Jaguar’s Beard Named SBC Pitcher Of The Week
The Sun Belt Conference announced Monday that Jaguar Sophomore pitcher Farish Beard was named the Pitcher of the Week for the opening-week of the season. She is the first Jaguar pitcher to earn this honor since Beth Pilgrim back on May 10, 2010.
Beard went 2-0 in three appearances in South Alabama’s opening weekend at the Bulldog Kickoff Classic in Starkville, Mississippi. She notched 16 strikeouts and only allowed two runs to earn an ERA of 1.02 in 13.2 innings pitched.
She pitched over five innings of hitless ball in six innings against Georgia State. She pitched 3 2/3rds innings in relief for the Jags against Tennessee State, holding them to no hits and struck out five as the Jags rallied to score eight successive runs following her entry into the game. She was also voted a member of the All-Tournament team for her effort over the weekend.
With her help, the Jags have started the season 3-1, the Jags final game of the Classic against Mississippi State, that was scheduled for Sunday, was cancelled due to weather.
Beard hails from Fairhope, Alabama.
The Jags were scheduled to play the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa today, but the game has been postponed due to weather. The next game the Jags are scheduled to play is on Friday, February 15 against Central Arkansas in the Mardi Gras Invitational here in Mobile, Alabama. The Invitational runs through Sunday.
Jags Hold On To Defeat FAU 72-71
Augustine Rubit scored 18 points to move into the Top 10 career scorers in South Alabama history. Photo by John Adams | usajaguars.com
The South Alabama Jaguars needed a key putback by Augustine Rubit to hold on for a 72-71 win over Florida Atlantic at the Mitchell Center Saturday night in front of the largest crowd in two seasons. Rubit missed his shot with 35.2 seconds left in the game but fought for the rebound and putback.
The win improves the Jags record to 14-9 overall and 11-4 in Sun Belt play, the Jags first 11 win conference record since the 2007-2008 season. Florida Atlantic falls to 11-15 on the season and 6-9 in Sun Belt play.
“It was just another really hard-fought game,” interim head coach Jeff Price said in his post-game press conference. “I keep telling people our games are going to be battles. With our depth and the way we’re limited, we just have to grind out games. I don’t know that we’re going to blow anybody out. I sure would love to, but I think this is something we’re going to see the rest of the year. Our guys know how to play in close games. If you go back and look at our win margins, they’re really close, but we’re finding a way to get it done. We’re doing what we need to do at the end of the game, which is impressive to our credit.”
Rubit finished the game with a team-high 18 points and five rebounds. He accounted for the Jags final seven points of the contest but missed several minutes in the second half due to an ankle injury. He was able to play down the stretch but was visibly limping at times.
“He (Rubit) really wasn’t anywhere near 100 percent, but if he’s in the game, we’re going to go to him, hurt or not hurt,” Price explained. “We went to him, and he found a way to get it done. He had a late basket, and the last one he missed, he tipped it back in. He did what he had to do, and he did a nice job on the last defensive possession before the timeout.”
It was another game that kept the fans engaged and excited as neither team led by more than two points in the final 6:16 of the game. Actually there were 12 ties and 12 lead changes.
Jordan McCoy tied the game at 63-63 with a three-point play at the 6:16 mark then both teams traded scores on the next six possessions, which was capped off with two foul shots by Stefan Moody with 4:04 left in the game to tie it back up at 69-69.
Defenses on both ends of the court would tighten up only allowing five total points in the final four minutes of the game. Rubit broke a tie making one field goal before McCoy hit two to take the lead with 1:02 left in the game. Rubit’s key tip-in came with :35 seconds left in the game to give the Jags the final margin of 72-71.
South Alabama went into the locker room at halftime thanks to free throw shooting. They made 11 of 12 attempts while only shooting 34.6 percent from the floor.
Florida Atlantic’s Greg Gantt is the eighth-leading scorer in the nation and had a game-high 23 points on 4-of-8 shooting from outside the arc. However the Jaguar defense was held scoreless for almost the final 14 minutes of the game.
“I think we were very dysfunctional in the first half,” Price observed. “We were lethargic again, and we were standing around too much. They crushed us on the offensive glass in the first half. We gave up 13 points in the paint and nine offensive rebounds, which can’t happen with our team.”
“Gantt’s just a great player, and you have to know where he is at all times,” Price said. “If you let up off the ball for a second, he’s going to find a way to get open. They screen for him, and he doesn’t need a lot of space to get a shot off. He’s a good player. He cut loose a couple times, but I thought our effort was pretty good on him for the most part.”
