| Wednesday, March 4, 2015 |
| Mullen: Change in beliefs leads to gridiron success at Mississippi State | |
 | Mississippi State football coach Dan Mullen might have been forgiven for basking in the moment during Monday's appearance at the Starkville Rotary Club. Fresh off an historic 10-win regular season and a fifth consecutive trip to a bowl game, Mullen is a week into a contract extension that will pay him $4.275 million each year. Instead, Mullen used his 30-minute address to the Rotarians to talk more about the "how" than the "what," drawing parallels between his football program and the city of Starkville. |
| Mississippi State expanding menu options for students | |
 | Mississippi State officials have announced a long-time staple of campus food programs is moving to allow the construction of the nation's number one consumer ranked Mexican eatery. The State Fountain Bakery will relocate from its current location in Perry Hall to the Colvard Student Union. The bakery will complete the move sometime around Memorial Day, although bakers will continue to use the same kitchen in use since 1921 located in the lower levels of Perry Hall. Once moved, Moe's Southwest Grill will take over the space currently housing the State Fountain Bakery. |
| Mississippi State's Bakery Moving, Moe's Taking Its Location | |
 | The State Fountain Bakery at Mississippi State soon will be relocated next door in the Colvard Student Union. Moe's Southwest Grill is taking its place at the north end of Perry Hall, according to officials of the university's Division of Student Affairs and Aramark, the campus food provider. In a national survey conducted this year by Restaurant Business Magazine, the Atlanta, Georgia-based Mexican food chain is ranked No. 1 by consumers. Bill Broyles, interim student affairs vice president, said MSU students have been rallying to bring Moe's to Mississippi State for the past three years. "We are excited to be able to deliver them the fresh new option to the MSU meal plan they have requested," he said, also emphasizing that the classic State Fountain bakery treats still will be readily available. |
| Smokers face future insurance surcharge | |
 | With a new tobacco surcharge in place for university personnel covered by the health insurance plan at Mississippi State University, there is added incentive for giving up tobacco products once and for all. "Actually this applies to all state agencies including the eight universities, all public school districts, public libraries and community colleges," said Richard Self, state insurance administrator for the Mississippi Department of Finance and Administration. "The surcharge is designed not so much as a penalty for tobacco users but as an incentive for them to get into a cessation program." (Subscriber-only content.) |
| Mississippi State Students Take Art Awards | |
| The "best" entry and seven other top award-winning works by Mississippi State art majors are on display through March 13 at The Arts Center of Mississippi in Jackson. Now in its 65th year, the Mississippi Collegiate Arts exhibit is part of statewide juried competition involving submissions by student artists enrolled in the various four-year colleges and universities. "This year's dominance in both the number of entries anonymously chosen for inclusion into the Mississippi Collegiate Art Competition and in the recognition of so many of our students' works of art as the best in category and ultimately, the best in show, supports what we all believe and work for every day," said Angi Bourgeois, MSU's interim art department head. |
| 45 candidates vying for 18 Oktibbeha seats | |
| Forty-five individuals -- 24 Democrats, 14 Republicans and two independents -- formally launched their respective election campaigns after qualifying for 18 elected Oktibbeha County positions. Two Mississippi legislative districts covering portions of the county -- House District 43 and Senate District 15 -- also feature races between high-profile candidates, and a challenger to the area's district attorney also emerged before last Friday's qualification deadline. |
| Nissan sets February U.S. sales record | |
 | Nissan set a February U.S. sales record helped by three of the seven models made at the automotive manufacturer's Canton plant. All told, the company sold 118, 436 units last month, up 2.7 percent year over year. This is the second February in a row Nissan has broken sales marks. Sales of the compact Sentra sedan -- made in Canton -- increased 24.4 percent, with 15,354 units sold. Sales of other Canton models were mostly down, a couple significantly so. The Mid-size Xterra SUV (43.4 percent) full-size Titan truck (26.9 percent) Armada SUV (9.9 percent) and mid-size Altima (7.7 percent) all saw their numbers drop. The crossover Murano SUV's sales rose 3 percent. Toyota, which has built the compact Corolla sedan in Blue Springs since 2011, reported a 13.3 percent increase in February sales over last year on a daily selling rate basis. |
