College Corner: Belmont Basketball Players Earn MVC Honors, TSU’s Jr. Clay Recognized By OVC

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Belmont’s Ben Sheppard Named MVC Player Of The Week After Stellar Performances

Ben Sheppard. Photo: Courtesy of Belmont Athletics

Belmont University men’s basketball senior Ben Sheppard has been named Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Player of the Week after scoring a combined 46 points with 12 rebounds in two games. His huge performances led Belmont to major wins over Murray State and Bradley.

Sheppard had 23 points, six rebounds, three assists and made the game-winning shot with 3.3 seconds left as Belmont won at Bradley to end the team’s 17-game home court win streak–the third-longest in the nation behind Auburn and UCLA. Additionally, Sheppard had 23 points, six rebounds and four assists against Murray State.

The Atlanta, Georgia native ranks among MVC leaders in nine statistical categories, including third in scoring, ninth in assists per game and tenth in steals per game. He has 63 double-figure scoring games and is on the Lou Henson Player of the Year Award Watch List.

 

Belmont’s Madison Bartley Shows Up Big, Earns MVC Player Of the Week

Madison Bartley. Photo: Courtesy of Belmont Athletics

A key piece to the Belmont University women’s basketball team’s dominant weekend, junior forward Madison Bartley, has been named Missouri Valley Conference Player (MVC) of the Week.

The Kettering, Ohio native averaged 24 points and six rebounds in 23.7 minutes across the two wins. Shooting 60 percent (18-of-30) from the field and going 11-for-12 (.917) at the free-throw line, Bartley notched back-to-back 20-point performances.

In Belmont’s Friday (Jan. 20) night win over Missouri State, Bartley scored 14 of her season-high 26 points in the fourth quarter. She went 8-for-8 at the foul line and grabbed a team-high eight rebounds, scoring eight-straight points in the closing minutes to seal the victory. On Sunday (Jan. 22), Bartley was ultra-efficient in the Bruins’ 56-point, 101-45 blowout of Southern Illinois. In only 15:49 of action on the court, she scored 22 points on 9-for-10 shooting and collected four boards.

Bartley earns her second conference player of the week award after being selected as Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Week last January. Three different Belmont players have now garnered MVC weekly accolades. Junior guard Destinee Wells was tabbed MVC Player of the Week on Nov. 14 following the first week of the season, and graduate guard Sydni Harvey earned both MVC Player and Newcomer of the Week honors on Dec. 27 after her historic three-point shooting display versus Troy.

 

TSU Graduate Jr. Clay Named OVC Player Of The Week

Jr. Clay. Photo: Courtesy of TSU Athletics

Tennessee State men’s basketball graduate student Jr. Clay was named the OVC Co-Player of the Week after scoring his 2,000th point against Little Rock.

On Saturday (Jan. 21) against Little Rock, Clay dropped 33-points as he broke the 2,000 milestone. The 33 points are the third-most by an OVC player in a game this season. The Chattanooga native scored 28 of those points after halftime and finished the game 11-of-24 from the field and 10-of-11 at the free throw line. He added six assists, four rebounds and a steal.

Clay opened the week with 18 points, three rebounds, three assists and a steal against Eastern Illinois. He hit 3-of-4 free throws in the final 42 seconds as the Tigers won by four points.

Clay leads the OVC in scoring (18.9 points/game), is second in assists (4.6/game), fifth in 3-pointers made (2/4/game), sixth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.4), and seventh in free throw percentage (80.9 percent). In Conference-only games, Clay is averaging 22.5 points per game.

Vanderbilt Alumni Donate Seed Gifts To Help Build New $11 Million Golf Facility

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Rendering courtesy of Vanderbilt Athletics

Vanderbilt has unveiled artists’ renderings detailing approximately $11 million in significant upgrades to men’s and women’s golf teams’ facilities at the Vanderbilt Legends Club.

Former Vanderbilt student-athletes and Hall of Fame inductees Toby Wilt (BE’66), Brandt Snedeker (BA’03) and Lew Conner (BA’60, JD’63), along with their wives, Lucianne Wilt, Mandy Snedeker (BA’02) and Ashley Conner (BA’60) made seed gifts with the goal of inspiring and facilitating gifts from other alumni and supporters to bring the project to life, reimagining the future of Vanderbilt golf.