The Jags shot 18-of-20 from the free throw line in the game. Rubit moved into South Alabama’s top 10 in career scoring and into 14th place in the Sun Belt in career rebounds.
The Jags close out their three-game homestand on Thursday when they host Louisiana-Lafayette for a 7:05 tipoff at the Mitchell Center.
SBC Officials Choose New Orleans To Host Future Basketball Championships
Almost lost lead-up to National Signing Day, the Sun Belt Conference office announced on Tuesday where the future Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments will be held starting in 2014.
Conference officials announced that Lakefront Arena in New Orleans will be the new host site of the SBC Tournament through 2016. Previously, Lakefront Arena hosted the Sun Belt Championships in 2002 when the University of New Orleans was a member of the conference. However this time it will be a neutral site for the tournament, making it the third such arena to host the Sun Belt Tournament as a neutral site.
Recently Lakefront Arena has undergone renovations that include $3.5 million eterior metal facade and sloped roof panels, a $1.5 million state-of-the-art bitumen roof system, $2.5 million in new seating with 8,700 total seats, $1.2 million in ramp renovations, new flooring through out the second level concourse, new tiles and restroom fixtures throughout the building, lighting upgrades, a new sound system and the addition of two new lounges.
This announcement about the relocation of the tournament comes with a year left on the existing agreement with the city of Hot Springs, Arkansas. Both parties mutually agreed to split ways after the fifth consecutive year of hosting the Tournament after this year’s tournament on March 8-11.
“All of the characteristics that make New Orleans one of the greatest tourist destinations in the world will guarantee that the Sun Belt Conference’s student-athletes, fans, coaches and administrators will love coming to the ‘Big Easy’ every March,” Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation CEO Jay Cicero said in a statement with the Sun Belt Conference. “We look forward to playing an important role in making this one of the NCAA’s best conference tournaments.”
“New Orleans is a great destination for our basketball championships and the recent renovations to Lakefront Arena make it an excellent venue to showcase our league,” Sun Belt Conference Commissioner Karl Benson said in a statement on Tuesday. “In addition to being a great geographical fit for our membership, New Orleans has an incredible track record of hosting great sporting events – including the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl which has had a Sun Belt participant since the inaugural game in 2001. The city’s great restaurants, shopping, entertainment and accommodations, provide Sun Belt fans numerous things to do when away from the arena.”
“New Orleans is a great destination for Sun Belt fans, as those who have attended the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl can attest,” said Dr. Jack Hawkins, Jr., Chancellor of Troy University and President of the Sun Belt Conference Executive Committee in the statement. “It provides an excellent geographical fit for our league and is easily reachable for our fans. As we make this announcement, however, I would be remiss if I did not thank the City of Hot Springs for four and soon to be five memorable tournaments, starting in 2009.”
“The city of Hot Springs and the Hot Springs Convention and Visitors Bureau have been terrific for the Sun Belt Conference,” said Commissioner Benson. “When Hot Springs began hosting the tournament in 2009 it was the first neutral site that the Sun Belt had used in over twenty years. The leadership of Steve Arrison and his staff made the existence of a neutral site basketball tournament for the Sun Belt possible.”
“We have had a great partnership with the Sun Belt Conference over the past five years and are looking forward to a great tournament come March,” said Hot Spring Convention and Visitors Bureau CEO Steve Arrison in the statement released by the Sun Belt Conference. “We originally had only a three year deal with the Sun Belt and are fortunate that next month we will have had five outstanding Sun Belt tournaments here in Hot Springs.”
Dates for the 2014 tournament will be released at a later date. But it is very exciting that New Orleans will be the host for the next three years. It’s a much easier location to reach for fans and has virtually unlimited sites and activities for fans to enjoy outside of the Arena. The city definitely had the upper hand as that is where the Conference headquarters are still located.
USA Softball Down Mississippi State To Open Season
The South Alabama Softball team earned a big season-opening win over Mississippi State Thursday night in Starkville, Mississippi. The Jags gave up two first-inning runs but battled back to earn a 3-2 win over the bulldogs.
MSU’s third batter to the plate knocked a two-run shot over left center to take the early 2-0 lead over the Jags. The Jaguars could not manage a hit against MSU’s Alison Owen until the fourth inning, but back-to-back doubles by Brittany Fowler and Kaitlyn Griffith followed by a sacrifice fly by Meghan Collins would tie the game at 2-2.
