UNDER THE BANNER
What's Going On In and Around Black College Sports
WEEKS SWEEP?: Two-time SWAC Player of the Year, second baseman Rickie Weeks of Southern, already
named winner of Collegiate Baseball's National Player of the
Year award and picked second overall in last week's Major League Baseball Draft,
is one of three finalists for the Rotary Smith Award, another honor that goes
to the top player in Div. I baseball. The 16th Rotary Smith Award winner will
be announced at the conclusion of a gala dinner at the J.W. Marriott Hotel in
Houston on June 26. Weeks is also one of five finalists for the 2003 Golden Spikes
Award which will be announced July 15 on Fox Sports Net. The Golden Spikes Award
represents a partnership between USA Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players
Association and is considered amateur baseball's most esteemed honor. Weeks,
who won his second consecutive NCAA batting title (.498) while clubbing 17 home
runs and knocking in 73 runs, is the first-ever black college finalist for either
of the three awards.
STREET & SMITH'S FOOTBALL: The 2003 edition of the Street & Smith's College Football Magazine is out with limited coverage of the black college conferences. The company that for three years (1998 to 2000) produced a full magazine devoted to black college football has reduced its in-depth coverage to just the Mid Eastern Athletic Conference and the Southwestern Athletic Conference in 2003 along with all-American teams and a Top Ten. Three-time champ Grambling State is picked to win its fourth straight SWAC title while defending champ Bethune-Cookman is the top choice in the MEAC. The two teams are also ranked first in the preseason Top Ten.
S&S 2003 PRESEASON TOP TEN
1. Bethune-Cookman
1. Grambling State
3. Tuskegee
4. Alabama A&M
5. Florida A&M
6. Hampton
7. Jackson State
8. Fayetteville State
9. Albany State
10. Morgan State
PRESEASON ALL-AMERICANS
OFFENSE
QB - Bruce Eugene, 6-1, 250, Jr., Grambling State
RB - Courtland Florence, 6-1, 195, Sr., Tuskegee
RB - Duron Croson, 6-2, 225, Sr., Fort Valley State
WR - Tramon Douglas, 6-1, 205, WR, Grambling State
WR - Kenneth Rogers, 6-0, 180, Sr., Morehouse
TE - Goodluck Owi, 6-4, 245, Sr., Norfolk State
OL - Robertville Louis, 6-1, 295, Jr., Alabama A&M
OL - Kareem Saunders, 6-3, 325, Jr., NC A&T
OL - Jason Lewis, 6-1, 300, Sr., Alcorn State
OL - Marcus McNair, 6-2, 275, Sr., Winston-Salem State
C - Jelani Clement, 6-2, 310, Jr., Hampton
PK - VIncent Patrick, 5-11, 190, Sr., Texas Southern
RS - Cordell Roane, 5-10, 170, Sr., VIrginia Union
DEFENSE
DL - Steve Baggs, 6-2, 225, Sr., Bethune-Cookman
DL - Isaac Hilton, 6-5, 250, Sr., Hampton
DL - Deon Debose, 6-1, 290, Jr., Jackson State
DL - Sheldon Connor, 6-3, 270, Sr., NC Central
LB - Atcheson Conway, 6-1, 220, Jr., Bowie State
LB - Dwam Wilson, 6-3, 225, Jr., Alcorn State
LB - Jamal Muhammad, 6-1, 240, Jr., Bethune-Cookman
DB - Levy Brown, 5-11, 185, Sr., Florida A&M
DB - Tyrone Parsons, 5-10, 165, Sr., Alcorn State
DB - Lenny Williams, 6-0, 185, Sr., Southern
DB - Curtis DeLoatch, 6-3, 205, Sr., NC A&T
P - Shane Phillips, 6-3, 225, So., Alcorn State
© 2003 Azeez Communications, Inc.