| Mississippi Power notes new Kemper overrun amid uncertainty | |
 | Southern Co. announced Tuesday that it projects at least another $26 million in spending to complete its construction of a power plant in eastern Mississippi, pushing the total cost to nearly $6.2 billion. It's unclear right now how Mississippi Power Co., a unit of Atlanta-based Southern, will pay for the plant it's building in Kemper County. The state Supreme Court on Feb. 12 struck down previous financing arrangements. The company says it will ask the court to reconsider that ruling, which ordered more than $200 million in refunds and instructed regulators to roll back an 18 percent rate increase they'd approved. |
| Aldridge appointed to Workers' Compensation Commission | |
| Gov. Phil Bryant has appointed Beth Harkins Aldridge to a six-year term on the Mississippi Workers' Compensation Commission. The state Senate has confirmed her appointment. The Mississippi Workers' Compensation Commission resolves all questions relating to payment of workers' compensation claims. The commission reviews decisions made by administrative law judges, decides certain medical fee disputes and regulates individual and group self-insurers. Aldridge holds a bachelor's degree in physical therapy from the University of Mississippi Medical Center. |
| Wright: End testing requirement for high school diploma | |
| Starting this year, high school seniors who fail one or more subject area test might still be able to graduate under a proposal by Mississippi Superintendent of Education Carey Wright. Wright said Tuesday she will recommend the state Board of Education end its long-standing requirement that students pass all four subject area tests to earn a diploma. Instead, she said, test scores should count as a percentage of students' overall grades. State Sen. Gray Tollison, R-Oxford, revealed the proposal during a Senate Education Committee meeting at the Capitol, where a bill to end the mandatory testing requiring had died. |
| Former House Speaker Tim Ford remembered | |
 | Former Speaker of the Mississippi House of Representatives Tim Ford was remembered Tuesday as a man of faith, humor, power and compassion. The 63-year-old Lee County native, Jackson attorney and part-time Oxford resident died Friday at Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi after collapsing at his Oxford home. A capacity crowd of state dignitaries, friends and family members gathered in Paris-Yates Chapel on the University of Mississippi campus. Ole Miss Chancellor Emeritus Robert Khayat lauded Ford as a warm man and visionary leader who had a strong and positive impact on higher education in Mississippi. |
| Legislature 2015: Dead or Alive | |
| The Mississippi Legislature killed a flurry of bills Tuesday, which marked the deadline for committees to pass legislation from the opposite chamber. Bills originating in the Senate had to pass the House committees to which they were assigned; House bills had to pass Senate committees. Those that didn't pass died. Those that did pass now await further action. Here's a partial list of the key legislation that lived and died... |
| Third-grade reading gate delay dies | |
| Students are still going to have to pass a reading test in the third grade to advance. Legislation that would have delayed full enactment of the third-grade reading gate for a year died Tuesday in the Senate Education Committee. Senate Education Chair Gray Tollison, R-Oxford, did not dispute that a delay in the 2013 legislation might be needed at some point. But he said he would prefer a special committee designed to oversee the enactment of the third-grade reading gate study the issue and make any recommendations to the state Board of Education. At that point, the board could make a recommendation to the Legislature. |
| House committee passes bill limiting hospital open meetings law to SRHS | |
| Only one publicly owned hospital in Mississippi would be required to abide by the state open-meetings and public-records laws, under a watered-down version of a bill that passed a House committee Tuesday. Senate Bill 2407 was prompted by massive problems with the employee pension plan at Singing River Hospital in Jackson County, and that's the only hospital remaining in the latest version of the bill, which now goes to the full House for debate. The Senate voted 51-0 on Feb. 12 to pass a broader version of the bill, which would have applied to all public hospitals. The Mississippi Press Association supports the broad version of the bill, saying the public should have access to meetings and records that show how tax dollars are being spent. |