Then the Jaguars designated player Blair Johnson would hit her first collegiate home run over right center to give South Alabama their final score of the game.
Hannah Campbell earned the win for the Jags by pitching three shut-out innings and striking out four of the 10 batters she faced and only allowing one hit.
The Jags, 1-0 on the season, will face Southern Illinois-Edwardsville at 4:00pm and Tennessee State at 7:30pm as play continues in the Bulldog Kickoff Classic continues.
Jags Second Half Rally Downs Troy 65-62
Rubit earned his 12th double-double with 21 points and 12 rebounds against in-state foe Troy. Photo by John Adams | usajaguars.com
The South Alabama Men’s basketball team fought their selves back from an eight point deficit in the second half to defeat Troy 65-52 Thursday night at the Mitchell Center. The Jags had a 20-5 run in the second half and 20 consecutive free throws to end the game as they improve their overall record to 13-9 (10-4 SBC). Troy’s record falls to 10-14 on the season and 5-8 in Sun Belt play. This was the first win by the Jags after trailing at halftime.
Augustine Rubit notched his 13th double-double this season with a team-high 21 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. Dre Conner added 11 points and a perfect 8-of-8 from the foul line.
The Jags dug themselves a hole early in the game by going 4-of-13 from the foul line. But once they warmed up they made 20 in a row down the stretch to help retake the lead. Trey Anderson got it started when he made two shots with 10:25 left in the game then Rubit and Conner would combine for the next 18 shots, including the final 16 points of the game.
All through the first half the Jags and Trojans traded the lead back and forth until Troy took a five point lead into halftime. But the Trojans would take control in the second half with a 10-3 run to pull out to their largest lead of the game, 43-35 with 12:40 left in the game.
Rubit and Javier Carter would combine for eight points as the Jags answered with their own 10-3 run. But after two free throws by the Trojans, the Jags would take the lead for the final time with a 10-0 run.
Troy would work themselves within two points on three different occasions and would pull within one point, 61-60, with 18.1 seconds left when Hunter Williams hit a three pointer. However Rubit would draw a foul and sink both shots for a 63-60.
On the other end, Carter would get his fifth block of the game when he rejected a three-point attempt with eight seconds left in the game. Then Barrington Stevens III would foul Emil Jones as he was trying to pass the ball to send him to the line to shoot a one-and-one with 3.6 seconds left in the game.
Jones would make both shots to pull within one point again. But Rubit would seal the game with two free throws forcing Troy to take a desperation half-court shot at the buzzer. But the shot missed it’s mark.
Carter finished the game with eight rebounds and five of the Jaguars nine blocks in the game. He went a perfect 3-of-3 from the floor.
“That was a really hard-fought game,” interim head coach Jeff Price said after the game. “I don’t think anything is going to be easy for us at this point and it’s just a really hard-fought game. To their credit, I thought that they did a great job of making things difficult for us on the offensive end. They play a zone, they play a switching soft man to man and it really had us back on our heels in the first half, really the first thirty minutes of the game. That’s to their credit.”
“We have to do a better job of attacking,” Price continued. “Finally, towards the end of the game ,I thought we took over the game. In the last seven or eight minutes I thought we got really aggressive. We got the ball inside and we got to the free throw line. And like I keep saying that’s going to be the key to our team is to keep defending and keep getting to the free throw line.”
“Our free throw shooting was tremendous down the stretch,” Price observed. “We had 20 consecutive free throws which is outstanding. That won the game for us.”
“I thought Javier ,defensively, was really great,” Price said. “That’s why I always put him in late. He got a block on a three late in the game because of his length. And we were switching everyone one through five.”
The Jag will continue their three-game homestand against Florida Atlantic on Saturday in a Women’s and Men’s doubleheader at the Mitchell Center. The Lady Jaguars tip-off at 5:00 with the Men set to tip-off at 7:30pm (or 30 minutes after the Women’s game if it goes long). The game will be available on the Sun Belt Network (CSS/Cox).
South Alabama’s 2013 Football Signing Class
South Alabama signs 25 student-athletes in all to their 2013 signing class. Of the signees 17 signed National Letter-Of-Intents and two signed grants-in-aid on Wednesday.
Each recruiting site ranks the Jaguars differently in the Sun Belt Conference. Scout.com ranks the Jags third in the conference, Rivals.com ranks the Jags tied for seventh with Florida International while 247Sports puts the Jaguars recruiting class as #2 in the conference behind Louisiana-Lafayette. No matter how you look at it, it’s an impressive recruiting class for a program entering its first season as a full FBS and Sun Belt Conference member and only their fifth recruiting class in their short history.
