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Miami Herald
4 days ago
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Duke agrees to home-and-home with HBCU power
NORFOLK, Va. - Norfolk State Director of Athletics Dr. Melody Webb and head women's basketball coach Jermaine Woods have reached an agreement for a home-and-home series with nationally ranked Duke, bringing a major HBCU matchup to life over the next two seasons. The Spartans will travel to Duke's Cameron Indoor Stadium on Nov. 12, 2025. The following season, the Blue Devils will make their first-ever visit to Echols Hall. Tipoff times for both games will be announced later. 'This is a landmark moment for our women's basketball program and our university,' Webb said. 'Hosting a nationally ranked team like Duke highlights our commitment to raising the profile of Norfolk State Athletics. It also provides our student-athletes and fans with a chance to experience top-tier competition on our campus.' The two programs have met only once before. In 2002, Duke defeated Norfolk State 95-48 in the NCAA Tournament's first round, shortly after NSU won its first MEAC Tournament Championship. The 2026 visit by Duke will be the first time an Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) opponent plays at Norfolk State, marking a historic milestone for the HBCU. The Blue Devils finished last season 29-8 and reached the Elite Eight, ending the year ranked No. 7 nationally. 'I appreciate Coach Kara Lawson's willingness to set up this series,' Woods said. 'Collaborations like this help HBCUs gain national visibility. Her return to Norfolk will benefit our program, university, and the community.' Norfolk State enters the 2025-26 season after winning its third consecutive MEAC Tournament title and earning a No. 13 seed in the NCAA Tournament - the program's highest seeding to date. For more information on Norfolk State Athletics, follow @nsuspartans on X, @NSUAthletics on Instagram and YouTube, and visit The post Duke agrees to home-and-home with HBCU power appeared first on HBCU Gameday. Copyright HBCU Gameday 2012-2025
Miami Herald
07-05-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Veteran coach takes on new challenge after 22 years at HBCU
College Sports Veteran coach takes on new challenge after 22 years at HBCU ORANGEBURG, S.C. – Veteran and championship coach Cedric Baker has been named the new South Carolina State head HBCU women's basketball coach during a press conference by Interim Athletics Director Oliver 'Buddy' Pough, announced Monday (May 6). 'At this pivotal moment in the future of our women's basketball program, we believe Coach Baker is the right person to lead us forward,' Pough said. 'His experience, vision, and values align with our mission of developing student-athletes who excel on and off the court.' Baker joins SC State after an extraordinary 22-year tenure at Savannah State, where he built the HBCU program, which was defined by excellence, discipline, and historic achievement. 'I'm excited to join the South Carolina State family and eager to begin building something special with the student-athletes, staff, and supporters here in Orangeburg, 'said Baker. During his career, his legacy includes guiding three collegiate programs to six national tournament appearances, nine regular season and conference tournament championships, several outstanding Coach of the Year awards, and the development of several elite student-athletes. Coach Baker's most recent record-breaking milestones: Producing Savannah State's only WNBA player and women's basketball Olympian, Ezinne Kalu Recording the most single-season wins (27-3), and a historic 14-0 season start Achieving two perfect Academic Performance Rating scores of 1000 Achieved the program's highest Division II national rankings in both the WBCA and the NCAA South Region polls Securing key wins over major programs. Including the University of Florida, Georgia Southern University, University of Central Florida, East Carolina, Troy University, and University of Louisiana-Lafayette Most Division I wins in Savannah State's program history MEAC Tournament Ring Recipients of 2015 MEAC Tournament Outstanding Coach of 2015. Beyond the numbers, Baker brings a proven commitment to academic integrity, player development, and championship-level performance. A leader who builds culture and winning teams. His confidence will have an immediate and lasting impact at South Carolina State. A 1990 graduate of Voorhees College, he earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics and applied sciences. At Voorhees, he was a four-year basketball letterman and a member of the 1987 Voorhees Men's Basketball EAIC Championship team. The post Veteran coach takes on new challenge after 22 years at HBCU appeared first on HBCU Gameday. Copyright HBCU Gameday 2012-2025 This story was originally published May 7, 2025 at 9:53 AM.
