things you try to do to find a way to be able to make sure your kids have a chance to develop. But more than anything else, what you're really trying to do is you're trying to develop your kids to the point where they feel comfortable with the fact that they know what the heck they're doing."
It was a difficult first day for rising sophomore quarterback Malcolm Long. He did complete a long touchdown pass to Denmark-Olar's Semaj Moody, but the heir apparent to Cleveland McCoy was picked off four times during passing drills against the SCSU secondary.
Gaffney teammate and MIKE linebacker Julius Wilkerson had one pick, while the other three came at the hands of two-sport defensive back Phillip Adams.
"I told Malcolm before we came out here that I was going to go after him," said Adams, who just completed his stint with the men's basketball team two weeks ago. "We vowed to each other that we were going to go after each other and that's what I did. He understands."
Redshirt freshman quarterbakck DeWain Clark fared slightly better, even completing a touchdown pass on an over-the-shoulder catch by Matt Washington. Although tentatively slated to back up Long, Clark sees spring practice as an opportunity to earn more playing time.
"I understand why he got all the hype, you know 'Mr. Football' in South Carolina," Clark said. "He's good. But I'm just trying to get out there too."
As the spring progresses, Pough expects both players to become more comfortable in the offense.
"Both kids I thought are coming along," Pough said. "They're both freshman for practical purposes. I'm exited about both of them. I think they're both scrapping kids and they're great people and as long as you've got good people around you, somehow or another, they'll end up doing good things for you."
Monday's practice was also the first for new assistant coaches Danny Lewis (running backs), Howard Feggins (wide receivers), Kevin Magouirk (quarterbacks) and Maurice Drayton (defensive backs), it has not taken long for some players to bestow high praise.
"We've got a very, very, very, very good coach to keep us going," running back Kenneth Smalls said about Lewis. "He k.jpg us very energized about going through the drills and everything. He makes sure we hit everything right and he likes perfection."
"He's an excellent coach," Adams said about Drayton. "He's an excellent coach...and he brings that intensity that Coach Adams brings. I love working with him."
SCSU will resume spring drills at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday and Friday and will hold its first scrimmage at 10 a.m. Saturday at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium.
T&D Senior Sports Writer Thomas Grant Jr. can be reached by e-mail at tgrant@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5547. Discuss this and other stories on-line at TheTandD.com.
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From a weather standpoint, the start of spring practice Monday at South Carolina State was anything but season-like.
Chilly temperatures and occasional heavy winds brought out the heavy gloves and long sleeves among the returning players. From head coach Oliver "Buddy" Pough's perspective, the less than warm temperatures provided an early look for what conditions his team could expect on a road visit this fall to Dover, Del.
"This will get us ready for Delaware State," joked Pough in reference to facing the Hornets on Nov. 1.
Overall, the Bulldogs remained in good spirits throughout the 2 1/2 hour practice session which was low on heavy contact and high on refining team fundamentals after a four-month layoff.
"I don't know if you can be physical enough now to really get much done that way," Pough said. "You're so afraid of getting people hurt and that kind of stuff, you take your physical when you can. But most of it is mental. Most of it is fundamental. Some of those kinds of things you try to do to find a way to be able to make sure your kids have a chance to develop. But more than anything else, what you're really trying to do is you're trying to develop your kids to the point where they feel comfortable with the fact that they know what the heck they're doing."
It was a difficult first day for rising sophomore quarterback Malcolm Long. He did complete a long touchdown pass to Denmark-Olar's Semaj Moody, but the heir apparent to Cleveland McCoy was picked off four times during passing drills against the SCSU secondary.
Gaffney teammate and MIKE linebacker Julius Wilkerson had one pick, while the other three came at the hands of two-sport defensive back Phillip Adams.
"I told Malcolm before we came out here that I was going to go after him," said Adams, who just completed his stint with the men's basketball team two weeks ago. "We vowed to each other that we were going to go after each other and that's what I did. He understands."
Redshirt freshman quarterbakck DeWain Clark fared slightly better, even completing a touchdown pass on an over-the-shoulder catch by Matt Washington. Although tentatively slated to back up Long, Clark sees spring practice as an opportunity to earn more playing time.
"I understand why he got all the hype, you know 'Mr. Football' in South Carolina," Clark said. "He's good. But I'm just trying to get out there too."
As the spring progresses, Pough expects both players to become more comfortable in the offense.
"Both kids I thought are coming along," Pough said. "They're both freshman for practical purposes. I'm exited about both of them. I think they're both scrapping kids and they're great people and as long as you've got good people around you, somehow or another, they'll end up doing good things for you."
Monday's practice was also the first for new assistant coaches Danny Lewis (running backs), Howard Feggins (wide receivers), Kevin Magouirk (quarterbacks) and Maurice Drayton (defensive backs), it has not taken long for some players to bestow high praise.
"We've got a very, very, very, very good coach to keep us going," running back Kenneth Smalls said about Lewis. "He k.jpg us very energized about going through the drills and everything. He makes sure we hit everything right and he likes perfection."
"He's an excellent coach," Adams said about Drayton. "He's an excellent coach...and he brings that intensity that Coach Adams brings. I love working with him."
SCSU will resume spring drills at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday and Friday and will hold its first scrimmage at 10 a.m. Saturday at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium.
T&D Senior Sports Writer Thomas Grant Jr. can be reached by e-mail at tgrant@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5547. Discuss this and other stories on-line at TheTandD.com.
Monday, March 24, 2008
SCSU should take different approach in hiring women’s hoops coach
March 21st, 2008
The bold headline on the media cover for the 2007-08 South Carolina State women’s basketball team read “The Road to the Championship Begins Here!”
Unfortunately, the path taken was the one most traveled by Lady Bulldog teams the past 15 years. Instead of finding championship glory and a spot at the “Big Dance,” SCSU once again reached a “dead end” in the form of another losing season and an early exit in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference regular-season tournament.
As it was during head coach Tonya Mackey’s four-year tenure, injuries, inconsistency and ill-timed luck prevented the Lady Bulldogs from reaching their own lofty preseason expectations. What potentially had the makings of a successful season from a favorable non-conference schedule was undermined by a 3-6 homestand, losses to five 20-plus loss teams and the injury bug.
Still, the outgoing head coach had reason to call her swan song a “breakthrough” season. Not only did the Lady Bulldogs produce their first winning season in conference play since 2002, young players like center Marie Reid, guard Sophilia Hipps and Patience Figgins began to blossom.
With only one senior (guard Brittany Baity) graduating, all SCSU now needs is an energetic, motivated new head coach who will be able to navigate the potholes and bumps along the road to lead the Lady Bulldogs to the “promisef land” of the NCAA Tournament.
For that to happen, SCSU athletics director Charlene Johnson may want to use a different approach toward finding the right hire:
1. It’s time to think outside the box.
With the exception of Germaine MaCauley, SCSU has kept the women’s basketball coaching position “in house” dating back to the glory days under Willie Simon. While promoting from within worked with Lyman Foster, the philosophy was generally less successful under Keshia Campbell and Tonya Mackey. This is not to say current assistant coaches Tasha Stinson and Antonio Davis are not capable of leading the program and may have a better feel for the strengths and weaknesses of the current players as compared to a coach from the outside.
At the same time, given the lack of success the past 11 seasons under former assistant coaches who were promoted, perhaps it’s time the Lady Bulldogs look outside the “family” for a candidate. If it means going the route of other MEAC schools (i.e., North Carolina A&T hiring former Hampton coach Patricia Cage-Bibbs) or locating a hot, hungry assistant coach at a large Division I school, SCSU should keep all of its options open.