The lure of competing for a Sun Belt Conference Championship and a bowl game berth aided the Jags in signing a class of good student-athletes on Wednesday.
“The reason we were able to get several of these really good football players is because we can go to a bowl game and we can win a championship,” Jones said in his press conference. “The last few years we have been selling South Alabama, facilities, the city of Mobile, which are all great things to sell, but at the end of the day you’re going to get better players when you tell them you’re going to be on television a lot, go to bowl games and compete for a championship.”
“There’s no doubt it especially helps with junior-college kids because they’ve only got a couple of years to play,” he continued. “They really don’t want to sit and wait for you and your program to evolve. They want it to happen right now. That’s the reason why I think we signed more quality junior-college kids.”
Among the 25 who signed with South Alabama, six junior college transfers signed in December while five more signed on Wednesday with 14 freshmen. The players had offers from schools like Alabama, Florida State, South Carolina, Michigan, Arkansas, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Vanderbilt, Clemson, Kansas State, Arizona, Arizona State, Cincinnati, Utah State, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Colorado State, Southern Miss, Boise State, Georgia Tech, Troy, Georgia State, Arkansas State, Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana-Monroe, Western Kentucky, Texas State, Louisiana Tech, Florida Atlantic, Florida International, Middle Tennessee State, North Texas, Memphis, UAB, Tulane, Ohio, Toledo, Marshall, Bowling Green and UMass.
Their primary focus was on defensive linemen and defensive backs on the defensive side of the ball while focusing on skilled playmakers on the offensive side of the ball.
Caleb Alves is a 6’3” 175-pound Wide Receiver from Palm Bay Senior High School from Melbourne, Florida. He ranked seventh in the Orlando Sentinel’s MidEast Florida Super 60 and was selected to the third team All-State team his senior season. He chose South Alabama over Bowling Green, Florida A&M, FIU, UMass and Memphis.
Noah Armstrong is a 6’7” 300-pound offensive lineman from Lawrence County High School in Moulton, Alabama. Rivals.com rated him a 3-star recruit and among the top 100 offensive linemen in the country. He had offers from Arkansas State, Western Kentucky and Southern Miss.
Kaleb Blanchard, 6’ 200-pound native of Denham Springs, Louisiana and running back for Denham Springs High School, committed to South Alabama after visiting Mobile for an official visit in late January on Senior Bowl weekend. He had actually committed to Arkansas but after a coaching change his recruitment opened back up. Three recruiting services has him ranked as a three-star recruit while one had him as a four star recruit.
Blanchard is listed as clocking a 4.45 40-yard dash. Rivals.com has him ranked as the #35 nationally at his position and #15 in the state of Louisiana while 247Sports has him ranked as the #42 player at his position. Despite injuries in his junior year, he still gained 400 yards rushing with six touchdowns. He was then named offensive MVP of the Offense-Defense All-American Bowl back in December. He was offered scholarships by Arkansas, Cincinnati, Louisiana Tech and Louisiana-Lafayette among others.
Blanchard’s skill and potential explosiveness could give that extra punch that the Coach Matthews spread attack needs to open up both the running and passing games.
Roman Buchanan is a 6’2” 205-pound safety from Daleville High School in Daleville, Alabama. He was a four-year starter at his high school and was a first-team All-State selection by the Alabama Sport Writers Association in his senior year. As a junior, he had 72 solo tackles, 45 assists, four sacks, three forced turnovers, two fumble recoveries, two interceptions and four passes defended. Then he also added a blocked field goal.
Jacob Chaffin is a 6’3″ 260-pound defensive tackle from Spain Park, AL. Chaffin had 38 solo tackles, 8 tackles for loss and three sacks as a junior. He was rated a three-star recruit by ESPN.com which also ranked him among the top 10 defensive tackles in Alabama.
Devon Earl is a 5’10” 185-pound cornerback from Hoover High School in Hoover Alabama. He had 61 tackles, 5 interceptions, 10 pass deflections and 3.5 TFL’s as a junior. He was ranked fifth in Alabama at cornerback according to ESPN.com.
