The Black Women in Sport Foundation’s 2012 Next Step Women of Color Mini-Forum, hosted at Temple University by the Department of Athletics and the College of Education and supported in part by the NCAA, will be held on April 18 at Ritter Hall, Room 211, located at 1301 Cecil B. Moore Avenue, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The mini-forum is a professional development and preparation program to increase the portion of women of color collegiate head coaches and athletic administrators at 4-year NCAA institutions. The mini-forum is an interactive and networking opportunity to discuss and explore strategies to recruit, inspire, educate and retain women of color in the intercollegiate coaching and athletic administration positions with practicing professionals.

The moderator will be Nikki Franke, Temple’s head fencing coach. The panelists will be Marilyn Stephens, Cheyney University, head women’s basketball coach; Margaret Ottley, West Chester University, associate professor of sport psychology; Amanda Janney, Temple head women’s field hockey coach; Lynsey Grace, Community College of Philadelphia athletic coordinator and Kari-Lei Maddox, Delaware State University assistant lacrosse coach.

Philadelphia 2012 Unsigned Senior Basketball Shootout

There will be an opportunity for all high school senior basketball players who haven’t signed a letter of intent to showcase their talent at the Philadelphia 2012 Unsigned Senior Basketball Shootout. The games will be played at Imhotep Charter, 21st and Godfrey Avenue, on Sunday, April 15. The games will take place at 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. For more information on this event, go to runhouse.net.

Phoenix Club announces college players of the year

The Phoenix Club of Philadelphia will recognize the college player of the year, presented to Philadelphia area basketball players (male and female) who have excelled in college during the year. The male award will be given in the name of Wali Jones and the female award will be given in the name of Marilyn Stephens. Both players are products of the Public League. Jones was a great player at Overbrook High and Villanova. Stephens was a star at Simon Gratz and Temple.

This year’s winners are Ramone Moore, Temple, and Gloria Brown (University of Texas – El Paso). The Phoenix Award presentation will be held in June at the Union League of Philadelphia.

Philadelphia Big 5 awards

The Philadelphia Big 5 head coaches and media have announced their college basketball awards.

Player of the Year – Zack Rosen, Penn

Most Improved Player – Earl Pettis, La Salle

Rookie of the Year – Jerrell Wright, La Salle

Coach of the Year – Fran Dunphy, Temple

Scholar-Athlete – Zack Rosen, Penn

Team of the Year – Temple

Best Free Throw Percentage – Maalik Wayns, Villanova

Leading Scorer – Zack Rosen, Penn

First team: Zack Rosen, Penn; Ramone Moore, Temple; Maalik Wayns, Villanova; Khalif Wyatt, Temple; Langston Galloway, Saint Joseph’s.

Second team: Tyreek Duren, La Salle; Earl Pettis, La Salle; Carl Jones, Saint Joseph’s; Ramone Galloway, La Salle; C.J. Aiken, Saint Joseph’s, Juan Fernandez, Temple.

Shey Peddy Big 5 women’s basketball player of the year

For a second consecutive year, Temple basketball standout Shey Peddy has earned Big 5 Player of the Year honors. Peddy will receive this honor at the annual Big 5 Women’s Basketball banquet on April 25 at Drexelbrook in Drexel Hill.

Contact staff writer Donald Hunt at (215) 893-5719 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Saint Joseph’s will host Villanova in a classic Big 5 matchup at Hagan Arena. The Hawks are coming off a big upset win over nationally ranked Creighton. This will be the first time in school history the Saint Joseph’s–Villanova game will be on the Saint Joseph’s campus.

It should be quite a crowd on Hawk Hill. Langston Galloway, Saint Joseph’s outstanding 6-foot-2 sophomore guard, will have a number of fans watching him play in what should be a great City Series game. Galloway will have plenty of students cheering for him as well as a number of family members.