2. The position should not be gender-specific.
The numbers don’t lie. The SCSU women’s basketball teams had more success under male coaches Simon (305-93, 1978-79 AIAW national championship) and Foster (79-68, three MEAC championships) as compared with female counterparts MacAuley (47-63), Campbell (71-123) and Mackey (43-72). The truth is, the women’s basketball program has produced only three winning seasons since Foster’s departure in 1993.
While this criteria should not be used to automatically disqualify potential female candidates, SCSU should not take a strict approach toward abiding by Title IX requirements in hiring a qualified women’s basketball coach. Once again, SCSU does not have to look far to find such success stories involving male coaches such as Donald Beasley, who has led Morgan State to a school-record 37 victories over the past two seasons, or Savannah State head coach Cedric Baker, who’s proven his acumen at his current location and previously at Voorhees and Benedict College.
3. High school coaches should also receive consideration.
I always believed if former Orangeburg-Wilkinson head coach Edward Pellman was still alive, he would have been a perfect fit at either Claflin or SCSU. Although some critics believe such a move is a risk, those coaches who possess the right temperament and ability to develop an instant rapport with the players can succeed at any level.
What’s also to stop SCSU from considering the likes of Lee Central’s Dorothy Fortune or Lower Richland’s Debbie Stroman? There’s also Darren Mazyck of newly crowned Class A champion C.E. Murray, who already has a strong relationship with SCSU through the summer individual and team camps.
4. Form a hiring committee similar to the one used to hire men’s basketball coach Tim Carter.
After the coaching tenures of good friends Jamal Brown and Tonya Mackey proved unsuccessful, AD Johnson should avoid giving any impression of playing favorites with the candidates. She should replicate the impartial approach used in hiring Carter by putting together a 10-person committee of various backgrounds. This will also assure a more thorough coaching search which keeps in the spirit of the first two suggestions.
5. Hire someone who’s ready to win from Day One.
This program has long sought a return to its national championship days. With a young talented group which with the right direction and push could contend for a conference title next season, now is the time to bring in that person who’s ready to win.
– T&D Senior Sports Writer Thomas Grant Jr. can be reached by e-mail at tgrant@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5547. Discuss this and other stories on-line at TheTandD.com.
The bold headline on the media cover for the 2007-08 South Carolina State women’s basketball team read “The Road to the Championship Begins Here!”
Unfortunately, the path taken was the one most traveled by Lady Bulldog teams the past 15 years. Instead of finding championship glory and a spot at the “Big Dance,” SCSU once again reached a “dead end” in the form of another losing season and an early exit in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference regular-season tournament.
As it was during head coach Tonya Mackey’s four-year tenure, injuries, inconsistency and ill-timed luck prevented the Lady Bulldogs from reaching their own lofty preseason expectations. What potentially had the makings of a successful season from a favorable non-conference schedule was undermined by a 3-6 homestand, losses to five 20-plus loss teams and the injury bug.
Still, the outgoing head coach had reason to call her swan song a “breakthrough” season. Not only did the Lady Bulldogs produce their first winning season in conference play since 2002, young players like center Marie Reid, guard Sophilia Hipps and Patience Figgins began to blossom.
With only one senior (guard Brittany Baity) graduating, all SCSU now needs is an energetic, motivated new head coach who will be able to navigate the potholes and bumps along the road to lead the Lady Bulldogs to the “promisef land” of the NCAA Tournament.
For that to happen, SCSU athletics director Charlene Johnson may want to use a different approach toward finding the right hire:
1. It’s time to think outside the box.
With the exception of Germaine MaCauley, SCSU has kept the women’s basketball coaching position “in house” dating back to the glory days under Willie Simon. While promoting from within worked with Lyman Foster, the philosophy was generally less successful under Keshia Campbell and Tonya Mackey. This is not to say current assistant coaches Tasha Stinson and Antonio Davis are not capable of leading the program and may have a better feel for the strengths and weaknesses of the current players as compared to a coach from the outside.
At the same time, given the lack of success the past 11 seasons under former assistant coaches who were promoted, perhaps it’s time the Lady Bulldogs look outside the “family” for a candidate. If it means going the route of other MEAC schools (i.e., North Carolina A&T hiring former Hampton coach Patricia Cage-Bibbs) or locating a hot, hungry assistant coach at a large Division I school, SCSU should keep all of its options open.
2. The position should not be gender-specific.
The numbers don’t lie. The SCSU women’s basketball teams had more success under male coaches Simon (305-93, 1978-79 AIAW national championship) and Foster (79-68, three MEAC championships) as compared with female counterparts MacAuley (47-63), Campbell (71-123) and Mackey (43-72). The truth is, the women’s basketball program has produced only three winning seasons since Foster’s departure in 1993.
While this criteria should not be used to automatically disqualify potential female candidates, SCSU should not take a strict approach toward abiding by Title IX requirements in hiring a qualified women’s basketball coach. Once again, SCSU does not have to look far to find such success stories involving male coaches such as Donald Beasley, who has led Morgan State to a school-record 37 victories over the past two seasons, or Savannah State head coach Cedric Baker, who’s proven his acumen at his current location and previously at Voorhees and Benedict College.
3. High school coaches should also receive consideration.
I always believed if former Orangeburg-Wilkinson head coach Edward Pellman was still alive, he would have been a perfect fit at either Claflin or SCSU. Although some critics believe such a move is a risk, those coaches who possess the right temperament and ability to develop an instant rapport with the players can succeed at any level.
What’s also to stop SCSU from considering the likes of Lee Central’s Dorothy Fortune or Lower Richland’s Debbie Stroman? There’s also Darren Mazyck of newly crowned Class A champion C.E. Murray, who already has a strong relationship with SCSU through the summer individual and team camps.
4. Form a hiring committee similar to the one used to hire men’s basketball coach Tim Carter.
After the coaching tenures of good friends Jamal Brown and Tonya Mackey proved unsuccessful, AD Johnson should avoid giving any impression of playing favorites with the candidates. She should replicate the impartial approach used in hiring Carter by putting together a 10-person committee of various backgrounds. This will also assure a more thorough coaching search which keeps in the spirit of the first two suggestions.
5. Hire someone who’s ready to win from Day One.
This program has long sought a return to its national championship days. With a young talented group which with the right direction and push could contend for a conference title next season, now is the time to bring in that person who’s ready to win.
– T&D Senior Sports Writer Thomas Grant Jr. can be reached by e-mail at tgrant@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5547. Discuss this and other stories on-line at TheTandD.com.
Long's time coming
By THOMAS GRANT JR., T&D Senior Sports Writer | Monday, March 24, 2008
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For sophomore quarterback Malcolm Long, the time is now.
Since the arrival last fall of the former South Carolina "Mr. Football" winner out of Gaffney, South Carolina State fans have anticipated the day he would take the reins as the starter. The glimpses of potential Long exhibited during spot appearances late in the season only added to the hype.
Now that record-setting quarterback Cleveland McCoy has graduated, the Bulldogs have essentially handed Long the keys to the offense. It's a responsibility Long is anxious to seize hold of and guide in the direction of a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship.
"People always want to play, but me personally, I just liked the way I was used," Long said. "I didn't want to rush into anything. Hopefully, this year I can make the best of things."
Long was used sparingly last season as McCoy's backup, seeing action in seven games and completing just 14 of 34 passes for 273 yards, three TDs and a passer rating of 131.86. While his playing time was limited, Long said the time spent around McCoy was invaluable in helping him make the transition from high school.