Dejon Funderburk, a native of Pensacola and wide receiver at Booker T. Washington high school, committed to the Jags back in the summer of 2012 and stayed firmly committed even though he had been pursued by several programs. Funderburk had offers from Rutgers, Alabama, Alcorn State, Cincinnati, Clemson, Colorado, Florida State, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Minnesota, South Carolina, South Florida, Troy, UAB and Western Kentucky.
The Hilltoppers were the last to try to woo Funderburk but he stayed with his initial commitment. He contributed his choice to playing close to home so friends and family could see him play. His big play ability will be used in Coach Matthews spread offense.
DeMarion Harper, a 6’4” 275-pound strong side defensive end originally from Vicksburg Mississippi and Fort Scott Community College. He redshirted last fall at CC but was credited with 38 tackles in 2011 at Highland CC. He was being recruited by Louisiana Tech, Kansas, Ohio and Toledo among others. He will come to South Alabama with two years of eligibility as well.
Caleb Hayman is a 6’3” 215-pound wide receiver and tight end prospect from Gainesville High School in Gainesville, Florida. He was selected first-team All-State after helping lead his school to the state title last season.
Tony Johnson, a 6’3” 250-pound linebacker from Summit Mississippi and Southwest Mississippi Community College is rated a two-star by some recruiting services but is rated a three-star by the 247Sports composite ratings. He was originally verbally committed to Louisiana Tech but flipped to the Jaguars at the last minute. He also had an offer from UAB. He is listed as having a 4.8 40-yard dash speed. He could very well step in and fill the shoes left by Jake Johnson’s graduation.
Xavier Johnson is a 5’11” 170-pound running back from Chamberlain High School in Tampa, Florida. He rushed for 1,736 yards and 16 touchdowns as a junior. He was ranked among the top 30 running backs in Florida by ESPN.com and was an honorable mention for All-State in 2012.
Akeem Lewis is 5’11” 230-pound defensive end from Abbeville, Louisiana by way of Los Angeles Harbor CC. He totaled 14.5 TFL’s and nine sacks and ranked in the top three in the league last season.
Jerome McClain, a 6’2” 295-pound defensive tackle from Pensacola and Northwest Mississippi Community College. He is rated as a three-star recruit by recruiting services. He had offers from Arizona State, Indiana, FIU, Memphis, Minnesota, Ohio, Southern Miss and Western Kentucky. He is listed as clocking a 5 second 40-yard dash. He’s another addition to a defensive line that became quite thin last season due to injuries and will have a number of seniors graduating after next season.
McClain finished with 51 tackles and 10 tackles for loss last season. Northwest Mississippi CC finished in the top 10 in NJCAA last year.
Tevaris McCormick is a 5’10” 170-pound wide receiver from Biloxi High School in Biloxi, Mississippi. He racked up 769 yards receiving, 213 yards rushing and 265 yards on kick returns with 16 total touchdowns. He played in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic last year. He was rated a two-star from all of the national recruiting services.
Brandon McKee is from South Forsyth High School in Georgia and got on the Jaguars radar when he participated, and won, a punting and kicking competition in Mobile. But McKee did not stop there, he also won competitions at Appalachian State and Western Carolina, finished second at Auburn’s punting camp and was eighth out of 200 overall at the Kohl’s National Scholarship Camp in Wisconsin. He was a first-team All-State, All-Region and All-County selection last year.
During his senior season he had 33 punts for an average of 45 yards per punt and a long of 63. He also booted 10 other kicks over 50 yards each. McKee also went a perfect 25-for-25 on PATS and 8-of-9 in field goal attempts with a long of 45 yards. Another very impressive stat was 40 touchbacks on 45 kickoffs. All of those stats earned him First Team All-State honors in 6A.
McKee had interest from Arkansas, Auburn, Duke, Georgia Tech, Ole Miss and Oklahoma State plus some lower division schools. Texas A&M wanted him to join the program as a preferred walk-on. However he chose to verbally commit to South Alabama. The staff is primarily interested in him for punting duties since Scott Garber, who has handled the punting duties for the program’s first four years and has another year of eligibilty remaining is considering leaving.
But McKee may have an opportunity to placekick as well. Michel Chapuseaux graduated from the program leaving an opportunity for someone to earn his spot.
Theo Rich, a 6’3” 270-pound defensive tackle/strong-side defensive end from Portal High School in Portal Georgia and Itawamba Community College. He is ranked as a two-star prospect by some of the recruiting services. He signed with NC State before leaving the team in 2012 and going to Itawamba CC. He had offers from Middle Tennessee State and Georgia State but chose South Alabama in the end.
