MONTGOMERY, Ala.—A full week of athletic events will be on hand this week for athletic programs at Alabama State, led by the start of the men’s basketball season and the first SWAC Championship of the season.
The men’s and women’s cross country teams will be in Clinton, Miss., for the first Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship of the year on Monday. The women’s team will be looking to build on their cross country dynasty going for their third consecutive title.
The women’s golf team will play in the UAB Fall Beach Blast which will be played in Gulf Shores, Ala. Volleyball will be on the court twice this week playing at Alabama-Birmingham and will start their second round of conference action by playing at Jackson State, a team they beat just two weeks ago.
ASU’s bowling team will compete in their second meet of the year in Houston at the Texas Southern Invitational, while the ASU football team will travel to Lexington, Ky., to play SEC member Kentucky in a game that will be televised by CSS.
The men’s basketball team will get the 2013-14 season underway when they host neighborhood rival Huntingdon College in an exhibition game Thursday evening.
Thursday, Oct. 31
Men’s Basketball: vs. Huntingdon (exh.); 6 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 1
Bowling: at Texas Southern Invite; Houston, Texas; All Day
Saturday, Nov. 2
Bowling: at Texas Southern Invite; Houston, Texas; All Day
Volleyball: at Jackson State; 3 p.m.
Football: at Kentucky; 6:30 p.m. (CSS TV)
Sunday, Nov. 3
Bowling: at Texas Southern Invite; Houston, Texas; All Day
On the Horizon
Tuesday, Nov. 5
Volleyball: at Stillman; 6 p.m.
Women’s Basketball: vs. Faulkner (exh.); 6 p.m.
Men’s Basketball: vs. Ft. Valley State (exh.); 8 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 7
Volleyball: vs. Alabama A&M; 7 p.m.
Soccer: SWAC Tournament; Houston, Texas; TBA
Friday, Nov. 8
Women’s Basketball: vs. Troy; 6 p.m.
Men’s Basketball: at Illinois; 7 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 9
Football: vs. Southern; 1 p.m.
Soccer: SWAC Tournament; Houston, Texas; TBA
M/W Golf: at Savannah State Invitational; Pooler, Ga.; All Day
Sunday, Nov. 10
Men’s Basketball: at Bradley; 4 p.m.
Soccer: SWAC Tournament; Houston, Texas; TBA
ASU Basketball
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Alabama State University men’s basketball team is starting the season when they host Huntingdon College Oct. 31 at 6 p.m. in an exhibition game.
The Hornets enter the 2013-14 season with a roster of 15 players. Devonte’ Neal, Luther Page, Bobby Brown and Jamel Waters are the lone returners from last season. That means 11 of the players will be seeing their first action in an ASU uniform.
Practice started a month ago and a lot of progress has been made, but there is a lot of work still to be done.
“One thing we have to do a better job of communicating,” Head Coach Lewis Jackson said. “I think we have gotten out and ran decently but our energy on defense is what we have to do a better job with.”
“We just have to get a little tougher and with a new team like this team it takes a little time. We have three guys who had some playing time last year so there is a lot of things we have to go over and take your time and get it done. You can’t rush and skim over it because they are not going to get what they really need.”
Even with all the work that needs to be done, it can’t replace the excitement the coaching staff has seen with this team.
“I really like this team,” Jackson said. “We’re athletic, we have some guys who are playing really hard, but they do not understand basketball right now. When we start to get some games up under our belt we will really get some things going.”
“Jamel Waters is the guy that has really been playing well for us in these practices. He’s really getting up and down the court with the ball and making good decisions. We just have to get some guys to play along with him. I am excited about these guys.”