| House committee strips Senate concealed carry bill | |
| A champion of Second Amendment gun rights in the House raised concerns about a Senate bill to make it legal to carry a concealed pistol, revolver or stun gun. State Sen. Angela Hill, R-Picayune, filed Senate Bill 2618, known as the Constitutional Carry bill; to allow a person who legally owns a firearm to carry it open or concealed without it violating the law. Hill, who is also a gun rights advocate, said her bill doesn't do away with any of the state's required permits. But House Judiciary B Chairman Rep. Andy Gipson, R-Braxton, successfully urged his committee Tuesday to strike Senate language in the bill and insert House language calling for a task force to be established to study the issue and make a report to next year's Legislature. Gipson said the Senate bill contradicts itself and that in one section it says it is against the law to carry a concealed weapon but in another section says it's not. |
| New Iran investment bill has exceptions | |
| Legislation remained alive Tuesday that supporters say would send a message that Mississippi supports the effort of Israel to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. The Senate Finance Committee passed it Tuesday, the final day for general bills to clear committees. The bill would prohibit the Public Employees Retirement System and the state treasury from investing in any entity that does business with Iran. The goal of the bill, said Sen. Nancy Collins, R-Tupelo, the primary Senate advocate for the bill, was to support Israel's effort to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. |
| Smith picks up challenger in House District 39 | |
| A Democrat has challenged Republican incumbent Jeff Smith for the District 39 state House seat. James E. Samuel Sr., 65, of Columbus qualified with the state Democratic party on Friday -- the last day for candidates to qualify. No stranger to local politics, Samuel has unsuccessfully run for Lowndes County chancery clerk and Columbus ward 6 councilman. He qualified once before to challenge Smith for District 39 representative, but he ultimately withdrew. Smith, 65, serves as chairman of the House ways and means committee and co-chair of the transportation and railroads committee. He also serves on the House constitution, fees and salaries, and public health and welfare committees, as well as the joint legislative budget committee. |
| Mississippi Democratic Party vice chair alleges simple assault | |
| Mississippi Democratic Party Vice Chairwoman Vallena Greer filed a police complaint of simple assault against state Rep. Earle Banks, D-Jackson, claiming the fellow party member grabbed her and yelled at her. Banks denied the allegations, calling them frivolous and foolish. The incident allegedly occurred during the party's meeting Saturday at Millsaps College, where Greer stood on a stage presenting information from a staff report. She said Banks was irate about a Clarion-Ledger story detailing Greer's complaints against party Chairman Rickey Cole and charged her. |
| Wicker Dubious of Obama's Commitment to Getting a Trade Deal Done | |
 | Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker pushed back Tuesday against the suggestion the Obama administration is sending mixed messages about its commitment to a deal on Trade Promotion Authority. "I can assure you that the administration is unambiguously committed to Trade Promotion Authority and getting this done in this administration. We have a full court press on in this administration," Pritzker said. "We're happy to address any kind of confusion or any appearance of lack of speaking with one voice because we do speak with one voice." Pritzker's statement came in response to a comment made from the dais by Mississippi Republican Roger Wicker at Tuesday morning's Senate Commerce hearing on budget requests for both the Commerce and Transportation departments. |
| Critical day for ObamaCare as high court hears new challenge | |
 | The nine justices of the Supreme Court on Wednesday will again hold the future of ObamaCare in their hands, as they take up a new legal challenge that could strip insurance subsidies from millions of people. The court on Wednesday will hear oral arguments in the King v. Burwell case, with the plaintiffs contending that people in 37 states are illegally receiving subsidies through President Obama's signature law. Should the justices rule against the administration, the consequences could be lasting and dramatic. |
| Thompson skips Netanyahu speech to Congress | |