Galloway is the nephew of Hawks assistant coach Geoff Arnold, who was a sensational player during his college career at Saint Joseph’s. Langston’s mother, Jeri, is Geoff Arnold’s sister. His father, Larry Galloway, played his college basketball at Virginia State. They’re two of his biggest fans. They come to just about all his games.

But other family members have come as well. His grandmother, Lillian Arnold, has watched him play as well as his uncles, Peter Arnold and Benjamin Alvin Arnold, and his aunt Fern and her husband and family. Geoff’s wife, Stephanie and their daughter, Gabrielle, have seen him showcase his talents. And that’s just a few of his family members. There have been others who have attended his games as well.

Galloway is a big-time attraction. He was a brilliant high school player at Christian Life Academy in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He was Class 1A All-State first team selection in high school. He was a two-time District 7-1A Player of the Year.

Galloway received a tremendous amount of interest from several Division I programs. He could have gone to a lot of schools. However, he decided to come to Saint Joseph’s where he has learned from head coach Phil Martelli as well as Geoff Arnold. Galloway was a first-team Atlantic 10 All-Rookie team selection last year. He also received Big 5 Rookie of the Year honors.

He is currently averaging 15.6 points and 4.6 rebounds a game. Galloway is shooting 46.6 percent from three-point range. He had a career high 30 points recently in a victory over Boston University. Although Galloway is a great player with a lot of potential, he’s also a terrific person. He has a good foundation, and that starts with his family.

“I really appreciate all the support,” Galloway said. “It’s nice to have a lot of my family here. I see them after the game. They look forward to coming to the games. I’m excited to see them. It makes me feel good.”

Saint Joseph’s (7-3) has one of the youngest teams in the country. They have two juniors, five sophomores and three freshmen. Villanova (6-4) should be a big challenge for them. If Saint Joseph’s can play the way they did against Creighton, they could see an even bigger celebration on Hawk Hill. A win over the Wildcats would give the fans a lot of excitement. It would give Galloway and his family something to cheer about as well.

Contact Tribune staff writer Donald Hunt at (215) 893-5719 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Saint Joseph’s has been playing some great basketball over the last three weeks. The Hawks have won their last three games — Iona, Drexel and Morgan State. However, Saint Joseph’s (8-4) will host 14th ranked Butler (12-2) on Wednesday, Jan. 9 at Hagan Arena. The game, which starts at 7 p.m., will be televised on The Comcast Network.

Phil Martelli, Saint Joseph’s head coach, knows Butler has one of best basketball programs in the country. The Bulldogs are new to the Atlantic 10 Conference, but are well known to most fans who follow college basketball. Last month, Butler shook up the college basketball world with its overtime upset of No. 1-ranked Indiana. The Bulldogs are led by their backcourt of 6-foot senior guard Rotnei Clarke (16.2 ppg) and 6-foot-6 freshman Kellen Dunham (11.2 ppg). The Bulldogs also have three other key players in 6-foot-6 junior forward Khyle Marshall (11.1 ppg), 6-foot-4 sophomore forward Roosevelt Jones (9.6 ppg) and 6-foot-11 senior center Andrew Smith (10.9 ppg). Martelli knows the Hawks will be facing a very talented ballclub.

“Butler, I’m enamored with their balance,” Martelli said. “Basically, they have five guys who averaged in double figures. The guys who come in the game are very, very clear on what their role is coming into the game. I have a statement; we haven’t done the videotape and the scouting of the team yet. But the No. 1 statement I’m going to make to them about my team. If you’re not willing to fight for every ball, then stay home.

“Really, the tone is set by Marshall and Jones. They’re fiercely competitive. They’re extraordinarily balanced. They’re extremely, extremely well coached. And they’ve seen and done everything. These guys have played Marquette and North Carolina. Marshall and Smith have been in the Final Four. They’re prepared for everything. They have a basketball answer for everything they do.”

Saint Joseph’s top players are guards Carl Jones and Langston Galloway. Jones, a 5-foot-11 senior, leads the team in scoring. He’s averaging 15.6 points a game. Galloway, a 6-foot-2 junior, is the Hawks second leading scorer. He’s tallying 15.0 points a game. Brad Stevens, Butler head coach, knows his team will be tested with Saint Joseph’s experienced backcourt.