"So many different teams play so many ways as far as defensive coverages," Long said. "It helped me out a whole lot last year, being behind Cleve and him teaching me about the college experience. Hopefully, I can make the best of it."
Most of Long's numbers were accrued against Howard when he threw for 173 yards and two touchdowns on only 5 of 8 passing. The performance further fueled Long's motivation.
"After the Howard game, I didn't get complacent with myself," he said. "I just told myself I had to work and strive to be the best. That's what I'm trying to do and trying to get this team where it needs to be which is win the MEAC championship."
Head coach Oliver "Buddy" Pough is counting on Long quickly asserting himself as a team leader. When asked what expectations he has for Long for the spring, Pough simply stated "to get him" or "somebody" ready to play.
"If we don't play him," he said, "we've got to find a quarterback that's ready to go."
The 'somebody' could be redshirt freshman DeWain Clark or even incoming freshmen Ronald Holliday of Douglass High School in Atlanta, Ga. or Derrick Wiley of Richmond City High School. While Long does not see a quarterback battle brewing, it does motivate him to stay sharp at every practice.
"I've got a real good quarterback in DeWain Clark and he's got good potential," Long said. "I'm not going to get complacent about starting or whatever. I'm still going to come out here and work hard every day and practice hard every day to try to be the best."
"Both the guys coming in can play and the fact that we've got other good players around him makes him understand that he's got to go," Pough said. "Otherwise, those other guys will pass him."
In preparation for this season, Long also rededicated himself to his overall diet and physical conditioning. Acknowledging he did not arrive to SCSU in the proper condition to play football, hitting the scales at 270 pounds at one point, Long is down to a manageable 245 and plans to use the summer to shed 10 more pounds to reach his effective playing weight.
"Right now, I'm in shape, but there's a little more I want to lose," he said.
Long credited strength and conditioning coach Thomas Stallworth with pushing him during the team's off-season workouts and encouraging him to demonstrate self-discipline in watching what he eats. Stallworth called Long a "natural born leader" who was willing to put in the extra work even during the team's off days.
"He understands that this is his time now," he said. "Last year, it was predominately Cleve and Malcolm played sparingly. But he understands right now going in that he is going to be looked upon as a leader going into camp as far as the quarterback situation between him and DeWain (Clark). And even going into the fall when you have two more freshman coming in, the pressure is still going to be on him. So he's actually put the work in. He's mentally prepared himself and that was the biggest thing. I can't really take the credit for the kids' work ethic because as he's gotten mature, it's gotten a lot better."
Pough is counting on that maturity extending to Long mastering the intricacies of the offense.
"Quarterback is more of a mental position than a physical position," he said. "We want him to run around a little bit, but we really want him to be able to think the position through as he gets a little bit far along, the mental and physical part will cross."
Whether or not Long is ready to take over and handle the S.C. State offense is the first and foremost question the Bulldogs need to answer heading into the spring. Below are a few more questions that SCSU will be looking to answer.
2. WHO ARE SOME OF THE OTHER PLAYERS LOOKING TO MAKE AN IMPRESSION DURING THE SPRING?
Long is not the only Gaffney native looking to fill big shoes. His Indian teammate linebacker Julius Wilkerson is expected to get a major look at the MIKE position, replacing departing senior LaTavis "Trap" Henderson. Defensive back Devonne Quattlebaum will also look to capitalize on getting significant playing time during the spring. On offense, Johnny Culbreath, Josh Harrison and Jake Johnson are expected to get plenty of .jpg with a starting lineup which lost Nathanial Richardson, Derrell Pringle and MEAC Offensive Lineman of the Year James Lee to graduation.
There's also the return of junior BANDIT Marshall McFadden, who ended up getting red-shirted after injuring his elbow against Bethune-Cookman. Pough had initially hinted at using McFadden at inside linebacker, especially after he bulked up to 225 pounds during the off-season. For now, McFadden will remain in the BANDIT role.
3. WHAT IS THE STRONGEST POSITION FOR THE BULLDOGS?
Despite the graduation hits, the offensive line remains the front-runner for the Bulldogs. The group is anchored by arguably the MEAC's best center Raymond "Duck" Harrison, Nygel Pearson appears ready to display his potential after two injury-plagued seasons and Culbreath, Harrison and Johnson were heavy contributors during the second half of the season.
A close second may be the wide receiving corps which returns virtually intact (save for Tron Jackson and Chase Robinson who both tore ACLs last season) and could get even stronger in the fall with the arrivals of Trey Williams and Randall Hawkins of J.F. Byrnes.
4. WHO IS UNAVAILABLE FOR THE SPRING?
The injury bug hit the defensive line the hardest during the off-season, with Sterling Blunt, Patrick Brooks, Jason Ayers and Markus James all expected to miss the entire spring recovering from various surgeries. In fact, new defensive coordinator Mike Adams said expect the Bulldogs to utilize mostly three-man fronts with only six linemen available.
Wide receivers Jackson and Robinson and BANDIT David Erby, all of whom suffered ACL injuries last season, will also sit out the spring. Meanwhile, all-MEAC tailback William Ford is expected to see only limited action. This leaves Travil Jamison as the lone back with experience playing this spring. Auburn University transfer Anthony Campbell, freshman walk-on Derrick Middleton and Kenneth Smalls and Zachary Middleton of Orangeburg-Wilkinson will also get looks running the football.
5. HAVING COMPILED A 47-21 RECORD, BUT NO PLAYOFF APPEARANCES IN SIX SEASONS, IS THE HEAT ON HEAD COACH OLIVER 'BUDDY' POUGH?
Highly unlikely. With Joe Taylor now at Florida A&M, only Bethune-Cookman's Alvin Wyatt has enjoyed a longer active tenure at the same school in the MEAC than Pough and Morgan State's Donald Hill-Elay. Compared to Wyatt and Hill-Elay, Pough is least likeliest to appear on this year's "Hot Seat" list. Just eight wins shy of surpassing Bill Davis for second most victories by an SCSU head, the lack of a postseason appearance remains the only hole in Pough's resume. An outright conference championship and a strong showing in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs is the elusive step the program needs to take to reach the next level.
T&D Senior Sports Writer Thomas Grant Jr. can be reached by office phone at 533-5547 or by e-mail at tgrant@timesanddemocrat.com. Visit his blog at TheTandD.com.
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For sophomore quarterback Malcolm Long, the time is now.
Since the arrival last fall of the former South Carolina "Mr. Football" winner out of Gaffney, South Carolina State fans have anticipated the day he would take the reins as the starter. The glimpses of potential Long exhibited during spot appearances late in the season only added to the hype.
Now that record-setting quarterback Cleveland McCoy has graduated, the Bulldogs have essentially handed Long the keys to the offense. It's a responsibility Long is anxious to seize hold of and guide in the direction of a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship.
"People always want to play, but me personally, I just liked the way I was used," Long said. "I didn't want to rush into anything. Hopefully, this year I can make the best of things."
Long was used sparingly last season as McCoy's backup, seeing action in seven games and completing just 14 of 34 passes for 273 yards, three TDs and a passer rating of 131.86. While his playing time was limited, Long said the time spent around McCoy was invaluable in helping him make the transition from high school.
"So many different teams play so many ways as far as defensive coverages," Long said. "It helped me out a whole lot last year, being behind Cleve and him teaching me about the college experience. Hopefully, I can make the best of it."
Most of Long's numbers were accrued against Howard when he threw for 173 yards and two touchdowns on only 5 of 8 passing. The performance further fueled Long's motivation.