| Second District U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson boycotted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to Congress on Tuesday, saying Capitol Hill should not be the backdrop for the address with Israeli elections only two weeks away. Thompson, the only Democrat in the Mississippi delegation, was among dozens of party members who skipped Netanyahu's controversial speech. "I didn't want to participate in anything that could potentially influence the outcome of the election in Israel," Thompson said. Mississippi's Republican lawmakers, however, welcomed Netanyahu's speech, noting Israel's significance as an important ally, particularly in the war against terrorism. "The prime minister's speech served as a stark reminder of the dangers our nations must be ever-vigilant against," said Sen. Thad Cochran. |
| Netanyahu makes his case on Iran deal, but to audiences with limited leverage | |
 | Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was speaking to any number of audiences Tuesday with his landmark speech to Congress warning against a "bad deal" with Iran. Most of those listening, however, have only glancing authority to stop the deal or influence negotiations now nearing a deadline. Neither the wildly supportive Republicans who gave him multiple standing ovations nor the Democrats who showed up -- but didn't always stand up -- have a direct say. Nor does a divided Israeli electorate that may or may not return Netanyahu to power in two weeks. President Obama, who does have a direct voice in the matter, didn't like what he heard from the Israeli prime minister. |
| Alabama Supreme Court orders halt to same-sex marriages | |
 | Weeks after a United States District Court judge in Mobile ordered a probate judge there to issue same-sex marriage licenses, the Alabama Supreme Court has ordered a halt to same-sex marriages in the state. "As it has done for approximately two centuries, Alabama law allows for 'marriage' between only one man and one woman," the order said. While same-sex marriage advocates chanted "love wins" outside Alabama courthouses last month, the Alabama Supreme Court said love has little to do with legal marriage in the state. David Kennedy, one of the lawyers who represented the Mobile couple who successfully challenged Alabama's same-sex marriage ban, said he does not think the ruling would survive a challenge in federal court. "Whenever state law conflicts with federal law, federal law wins," he said. |
| How two brothers, raised Baptist, found their way to two different faiths | |
 | Many people change faiths, but not like Brad and Chad Jones. Identical twins, the brothers grew up in Elkin, N.C., a small town in the Bible Belt, the only children of devout Baptists. As boys, they attended the First Baptist Church of Elkin, studied Scripture, went to vacation Bible school and sang in the choir, as did many of their cousins, classmates and neighbors. Today, Brad, 43, is a Roman Catholic priest in the Diocese of Charlotte, and Chad is an Anglican bishop in Atlanta. Their parents, Jo Anne and Robert, remain faithful members of their Baptist congregation. More than half of the U.S. adult population has changed religious affiliations at least once during their lives, most before they reach 50, according to a 2009 Faith in Flux report by the Pew Research Center. |
| Search process in place for next MUW president | |
| If all goes smoothly, Mississippi University for Women should have a new president as early as this fall. "Generally, it's about a six-month process," Caron Blanton, director of public information for Mississippi's Institutions of Higher Learning, told The Dispatch last week. "You have to take in account some delays that happen due to school being out, but normally you're looking at six months unless it is an expedited search." The IHL Board of Trustees, which selects presidents for the state's eight public universities, took the first real step in the process Wednesday when it named a three-member Board Search Committee. Committee members are C.D. Smith (chair), Shane Hooper and Christy Pickering. |
| Big Brothers Big Sisters program now on USM's campus | |
 | Big Brothers Big Sisters is now an official organization on the University of Southern Mississippi's campus. The university's chapter is the only active one in the state and they hope to serve as inspiration for other colleges. "We need mentors all over the state, all over the country," said Christopher Ferrell, program coordinator for the Center for Community and Civic Engagement at USM. "If we can make the steps and be the leading university in the state to promote this to our other institutions, then that feels good." |
| Revisiting Mary Holmes College a decade after its closing | |