“They’re awfully good,” Stevens said. “I think obviously Carl Jones is a guy who scored 1,600 plus points in his career. He’s very explosive off the bounce. He’s a 38-39 percent three-point shooter. He scores in transition. He scores isolated. He scores off screens. That’s a hard guy to guard.

“Galloway like some of the guys we have from a standpoint to be able to make every open shot. You just feel bad. You sit there and let him get an open look. That is a hard thing to guard. He’s got the ability to put it on the ground. He likes to drive to the baseline elevations on his finishes is fantastic. Both those guys get to the foul line. They’re hard guys to guard. We’re going to have to do that by committee.”

Contact staff writer Donald Hunt at (215) 893-5719 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

If you drive down the middle of the lane against Saint Joseph’s, you’d better keep an eye on C.J. Aiken, the Hawks’ sophomore forward. Aiken, a 6-foot-9, 200-pounder from Plymouth Whitemarsh, has already blocked 40 shots this season. He leads the Atlantic 10 Conference in blocked shots with a 5.0 average.

Aiken had nine blocked shots in Saint Joseph’s win over Drexel last week as SJU set the school record with 16 blocks. He had six blocks in a losing effort Sunday night in a 66-60 loss to host American University.

“The one thing I look forward to during the game is playing good defense,” Aiken said. “I just try my hardest out there. My teammates have really helped me out. I have to give them a lot of credit.”

Aiken is surrounded by some great players such as 5-foot-11 junior Carl Jones (19.0 ppg), 6-foot-2 sophomore Langston Galloway (14.5 ppg) and 6-foot-8 sophomore Ronald Roberts. They have all contributed to the Hawks’ great start. Saint Joseph’s has a 5-3 record this season.

Although he has terrific players around him, Aiken has shown great improvement in the past year. In addition to establishing himself as a shotblocker, he has done a nice job of scoring (12.3 ppg) and rebounding (5.9 rpg). A year ago, he averaged 7.4 points and 4.3 rebounds a game.

Aiken came to Hawk Hill with a tremendous resume. He was named the Pennsylvania Class AAAA Player of the Year in 2010. He averaged 16.9 points, 10.0 rebounds and 6.5 blocked shots while leading Plymouth Whitemarsh to a state championship. He also received Associated Press All-State honors. Phil Martelli, Saint Joseph’s head coach, has been pleased with his development.

“I like that C.J. is enjoying himself,” Martelli said. “I’ve watched him grow up from when he was in the ninth grade. He likes playing basketball. He’s having a good time. I think C.J. feels balanced on this team. He likes to dunk. He likes to get alley-oops and block shots. I’m delighted that he’s having such a good start to the season.”

Saint Joseph’s will face Boston University (4-4) on Wednesday, Dec. 7 at Hagan Arena. The tip-off will be at 7 p.m. The Terriers won the America East and landed a spot in the NCAA tournament last year. Aiken will be looking to block some more shots and score some easy baskets inside.

Contact Tribune staff writer Donald Hunt at (215) 893-5719 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Langston Galloway, Saint Joseph’s junior guard, has played some great basketball over the years. However, Galloway’s talents aren’t limited to just playing the game.

He has done extremely well off the court too. That’s why Galloway is one of 10 college basketball student-athletes to be named to the inaugural Allstate NABC Good Works Team. This accolade was recently announced by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) and Allstate Insurance Co.

The award recognizes men’s and women’s college basketball student-athletes who have made outstanding contributions in the areas of volunteerism and civic involvement, including building homes for the elderly, leading basketball clinics, reading to students and working with children with hearing disabilities.

Galloway has demonstrated a commitment to helping others since his high school career at Christian Life Academy in Baton Rouge, La. He has been involved in collecting sneakers and shoes that have been given to the needy through programs run by the St. Vincent DePaul Society and Soles4Souls, Inc., which sends them to Haiti.