"After the Howard game, I didn't get complacent with myself," he said. "I just told myself I had to work and strive to be the best. That's what I'm trying to do and trying to get this team where it needs to be which is win the MEAC championship."
Head coach Oliver "Buddy" Pough is counting on Long quickly asserting himself as a team leader. When asked what expectations he has for Long for the spring, Pough simply stated "to get him" or "somebody" ready to play.
"If we don't play him," he said, "we've got to find a quarterback that's ready to go."
The 'somebody' could be redshirt freshman DeWain Clark or even incoming freshmen Ronald Holliday of Douglass High School in Atlanta, Ga. or Derrick Wiley of Richmond City High School. While Long does not see a quarterback battle brewing, it does motivate him to stay sharp at every practice.
"I've got a real good quarterback in DeWain Clark and he's got good potential," Long said. "I'm not going to get complacent about starting or whatever. I'm still going to come out here and work hard every day and practice hard every day to try to be the best."
"Both the guys coming in can play and the fact that we've got other good players around him makes him understand that he's got to go," Pough said. "Otherwise, those other guys will pass him."
In preparation for this season, Long also rededicated himself to his overall diet and physical conditioning. Acknowledging he did not arrive to SCSU in the proper condition to play football, hitting the scales at 270 pounds at one point, Long is down to a manageable 245 and plans to use the summer to shed 10 more pounds to reach his effective playing weight.
"Right now, I'm in shape, but there's a little more I want to lose," he said.
Long credited strength and conditioning coach Thomas Stallworth with pushing him during the team's off-season workouts and encouraging him to demonstrate self-discipline in watching what he eats. Stallworth called Long a "natural born leader" who was willing to put in the extra work even during the team's off days.
"He understands that this is his time now," he said. "Last year, it was predominately Cleve and Malcolm played sparingly. But he understands right now going in that he is going to be looked upon as a leader going into camp as far as the quarterback situation between him and DeWain (Clark). And even going into the fall when you have two more freshman coming in, the pressure is still going to be on him. So he's actually put the work in. He's mentally prepared himself and that was the biggest thing. I can't really take the credit for the kids' work ethic because as he's gotten mature, it's gotten a lot better."
Pough is counting on that maturity extending to Long mastering the intricacies of the offense.
"Quarterback is more of a mental position than a physical position," he said. "We want him to run around a little bit, but we really want him to be able to think the position through as he gets a little bit far along, the mental and physical part will cross."
Whether or not Long is ready to take over and handle the S.C. State offense is the first and foremost question the Bulldogs need to answer heading into the spring. Below are a few more questions that SCSU will be looking to answer.
2. WHO ARE SOME OF THE OTHER PLAYERS LOOKING TO MAKE AN IMPRESSION DURING THE SPRING?
Long is not the only Gaffney native looking to fill big shoes. His Indian teammate linebacker Julius Wilkerson is expected to get a major look at the MIKE position, replacing departing senior LaTavis "Trap" Henderson. Defensive back Devonne Quattlebaum will also look to capitalize on getting significant playing time during the spring. On offense, Johnny Culbreath, Josh Harrison and Jake Johnson are expected to get plenty of .jpg with a starting lineup which lost Nathanial Richardson, Derrell Pringle and MEAC Offensive Lineman of the Year James Lee to graduation.
There's also the return of junior BANDIT Marshall McFadden, who ended up getting red-shirted after injuring his elbow against Bethune-Cookman. Pough had initially hinted at using McFadden at inside linebacker, especially after he bulked up to 225 pounds during the off-season. For now, McFadden will remain in the BANDIT role.
3. WHAT IS THE STRONGEST POSITION FOR THE BULLDOGS?
Despite the graduation hits, the offensive line remains the front-runner for the Bulldogs. The group is anchored by arguably the MEAC's best center Raymond "Duck" Harrison, Nygel Pearson appears ready to display his potential after two injury-plagued seasons and Culbreath, Harrison and Johnson were heavy contributors during the second half of the season.
A close second may be the wide receiving corps which returns virtually intact (save for Tron Jackson and Chase Robinson who both tore ACLs last season) and could get even stronger in the fall with the arrivals of Trey Williams and Randall Hawkins of J.F. Byrnes.
4. WHO IS UNAVAILABLE FOR THE SPRING?
The injury bug hit the defensive line the hardest during the off-season, with Sterling Blunt, Patrick Brooks, Jason Ayers and Markus James all expected to miss the entire spring recovering from various surgeries. In fact, new defensive coordinator Mike Adams said expect the Bulldogs to utilize mostly three-man fronts with only six linemen available.
Wide receivers Jackson and Robinson and BANDIT David Erby, all of whom suffered ACL injuries last season, will also sit out the spring. Meanwhile, all-MEAC tailback William Ford is expected to see only limited action. This leaves Travil Jamison as the lone back with experience playing this spring. Auburn University transfer Anthony Campbell, freshman walk-on Derrick Middleton and Kenneth Smalls and Zachary Middleton of Orangeburg-Wilkinson will also get looks running the football.
5. HAVING COMPILED A 47-21 RECORD, BUT NO PLAYOFF APPEARANCES IN SIX SEASONS, IS THE HEAT ON HEAD COACH OLIVER 'BUDDY' POUGH?
Highly unlikely. With Joe Taylor now at Florida A&M, only Bethune-Cookman's Alvin Wyatt has enjoyed a longer active tenure at the same school in the MEAC than Pough and Morgan State's Donald Hill-Elay. Compared to Wyatt and Hill-Elay, Pough is least likeliest to appear on this year's "Hot Seat" list. Just eight wins shy of surpassing Bill Davis for second most victories by an SCSU head, the lack of a postseason appearance remains the only hole in Pough's resume. An outright conference championship and a strong showing in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs is the elusive step the program needs to take to reach the next level.
T&D Senior Sports Writer Thomas Grant Jr. can be reached by office phone at 533-5547 or by e-mail at tgrant@timesanddemocrat.com. Visit his blog at TheTandD.com.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Adams reigns as SCSU Defensive Coordinator
By THOMAS GRANT JR., T&D Senior Sports Writer | Friday, March 21, 2008
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During his two seasons as South Carolina State's secondary/special teams coach, Mike Adams has incessantly preached about being "ready for the moment."
Whether it's a starter or reserve, Adams expects his players to be ready to make a big defensive stop during a game. When that time comes, he does not expect them to back away from the challenge.
Adams is now taking the same approach as the newly-promoted Bulldogs defensive coordinator, replacing John Hendrick who left to become the new defensive line coach at South Florida. With spring drills starting Monday, various defensive schemes Adams plans to cover during the first two practice sessions are scribbled all over his office's chalkboard.
It's all about "being ready" from day one for the confident Adams.
"I was happy to see Coach (Oliver "Buddy") Pough decide to go in that direction," he said. "I felt like the number one thing we needed on defense was continuity. We've gotten to a point where the kids know what we're doing, they've had success doing it and we needed somebody I felt that could come in and kind of continue on, maybe add a little bit of things that maybe we did last year or maybe take away a thing or two we had to do last year and put their own stamp on it. But mostly, we needed continuity with everything."
"When a guy does good at what he does, you give him better assignments," said Pough about Adams.
While looking to put his own personal stamp on the Bulldogs' defense by further stressing fundamentals, Adams still plans to incorporate much of Hendrick's philosophy in directing a group which ranked second overall in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.
"I liked the idea of having a combination of what we had two years ago along with what we had last year," Pough said. "I thought if we could combine the two, we would be even better."