| Ten years ago today, Mary Holmes College shut its doors and stopped a century long tradition of educating young men and women in the Golden Triangle. Danny Crawford wishes it hadn't. Crawford, a teacher and boy's basketball coach at West Oktibbeha High School, has fond memories of the West Point college and remembers his time there in the mid-1990s as one of learning, branching out and fostering friendships. "I really enjoyed my stay there, and I wish it was still here in the Golden Triangle," Crawford said. The Board of Trustees voted April 22, 2004, to file bankruptcy, and on March 3, 2005, the school closed its doors. |
| Louisiana higher ed leaders brainstorm on fee proposal ideas that could help stave off millions in expected cuts | |
 | Louisiana leaders are still trying to hash out how a proposal to increase student fees at colleges and universities could be implemented in the coming year. On one side: Gov. Bobby Jindal's administration is calling for a tax credit that students could seek to cover the costs of the proposed fee, a dollar figure for which hasn't been set and could likely vary by campus or program. On the other: higher education leaders argue any plan should avoid immediate out-of-pocket costs to students. State Higher Education Commissioner Joe Rallo said the "fee increase" supported by higher education leaders would never hit students. Instead, it would be covered by another fund -- tied to an increase in the state cigarette tax or other revenue stream -- that would pass additional money directly to colleges and universities on a per-student basis. |
| UGA students, staff gather to talk about consent | |
 | Wading through real-life situations while keeping in mind the University of Georgia's policy on consensual sex isn't always easy, but it's important to think about. UGA students' comments during an open dialogue about consent -- particularly the factors that render a person incapable of giving his or her consent -- illustrated the sometimes confusing dynamics found in college party culture. Nationally, one in five women are sexually assaulted in college, but it's rarely reported. The UGA Equal Opportunity Office is tasked with investigating the reports that do come in. |
| Senate gives final approval to bill to help finance U. of Kentucky medical research building | |
 | The state Senate gave final approval Tuesday to a bill fulfilling the University of Kentucky's request for $132.5 million in state bonds for a six-story medical research center. On a vote of 36-1, the Senate sent House Bill 298 to Gov. Steve Beshear, who said he will sign it into law. It was the second bill that lawmakers have sent to the governor this legislative session. If the bill becomes law, UK plans to begin construction by the end of the year. UK President Eli Capilouto praised the legislative action, repeating a familiar line that UK's goal is to "make death a beggar in Kentucky." |
| Shrink The FAFSA? Good Luck With That | |
 | Look closely. Buried deep in President Obama's 2016 budget (page 41) is a proposal to cut up to 30 questions from the Free Application For Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The Obama administration has already done a lot to make the FAFSA easier -- if not shorter. Online technology now allows students to skip questions that don't apply to them. Congress wants to go even further. A bipartisan group of senators has proposed shrinking the FAFSA down -- from 108 questions to two. The challenge is a real Catch-22: The FAFSA, in its current form, is prohibitively complicated for some students. But shortening it could lead to students having to fill out multiple forms, which would also be prohibitively complicated for some. |
| New Social Network Is All College, All the Time | |
 | Once upon a time, Facebook was reserved for college students only. A new social network is trying to reboot that idea, with a college-only service called Friendsy. The service is the creation of two Princeton University undergraduates, Michael Pinsky and Vaidhy Murti, who hope to help facilitate connections among college students who might otherwise never meet. "It's kind of nice and reassuring to know that there's a network of people just like you out there who are trying to meet other people and who are trying to branch out," Mr. Pinsky said. The service has two main features: connect and chitchat. |
| How the Pressure on Public Colleges Plays Out in One State | |
| Rising tuition costs at public universities, coupled with a decline in state support, have raised questions across the country about how those trends are affecting access to college, enrollment numbers, and graduation rates. In Virginia, which has 15 four-year public colleges, a new report offers some answers. On Wednesday the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and Ithaka S+R released the report, "The Effects of Rising Student Costs in Higher Education: Evidence From Public Institutions in Virginia." Here's a summary of what it has to say about how the state has been affected by those trends, and what it suggests doing about them. |
