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News Nuggets, 01.13.04
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Compiled from staff reports and electronic dispatches

Charlotte guard honored for 'Demonizing' ECU, DePaul

For the second week in a row and the third time this year, the Charlotte 49ers boast the Conference USA Player of the Week. Senior point guard Demon Brown has been awarded the honor for the week ending Jan. 11 after averaging 23.5 points and leading the 49ers to league wins over DePaul and East Carolina.

Brown scored a career-high 34 points at DePaul, including 27 in the second half, as Charlotte rallied from a halftime deficit. He hit 7-of-8 three-pointers in the second half.

Brown added 13 points against East Carolina, netting 3-of-8 three-point attempts. The three threes vs. ECU give Brown 300 treys in his career, making him just the second player in C-USA history and the third in 49ers history to reach that plateau. Jobey Thomas and Henry Williams are the others.

Brown shot .536 from the floor in the two games, including .500 from long range. This is the second time in his career that he has won the award. He also picked up the honor for the week of Dec. 4, 2001.

Other 49ers that have won the award this year are Brendan Plavich (Nov. 30) and Curtis Withers (Jan. 5). The most C-USA Player of the Week awards that the 49ers have won in one season is four (2001-02).

Brindise, McFarland hirings become official

Former Washington Redskins quarterbacks coach Noah Brindise and Robert McFarland, offensive coordinator at Central Florida for the past three years, have joined the staff of East Carolina coach John Thompson.

Bonesville.net reported in December that Brindise and McFarland, respectively would fill the Pirates' vacant offensive coordinator and offensive line coaching positions.

Brindise will replace Rick Stockstill, who joined the staff of Lou Holts at South Carolina as receivers coach, while McFarland will assume the duties held by J.B. Grimes, who took over the offensive line chores at Mississippi State.

Read the more comprehensive story on ECUPirates.com...

Minter hooks up with old boss Holtz

COLUMBIA — Rick Minter has been named defensive coordinator at South Carolina. Minter will reunite with USC head coach Lou Holtz, whom he helped develop nationally recognized defenses with while working at Notre Dame in the early 1990s.

Minter arrives at USC after 10 seasons as head coach at Cincinnati (1994-2003). During that time, he led the Bearcats to four postseason bowl games and was the winningest coach in the program's history. Minter's 2002 UC team was co-champion of Conference USA.

It was during his two seasons with Holtz at Notre Dame (1992-93) that he earned a national reputation of being a top defensive mind. The 1993 Fighting Irish defense held nine of its 12 opponents under 100 yards rushing en route to an 11-1 season and runner-up finish in the national championship race. Even though he had accepted the head coaching post at Cincinnati in Dec. of 1993, Coach Holtz invited Minter back to run the defense in the Irish's victory over Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl.

The 1992 Notre Dame defense allowed an average of just 91 yards rushing and 277 total yards over the last nine games of the season, as the Irish posted a 10-1-1 mark, won the Cotton Bowl and was ranked #4 in the final national polls.

"Rick Minter was a graduate assistant on my staff at the University of Arkansas and I've followed his career ever since," said Coach Holtz. " ... Rick Minter is a winner; he'll be a great role model for our players and he'll provide outstanding leadership."

Term's of Minter's contract were not disclosed and are subject to approval by the USC Board of Trustees.

Associated Press basketball poll

The top 25 teams in The Associated Press' men's college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Jan. 11, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and previous ranking:

[Conference USA and Carolinas teams in bold.]

Rank/Team/Record/Points/Previous
 1. Connecticut (52) 13-1 1,767 1
 2. Duke (4) 12-1 1,689 2
 3. Stanford (11) 13-0 1,647 4
 4. Wake Forest (5) 11-0 1,562 5
 5. Kentucky 10-1 1,477 7
 6. Saint Joseph's 13-0 1,356 9
 7. Arizona 10-2 1,249 3
 8. Louisville 11-1 1,248 10
 9. North Carolina 10-2 1,146 12
10. Cincinnati 11-0 1,136 11
11. Oklahoma 10-1 973 6
12. Georgia Tech 12-2 952 8
13. Pittsburgh 16-0 926 15
14. Kansas 9-2 923 13
15. Florida 11-2 914 14
16. Gonzaga 12-2 810 16
17. Syracuse 11-1 806 17
18. Texas 9-2 619 18
19. Wisconsin 11-2 472 21
20. Mississippi State 13-0 388 22
21. Marquette 11-2 294 23
22. Texas Tech 13-2 240 _
23. Vanderbilt 12-1 222 20
24. Creighton 12-0 218 _
25. Illinois 10-3 133 19

Others receiving votes: Purdue 94, Seton Hall 27, Maryland 26, LSU 24, South Carolina 12, Western Michigan 12, Utah State 8, Oklahoma State 6, Charlotte 4, Memphis 4, N.C. State 3, Rice 3, Boston U. 2, Florida State 2, Nevada 2, Boston College 1, Iowa State 1, Kent State 1, Providence 1.

News Nuggets are compiled periodically from staff, ECU, Conference USA and its member schools, and from Associated Press and other reports. Copyright 2004 Bonesville.net and other publishers. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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