This means allowing the coaches to run their respective positions, while providing the necessary oversight.
"I'd like, as every coach likes to think, that they're going to facilitate throughout the staff all kinds of responsibilities and certainly I will," Adams said. "But I'll be honest. I'd definitely like to have my stamp on just about every part of it. I'll be involved with it and I'd like to be a big part of the decision-making. But I'd also love the staff members to kind of have their input and, really, those guys will take pride in their position and what they're coaching if it's stuff they really believe in. The more we can come to a common ground on the way we want to teach things, the better. But there's certain things I'm definitely looking for."
From a defensive standpoint, look for the Bulldogs to continue presenting multiple schemes all with the designs of creating havoc with the opposing offenses.
"Although a lot of people kind of saw us as a blitzing and stunting team, there were plenty of times where we moved a few guys and really played based up behind it and that's really where my personality is," Adams said. "I like to be aggressive and put the pressure on the offense to perform. But I also think there's a time to just outplay people in your fundamentals and your reads. So, we'll kind of mix it up. But when it's crunch time, you want your kids to be aggressive."
Look for SCSU to utilize mostly a three-man front during the spring as injuries have left the team with just six healthy defensive linemen. In taking over the linebacking corps, Adams will have some intriguing possibilities. Freshman Julius Wilkerson will look to replace LaTavis "Trap" Henderson at middle linebacker, a move once prominently marked for BANDIT Marshall McFadden after his return from a season-ending arm injury.
Adams instead believes the Bulldogs are better off utilizing McFadden's versatility in the hybrid role rather than at just one position.
"Marshall is an interesting situation because he is the one player we always felt like at his position, he creates an advantage with his size and speed and physical ability," Adams said. "So, the great thing about him is that he learns well and he's going to be hungry to get back on the field. So we're going to use him at different spots. We want to use him to create pressure on the quarterback. We also want to use him to cover people down the field and also put him in a zone and let him read a quarterback and those type of types."
As for the secondary, Adams is also excited about what cornerback Phillip Adams will bring following his stint with the men's basketball team. He believes playing the sport allowed the Rock Hill native to stay limber and active during the off-season, attributes necessary to being an effective coverman.
"I think he's looking forward to a huge season," Adams said. "He'll have to knock a little rust off and learn to get physical again with some guys and do different things. But he's going to have a great spring."
The addition of Maurice Drayton to take over Adams' cornerback coaching duties at SCSU especially makes the transition easier.
"I would not have given up the secondary because I felt like it's such a critical area when you're this kind of team, when you've got a lot of different coverages and blitz points and all these things," Adams said. "But Maurice is going to be great. He'll have a great relationship with the kids. He has tremendous knowledge of the secondary and the overall defense and all of the things he's trying to do. So really, I'm just really looking for great continuity there."
SCSU will hold team practices at 3:30 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday and a 10 a.m. scrimmage each Saturday leading to the April 19 spring game at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium.
T&D Senior Sports Writer Thomas Grant Jr. can be reached by e-mail at tgrant@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5547. Discuss this and other stories on-line at TheTandD.com.
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During his two seasons as South Carolina State's secondary/special teams coach, Mike Adams has incessantly preached about being "ready for the moment."
Whether it's a starter or reserve, Adams expects his players to be ready to make a big defensive stop during a game. When that time comes, he does not expect them to back away from the challenge.
Adams is now taking the same approach as the newly-promoted Bulldogs defensive coordinator, replacing John Hendrick who left to become the new defensive line coach at South Florida. With spring drills starting Monday, various defensive schemes Adams plans to cover during the first two practice sessions are scribbled all over his office's chalkboard.
It's all about "being ready" from day one for the confident Adams.
"I was happy to see Coach (Oliver "Buddy") Pough decide to go in that direction," he said. "I felt like the number one thing we needed on defense was continuity. We've gotten to a point where the kids know what we're doing, they've had success doing it and we needed somebody I felt that could come in and kind of continue on, maybe add a little bit of things that maybe we did last year or maybe take away a thing or two we had to do last year and put their own stamp on it. But mostly, we needed continuity with everything."
"When a guy does good at what he does, you give him better assignments," said Pough about Adams.
While looking to put his own personal stamp on the Bulldogs' defense by further stressing fundamentals, Adams still plans to incorporate much of Hendrick's philosophy in directing a group which ranked second overall in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.
"I liked the idea of having a combination of what we had two years ago along with what we had last year," Pough said. "I thought if we could combine the two, we would be even better."
This means allowing the coaches to run their respective positions, while providing the necessary oversight.
"I'd like, as every coach likes to think, that they're going to facilitate throughout the staff all kinds of responsibilities and certainly I will," Adams said. "But I'll be honest. I'd definitely like to have my stamp on just about every part of it. I'll be involved with it and I'd like to be a big part of the decision-making. But I'd also love the staff members to kind of have their input and, really, those guys will take pride in their position and what they're coaching if it's stuff they really believe in. The more we can come to a common ground on the way we want to teach things, the better. But there's certain things I'm definitely looking for."
From a defensive standpoint, look for the Bulldogs to continue presenting multiple schemes all with the designs of creating havoc with the opposing offenses.
"Although a lot of people kind of saw us as a blitzing and stunting team, there were plenty of times where we moved a few guys and really played based up behind it and that's really where my personality is," Adams said. "I like to be aggressive and put the pressure on the offense to perform. But I also think there's a time to just outplay people in your fundamentals and your reads. So, we'll kind of mix it up. But when it's crunch time, you want your kids to be aggressive."
Look for SCSU to utilize mostly a three-man front during the spring as injuries have left the team with just six healthy defensive linemen. In taking over the linebacking corps, Adams will have some intriguing possibilities. Freshman Julius Wilkerson will look to replace LaTavis "Trap" Henderson at middle linebacker, a move once prominently marked for BANDIT Marshall McFadden after his return from a season-ending arm injury.
Adams instead believes the Bulldogs are better off utilizing McFadden's versatility in the hybrid role rather than at just one position.
"Marshall is an interesting situation because he is the one player we always felt like at his position, he creates an advantage with his size and speed and physical ability," Adams said. "So, the great thing about him is that he learns well and he's going to be hungry to get back on the field. So we're going to use him at different spots. We want to use him to create pressure on the quarterback. We also want to use him to cover people down the field and also put him in a zone and let him read a quarterback and those type of types."
As for the secondary, Adams is also excited about what cornerback Phillip Adams will bring following his stint with the men's basketball team. He believes playing the sport allowed the Rock Hill native to stay limber and active during the off-season, attributes necessary to being an effective coverman.
"I think he's looking forward to a huge season," Adams said. "He'll have to knock a little rust off and learn to get physical again with some guys and do different things. But he's going to have a great spring."
The addition of Maurice Drayton to take over Adams' cornerback coaching duties at SCSU especially makes the transition easier.
"I would not have given up the secondary because I felt like it's such a critical area when you're this kind of team, when you've got a lot of different coverages and blitz points and all these things," Adams said. "But Maurice is going to be great. He'll have a great relationship with the kids. He has tremendous knowledge of the secondary and the overall defense and all of the things he's trying to do. So really, I'm just really looking for great continuity there."
SCSU will hold team practices at 3:30 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday and a 10 a.m. scrimmage each Saturday leading to the April 19 spring game at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium.