“Vanderbilt helped me grow so much as a competitor and individual, and I’m thrilled to help bring together and encourage our golf family to ensure that current and future Commodores have the same opportunities,” says Brandt Snedeker, who was inducted into the Vanderbilt Hall of Fame in 2009. “Under Coach [Scott] Limbaugh and Coach [Greg] Allen, our men’s and women’s programs continue to set the standard for collegiate golf, and Mandy and I are grateful to the dedicated and talented student-athletes who keep the golf spotlight shining on our alma mater and the Middle Tennessee community that means so much to us.”

Vanderbilt Golf Team Lounge and Kitchen. Rendering courtesy of Vanderbilt Athletics

As part of the Vandy United campaign, this initiative will be made possible by the support of generous donors and will fund major investments that enhance the home venue for both programs through new construction and renovation of team spaces and practice facilities.

“The Vanderbilt Legends Club has served our men’s and women’s golf student-athletes extraordinarily well across more than two decades of combined excellence, and this major investment ensures that both programs will continue to grow and thrive for years to come,” says Candice Lee, Vice Chancellor for Athletics and University Affairs and Athletic Director. “I’m tremendously grateful to the Wilt, Snedeker and Conner families for seeding this project and embodying the values that make us Commodores for life. As we continue to reimagine the future of Vanderbilt Athletics through the Vandy United campaign, enhancing and expanding the home of two championship-caliber programs further demonstrates our commitment to give all of our student-athletes the tools necessary to reach their full potential—whether in the classroom or representing our university in competition.”

Building on the foundation put in place by student-athletes, including seven Hall of Famers, the university dedicated the Golf House and Training Center and Conner Family Hitting Bays in 2013 to complement the Vanderbilt Legends Club’s iconic courses, which were designed by former U.S. Open winner Tom Kite and world-renowned golf course architect Bob Cupp.

Vanderbilt Golf Team Lounge. Rendering courtesy of Vanderbilt Athletics

“The future is bright for Vanderbilt golf,” says Wilt, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2017. “At Vanderbilt, you know you never stand alone. Lucianne and I are proud to provide this gift as a catalyst to the newest Vandy United project because we want student-athletes to know we stand with them—and because we know our fellow alumni and supporters will stand with us. Together, we will ensure our golf teams continue to have the best facilities in the country.”

Work on the new practice facility will be led by renowned course architect Beau Welling. Upgrades include:

  • Renovation and expansion of the existing team clubhouse facilities, which will increase the building’s footprint by roughly two-thirds and include a new lobby, hall of fame, team lounge, locker rooms, meeting rooms, fitness area, outdoor terraces and offices
  • Renovation and expansion of the Cleo and Lewis Conner, Sr. Short Game Practice Facility and driving range tee boxes, including enhancing putting greens, modifying chipping areas and expanding the tee box
  • A new strokes gained area to continue to help student-athletes train more efficiently and reach their full potential

Vanderbilt Golf Team Fitness Center. Rendering courtesy of Vanderbilt Athletics

“Vanderbilt golf has always been close to my heart,” says Conner, who was a 2017 inductee into the Hall of Fame and funded the existing Conner Family Hitting Bays as well as the Cleo and Lewis Conner, Sr. Short Game Practice Facility. “My time as a student-athlete shaped my Vanderbilt experience and life, and Ashley and I have been proud to support the student-athletes who have so admirably carried on the tradition and lifted the program to new heights. I’m gratified that facility enhancements we have made over the last 20 years have played a part in an era of such tremendous success, and I’m excited to help take the facilities to an even greater level.”

Formerly known as Legends Club of Tennessee, the Franklin venue has long been the home course for Vanderbilt men’s and women’s golf. It was officially renamed Vanderbilt Legends Club in November 2005 and transitioned to a private club in 2008.

Vanderbilt Golf Team Library. Rendering courtesy of Vanderbilt Athletics

Since 2001, when the university purchased a stake in the club, Vanderbilt’s men’s and women’s programs have combined to win five SEC championships, make 35 NCAA Regional appearances and reach 22 NCAA championships. The Vanderbilt Legends Club also helped Gordon Sargent hone the skills that propelled him to the 2022 NCAA men’s individual national championship and earn an invitation to compete in the 2023 Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia.

Additionally, in their time at the Vanderbilt Legends Club, 25 Vanderbilt student-athletes have amassed more than 40 All-America honors from either the Golf Coaches Association of America or the Women’s Golf Coaches Association.

During the 2021–22 year, the men’s team won its second consecutive SEC championship and reached the semifinals of the NCAA Division I men’s golf championship after recording the best score in the stroke play portion of the event.

The women’s team won the NCAA Franklin Regional at the Vanderbilt Legends Club and also advanced to the NCAA Championship. The former marked Vanderbilt’s first opportunity to host a regional at the course, which also hosted the 2012 NCAA women’s championship and annually hosts the Mason Rudolph Championship tournament.