Miami Herald
24-04-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Diamond Johnson signs WNBA training camp contract
Diamond Johnson, one of the most accomplished guards in HBCU women's basketball, has signed a training camp contract with the Minnesota Lynx, aiming to secure a spot on their 2025 WNBA roster. Despite her standout collegiate career, Johnson went undrafted in the 2025 WNBA Draft, a decision that sparked considerable discussion among fans and analysts. Transferring to Norfolk State for her final two college seasons, Johnson delivered exceptional performances, averaging 18.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 3.3 steals per game. She set a MEAC Tournament single-game scoring record with a 30-point, 11-rebound outing in the semifinals and was named the 2024 Women's Basketball Co-Player of the Year at the Spartan Choice Awards. Johnson's omission from the draft raised questions about potential biases, with some speculating that her height and decision to play at an HBCU may have influenced teams' decisions. Social media reactions highlighted the surprise and disappointment felt by many, emphasizing her impressive statistics and leadership qualities. Now, with the opportunity to compete in the Lynx's training camp, Diamond Johnson aims to demonstrate her capabilities and earn a place in the WNBA. Her journey underscores the challenges faced by talented players from underrepresented programs like Norfolk State and other HBCUs and the importance of providing equitable opportunities in professional sports. The Minnesota Lynx are set to open training camp at The Courts at Mayo Clinic Square on Sunday, April 27. Their two-game preseason slate kicks off with a matchup against the Chicago Sky at Wintrust Arena on Tuesday, May 6 at 7:00 p.m. EST.. The preseason concludes with a home game at Target Center on Saturday, May 10 at 8:00 p.m. EST. Minnesota will tip off the regular season on the road, facing the Dallas Wings on Friday, May 16 at 7:30 p.m. EST. The post Diamond Johnson signs WNBA training camp contract appeared first on HBCU Gameday. Copyright HBCU Gameday 2012-2025
Miami Herald
03-04-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
HBCU to replace SEC hire with new head coach
Norfolk State women's basketball is looking to keep its hold on the HBCU/MEAC basketball world and it appears to have its man to replace Larry Vickers Coppin State head coach Jermaine Woods is reportedly finalizing a deal that would have him replace Larry Vickers as the program's head coach. The news was first reported by Liv Antilla and confirmed to HBCU Gameday by a source. The Norfolk, VA native recently led Coppin State to a 19-15 record, ending its season in the second round of the WNIT. One of those wins was against Arizona went 30-40 in his first two seasons at CSU. In his first season as head coach, Woods guided the Eagles to non-conference wins Winthrop, Saint Peter's and St. Francis (Pa.) and a fifth seed in the MEAC Tournament. Mossi Staples and Jewel Watkins both earned Second Team All-Conference honors while Watkins was placed on the league's defensive team. In a victory over Delaware State, CSU set a then school-record with 12 3-pointers and the squad set a single-season record with 181 3-point field goals. During Woods' second season as head coach, Coppin State advanced to the MEAC Semifinals for the first time since 2016 and posted impressive non-conference road wins at FIU and Pittsburgh. The victory against the Panthers was CSU's first-ever against a Power Conference program. Earning the four seed in the MEAC Tournament, Laila Lawrence and Faith Blackstone earned major MEAC awards, 1st Team All-Conference accolades and BOXTOROW HBCU All-America honors. Angel Jones also picked up 2nd Team All-Conference recognition. Woods started his playing career at Belmont-Abbey before finishing out at Christopher Newport University where he was a D3 All-American. He started his coaching career at Virginia Tech before transitioning to Old Dominion and Wake Forest. He joined the Baltimore-based HBCU as associate head coach in 2020. Now he's returning back home to take charge of a program that won 30 games and is the three-time defending MEAC Tournament champion. Last month Woods got a taste of being back home during the MEAC Tournament. "I didn't sleep at all. I haven't been sleeping. Haven't eaten either. So I need to eat. I'm going to have a good meal today," Woods said during the MEAC Tournament. "People are feeding us good. We have nice, fancy restaurants every day, and people are taking care of us." In addition to to eating well, Jermaine Woods now has the task of keeping Norfolk State on top of the HBCU and MEAC hill and keeping it as one of the best mid-major programs in the country. The post HBCU to replace SEC hire with new head coach appeared first on HBCU Gameday. Copyright HBCU Gameday 2012-2025
USA Today
21-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
March Madness: USA TODAY Sports on Florida-Norfolk State in NCAA Tournament first round
March Madness: USA TODAY Sports on Florida-Norfolk State in NCAA Tournament first round Florida basketball opens up its 2015 NCAA Tournament bracket on Friday night with a first-round matchup with the Norfolk State Spartans inside the Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina. The No. 1 vs No. 16 seed battle looks pretty lopsided on paper, but anything can happen at the Big Dance. Both programs enter play riding winning streaks — six for the Gators and four for the Spartans — along with SEC and MEAC Tournament titles, respectively. The two schools met once before in the Sweet 16 of the 2012 edition of the tournament, with No. 7-seeded Florida pulverizing No. 15-seeded Norfolk State, 84-50. According to the latest betting odds, the Orange and Blue are a 28.5-point favorite this time around. With the start of play just hours away, USA TODAY Sports writer Eddie Timanus broke down all 16 Friday games, including the aforementioned affair. Here is what he had to offer. Download your March Madness bracket here! No. 1 Florida vs. No. 16 Norfolk State overview "As long-time bracket heads well know, winning one's major conference tournament is not always a good predictor of success in the Big Dance.," Timmanus begins. "But the Gators' dominance en route to the SEC title is impossible to ignore. The Spartans claimed their third MEAC conference tournament title since 2021, though they had to survive a wild sequence against South Carolina State in the championship game to get here. How to watch Florida vs Norfolk State The Gators open play with a matchup against the No. 16-seed Norfolk State Spartans on Friday, March 21, in Raleigh, North Carolina. Tipoff time is slated for 6:50 p.m. ET and the game will broadcast nationally on TNT. Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