T&D Senior Sports Writer Thomas Grant Jr. can be reached by e-mail at tgrant@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5547. Discuss this and other stories on-line at TheTandD.com.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
SCSU men to have lighter hoops schedule
SCSU men to have lighter hoops schedule
March 17th, 2008 by Following the Bulldogs Fewer early ‘money’ games against upper Division I teams, more winnable contests at home.
That’s how South Carolina State men’s basketball coach Tim Carter wants to formulate his 2008-09 basketball schedule. After lopsided early-season losses this season to bigger schools likes of top-ranked North Carolina and in-state foe the University of South Carolina, Carter is looking towards matching SCSU against teams closer to its size and level as well as within the friendly confines of the Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center.
Making this possible was the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, which this season began allowing teams to play four non-conference games against non-Division I teams. Since 1997, the conference had an edict in place which required all of the conference teams to schedule Division I opponents for the purpose of strengthening the MEAC’s overall RPI rating with the NCAA.
The new policy could potentially open the door for SCSU to resume its ‘Garden City Classic’ rivarly with next-door neighbor Claflin University, especially since the school has moved up to Division II, and even schedule Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference champion Benedict College.
While Carter is still in the early stages of completing his schedule, he believes scheduling such non-conference games can better serve the Bulldogs’ overall team confidence as compared to facing upper Division I teams, at least early in the season.
The SCSU men have gone 10-24 the past three seasons in non-conference play and the last victory over an upper Division I opponent took place Nov. 23, 2004 against the University of Miami.
March 17th, 2008 by Following the Bulldogs Fewer early ‘money’ games against upper Division I teams, more winnable contests at home.
That’s how South Carolina State men’s basketball coach Tim Carter wants to formulate his 2008-09 basketball schedule. After lopsided early-season losses this season to bigger schools likes of top-ranked North Carolina and in-state foe the University of South Carolina, Carter is looking towards matching SCSU against teams closer to its size and level as well as within the friendly confines of the Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center.
Making this possible was the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, which this season began allowing teams to play four non-conference games against non-Division I teams. Since 1997, the conference had an edict in place which required all of the conference teams to schedule Division I opponents for the purpose of strengthening the MEAC’s overall RPI rating with the NCAA.
The new policy could potentially open the door for SCSU to resume its ‘Garden City Classic’ rivarly with next-door neighbor Claflin University, especially since the school has moved up to Division II, and even schedule Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference champion Benedict College.
While Carter is still in the early stages of completing his schedule, he believes scheduling such non-conference games can better serve the Bulldogs’ overall team confidence as compared to facing upper Division I teams, at least early in the season.
The SCSU men have gone 10-24 the past three seasons in non-conference play and the last victory over an upper Division I opponent took place Nov. 23, 2004 against the University of Miami.
Carter says future could be bright for SCSU Men
Carter says future could be bright for SCSU Men
By THOMAS GRANT JR., T&D Senior Sports Writer | Tuesday, March 18, 2008
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It takes Tim Carter a few seconds to find the word to describe his just-completed inaugural season as South Carolina State men's basketball coach.
When he does, the word of choice is more than understandable and fitting following a campaign which saw the Bulldogs lose the most games in school history.
"Without a doubt, I was say this was the most challenging year in my coaching career," Carter said Monday.
The 13-20 overall record only tells a part of the story for what Carter experienced in his first season. Taking over a program demoralized by three straight losing seasons and the controversy which ultimately led to the firing after one season of predecessor Jamal Brown and a brutal non-conference schedule, Carter faced the dual challenge of trying to erase the damage on the fly while putting together a winning product on the floor.
It was a painful process, made harder after the dismissals of starting point guard Derrick Davis and reserve forward David Cobb. Yet towards the end of the season, SCSU showed semblance of becoming the team Carter eventually hopes to have in place.
"We started playing very well late," he said. "I just think taking over a program which hadn't won in a long time and the challenges of trying to change attitudes of how you go about winning - I had been around winning for so long that it was just very challenging."
Ironically, the Feb. 9 loss to Coppin State after which Cobb was kicked off the team proved to be a critical turning point for both teams.
The Eagles won six of their last seven regular-season games after beating SCSU to finish tied for seventh with the Bulldogs in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference standings. Because of the head-to-head tiebreaker advantage, Coppin State (16-20) claimed the higher seeding for the conference tournament where it won four straight games, including a 62-60 win over in-town rival and regular-season champion Morgan State, to earn the automatic NCAA tournament bid and a spot in tonight's opener in Dayton, Ohio against Mount St. Mary's.
"The team that gets hot is the team that can really shock some people and that's exactly what happened," Carter said. "Coppin got hot late. Not necessarily late, but they got on a roll. They got into the tournament and never really looked back."
As for SCSU, it went 5-4 after returning from Baltimore and enduring the fallout from the Cobb departure. Two of the losses against Hampton (77-74) and North Carolina A&T (73-71) came in the final seconds and only SCSU trailed Morgan State by a point at halftime in the conference semifinal before losing 77-68.
Through the adversity, Carter witnessed the Bulldogs become a more cohesive, hustling competitive unit.
"All year long, I kept telling our staff let's find ways to get better," Carter said. "Sometimes fans don't understand that you can get better by deduction - and we definitely got better. And I'll leave it at that."
A major reason for the turnaround was the improved play of point guard Jessie Burton. Once used sparingly in the final minutes of games because of turnover problems, Burton developed into a solid floor leader and the Bulldogs' top threat from 3-point range (hitting 40.6 percent from behind the arc).
"Jessie Burton is without a doubt the most improved player on our basketball team," Carter said. "Jessie was playing so well the last 5 to 7 games that when we lost Jessie (late in) the A&T game, we floundered. Jessie was playing great basketball."
In MEAC Rookie of the Year guard Carrio Bennett and team-leading scorer and rebounder and second team All-MEAC forward Jason Johnson, Carter found two newcomers to serve as building blocks for the solid foundation he's trying to build at SCSU. With College of Charleston transfer Josh Jackson on board to go with Johnson and swingman Jason Flagler in the post and Julius Carter and Wesley Telfaire available off the bench, the Bulldogs' frontcourt will be its deepest in years.
With three scholarships available, Carter is focusing his attention of signing a point guard (after highly-touted prospect Darian Norris de-committed to SCSU) and a couple of wing players. Brandon Smalls, a 6-5 swingman out of North Charleston currently playing for Harcum College in Bryn Marr, Penn. indicated back in January his intentions to sign with SCSU once the signing period starts April 1.
"We've got to get a couple of more wings to get over the hump," Carter said. "Our wing play this year was the weakest part. Carrio was very consistent all year long. Carrio gave us great effort all year. He may not have scored points, but he always gave great effort.
"We always knew what we were going to get out of Carrio, but we were very inconsistent otherwise on the wing. I really feel like we need to get additional help on the wing and get another point guard to go with Jessie, and then I think we're going to be in good shape."
Speaking of shape, Carter plans to hire another strength and conditioning coach to put the returning SCSU players through a off-season summer weight lighting program. The same coach is also expected to work with the women's basketball team.
Carter's staff is also looking forward this summer to holding individual and team camps after a one-year hiatus.
T&D Senior Sports Writer Thomas Grant Jr. can be reached by e-mail at tgrant@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5547. Discuss this and other stories on-line at TheTandD.com.
By THOMAS GRANT JR., T&D Senior Sports Writer | Tuesday, March 18, 2008
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It takes Tim Carter a few seconds to find the word to describe his just-completed inaugural season as South Carolina State men's basketball coach.
When he does, the word of choice is more than understandable and fitting following a campaign which saw the Bulldogs lose the most games in school history.
"Without a doubt, I was say this was the most challenging year in my coaching career," Carter said Monday.