| Class struggle: Officials are trying to stifle independent voices in universities in China | |
 | In the first week of March university students in China will return from a break of six weeks or more. They will find a new chill in the air. While they have been away, officials have been speaking stridently---indeed, in the harshest terms heard in years---about the danger of "harmful Western influences" on campuses, and the need to tighten ideological control over students and academic staff. Universities have always been worrisome to the Communist Party; they have a long history in China as wellsprings of anti-government unrest. There is no sign of an anti-party campaign developing on campuses (students are signing up for party membership in droves, believing it to be a path to career success). But since Xi Jinping took over as China's leader in 2012, the party has been trying to reinforce its control. |
| SLIM SMITH (OPINION): Mullen raises the bar of expectations | |
| The Dispatch's Slim Smith writes: "Dan Mullen breezed into the Starkville Country Club 15 minutes late for his speaking engagement at the Starkville Rotary Club. He had just returned to town from New Hampshire, where he spent a few days 'back home,' noting that it was 'really, really cold' and that the people talked so fast he could barely understand a word they were saying. Suffice to say, after six years in Starkville, the Bulldogs coach has been converted. Mullen spoke easily and enthusiastically to an overflow crowd of more than 100 Monday, brimming with the kind of confidence that comes with success. And who could not be impressed with what Mullen and the Bulldogs achieved in 2014, a season of 'firsts' for a program and a fan base that has well-acquainted with 'managing expectations.'" |
| BRIAN PERRY (OPINION): Auditor's race features incumbent Pickering, challenger Hawkins-Butler and Democrat Pritchett | |
| Jackson-based consultant and columnist Brian Perry writes: "Republican State Auditor Stacey Pickering picked up a Republican Primary challenger from Madison Mayor Mary Hawkins-Butler as he seeks reelection to a third term. Pickering filed for reelection in early January, but with a cash-on-hand balance of less than $30,000 and persistent rumors he might withdraw to seek another job, Hawkins-Butler filed early last month." |
| CHARLIE MITCHELL (OPINION): Attitudes about work are inconsistent | |
| Longtime Mississippi journalist Charlie Mitchell writes: "Imagine being a farmer. Imagine plowing, sowing and, when the time is right, harvesting your best crop ever. Now imagine standing near the loaded trucks, looking at the bounty -- the literal fruits of having made a plan, put the plan into action and shepherded it to completion. How would you feel? More specifically, how would you feel about yourself? To parrot the words of James Brown, you'd feel good. The point of this exercise is that we value our work. It defines us. And it doesn't really matter what kind of work it is. A heart surgeon and a firewood-stacker can achieve the same level of self-satisfaction from doing their jobs well, from having a good day at work. But there's a quirky thing about our culture. While our work, whatever it is, makes us feel fulfilled, we assign distinctly different levels of respect to the work of others." |
SPORTS
| Mississippi State taking deposits for tickets at new Dudy Noble Field | |
| Mississippi State began accepting deposits for seating in the new Dudy Noble Field, the university announced on Tuesday. It's still unknown when construction for the new stadium will begin. The release states ground will break once half the cost has been raised. The ticket deposits should help. Those fans in the Left Field Lounge will have an opportunity to reserve a spot in the new stadium. Both venues consist of 86 spots. The cost of each Left Field Lounge space will be $2,000 for the season. In order to secure a spot, all current Left Field Lounge occupants must make a $750 deposit by July 31, 2015. |
| Arkansas-Pine Bluff hands Mississippi State its first loss | |
| Each coach needed only a few words to sum up what happened Tuesday afternoon at Dudy Noble Field. Arkansas-Pine Bluff baseball coach Carlos James insisted his team came to Starkville expecting to win. Mississippi State coach John Cohen bemoaned the fact that the Bulldogs "just didn't compete. Didn't fight for it." With that, the Golden Lions left town with a 3-2 win and saddled the No. 9 Bulldogs with their first loss. "Give Pine Bluff all the credit in the world," said Cohen, whose team fell to 13-1. "They came out here to win a baseball game today and they played very well. They deserved every bit of it. We just didn't do the things necessary to compete. Offensively, we didn't even compete a little bit." |