Rich will come to South Alabama with two years of eligibility remaining and will help to add depth to a defensive line that is full of seniors. He will also give the Jags experience on the defensive line next season as well.
Brett Sheehan, a 6’3” 184-pound quarterback from Suwanee Georgia and Collins Hill High School signed with South Alabama over Georgia State and FIU. He is considered a pocket passer and clocked a 4.93 40-yard dash. He is rated as a two-star recruit by some of the recruiting services.
DeVonta Staples is a 6’1” 190-pound safety from Valley High School in Lanett, Alabama. He was named to the All-State team by the Alabama Sports Writers Association
Jalen Wells is a 6’5” 230-pound defensive end from Dublin High School in Dublin, Georgia. He was projected at a number of positions by recruiting services such as tight end and linebacker. He had interest from Florida, Georgia, NC State, Mississippi State and Georgia Tech. Wells was rated a three-star recruit according to Scout.com and was named first-team All-Region and All-Middle Georgia last year.
Below are junior college transfers who signed with the Jaguars in December.
Cristobal Dinham is a 5’10” 210-pound running back from Lithonia Georgia by way of Independence Community College in Kansas. He ranked fifth in the NJCAA after rushing for 1,012 yards in 2012 with 10 touchdowns.
The Fuller twins are from Scooba, Mississippi and attended Kemper County High School. They both attended East Central Mississippi CC. Steffon Fuller is a 6’4″ 205-pound safety who recorded 54 tackles and four pass break-ups last season to be named first-team Mississippi Association of Community and Junior College’s First-Team All-State. He recorded eight tackles in three of the Warriors’ nine games including against nationally-ranked East Mississippi CC.
Steven Fuller is also 6’4″ weighing in at 200-pounds. He played in the secondary, at wide receiver and on special teams until last year. Defensively he had 20 tackles, three of them for loss, two pass defenses and a blocked kick. Offensively he caught seven passes for 95 yards while collecting 13 pancake blocks on run plays.
Montell Garner is a 6’1″ 185-pound cornerback originally from Colleyville, Texas and transferring from Navarro Junior College. He tallied eight pass break-ups in the season which tied him for fifth in the Southwest Junior College Football Conference. He also added 23 tackles and an interception. The Bulldogs finished ranked fourth in the NJCAA poll with a 10-2 record. Against nationally ranked Kilgore Junior College, Garner tallied 10 tackles in the 42-14 win. Then against Blinn JC he tallied seven tackles, three passes defended and an interception in the win.
Jay Jones is a 5’9″, 180-pound running back from Horn Lake, Mississippi and transferring from Northwest Mississippi Community College. Jones rushed for 504 yards and three touchdowns to rank in the top 50 in the nation rushing. He also added 11 pass receptions for 150 yards and a touchdown. He began the season with an 83-yard, one touchdown rushing performance with another 23 yards on three catches against Copiah-Lincoln CC. He followed that up with a season-high of 157 yards rushing on 29 carries in a win at Jones County CC. He then followed that performance with a 126 yard rushing performance with a touchdown against Holmes CC. He also had a 51 yard reception during the season.
Desmond LaVelle is a 5’11″ 230-pound linebacker from Decatur, Alabama who transfers to USA from Northwest Mississippi CC. He tied for fourth on the team with 53 tackles, with 4.5 of them for a loss, two fumble recoveries an interception and a pass defended while earning first-team All-Conference honors. His team finished 8-2 on the season ranked ninth in the final NJCAA rankings and a defense ranked 14th in the nation with 316.6 yards per game. As a freshman in 2011, LaVelle collected 25 tackles, two of them for loss, an interception and a fumble recovery.
Jaguar fans should be quite pleased with this recruiting class. If recent patterns continue, the staff should should do a great job of developing their talent to translate into outstanding play on the field. The defensive line and secondary added some very high quality depth. Offensively, the Jags added some big play threats and much needed depth at running back and wide receiver. They also picked up a huge offensive lineman, which was their target number for this class.
With the ability of back-signing the December JuCo signees to 2012, coach Jones said that he had five open scholarships and were still in the recruiting process for this class. The staff will have their eyes open for receivers to help build more depth and big play potential to the position.
Congratulations guys! We are glad that you chose South Alabama and look forward to watching you develop your abilities for the Jaguars.
Lady Jags Picked 2nd In Conference, Three Players Picked To All-SBC Team
The South Alabama Softball team was chosen to finish second in the regular season behind five-time defending regular-season champion Louisiana-Lafayette this season by a vote by conference head coaches. The Jags are the defending Sun Belt Tournament champions and earned eight of the nine second-place votes.