The 13-20 overall record only tells a part of the story for what Carter experienced in his first season. Taking over a program demoralized by three straight losing seasons and the controversy which ultimately led to the firing after one season of predecessor Jamal Brown and a brutal non-conference schedule, Carter faced the dual challenge of trying to erase the damage on the fly while putting together a winning product on the floor.
It was a painful process, made harder after the dismissals of starting point guard Derrick Davis and reserve forward David Cobb. Yet towards the end of the season, SCSU showed semblance of becoming the team Carter eventually hopes to have in place.
"We started playing very well late," he said. "I just think taking over a program which hadn't won in a long time and the challenges of trying to change attitudes of how you go about winning - I had been around winning for so long that it was just very challenging."
Ironically, the Feb. 9 loss to Coppin State after which Cobb was kicked off the team proved to be a critical turning point for both teams.
The Eagles won six of their last seven regular-season games after beating SCSU to finish tied for seventh with the Bulldogs in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference standings. Because of the head-to-head tiebreaker advantage, Coppin State (16-20) claimed the higher seeding for the conference tournament where it won four straight games, including a 62-60 win over in-town rival and regular-season champion Morgan State, to earn the automatic NCAA tournament bid and a spot in tonight's opener in Dayton, Ohio against Mount St. Mary's.
"The team that gets hot is the team that can really shock some people and that's exactly what happened," Carter said. "Coppin got hot late. Not necessarily late, but they got on a roll. They got into the tournament and never really looked back."
As for SCSU, it went 5-4 after returning from Baltimore and enduring the fallout from the Cobb departure. Two of the losses against Hampton (77-74) and North Carolina A&T (73-71) came in the final seconds and only SCSU trailed Morgan State by a point at halftime in the conference semifinal before losing 77-68.
Through the adversity, Carter witnessed the Bulldogs become a more cohesive, hustling competitive unit.
"All year long, I kept telling our staff let's find ways to get better," Carter said. "Sometimes fans don't understand that you can get better by deduction - and we definitely got better. And I'll leave it at that."
A major reason for the turnaround was the improved play of point guard Jessie Burton. Once used sparingly in the final minutes of games because of turnover problems, Burton developed into a solid floor leader and the Bulldogs' top threat from 3-point range (hitting 40.6 percent from behind the arc).
"Jessie Burton is without a doubt the most improved player on our basketball team," Carter said. "Jessie was playing so well the last 5 to 7 games that when we lost Jessie (late in) the A&T game, we floundered. Jessie was playing great basketball."
In MEAC Rookie of the Year guard Carrio Bennett and team-leading scorer and rebounder and second team All-MEAC forward Jason Johnson, Carter found two newcomers to serve as building blocks for the solid foundation he's trying to build at SCSU. With College of Charleston transfer Josh Jackson on board to go with Johnson and swingman Jason Flagler in the post and Julius Carter and Wesley Telfaire available off the bench, the Bulldogs' frontcourt will be its deepest in years.
With three scholarships available, Carter is focusing his attention of signing a point guard (after highly-touted prospect Darian Norris de-committed to SCSU) and a couple of wing players. Brandon Smalls, a 6-5 swingman out of North Charleston currently playing for Harcum College in Bryn Marr, Penn. indicated back in January his intentions to sign with SCSU once the signing period starts April 1.
"We've got to get a couple of more wings to get over the hump," Carter said. "Our wing play this year was the weakest part. Carrio was very consistent all year long. Carrio gave us great effort all year. He may not have scored points, but he always gave great effort.
"We always knew what we were going to get out of Carrio, but we were very inconsistent otherwise on the wing. I really feel like we need to get additional help on the wing and get another point guard to go with Jessie, and then I think we're going to be in good shape."
Speaking of shape, Carter plans to hire another strength and conditioning coach to put the returning SCSU players through a off-season summer weight lighting program. The same coach is also expected to work with the women's basketball team.
Carter's staff is also looking forward this summer to holding individual and team camps after a one-year hiatus.
T&D Senior Sports Writer Thomas Grant Jr. can be reached by e-mail at tgrant@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5547. Discuss this and other stories on-line at TheTandD.com.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Bulldogs, be sure to pass this info to kids in your areas!
Freshman Scholarships
Scholarships at South Carolina State University are established through the generosity of private donors, organizations, business and industry, and the University community. These scholarships are designed to recognize leadership qualities, to reward exceptional academic performance, and to assist academically talented students financially.
Scholarships are available to incoming freshman who enroll at the University as full-time, degree seeking students. The deadline for submitting scholarship applications is March 31, unless otherwise stated. All students applying for scholarships must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form (the University Title IV school code is 003446) and have the Student Aid Report (SAR) sent to the Office of Financial Aid at South Carolina State University by May 1.
Scholarships are renewable (unless otherwise stated) up to three years if all requirements for renewal are satisfied.
Persons interested in any of the scholarships listed below should contact:
Freshman Scholarships
Office of Admissions & Recruitment
South Carolina State University
300 College Street, NE
Orangeburg, SC 29117
Presidential Scholarship
Full or partial scholarships designed to cover tuition, fees, room and board. Qualifications: Rank in the top twenty five percent (25%) of the senior class, SAT score of 1200, or ACT composite score of 27, Outstanding leadership qualities. Must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
Honors Program Scholarship
Award varies from $5,500 to $10,700 over four years. Qualifications: Is typically reserved for a National Merit finalist or semi-finalist, an applicant score four or more on Advanced Placement tests, and an applicant with an outstanding GPA, SAT or ACT score.
General University Scholarship
Full or partial scholarships designed to cover tuition, fees, room and board. Qualifications: SAT score of 1100 or ACT score of 24, Rank in the top 25% of the senior class, GPA of 3.0.
Valedictorian Scholarship
(Deadline June 1) In each high school graduating class, the student designated for this honor will receive a $2,000 scholarship.
School of Applied Professional Sciences
Scholarships are available valued at $1,000. Qualifications: SAT score of 920 or ACT composite score of 19, rank in the top 25% of the senior class, a declared major in Nutrition and Food Management, or Family and Consumer Sciences Education.
School of Business
Scholarships including books are awarded up to $6,000, per academic year. Applicants must pursue a degree in a business major. Qualifications: High School GPA of 3.0, SAT score of 1100, or ACT composite score of 24, rank in the top twenty percent of the senior class.
USDA Capacity Building Grant stipends
Awards vary from $500 to $1,500. Applicants must pursue a degree in a business, preferably agribusiness major. Qualifications: SAT score of 1100, or ACT composite score of 24, two letters of recommendation from high school counselor and principal.
School of Engineering Technology and Sciences
Awards are valued up to $5,000 a year. Applicants must pursue a degree in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Computer Science, and Electrical, Mechanical, and Civil Engineering Technology. Qualifications; SAT score of 1100, or ACT composite score 24, Rank in the top 25% of the senior class. GPA of 3.0, Participation in the Summer Bridge Program is required.
Army ROTC Scholarship
Four year scholarships valued at approximately $10,920. Application deadline November 15. Scholarship awards include a tax exempt stipend of $150 per month. Applicants must be interested in Active Army, Army National Guard, or Army Reserve. Qualifications: Must be a U.S. citizen, rank in the upper 25% of the senior class, SAT score of 850, or ACT composite score of 19, possess leadership potential and have good moral character, be oriented toward the Army.
Alumni Association
National Alumni Association Scholarship
Scholarship valued at $4,000 over four years. Application deadline June 15. Qualifications: must rank in the top ten percent of the senior class, SAT score of 700 or 17 on the ACT, demonstrate leadership qualities, have clearly defined educational goals.