MTSU Women’s Basketball Ranked No. 23 In ‘AP’ Top 25 Poll

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MTSU Lady Raiders. Photo: Courtesy of MTSU Athletics

The Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) women’s basketball team ranked No. 23 in this week’s Associated Press Top 25 Poll for the first time since the 2013-14 season.

Winners of their last 14 games, which is the fourth longest active winning streak in the country, the Lady Raiders (16-2, 9-0 C-USA) made it into the top 25 after receiving votes in the last seven AP polls. Middle Tennessee has spent 22 weeks in the AP poll in program history.

Checking in at No. 20 in the NET rankings as of Jan. 22, MTSU leads Conference USA and ranks 11th in the country in scoring margin (19.7). Since the start of conference play, the Lady Raiders have posted a point differential of 20.8.

Earlier this season, the Lady Raiders defeated then-No. 18 Louisville, marking the Lady Raiders’ first win over a ranked opponent since Dec. 28, 2011 when MTSU knocked off No. 6 Kentucky 70-58 at the Murphy Center. It was the 11th win in program history over a ranked team–fourth under head coach Rick Insell–and the sixth ranked win inside of Murphy Center.

The team’s recent performances against the University of Alabama Birmingham, Charlotte and Louisiana State earned Insell an ESPN Women’s Basketball Coach of the Week honor. The Lady Raiders outscored their opponents 209-145.

The national ranking adds to the list of achievements around Middle Tennessee Athletics during 2022-23. Blue Raider men’s tennis was ranked No. 25 team in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Preseason Poll, while the Lady Raiders (No. 18/15 Louisville) and the Blue Raider football team (No. 25 Miami) both knocked off ranked opponents.

Former UConn Husky Katie Lou Samuelson Joins Vanderbilt Women’s Basketball Staff

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Katie Lou Samuelson. Photo: Courtesy of Vanderbilt Athletics

Katie Lou Samuelson, one of the most decorated players in recent women’s college basketball history, has joined Vanderbilt’s women’s basketball staff as the program’s Director of Player Development.

“I truly could not be more excited to welcome Katie Lou to our staff,” head coach Shea Ralph says. “Her passion and knowledge for the game of basketball are unmatched. She is one of the hardest-working, most competitive players I have ever coached. She has excelled at every level in our sport, starting with championships in college and now making a name for herself in the WNBA and overseas as a standout professional.” Ralph adds, “She has true life experience in ‘maximizing your potential,’ which is the goal and mission for every person associated with this program.”

As Director of Player Development, Samuelson will assist the women’s basketball staff in a non-coaching capacity in all areas of the program, including game preparation, player development and on-campus recruiting. She will remain an active member of the Los Angeles Sparks during the WNBA season while still performing her duties, and return to Nashville with the Commodores during the WNBA offseason.

Samuelson is about to enter her fifth season in the WNBA after averaging a career-high 9.7 points and 3.0 rebounds per game for the Sparks in 2022, her first with the franchise. She scored in double figures in 18 of 32 games, highlighted by a career-best 15 against the Washington Mystics in last August. A first-round draft pick—going fourth overall to the Chicago Sky in 2019—Samuelson has also played for the Dallas Wings and Seattle Storm while also helping lead Perfumerías Avenida to the 2021 Euroleague Final and a Spanish league championship during her professional career.

“Lou is a natural leader and visionary on the court. I have no doubt that she will bring that same level of dedication and intensity to our students-athletes here at Vanderbilt as director of player development,” continues Ralph. “Beyond her basketball ability, she is an amazing person and a great role model. Katie Lou Samuelson’s consistent presence here on and off the court will elevate our program in every way.”

A two-time first-team All-American and the American Athletic Conference Player of the Year in both 2017-18, Samuelson became the 10th student-athlete in Connecticut’s history to record 2,000 points in a career before ending her time with the program fourth on the Huskies’ all-time scoring list. She was named the ESPNW national Freshman of the Year and was selected to the AAC All-Freshman Team in 2016 after helping UConn win the national championship.

Samuelson earned national Player-of-the-Year honors from Gatorade, USA Today, McDonald’s, WBCA and Naismith at the high school level.

Internationally, Samuelson has represented the United States at various competitions dating back to 2013 when she was a was part of a team that claimed the FIBA Americas U16 championship. In 2019, she was a member of the USA FIBA AmeriCup team that won a gold medal, and she was named to the country’s 3×3 Olympic qualifying team in advance of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics but was unable to participate due to illness.