| Mississippi State, South Carolina jockey for SEC honors | |
| The best regular season in Mississippi State women's basketball history continued into the postseason on Tuesday. The Southeastern Conference announced its regular season awards as voted on by the league's coaches. They included a host of Bulldogs. Martha Alwal and Victoria Vivians both received second-team All-SEC honors. Vivians joined Morgan William on the All-Freshman team, while Alwal earned a spot on the all-defensive squad. Schaefer won co-Coach of the Year with South Carolina's Dawn Staley. "It's really an honor to share and be co-Coach of the Year with coach Staley in this great conference," Schaefer said. "I'm very humbled and very honored. It's hard to really put your arms around." |
| Mississippi State's Schaefer named SEC Co-Coach of the Year | |
| Mississippi State's Vic Schaefer was named the SEC Co-Coach of the Year by the league Tuesday. He shares the honor with South Carolina's Dawn Staley. It's the first time in league history that women's basketball co-coaches have been named. Schaefer led MSU to a 26-5 regular-season record, setting a school mark for wins and earning a No. 3 seed for the upcoming SEC Tournament. South Carolina's Tiffany Mitchell was named Player of the Year. |
| Mississippi State's Schaefer named SEC Co-Coach of the Year | |
 | Following a historic regular season, the Mississippi State women's basketball team piled up the SEC honors from league coaches Tuesday. Head coach Vic Schaefer was named SEC Co-Coach of the Year as well as a one of 10 semifinalists for Naismith National Coach of the Year. Victoria Vivians and Martha Alwal were tabbed second team All-SEC. Alwal also claimed her third-straight selection to the all-defensive team while Vivians joined Morgan William on the all-freshman team. |
| SEC's coaches honor Schaefer | |
| After guiding Mississippi State to a school-best 26-5 overall record and 11-5 mark inside the conference, Vic Schaefer was named the SEC Co-Coach of the Year as well as one of 10 semifinalists for the Naismith National Coach of the Year. Schaefer shared the SEC Coach of the Year billing with South Carolina's Dawn Staley. "I have what I think is the best staff in the country and tremendous players who have given of themselves this year and allowed us to coach and teach them and reach new heights here at Mississippi State," Schaefer said. |
| Mississippi State's Vic Schaefer a finalist for Naismith Coach of the Year | |
| A national audience is taking notice at the accomplishments of Mississippi State's women's basketball team. Its coach, Vic Schaefer, was named one of 10 finalists for the Naismith Coach of the Year Award on Tuesday. Schaefer, in his third year with the program, has led the Bulldogs to the most wins in school history with a 26-5 record. MSU is also ranked No. 11 in the AP, it's highest ranking since 2003. Mississippi State heads to Little Rock this week for the Southeastern Conference tournament. MSU holds the three-seed, tied for its best ever. |
| Vivians, Faleru lead list for state's top women's college basketball award | |
| Victoria Vivians already has played a major role in the Mississippi State women's basketball team's record-breaking season. On Monday, the 6-foot-1 guard from Carthage set an individual first when she was named the first freshman finalist for the Gillom Award, which goes to the best women's college basketball player in the state of Mississippi. Ole Miss senior forward Tia Faleru and Southern Mississippi senior forward Tamara Jones also were selected as finalists in a vote of statewide media who cover college basketball. MSU coach Vic Schaefer said Vivians, who was the state of Mississippi's all-time leading prep basketball scorer at Scott Central High School, has played a huge part in No. 11 MSU's record-setting 26 victories and 11 SEC wins. |
| Mississippi State hopes to secure a first-round bye in SEC tourney | |
| The 2014-15 season began with postseason aspirations for Rick Ray and Mississippi State. Four months and 29 games later, the dreams begin and end in the Southeastern Conference tournament in Nashville next week. MSU can helps its chances in that tournament with a strong performance in Nashville this week. In Ray's first two seasons, MSU owned the bottom two seeds. The Bulldogs sit in 12th heading into its game at Vanderbilt on Wednesday. Two wins to close the season -- and receiving some help -- would secure Mississippi State with a first-round bye. "I think it's really important," Ray said. |
| Bulldogs trying to salvage season against Vandy | |