Also three Lady Jaguar student-athletes were named to the 2013 All-Sun Belt Conference Team on Monday.
Hannah Campbell a junior pitcher, Blair Johnson a sophomore outfielder and Britany Campbell a senior At-Large choice were selected to the 17 person team as voted by conference head coaches.
Hannah finished the season last year with a 2.03 ERA while winning 24 games and striking out 199 batters that she faced while pitching 28 complete games. She earned four consecutive wins in the Sun Belt Conference tournament, striking out 14 batters and had a 0.32 ERA on her way to earning the Most Outstanding Player in the Jags first-ever postseason conference title. In 2011, she was named Sun Belt Freshman of the Year then in 2012 she was named Sun Belt Conference Preseason Pitcher of the Year. Also, she is a two-time All-Conference and National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-Regional selection. Hannah is from Satsuma, Alabama.
Johnson, coming off of an outstanding freshman season, earned All-Sun Belt Conference in the outfield. She started all 57 games for the Jaguars, was fourth on the team with a .315 batting average, had a slugging percentage of .414, and a .372 on base percentage. She was tied for first on the team with 57 hits and 14 doubles. She accumulated 33 runs, 27 RBI’s, 12 multi-hit games and seven multi-RBI games. Johnson is from Kimberly, Alabama and Mortimer Jordan HS.
Britany Campbell is a regular in center field for the Jaguars. She recorded a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage in 2012 while also leading the team in stolen bases with 24. She batted .237, while scoring 24 times and earning 13 RBI’s. She set a Jaguar single-game record for RBI’s in a game against Southeastern Louisiana with six. She had a five-game hit streak and a nine-game on-base streak last season. Britany is from Phoenix, Arizona and Thunderbird HS.
Congratulations and good luck in 2013!
Jags Down UALR 70-66 In Little Rock On Saturday
Mychal scored 16 points against UALR, including two key shots and a block near the end. Photo by John Adams | usajaguars.com
The Jaguar men’s basketball team held on to defeat Arkansas-Little Rock 70-66 on Saturday. The Jags held a 15-point lead in the first half but needed a key shot by Mychal Ammons and some defensive stops to hold onto the win.
The win by the Jags improves their overall record to 12-9 on the season and 9-4 in Sun Belt play. Arkansas-Little Rock falls to 14-10 overall and 8-5 in Sun Belt play. The Jags continue to hold onto second place in the Eastern Division but are now solely in possession of second place overall in the conference. USA trails Middle Tennessee (20-4, 12-1 SBC) by three games. UALR falls into a tie with Arkansas State atop the Western Division but both have a four game lead over third place in the Western Division ULL (8-16, 4-9 SBC).
Augustine Rubit and Antoine Allen would both score a game-high 17 points each. Rubit would earn his 12th double-double of the season by adding 11 rebounds. Rubit also hit nine of his 12 attempts from the foul line.
Allen would go 3-of-7 from outside the arc while hitting on 11 of his attempts from the floor and dishing out three assists.
“I’m just really proud of our team,” interim head coach Jeff Price said after the game. “We did a great job of following the game plan. Our guys are buying to what we have to do to win. I thought we were extremely patient on the offensive end, which is what we talked about, we held them to 34 percent, we won the battle at the free throw line and they just did what we asked them to do.”
“Our team is always going to be better when we’re making perimeter shots,” Price said. “Antoine shot the ball well and it certainly helps, and I thought he was solid on the defensive end too. Everybody chipped in — the starters, the bench — it was just a great team effort.”
With 6:38 left in the game, the Jags held a 13 point advantage but they would see the Trojans cut it down to only two points in a span less than five minutes.
Following a Jaguar time out, Ammons would drive the right baseline for a key layup to give South Alabama a 66-62 advantage with 48.3 seconds left in the game.
“We were up two, called a play, got good execution and got a great basket from Mychal,” Price explained in the post game conference.
Ammons was not done though. On the defensive end on the UALR possession, be would block a shot that led to an Allen layup with 33 seconds left in the game.
Jaguar players would then go on to miss three of their last four foul shots to allow UALR to make it a one possession game. Ammons would come through again by hitting his final attempt of the game with 10.9 seconds left in the game to make the final score 70-66.