TSU Athletics Launches New Student Development Program

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TSU Athletics launches BECOMING, a new comprehensive student-athlete development program. The BECOMING program aims to create opportunities for student-athletes to maximize their personal, professional and public presence to leverage their full potential.

“We are very excited to launch BECOMING for all of our student-athletes,” says Director of Athletics, Dr. Mikki Allen. “Preparing our student-athletes to transition successfully after sports is important to us here at Tennessee State University. The BECOMING program will help us accomplish this goal by empowering our student-athletes to develop and strengthen their individual brands, engage the community through servant leadership opportunities, and emerge as career-ready professionals.”

Tigers BECOMING was designed with three core pillars in mind: personal growth, career preparation and community engagement. The program consists of components designed specifically for freshmen, sophomores, juniors, seniors and transfer student-athletes.

Year one focuses on empowering leaders, year two on engaging the community and year three on equipping student-athletes with specialized knowledge. Finally, in year four, TSU will prepare students to emerge in excellence as they transition to their professional pursuits.

Additionally, with opportunities now available for Tiger student-athletes to market their name, image and likeness (NIL), the Tigers BECOMING program seeks to provide student-athletes with the tools to manage and enhance their personal brands.

In July, Dawnyell Fletcher was hired as the Director of Student-Athlete Services. In the position, she has been charged with creating a multi-year development program for all TSU student-athletes focused on personal skills, career and professional development, community service and leadership.

“Our hope is that through the BECOMING program, we will be able to support student-athletes on their quests to BECOMING powerful brands, leaders in the community, qualified marketable candidates for the workforce, and Tigers for life, ” says Fletcher.

For more information about TSU Athletics’ new student-athlete development program, click here..

MTSU Drops 2023 Football Schedule With Games Against Alabama, Missouri, More

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Photo: Tra Fluellen. Photo: Courtesy of MTSU Athletics

Middle Tennessee State University’s (MTSU) 2023 football schedule is out and will include six home games and four mid-week contests as Conference USA.

The Blue Raiders are coming off of a fantastic 2022 season where they finished 8-5, beat ranked Miami and went on to win an exciting Hawaii Bowl 25-23 against San Diego State. In the 2023 season, MTSU will face new C-USA members Jacksonville State, Liberty, New Mexico State and Sam Houston State.

MTSU’s 109th season of football includes home dates with Murray State, Colorado State, Jacksonville State, Louisiana Tech, FIU and UTEP. Their road contests include Alabama, Missouri, WKU, Liberty, New Mexico State and Sam Houston State.

“This schedule is challenging and one we are excited about as we welcome new teams into our league,” says Director of Athletics Chris Massaro. “One of the most critical aspects of the new media rights deal was the October mid-week television windows. It is important for Conference USA to have our product on networks where fans can find our games. This new deal will have our games on ESPN, CBS and ESPN+ all year, and then in October we will get great exposure on linear television. We look forward to the Tuesday and Wednesday night home games as it gives us a chance to draw a different kind of audience and cater more to our student body. We enjoyed a lot of success with those games during our Sun Belt days and look forward to building on that in 2023.”

The Blue Raiders will open the 2023 season on the road against national power Alabama in Tuscaloosa. The Blue Raiders are 0-3 all-time against the Tide with the most recent meeting in 2015.

Middle Tennessee will remain on the road in week two against Missouri. It will be the third meeting between the two schools with the series deadlocked at 1-1. MTSU fell to the Tigers in 2003 in Columbia, 41-40 in overtime, then upset Mizzou in 2016, 51-45.

The Blue Raiders will play their home opener on Sept. 16, hosting Murray State. It will be the 70th meeting and the first since 2000 against the Racers. The next Saturday (Sept. 23), MTSU will host Mountain West member Colorado State who will be making their first-ever visit to Floyd Stadium. The Blue Raiders defeated CSU in Fort Collins this past season, 34-19.

MTSU will close out September on the road, opening C-USA play against longtime rival WKU. The Thursday night contest will begin a stretch of four straight mid-week games for the Blue Raiders.

The Blue Raiders will return home to host Jacksonville State on Oct. 4. MTSU owns a 14-2-2 advantage in the series against the Gamecocks but it will be the first meeting since 1998. Middle Tennessee will then host Louisiana Tech the following Tuesday (Oct. 10). It will be the Bulldogs’ first trip to Murfreesboro since 2016.