While at Saint Joseph’s, Galloway and his parents have raised funds and made contributions to the Heroes Program, which helps needy high school students take college preparation courses. He has also been an active participant in the Hawks’ community service efforts, such as the Christmas Charity project, and has worked with his church (Epic Church in Philadelphia) to send money and care packages overseas to the military.

“It’s definitely an honor,” Galloway said. “I mean being a part of this team. I mean being among 161 people [nominees] and being one of those people selected is really an honor. I’m going to continue to do good works in the community. I’ve been very blessed.

“The St. Vincent DePaul program is really big for me and a couple of guys on my team and my dad. We went around to different spots collecting shoes. The people in the community helped us, out to accomplish that goal and to help out people less fortunate than us. It’s definitely nice in the long run that you were going to help someone out.

“We helped out the Hero Program. That’s a program which makes a big difference in the communities in Philadelphia and helping the kids get ready for their SATs. We definitely put our best foot forward in trying to help the people in Philadelphia and around Baton Rouge.”

Members of the Allstate NABC Good Works Team will be invited by Allstate, an official corporate partner of the NCAA, to the NABC Convention and NCAA Men’s Final Four in Atlanta, where they will lend a helping hand throughout the city. Galloway is excited about having the opportunity to get to the Final Four.

“I’ve never been to the Final Four,” Galloway said. “I’m still hoping that it happens basketballwise. It’s definitely an honor going without basketball being involved.”

The 6-foot-2, 200-pound junior, has been one of the Hawks top players this season. He’s averaging 13.5 points and 3.5 rebounds a game. Saint Joseph’s is coming off an 82-56 victory over Fordham. The Hawks (16-11 overall, 7-7 A-10) will face Rhode Island (8-19 overall, 3-11 A-10) on Wednesday, March 6 at 7 p.m. as they try to pick up some momentum with the regular season winding down.

“Coming down the stretch we need to get all of these games,” Galloway said. “We definitely have to take it one game at a time.”

Contact Staff Writer Donald Hunt at (215) 893-5719 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

It’s that time of year in college basketball where your outstanding players really step up. Ronald Roberts has consistently been one of Saint Joseph’s top players this season.

Roberts played some big time basketball for the Hawks in a huge Big 5 and Atlantic 10 Conference 70-69 win over Temple on Saturday at Hagan Arena. The 6-foot-8, 220-pound junior, led Saint Joseph’s with 18 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks.

The Hawks (13-7 overall, 4-3 A-10) will need to continue to get that kind of effort from Roberts in a very important week of basketball. Saint Joseph’s will visit Dayton on Wednesday, Feb. 6 (The Comcast Network) at 7 p.m. and Massachusetts on Saturday, Feb. 9 (ESPN2) at 2 p.m.

“The rivalry is big,” Roberts said of the history between the Hawks and Owls. “The fans really came out. They showed a lot of support. We’re just trying to build momentum for the next game. We have a tough week coming up. We just have to make sure we used this to try to get those wins away.”

Roberts has given the Hawks a major presence in the lane. Whenever Saint Joseph’s needs a basket, they can go down low to him. He doesn’t do anything fancy. Roberts just catches the ball, backs his way down and goes up strong.

“I take pride playing inside,” Roberts said. “I actually like playing inside even though I’m undersized, some may say. I just like getting rebounds, especially offensive rebounds and just like out hustling my opponent and just going hard.”

Roberts has put on quite a show with his spectacular dunks. However, he enjoys hitting the boards.

“I love getting rebounds,” he said. “It’s just something about getting rebounds. I just go out there and give my teammates extra possessions. I try to go out there and block my man out and go up and get it.”

Roberts was a third team All-State selection from Saint Peter’s Prep in Bayonne, N.J. He comes from a basketball family. His father, Ronald, Sr., played basketball at the University of Oklahoma from 1985 to 1987 while his mother Dania was a member of the Dominican Republic’s national team.