The Jags held the Trojans to 34.4% from the floor, the lowest allowed by a Jaguar opponent this season. In the first half, USA would force five consecutive missed shots and two turnovers over a four-and-a-half minute span in the first half for a 7-0 run to gain a 12 point lead on the Trojans.
“Home teams are going to make runs,” Price explained. “These guys hadn’t lost a league game at home yet, so you know they’re going to make a run. We talk about that all the time and I thought our guys did a good job of sticking their chest out, being resilient and fighting off the run at the end of the game.”
“We were just focused on the defensive end,” Price said. “We watched tape, we talked about it and I didn’t think we did a very good job at Arkansas State (Thursday). We did a really nice job of guarding the ball. They’re a very set-oriented team. I thought they were well scouted, we knew their offense and they had hard time in their sets.”
In the second half, UALR only managed to shoot 32.4% from the floor and were held to 4-of-17 shooting from outside the 3-point line.
Ammons would end the game with 16 points, one short of sharing the game high with Rubit and Allen. Ammons also made his only three-point attempt of the game.
Ben Dillard led the Trojans with 15 points while Josh Hagins added 13 points. Will Neighbour had a team-high 10 rebounds.
Jags will return home to face Troy to begin a three-game homestand.
USA Get Verbal Commitment From JuCo Pass Rusher
National Signing day is quickly approaching and the Jags got a verbal commitment from a much needed pass rusher on Thursday.
Akeem Lewis, a 6’3″ 242-pound Louisiana native, had an offer from Southern Miss but chose South Alabama to continue his college career. He totalled 17.5 tackles for loss and nine sacks last year in his sophomore season. He visited campus in early December and had since gotten interest from Washington and Arizona State then added Michigan, Illinois and Houston all showed interest later in his recruitment.
He told 247Sports that his family was a big factor in choosing South Alabama over other suitors. “Well, I’m from Louisiana, so it would be close to home,” he said. “My mom could come see me play, so it’s just the best fit for me right now. Just getting closer to home.”
Verbal commitments are non-binding. National Signing day is Wednesday, February 6th.
Jags Fall To ASU 74-62
The South Alabama men’s basketball team fought back from a 16-point deficit against Arkansas State but could not overtake the Red Wolves Thursday night and fall on the road 74-62.
The Jags fall to 11-9 on the season and 8-4 overall in Sun Belt play as their season-best three-game winning streak was snapped. ASU improves to 13-8 overall for the season and 7-5 in Sun Belt play. The Jags hold onto second place in the Eastern Division and is currently tied for second place overall in the Sun Belt Conference standings. The Jags now trail Middle Tennessee by three games and lead FIU by two games in the Eastern Division. UALR leads the Western Division by one game over ASU.
Arkansas State’s Rakeem Dickerson scored 18 points, all of them in the second half and 14 of them from the foul line. Trey Finn also scored 18 and three steals for the Red Wolves.
Augustine Rubit led South Alabama with 18 points, while going 12-for-12 from the foul line. He also finished with nine rebounds, two short of a double-double, and two blocks. Javier Carter scored 11 points (10 in the first half) off the bench to tie a season high while added three blocks and two steals.
It was nearly 15 minutes into the game before the Jags got their first offensive rebound of the game.
The Jags trailed the entire second half but worked hard to battle back with runs of 6-0 and 7-0 to close within two points each time. However ASU would respond each time with runs of 7-0 and 8-0 of their own.
“It was an extremely physical game,” interim head coach Jeff Price said after the game. “It was hard-fought and intense on both ends. We put them on the line a lot. We got to the free throw line too but it’s hard to battle 43 free throws. We just couldn’t get a flow to the game because the flow stopped so much with the fouls. We were bending but we weren’t breaking. We kept fighting back but every time we had a chance to get over the hump we just couldn’t do it.”
“We just couldn’t make baskets when we needed to,” Price continued. “We were getting stops and then all of the sudden we’d foul and they’d make free throws. We missed a couple of easy shots we should have made. It’s hard to play on the road in this type of environment against a good basketball team. We just have to keep plugging away.”
Arkansas State went 30-of-43 from the free throw line with Dickerson going 14-of-16 and Finn went 8-of-10. Arkansas State opened up a 16 point advantage around midway through the first half, however a Jagaur run of 16-5 would cut the Red Wolves lead to 35-29 at halftime.
The Jags will face Arkansas-Little Rock on Saturday for a 7pm tipoff before returning home for another three-game homestand. The game can be heard on 105.5 WNSP and WNSP.com on Saturday.