MTSU will complete their mid-week action on Oct. 17 at Liberty. The two teams have met just twice with MTSU winning in 1982 and Liberty taking down the Blue Raiders in 2021. This will be the first meeting as conference foes.

Following an open date, MTSU will hit the road to take on New Mexico State on Nov. 4. This will be the first meeting between the two schools since 2004 when both were members of the Sun Belt Conference. MTSU is 0-2 all-time at NMSU. The Blue Raiders will return home to take on FIU on Nov. 11 and then UTEP on Nov. 18. MTSU is a combined 10-1 all-time against FIU and UTEP at home.

MTSU will close out the regular season on the road against Sam Houston State on Nov. 25. It will mark the first meeting since 1991 in a series that stands 1-1.

College Corner: Fisk Women’s Gymnastics, Belmont’s Cade Tyson, Vanderbilt Baseball

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Fisk Women’s Gymnastics Team Participates In Official NCAA Meet, Makes History

Fisk Women’s Gymnastics Team. Photo: Courtesy of Fisk University

The Inaugural Fisk Women’s Gymnastics Team made history after participating in their first official meet in Las Vegas on Jan. 6-7, becoming the first HBCU women’s gymnastics team to perform at the NCAA level.

The Super 16 event is the largest collegiate gymnastics event showcasing more than 300 collegiate athletes from universities all across the country. Fisk competed in Session No. 1 on Jan. 6 against Washington, Southern Utah and North Carolina.

Fisk finished fourth with an overall score of 186.700. Freshman Morgan Price placed first in the vault with a score of 9.900.

 

Belmont’s Cade Tyson Named MVC Newcomer Of The Week

Cade Tyson. Photo: Courtesy of Belmont Athletics

Belmont men’s basketball freshman Cade Tyson has been named Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Newcomer of the Week. He leads the MVC in scoring among freshmen.

Tyson averaged 14.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game this past week as Belmont defeated UIC and Missouri State. The Monroe, North Carolina native had a career-high 20 points, three rebounds and two steals against Missouri State. He had eight points, seven rebounds, three steals and two blocked shots at UIC.

Belmont returns to game action Tuesday (Jan. 10) at Valparaiso.

Vanderbilt’s Enrique Bradfield Jr., Carter Holton Named Preseason All-Americans

Pictured (top): Enrique Bradfield Jr.; (bottom): Carter Holton. Photo: Courtesy of Vanderbilt Athletics

Vanderbilt baseball standouts, outfielder Enrique Bradfield Jr. and pitcher Carter Holton, earned preseason All-America recognition from Perfect Game. Bradfield was named to the second team while Holton was named to the third team.

Bradfield was a consensus All-American in his sophomore campaign in 2022. He posted a .317 average with eight home runs and 36 RBIs while leading the SEC, and ranked second nationally in stolen bases, going 46-for-46 on the season. He also led the SEC with five triples and earned first team All-SEC honors.

Holton made an immediate impact as a freshman in 2022. The southpaw earned unanimous Freshman All-American recognition and was Freshman All-SEC. Holton ranked sixth in the SEC with a 3.14 ERA and compiled an 8-4 record with a pair of complete games. His 97 strikeouts were second-most on the team.

The returning duo have also been named Collegiate Baseball preseason All-America.

Vanderbilt opens the 2023 season Feb. 17-19 at the College Baseball Showdown in Arlington, Texas.

Tennessee State University’s Eddie George Named Head Coach For NFLPA Bowl

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Eddie George. Photo: Courtesy of TSU Athletics

Tennessee State University’s (TSU) head football coach, Eddie George, will lead a group of draft-eligible college players in the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) Bowl. The game will take place on Jan. 28 and will continue the tradition of being played at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California.

George will be coaching against his former Tennessee Titans head coach Jeff Fisher, who served as a coach in last year’s event.

Fisher brings 22 years of NFL head coaching experience with the Titans and Rams, and is now the leader of the USFL’s Michigan Panthers. Fisher coached former TSU players Cory Rahman and Eddie Graham last season in the USFL.

The NFLPA Collegiate Bowl is the premier postseason, all-star game for any draft-eligible college football player. The week-long experience provides players with the opportunity to showcase their game to NFL scouts and coaches, while learning from the best in the business. The NFLPA Collegiate Bowl not only prepares players for the speed and intensity of professional football, but also for the business and lifestyle changes that come with it.

The event was founded in 2012 and gives players the best opportunity to showcase their talents to potential employers and fans. Nearly 200 scouts, player personnel staff, general managers and head coaches from all 32 NFL teams are expected to be in attendance to watch live practices, conduct player interviews and review tape.