“They’ve both been a big influence on me,” Roberts said. “They come to every game. They both played overseas. I work with dad during the summer. My mom always tells me to get those rebounds.”

Roberts has put together a real solid year. He’s averaging 11.4 points and 8.9 rebounds a game. He leads the Hawks in rebounding. Roberts is one of the best players in the Big 5 as well as the A-10.

He has some good players around him like guards Carl Jones, Langston Galloway and Chris Wilson and forward C.J. Aiken. Roberts feels everybody does something that helps the team win. Speaking of winning, he knows what the Hawks have to do down the stretch heading into the conference tournament in March.

“We just have to play with a lot of energy,” he said. “It’s crazy. You see the scores of some of the other games. You can’t take any days off, not in practice, not in the games, not any place. It means a lot. A small play can mean so much.”

Contact staff writer Donald Hunt at (215) 893-5719 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Tim Green, Lincoln University’s sensational defensive lineman, was selected to the AFCA (American Football Coaches Association) All-American team. Green is the first-ever Lincoln University football player to receive the NCAA Division II honor.

Green led the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) with 17 sacks for a loss of 119 yards. He ranked tops in Division II in sacks with a 1.50 average a game. He was No. 2 in the nation in tackles for loss tallying 2.30 a game. He also had 56 total and 42 solo tackles along with a team-high 23 tackles for a loss of 136 yards.

Saint Joseph’s will host two teams from the MEAC

Saint Joseph’s, the hottest team in the Big 5 right now, will host Coppin State and Morgan State from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in the coming days. The Hawks (8-3 overall, 1-0 Big 5) are coming off an impressive 74-58 victory over Villanova in a Big 5 matchup last Saturday night at Hagan Arena. Langston Galloway, Hawks sophomore guard, scored 20 points and had six assists.

Saint Joseph’s will play Coppin State on December 21 at 7 p.m. at Hagan Arena. Legendary head coach Ron “Fang” Mitchell, who is close to winning his 400th career game, leads the Eagles. Mitchell is in his 25th season at Coppin State. He is well known in the Philadelphia area. He was a tremendous junior college basketball coach at Gloucester County in New Jersey. In 1995, he brought Coppin State to Hawk Hill where they upset Saint Joseph’s, 75-68 in overtime in the NIT. Stephen Stewart, former Parkway star, tallied 19 points in that big win for the Eagles.

Saint Joseph’s will entertain Morgan State on December 28 at 7 p.m. The Bears are picked to win the MEAC championship. Morgan State has made trips to the NCAA and NIT over the last five years. Todd Bozeman, Morgan State head coach, has two Public League players on his team.  The Bears have Ameer Ali (Simon Gratz) and Shaquille Duncan (Frankford).

Langston Galloway receives A-10 and Big 5 recognition

Langston Galloway, Saint Joseph’s 6-foot-2 sophomore guard, was named Big 5 Player of the Week. Galloway was also chosen co-Atlantic 10 Player of the Week with St. Bonaventure’s junior forward Demitrius Conger.

Brittany Hrynko chosen Big East freshman of the week

Brittany Hrynko, former Engineering and Science basketball star, who now plays for DePaul, was named the Big East Conference freshman of the week. Hrynko led DePaul in scoring last week, including a career-high 25 points in the Blue Demons’ victory over Arizona State.

La Salle’s Tyreek Duren named candidate for Bob Cousy Award

La Salle sophomore guard Tyreek Duren from Neumann-Goretti has been named a candidate for the Bob Cousy Collegiate Point Guard of the Year award, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced on Monday. The annual honor, named for Hall of Famer and former Boston Celtic Bob Cousy, recognizes the top point guards in college basketball. Nearly 60 candidates have been nominated for the award.

Duren is averaging 12.9 points and 4.4 assists a game for the Explorers. He ranks sixth in the Atlantic 10 Conference in assists and eighth in steals (1.9 spg).

