This page consists of facts and some rumors. Do you have info you want to share? Email me at
swindoll@genespage.com
| 2004 | Jan | Feb | Mar |
|---|
04/29/04
If any of you have a son or daughter, ages 7 to 18, who would like to attend the Erick Dampier Basketball Camp June 10th-12 at Millsaps college, the cost is $175.00 and the money goes to the Erick Dampier Non-Profit Foundation. You can e-mail Ed Jones, the Executive Director of the foundation, at edjones@erickdampier.org and he'll take care of you.
To visit Erick Dampier's Foundation website, click the link below.
04/28/04
Women's Basketball
STARKVILLE, Miss. Mississippi State women's basketball head coach Sharon Fanning announced Wednesday the signing of two more additions for the 2004-05 season. Memphis' "Best of the Preps" standout April Nathaniel and Alexandria Hagler have signed a national letter-of-intent to play with the
Lady Bulldogs next year.
Nathaniel, a 5-8 guard, will graduate from Hamilton High School in Memphis, Tenn. She was the leading scorer in the district and second in the city averaging double digits while with the Wildcats, putting up 24 points per game, six assists per game, five rebounds per game and three steals per game in her senior year campaign. She led Hamilton to a 15-12 overall record in her last year and advanced to the Region 8-AAA Tournament quarterfinals.
She was named the "Best of the Preps" for her senior and junior year performances, honoring her as the top senior and junior in Memphis. Nathaniel was a two-time all-District and all-Region player. She was also named the District Player of the Year and Tournament Player of the Year her junior season and all-State honorable mention this past year.
"April is a very good athlete who knows how to score," said Fanning. "Her quickness and athletic ability should compliment the guard position. She can play point or shooting guard and has a great feel for the game. Her range and ability to penetrate makes her hard to guard. She looks to make an immediate contribution as a freshman."
Central High School graduate Hagler led the Warriors to a 27-8 record in her final year. For the second straight year, Central advanced to the first round of the state regional. The 6-1 forward averaged 10 points per game and eight rebounds per game that led to a two-time all-District and all-Region selections. She was a member of several all-Tournament teams and voted Most Improved on her team for her senior season campaign.
"Alex is an aggressive rebounder with quickness and strength to help us on the inside," said Fanning. "She runs the floor hard and doesnąt mind contact at the low post. Her mobility allows her to face up and score from the perimeter or play on top of the press defensively. We anticipate her contribution at the low post and believe her work ethic will make us better."
Nathaniel and Hagler join Miayorka Johnson of Ripley, Miss., and Amy Reeder of Pontotoc, Miss., as Lady Bulldog signees for the class of 2007-08.
Source: MSU Media Relations
04/27/04
Women's Basketball
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- The Mississippi State women' s basketball team was honored Monday night at the annual Lady Bulldog banquet. Coach Fanning's 2003-04 squad finished out the season 14-15 and 7-7 in the conference. Wrapping up her ninth year at State, Fanning is 153-113 with the Lady Bulldogs and 476-339 in 28 years as a head coach.
Junior guard Tan White and senior guard/forward Seneca Anderson headlined most of the awards. White accumulated the Free Throw Percentage Award for averaging 82 percent; the Most Assists Award (99) for the third consecutive year; Most Deflections Award for the second year; Best Rebounder Award for pulling down 131 boards and Most Valuable Player. The Tupelo, native led the team with 20.2 points per game and 6.3 rebounds per game. After her junior year, she finished second on the MSU career scoring list with 1,740 career points.
Anderson took home the Field Goal Percentage Award for averaging 48 percent, Most Improved Player and Best Defensive Player Award for her senior year campaign. She finished third on the team with 7.6 points per game and fourth on the team with 4.2 rebounds per game. The Benton, Miss. native posted 213 of her 498 career points her senior year.
Senior guard Faithe McGhee was given the Coaches Award while junior forward Rebecca Kates was handed the Newsom Academic Award for having the highest GPA on the team for the second straight year. Kates, a two-time selection on the SEC Good Works Team, was also awarded the Sonny Mullins Community Service Award for the second year as well.
Awards
Source: MSU Media Relations
04/21/04
In an interview with the Decatur Daily newspaper, Parker High School head basketball coach Maurice Ford stated that forward Walter Sharpe, considered one of the top 50 players in the nation, will choose between Mississippi State and Alabama either Wednesday or Friday. Coach Ford hinted that Sharpe might be leaning to MSU.
04/15/04
STARKVILLE, Miss. - A total of six Mississippi State basketball student-athletes have been named to the 2003-04 SEC Winter Academic Honor Roll for their respective classroom efforts during the 2003 Spring, Summer and Fall terms. The announcement was made this week by SEC Commissioner Mike Slive from the league's Birmingham-based office.
From MSU's SEC Champion Bulldog squad, Wesley Morgan, Shane Power, Michael Boler and Dennis Buse were named to this year's winter academic roster, while coach Sharon Fanning's Lady Bulldogs were represented by Rebecca Kates and Mamie McKinney.
A native of Gallatin, Tenn., Morgan has compiled a 3.06 cumulative grade point average in sports communication. Junior Shane Power has maintained a 3.22 cumulative GPA in sports communication. Redshirt freshman Michael Boler has compiled an impressive 3.63 cumulative GPA in biological sciences. Veteran walk-on Dennis Buse posted a 3.02 GPA over the previous three semesters combined. Junior forward Rebecca Kates maintained a 3.01 cumulative grade point average in communications with an emphasis in broadcasting and a minor in public relations. Sophomore forward Mamie McKinney has compiled a cumulative GPA of 3.04 in business information systems.