| Mississippi State was able to snap a 16-game SEC losing streak with a 57-54 home win over Vanderbilt on Jan. 17. Rick Ray and the Bulldogs are hoping to end their most recent four-game skid traveling to Nashville to face the Commodores once again tonight at 8 p.m. on the SEC Network. MSU fell to 12-17 and 5-11 in conference play with its latest 81-68 loss at South Carolina on Saturday. The Bulldogs currently sit 12th in the league with two games remaining in the regular season. "We've put ourselves in a difficult situation and are trying to avoid playing on the first day in the SEC Tournament," Ray said. |
| Nineteen Bulldogs will work out at Pro Day | |
| Johnthan Banks isn't shy about sharing his opinion about the NFL Scouting Combine. The 2012 winner of the Jim Thorpe Award, given to the nation's best defensive back, Banks, by his own admission, turned in a disappointing performance at the Combine two months after his final season with the Mississippi State football team. "They keep you up all day, all night, you never get a break and you're expected to run your best," Banks said of his experience at the Combine. "I didn't run very well, didn't do drills well. It was all a beauty pageant." Even though Banks was an All-American and had 15 career interceptions, his showing at the Combine in Indianapolis might have hurt his draft stock. Luckily for Banks, he had another venue where he could impress professional scouts and decision-makers. Two weeks after the combine, Banks participated in MSU's Pro Day, the annual on-campus event that brings NFL scouts and coaches to Starkville. That's where Banks made his money. |
| Sean Patterson has been hired by Ole Miss | |
| The brother of quarterback recruit Shea Patterson is officially an Ole Miss employee. Sean Patterson is in the Ole Miss online directory, with the title of "associate director for recruiting operations." He was added on Monday. The move to Oxford for Sean was expected, after Shea verbally committed to Ole Miss on Feb. 17. A five-star prospect, Shea is considered Ole Miss' quarterback of the future and one of, if not the, major recruit of the Hugh Freeze era. Sean resigned from LSU, made public that same day, where he held an offensive quality control position. |
| Construction of $12M LSU nutrition center delayed because of proposed budget cuts | |
| LSU is delaying the construction of the Tiger Athletics Nutrition Center because of proposed state budget cuts, the school announced on Tuesday. Construction on the nutrition center was scheduled to begin next month and end next April. The school still plans to build the $12 million facility but did not give a new construction date. "The Tiger Athletic Nutrition Center will become a reality, but we will wait until we can gauge how the budget cuts will affect LSU before starting the project," athletic director Joe Alleva said in the statement. Gov. Bobby Jindal's budget proposal released last week would slash funding for higher education by $211 million. LSU President and Chancellor F. King Alexander has been one of the most outspoken against the cuts. |
| Duke Defends Actions in Player's Dismissal | |
 | One day after a report suggested that Duke's athletic department knew of two sexual assault allegations against the junior guard Rasheed Sulaimon for as long as 10 months before his dismissal from the team, the program's athletic director attempted to tamp down speculation that Coach Mike Krzyzewski, or any other athletic official, had mishandled the case. "Coach Krzyzewski and his staff understand and have fulfilled their responsibilities to the university, its students and the community," Athletic Director Kevin White said in a statement. On Monday, the student newspaper, The Duke Chronicle, reported that allegations against Sulaimon by two female students became known to members of the athletic department as early as March 2014. Sulaimon was dismissed Jan. 29, becoming the first player to be discharged in Krzyzewski's 35-year tenure. |
| In the NCAA, a Push to Reform Health Standards | |
| When the NCAA hired a neurologist two years ago to improve protocols for handling concussions, nobody foresaw that he would make a priority out of sudden cardiac death. But as the first chief medical officer in the history of the NCAA---an organization founded to promote athlete health--- Brian Hainline has no intention of limiting his influence to neurology. "Concussions have overshadowed everything," says Hainline, a New York University neurologist. "Why aren't we talking about death?" In a series of interviews, Hainline disclosed that he is preparing to recommend this fall that athletes at higher risk of cardiac death, including male basketball players, be required to undergo an EKG test to search for cardiac defects. |
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