LeSean McCoy lands in the Eagles record books

LeSean McCoy, Philadelphia Eagles running back, tied a career-high with three rushing touchdowns, surpassing legendary running back Steve Van Buren for the franchise record for most touchdowns in a season (20) and most rushing TDs (17). McCoy’s 20 TDs this season lead the NFL and are tied for the 20th best single-season total in league history, according to Stats Inc.

He became the third player in team history to have three straight multi-TD outings, joining Brian Westbrook (2004) and Ricky Watters (1995). McCoy also posted his sixth 100-yard effort of the season, which is tied for the third-most in team history. His 1,274 rushing yards on the season ranks fifth all time in Eagles history and his 3,001 career rushing yards are the most ever by an Eagle in his first three seasons. McCoy has scored a touchdown in 13 of 14 games this season. He snapped a streak of 490 regular-season touches without a fumble. His last fumble came on October 10 at San Francisco, and the last fumble he lost was on October 3, 2010 against the Washington Redskins.

NHL to create Fan Festival in celebration of 2012 Winter Classic

The National Hockey League in conjunction with City of Philadelphia will extend the celebration of the January 2 outdoor game between the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers with its official NHL Winter Classic Spectator Plaza, a free, three-day fan festival just outside the gates of Citizens Bank Park.

From Saturday, Dec. 31 through Monday, Jan. 2, Citizens Bank Way, between Phillies Drive and Pattison Avenue will transform into an outdoor hockey and entertainment festival for fans of all ages with live musical performances, interactive hockey-themed attractions, prizes and giveaways, food, beverage, and merchandise tents with officially licenses Rangers and Flyers NHL Winter Classic merchandise.

Weather permitting, Spectator Plaza will be open to the public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on December 31 and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on January 1. On game day, Spectator Plaza will be open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., just before the start of the classic.

Peggy Davis named new interim commissioner for the CIAA

The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) and its chairman — Dr. Mickey Burnim recently announced the appointment of Peggy Davis as interim commissioner for the conference. Davis has been a part of the CIAA family since 1997 where she held the titles of head women’s basketball coach, associate athletic director and senior woman administrator at Virginia State.

Davis’s accomplishments are vast. She is a two-time Hall of Fame recipient (at VSU and Howard Payne), Davis has been named Athletic Director of the Year of the CIAA four of the last five years 2006–07, 2007–08, 2009–10 and again 2010–11. Davis was also recognized this year by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) as the 2010–11 SE Region for Division II Athletics Director of the Year. She was also honored with the Jannette A. Lee Administration Achievement Award in 2005 and 2010.

Contact Tribune staff writer Donald Hunt at (215) 893-5719 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

When Saint Joseph’s faces St. Bonaventure in the quarterfinals of the Atlantic 10 Conference tournament on Friday, March 9 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J., Carl Jones, Hawks 5-foot-11 junior guard, will be ready to face the Bonnies. This postseason contest will tip-off at 2:30 p.m. on Comcast Sportsnet.

Saint Joseph’s is coming off an 80-64 opening round win over Charlotte on Hawk Hill. However, SJU dropped a 98-93 decision in double overtime to St. Bonaventure on the road last week. Nevertheless, Jones seems to have his shooting touch as he scored a game-high 23 points in the victory over the 49ers. He shot 7-for-11 from the field, 3-for-4 from three-point range and 6-for-7 from the free throw line. He also finished the game with no turnovers.

“It’s a big game for us,” Jones said. “We lost a tough one there. We’re hoping to bounce back on Friday and pull out the win. I thought I had to do whatever it took to get us to the next round. We want to keep advancing and advancing.”

Jones leads the Hawks in scoring. He averages 16.5 points a game. He has the ability to score from long range. Jones also uses his quickness to get in the lane and break his man down in the open court. He will be a major player in terms of how successful the Hawks will be in the tournament. Saint Joseph’s has a 20-12 overall record. They have a chance to get to the NCAA tournament. But Jones knows the team has to play extremely well to win the tournament or receive an at large bid.