Source: MSU Media Relations
04/13/04
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Honoring the school's first outright SEC championship team in more than 40 years, the 2003-04 Mississippi State Bulldogs were recognized Monday during their 26th annual Babe McCarthy Tip-Off Club Awards Banquet held on the MSU campus.
Along with claiming State's first outright regular-season league title since 1962-63 by posting a school-best 14-2 SEC mark, the 26-4 Bulldogs also made school history by competing in a fourth consecutive postseason tournament and earning a third straight NCAA Tournament berth under the direction of AP's SEC Coach of the Year Rick Stansbury. MSU's third consecutive 20-win campaign was also highlighted by garnering a school-best No. 2 tournament seeding in the NCAA Atlanta Region played in Orlando, Fla., as well as compiling a school-first undefeated road record (12-0) in both non-conference and SEC regular-season competition. Ranked as high as fourth nationally in The Associated Press poll for two separate weeks during the regular season, the team's season-ending No. 8 national ranking in the AP Top 25 marked State's highest final ranking in the wire service poll since 1962-63.
Individually, senior co-captains Timmy Bowers and Branden Vincent led the way by each collecting three awards during Monday's banquet festivities. Ranking as the all-time winningest basketball player in school history and the first MSU player to participate in four postseason tournaments, Bowers earned the team's Most Assists Award after ranking as the SEC's third-leading playmaker (4.8 apg) this past season. The All-SEC First Team selection from Gulfport capped the night's events by being presented the team's prestigious Babe McCarthy Memorial Award, presented annually to the Bulldog player who best exemplifies the highest traits of character, leadership, desire and hustle. Bowers, who ranked as a national finalist for this year's inaugural Bob Cousy Collegiate Point Guard of the Year Award, completed his sparkling four-year collegiate career ranked 12th on the school's all-time scoring list with 1,300 career points, in addition to standing 10th in assists (301), fourth in steals (161) and second in made 3-pointers (197).
Also receiving a Senior Award, along with Bowers, five-year veteran Lincoln Smith, walk-ons Dennis Buse and Errol Bennett, and senior manager Erick Casto, Vincent was the recipient of the team's Best Defensive Player and Most Improved Player Awards.
Junior Lawrence Roberts, the consensus SEC Player of the Year in his first season with the Bulldogs, brought home the team's Bailey Howell Rebounding Award and Best Offensive Player Award after recently being named the school's first-ever Wooden Award All-American and becoming State's first AP All-American First Team selection since NBA Hall of Famer Bailey Howell (1958-59).
Junior swingman Shane Power, who was this year's recipient of the inaugural SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award, claimed MSU's first-ever Best Three-point Field Goal Percentage Award after establishing a new single-season school standard by hitting 48.1 percent of his 3-pointers this past season. Fellow junior starter Winsome Frazier collected his second straight Best Free Throw Percentage Award after shooting 79.1 percent from the charity stripe on the year. Redshirt freshman Michael Boler rounded out this year's award winners by earning the team's Academic Award with a 3.63 cumulative GPA in biological sciences.
Source: MSU Media Relations
04/07/04
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State's two-time all-SEC guard Timmy Bowers has accepted an invitation to compete in this week's prestigious Portsmouth Invitational Tournament in Virginia.
The nation's oldest amateur basketball tournament, the 52nd Annual Portsmouth Invitational Tournament is recognized by NBA and European scouts as the premier showcase for future professional players. This year's event begins Wednesday and runs through this Saturday at the Churchland High School gymnasium in Portsmouth. Set to be a member of the Tidewater Sealants squad, where he is slated to team with William Carey's Jaeson Maravich, Bowers' first competition will come Wednesday in Game 2 of the PIT against the Holiday Inn-Portsmouth club featuring Xavier's Anthony Myles and Brandon Mouton of Texas.
Noted as the only tournament for college seniors to participate in and be evaluated by the National Basketball Association prior to the league's pre-draft camp in Chicago this June, this year's PIT is scheduled to also feature fellow SEC standouts Rashad Wright of Georgia, Mississippi's Justin Reed, as well as the Kentucky trio of Erik Daniels, Gerald Fitch and Cliff Hawkins. A total of 64 players have accepted invitations to compete in the four-day event, which will consist of 11 games beginning with Wednesday's opening-round games and concluding with the consolation championship, third-place championship and overall championship contests on Saturday.
A national finalist for this year's inaugural Bob Cousy Collegiate Point Guard of the Year Award, Bowers completed his four-year collegiate career ranked 12th on Mississippi State's all-time list with 1,300 career points, along with standing second with 197 career made 3-pointers behind former State sharpshooter Darryl Wilson, fourth with 161 career steals and 10th with 301 career assists. The Gulfport native and former Mississippi prep player of the year at Harrison Central High School also collected all-America honors and was tabbed the SEC's MVP this past season by the CollegeInsider.com website. A national nominee for both the Senior CLASS Award and Collegiate Basketball Award of Excellence this past year, Bowers remains on target to earn his bachelor's degree in fitness management this spring.
The money raised annually by the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament is funneled to local non-profit organizations and scholarships to deserving high school student-athletes. The PIT has raised more than $450,000 in contributions to these causes over the years, and a total of 100 PIT scholarships have been awarded to deserving high school athletes. Additional information on the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament can be found at www.portsmouthinvitational.com.
Source: MSU Media Relations