The Morning Dish – Thursday, August 5th
Braves Leaving: Alcorn State has announced that the Braves’ starting backcourt of Trey Johnson and DeAndre Jones have both decided to transfer. Head coach Samuel West confirmed the news to the Clarion (Mississippi) Register, who stated that both Johnson and Jones have requested their release and will be transferring for personal reasons. Johnson, a 6-5 junior guard who averaged 11 points and 2.7 assists last season, has announced that he will be transferring to Jackson State, where his brother is a member of the baseball team. Jones, also a junior, averaged 7.9 points and 2.6 assists per contest, intends to transfer to either Clark Atlanta or Morehouse. Johnson will be required to sit out this season due to NCAA transfer rules, while Jones will be eligible to play this fall, assuming he doesn’t transfer to a D-1 institution. To replace the pair, West will turn to 5-6 point guard Alleo Frazier and Delvin Thompson, who transferred from Utah Valley State and sat out last season.
MAC Commish Extended: The Mid-American Conference has announced the signing of Commissioner Rick Chryst a contract extension through the 2008-09 season. Chryst, who has been on the job for five years already, has elevated the MAC by bringing aboard Buffalo as a member institution, and raising the profile of the MAC Championship at Gund Arena in Cleveland. Chryst is also credited with holding the MAC together during the past year of conference shuffling, only losing football-only member Central Florida, and recent addition Marshall. A new position was also created, the Assistant Commissioner of Men’s Basketball Operations. Dan Hughes, former coach of the WNBA’s Cleveland Rockers, will be the first in the new role, which will oversee officiating, scheduling, television and the MAC Tournament for men’s basketball.
New Ram Assistant: Rhode Island head coach Jim Baron has announced the hiring of Kevin Clark as an assistant on his coaching staff. Clark, who was interim head coach at St. John’s since Mike Jarvis’ firing on December 20th, 2003, was an assistant for the Red Storm since 1997, and came with Jarvis from George Washington, where he was an assistant from 1993-97. Clark also was an assistant at Fairfield in the early 90’s, and was head coach of D-III Clark University (Worcester, Massachusetts), his alma mater. As a player, Kevin Clark was a three-time D-III All-American, and still holds records for career rebounds and field goal percentage.
Colgate Hires Ballard: Former Colgate captain Jeremy Ballard has been named an assistant on head coach Emmett Davis’ Raider coaching staff. Ballard, who graduated from Colgate in 2003, earned four varsity letters and was co-captain his senior season. A two-time winner of the ECAC Merit Medal Award, Ballard was a two-time member of the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll, and received Colgate’s Hasan Brown Awards, typifying the spirit of Colgate. Ballard replaces Cory Conklin, who resigned to attend graduate school at Barry University (Miami Shores, Florida).