“We just have to keep playing together,” Jones said. “We just have to keep playing the way we’re playing. We need to keep this movement going and keep coming together. This is real big for us as a team. We just want to do whatever we can do to keep this run going. ”

Jones has scored in double figures nine consecutive games. He’s capable of getting the hot hand and carrying the Hawks in the tournament. Of course, Jones will have plenty of help from teammates, 6-foot-2 sophomore Langston Galloway (15.9 ppg, 4.5 rpg), 6-foot-9 sophomore C.J. Aiken (11.0 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 3.7 bpg), 6-foot-8 sophomore Ronald Roberts Jr. (11.0 ppg, 6.1 rpg) and 6-foot-8 sophomore Halil Kanacevic (8.3 ppg, 8.2 rpg).

Contact Staff Writer Donald Hunt at (215) 893-5719 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

The college basketball season in Philadelphia is right around the corner. Actually, some Big 5 teams will be in action this weekend. ESPN college basketball analysts Dick Vitale and Jay Bilas offered their views on Drexel and Saint Joseph’s basketball teams this week. Drexel and Saint Joseph’s are favored to win the Colonial Athletic Association and the Atlantic 10 Conference championships, respectively.

“When you look at Drexel, Bruiser (Flint, head coach) has done a heck of a job down there,” Vitale said. “Those kids play hard, they play with passion, feeling, and they’ve got a nice nucleus coming back. You talk about St. Joe’s, it’s going to be dynamite this year. They’re in a tough conference. That conference doesn’t get any publicity. There’s probably nine good teams, with the addition of Butler now and VCU in that conference takes them to another level.”

“The one thing I love about the Big 5 is the emotion, the passion, the level there. It’s obviously not the level that it was years ago, but it still makes for some interesting, exciting competition, and I think that’s healthy for the game, I really do.”

Bilas envisions a big year for the city teams. Like Vitale, he’s very impressed with the Dragons and the Hawks.

“I think it’s going to be a great year in the Big 5,” Bilas said. “Villanova will be better, and I think there will be more experience. They’ve got some good newcomers coming in. I think that we might wind up saying at the end of this that Saint Joseph’s is the best team because they’ve got some really good experience coming back. I’m a big fan of their guards. Carl Jones is a scoring guard, a senior and then Langston Galloway is probably one of the five or 10 best shooters in the country.”

St. Joe’s had a solid turnaround last season after a disappointing 2010-11 campaign when they lost 22 games. The Hawks registered a 20-14 mark and an NIT berth last season. Under head coach Phil Martelli, the Hawks were one of nine teams to win 20 games a year after losing 20 the previous season.

Bilas really likes the team’s depth and complementary pieces.

“CJ Aiken is a really good shot blocker, the (Ronald) Roberts kid, I know he was more of a reserve last year, kind of a sixth-man type, but he’s a guy doesn’t matter whether he starts or not. That’s a really good team that’s paid their dues together and they’re not going to take anything for granted.”

Bilas said Drexel is probably the best team in the CAA and is the preseason favorite along with Delaware.

“Drexel will probably play with even a little bit more of a chip on its shoulder, not that Bruiser doesn’t have it on both shoulders for that team. But not having gotten into the tournament after winning 27 games last year, they made the most compelling case of any team that didn’t get in that they should have gotten in, and I’m a big fan of Frantz Massenat (Drexel point guard). He’s a Jersey kid and a really terrific player.”

Contact staff writer Donald Hunt at (215) 893-5719 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Montel Harris, Temple senior running back, has been named the Big East Offensive Player of the Week. In Saturday’s 37-28 win over South Florida in the Big East opener, Harris recorded his first 100-yard performance with the Owls, leading the rushers with 133 yards and two touchdowns. He leads the nation with 23 total 100-yard games in his career. Harris also earned Big East Helmet Stickers from ESPN.

Coaching greats Franke, Sloan Green to be honored

Current Temple fencing coach Nikki Franke and former lacrosse coach Tina Sloan Green are among 12 African-American women who will be honored by the Burlington-Camden Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi in November.