Walmart Competitive Edge Scholarship
Scholarship valued at $5,000 funded by the Walmart stores, Inc. Applicants must pursue a degree in Biology, Chemistry, Civil Engineering Technology, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering Technology, Industrial Engineering Technology, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering Technology, and Physics. Qualifications: Must be a U.S. Citizen, SAT score of 1100, or ACT composite score of 27, GPA of 3.5, Rank in the top ten percent of the senior class, demonstrated community service and leadership.
Robert Shaw Evans Endowment Scholarship
Scholarship valued at $700 per year. Application deadline: June 15. Persons applying for this scholarship should contact: Chairperson Robert Shaw Evans Endowment Scholarship; address: P.O. Box 7034, South Carolina State University, 300 College Street, Orangeburg, SC 29117. Qualification: minimum GPA of 3.0.
Scholarships at South Carolina State University are established through the generosity of private donors, organizations, business and industry, and the University community. These scholarships are designed to recognize leadership qualities, to reward exceptional academic performance, and to assist academically talented students financially.
Scholarships are available to incoming freshman who enroll at the University as full-time, degree seeking students. The deadline for submitting scholarship applications is March 31, unless otherwise stated. All students applying for scholarships must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form (the University Title IV school code is 003446) and have the Student Aid Report (SAR) sent to the Office of Financial Aid at South Carolina State University by May 1.
Scholarships are renewable (unless otherwise stated) up to three years if all requirements for renewal are satisfied.
Persons interested in any of the scholarships listed below should contact:
Freshman Scholarships
Office of Admissions & Recruitment
South Carolina State University
300 College Street, NE
Orangeburg, SC 29117
Presidential Scholarship
Full or partial scholarships designed to cover tuition, fees, room and board. Qualifications: Rank in the top twenty five percent (25%) of the senior class, SAT score of 1200, or ACT composite score of 27, Outstanding leadership qualities. Must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
Honors Program Scholarship
Award varies from $5,500 to $10,700 over four years. Qualifications: Is typically reserved for a National Merit finalist or semi-finalist, an applicant score four or more on Advanced Placement tests, and an applicant with an outstanding GPA, SAT or ACT score.
General University Scholarship
Full or partial scholarships designed to cover tuition, fees, room and board. Qualifications: SAT score of 1100 or ACT score of 24, Rank in the top 25% of the senior class, GPA of 3.0.
Valedictorian Scholarship
(Deadline June 1) In each high school graduating class, the student designated for this honor will receive a $2,000 scholarship.
School of Applied Professional Sciences
Scholarships are available valued at $1,000. Qualifications: SAT score of 920 or ACT composite score of 19, rank in the top 25% of the senior class, a declared major in Nutrition and Food Management, or Family and Consumer Sciences Education.
School of Business
Scholarships including books are awarded up to $6,000, per academic year. Applicants must pursue a degree in a business major. Qualifications: High School GPA of 3.0, SAT score of 1100, or ACT composite score of 24, rank in the top twenty percent of the senior class.
USDA Capacity Building Grant stipends
Awards vary from $500 to $1,500. Applicants must pursue a degree in a business, preferably agribusiness major. Qualifications: SAT score of 1100, or ACT composite score of 24, two letters of recommendation from high school counselor and principal.
School of Engineering Technology and Sciences
Awards are valued up to $5,000 a year. Applicants must pursue a degree in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Computer Science, and Electrical, Mechanical, and Civil Engineering Technology. Qualifications; SAT score of 1100, or ACT composite score 24, Rank in the top 25% of the senior class. GPA of 3.0, Participation in the Summer Bridge Program is required.
Army ROTC Scholarship
Four year scholarships valued at approximately $10,920. Application deadline November 15. Scholarship awards include a tax exempt stipend of $150 per month. Applicants must be interested in Active Army, Army National Guard, or Army Reserve. Qualifications: Must be a U.S. citizen, rank in the upper 25% of the senior class, SAT score of 850, or ACT composite score of 19, possess leadership potential and have good moral character, be oriented toward the Army.
Alumni Association
National Alumni Association Scholarship
Scholarship valued at $4,000 over four years. Application deadline June 15. Qualifications: must rank in the top ten percent of the senior class, SAT score of 700 or 17 on the ACT, demonstrate leadership qualities, have clearly defined educational goals.
Walmart Competitive Edge Scholarship
Scholarship valued at $5,000 funded by the Walmart stores, Inc. Applicants must pursue a degree in Biology, Chemistry, Civil Engineering Technology, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering Technology, Industrial Engineering Technology, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering Technology, and Physics. Qualifications: Must be a U.S. Citizen, SAT score of 1100, or ACT composite score of 27, GPA of 3.5, Rank in the top ten percent of the senior class, demonstrated community service and leadership.
Robert Shaw Evans Endowment Scholarship
Scholarship valued at $700 per year. Application deadline: June 15. Persons applying for this scholarship should contact: Chairperson Robert Shaw Evans Endowment Scholarship; address: P.O. Box 7034, South Carolina State University, 300 College Street, Orangeburg, SC 29117. Qualification: minimum GPA of 3.0.
Welcome Coach Lewis
Director of Football Operations
Danny Lewis, a former assistant coach and administrator in the collegiate ranks, serves as the director of football operations for Rick Stockstill's staff. Lewis made his way to Murfreesboro after spending the previous five years at The Citadel.
Along with overseeing the day-to-day logistics of the football program, Lewis works closely with the head coach on virtually every aspect involving the Blue Raider football program.
Lewis, who spent 2005 as an assistant athletic director for compliance and academic services, was an assistant coach for the Bulldogs his first four years. From 2001 through the 2004 season, Lewis served as the running backs coach and recruiting coordinator. In 2003 and 2004, he was elevated to assistant head coach.
Much of the Bulldogs' successes with recruiting from 2001 to 2004 were a direct result of Lewis' work. Lewis had strong recruiting ties in the state of South Carolina and was a driving force behind two of the largest recruiting classes in school history. He came to The Citadel from the University of South Carolina, where he assisted with recruiting for Coach Lou Holtz's Gamecocks.
During Lewis' tenure at The Citadel, he coached back-to-back-to-back-to-back All-Southern Conference performers at running back with Maurice Murphy taking home the hardware in 2001 and junior Nehemiah Broughton earning all-league accolades in 2002 and 2003. Under Lewis' guidance, Broughton excelled and became only the 11th Bulldog in history to rush for over 1,000 yards in a season in 2002. Broughton was taken in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins.
A native of Lexington, S.C., where he played wide receiver at Lexington High, Lewis played tight end and lettered at Charleston Southern before graduating in 1995 from the University of South Carolina. He began his coaching career at Newberry College under Mike Taylor from 1998 to 1999 and guided the offensive line and acted as the Indians' recruiting coordinator. While at Newberry, which broke various school records during his stop there, Lewis coached four all-South Athletic Conference performers, including left tackle Van Williams, who participated in the Division II All-Star Game.
He spent the spring of 2000 on Coach Tony Felder's staff at Benedict College as the offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator before accepting a graduate assistant's position under Holtz at USC, working primarily with recruiting. He was a member of the USC coaching staff that led the Gamecocks to one of the most memorable seasons in their history, including a victory over Ohio State in the 2000 Outback Bowl in Tampa.
Born June 16, 1972, Lewis is married to the former Kim Shaw of Lexington. They have two sons, Eric and Alex.