Through its community development corporation, Kappa Alpha Psi will celebrate the achievements of these 12 women at Auletto’s Catering in Deptford, N.J., on Nov. 4. This year’s Master of Ceremonies will be Eleanor Jean Hendley, a past honoree who is an Emmy-award winning former CBS 3 Eyewitness News education reporter. Tickets for the event are $60 per person and can be obtained by calling Richard A. Williams at (609) 634-5551.

The other 10 honorees are: Gwendolyn Joyce Brown, Paula René Bruner, Jericka Duncan, Norma Evans, Frances Jones, Charisse R. Lillie, Rochelle D. Laws, Yvette Sample, Aleta Sturdivant and Carolyn James Weeks.

Franke, a native of New York City, graduated with honors from Brooklyn College in 1972 where she was a four-year letterwinner in fencing and was named NIWFA All-American. She was later inducted into the Brooklyn College Hall of Fame in 1979. From 1973 to 1981, she was a member of the U.S. National Fencing Team.

Franke was a member of the 1976 Olympic fencing team in Montreal and the 1980 U.S. Olympic team. In 1975, she was a member of the U.S. Fencing Team in the Pan American Games and was a silver medalist as an individual while also winning a team bronze.

Dr. Franke is currently an associate professor in Temple’s department of Public Health, having completed her master’s degree in health education from Temple in 1975 and the doctoral program in 1988. Franke, a Hall of Fame coach, is entering her 41st season as director of fencing and women’s foil coach at Temple with an impressive 625-156-1 career record. She has been Temple’s fencing coach since the program began in 1972 and has led the Temple fencers to 40 postseason appearances.

Sloan Green co-founded the Black Women in Sport Foundation in 1992. Since assuming the helm, she has worked to ensure that young underserved minority students gain full exposure to nontraditional sports as well as to provide healthy alternatives to at-risk women and children in all aspects of sport. Sloan Green’s impressive track record for filling a much-needed void in women’s sports continues to garner the organization increasing support from both the public and private sectors.

Sloan Green leaves an indelible mark on any project she takes on. She was the first African-American head coach in the history of women’s intercollegiate lacrosse. She was head coach of Temple’s lacrosse team from 1973 to 1992. During this time, Sloan Green amassed a 207-62-4 career coaching record with a .758 career winning percentage. She led the Owls to three national championships and 11 consecutive NCAA Final Four appearances.

Her work off the field is very impressive. As professor of Sport and Culture in Temple’s College of Education, she served as co-principal investigator of Sisters in Sports Science, an initiative funded by the National Science Foundation, and director of the Temple University National Youth Sports Program.

Saint Joseph’s picked to finish first in Atlantic 10

Saint Joseph’s men’s basketball team has been picked as the preseason favorite in the Atlantic 10 Conference for the 2012–13 season, according to a poll of the league’s head coaches and media. In addition, four Hawks — C.J. Aiken, Langston Galloway, Carl Jones and Halil Kanacevic were named to the preseason all-conference teams. The Hawks open the season on November 12 hosting Yale in the first game of the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic.

NCAA tickets at Wells Fargo Center to go on sale on

Tickets for the second and third round of the 2013 NCAA men’s basketball championship at Wells Fargo Center will go on sale on Saturday, Oct. 13 at 10 a.m. Tickets will be available exclusively through ComcastTIX.com or by phone at 1-800-298-4200.

Four second games will be played at Wells Fargo Center on March 22 and two third round games will follow on March 24, as tournament participants seek to advance to the 2013 Final Four in Atlanta.

Wells Fargo Center has previously been the site of the 2006 and 2009 NCAA men’s first and second rounds, which was hosted by the Atlantic 10 Conference; the 2001 NCAA men’s East Regional; and the 2000 NCAA Women’s Final Four. Wells Fargo Center also hosted the 2011 NCAA wrestling championships.

Contact staff writer Donald Hunt at (215) 893-5719 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .