News and Notes from East Carolina, Conference USA and Beyond

PREVIOUS NUGGETS

01.12.07: Smith resigns as baseball coach at Campbell ... C-USA hoops: Houston edges Lady Pirates ... Russell says adios to LSU, hello to NFL

01.11.07: Tar Heels return to No. 1 in college hoops ... Coker mentioned as candidate at Tulsa ... Tulane moves UAB start for fans to see Saints

01.10.07: N.C. prep product Leak propels Gators to title ... Tulsa's Kragthorpe in line for Louisville job ... C-USA player of the week to Memphis's Hunt

01.09.07: Petrino leaves Louisville for NFL's Falcons ... Golden Eagles dominant in GMAC Bowl ... LSU's Russell making up mind on NFL

01.08.07: Buckeyes, Gators go after BCS crown ... Police probe death of Southern Cal kicker ... Lady Pirates triumph over Central Florida

01.07.07: Bearcats win bowl north of the border ... Yellow Jackets dispense stern discipline ... Southern Miss subdues Lady Pirates at the line

01.06.07: Tide contract gets reaction from Iowa senator ... LSU, Louisville QB's put on show for NFL scouts ... Ducks knocked from unbeaten ranks

01.05.07: Baseball: "Meet the Pirates" is Jan. 27 ... C-USA soccer standouts converge on combine ... Cowher expected to resign as Steelers coach

01.04.07: Crimson Tide shows Saban the money ... Southern Miss has last bullet in C-USA gun ... Marshall's Dorris named C-USA player of week

01.03.07: Boise State inserts itself into national title picture ... Lady Pirates master Marshall in C-USA opener ... Alabama coaching search focusing on Saban ... Paterno watches Penn State win from press box

01.02.07: Bobby Knight gets milestone victory ... Gophers coach Mason axed after bowl loss ... Hurricanes hang on in Coker's last game ... Seminoles' Timmons taking talents to NFL

01.01.07: Herd shocks Hokies ... Costner leads Wolfpack to rout of UNCW ... Boston College kings for a day in Queen City

12.31.06: Gamecocks outscore Houston in Liberty Bowl ... ECU women get momentum for
C-USA ... Hollenback leads Terps in Champs Bowl

12.30.06: Field goal lifts Cowboys past Crimson Tide ... Lynch leads Cal Bears past Texas A&M ... Wildcats face the music, finish on high note

12.29.06: C-USA champ Houston ready for Gamecocks ... Seminoles finish strong for winning season ... Duquesne basketball coach hospitalized

12.28.06: Ford, former gridder and President, succumbs ... MAC champs cruise to Motor City Bowl win ... Cremins fills a need with return to coaching

12.27.06: Hoops: Houston's Dowell named player of week ... Southern Miss announces pair of juco transfers ... Fundraiser for Buckeyes' families questioned

12.26.06: ECU women's soccer performs in classroom ... Warriors' offense rolls past ASU in Hawaii Bowl

12.25.06: Aborted flight grounds ECU fans ... Utes' get their kicks at Tulsa's expense ... Fumbles leave Lobos lamenting

12.24.06: Returnees yield No. 1 baseball ranking for Rice ... Owls wings clipped again at Superdome ... Air Force alum succeeds DeBerry

12.23.06: Nifong hangs on to unraveling Duke rape case ... BYU seniors realize their dream in Las Vegas ... Paulus wows homefolks, Coach K in Big Apple ... Appalachian State basking in a multi-sport roll

12.22.06: Former ECU assistant Brindise leaving coaching ... USF's Burnett apparently out for bowl ... ECU's Mills scores 24 in losing effort in Cancun

12.21.06: Cavanaugh joins Pirate baseball staff ... Lady Pirates lose opener in Cancun to Pitt ... Derek Dooley leaving Dolphins for La. Tech

12.20.06: ECU's Graham getting double exposure ... Stanford names Harbaugh as new coach ... Women's hoops contest called due to rain

12.19.06: ECU's Allison selected for Senior Bowl ... BC picks longtime ECU assistant Jagodzinski ... Television numbers up for college football

12.18.06: Former ECU aide Calloway takes helm at UAB ... Auburn suspends 3 from bowl game ... 17,000-plus watch Nebraska win volleyball title

12.17.06: Orange Bowl resets ECU-Wake hoops to Jan. 1 ... Spurrier's wife, Lawing commit infractions ... Rebs, Bulldogs shuffled on Memphis schedule

12.16.06: Appalachian State repeats as I-AA champ ... DeBerry announces retirement at Air Force ... Possible perp in Pata shooting held in Boston

12.15.06: Boone booming with football success ... All-America: Rice's Dillard and UTEP's Higgins ... Miami offensive coordinator moving to ASU

12.14.06: Grobe gets national recognition for coaching ... ECU soccer duo receives honors

12.13.06: Pirate baseball competes to get in shape ... Holy Toledo! Green Wave's search over ... Arizona State fills football coaching void

12.12.06: Garrard not complaining after Jags win ... Rutgers' Schiano named coach of year ... Wolfpack dominates Lady Pirates in Raleigh

12.11.06: Watson Brown heads home to Tennessee Tech ... Boston College names Spaziani interim coach ... Georgia Tech's Johnson wins Biletnikoff award

12.10.06: Junior Smith involved in Cox commitment ... WVU's Rodriguez says no to Bama's big bucks ... Boykin leaves Blue Devils hoops program

12.09.06: Garrard named AFC player of the week ... C-USA players of year: Kolb, Bunting, Higgins ,,, Miami elevates Shannon to head coach

12.08.06: Rivers tips off conclusion of coaching search ... Orioles' Roberts serving FCA baseball camps ... Hoops: Lady Pirates defeat UNC-Wilmington

12.07.06: Nine Pirates named to all-conference teams ... League honors four ECU freshman gridders ... Recruiting thumbnail: Rodney Cox ... ECU's Norris named to All-South 2nd team

12.06.06: UTEP's Higgins named AFCA All-American ... Memphis thumps Herd in C-USA hoops opener ... C-USA names top cross country performers

12.05.06: First-ever Gators- Buckeyes match-up a big one ... Boise State crashes BCS party in Fiesta ... Seminoles top Lady Pirates for tourney title

12.04.06: New recruiting thumbnail: Tyrell Worthington ... McFadden leads Independence into title game ... Bearcats bound for new bowl in Toronto

12.03.06: Paper: Hudson among Cincy coaching targets ... UAB ousted from NCAA volleyball by UCLA

12.02.06: Witter wins minor league baseball honor ... Millican in position in LPGA qualifying ... ECU announces challenging softball slate

12.01.06: C-USA announces football players of year ... Rice's Graham gets coach of year award ... ECU's Krug lands All-America honor

East Carolina sophomore guard Sam Hinnant sustained an injury to his left leg and will be sidelined for four-to-eight weeks, according to a release from the ECU Athletics Media Relations Office.

The injury occurred in practice on Tuesday night, but Hinnant managed to play six minutes during the first half against Tulsa on Wednesday. He was unable to continue after halftime of that game, which ended in a 37-49 loss to the Golden Hurricane.

An All-Conference USA Freshman Team performer last season, Hinnant was averaging 4.8 points per game prior to his injury. After scoring double figures just once in the first 10 games, he had scored double digits twice in the last five games, including a team-high 13 at Wake Forest.

ANTONIO ALLISON (6-5, 310) DL, West Iredell ... played for a successful program in the North Piedmont 3-A Conference coached by Mark Weycker that went 8-5 in 2005 and 9-3 in 2006. ... visited East Carolina the weekend of Jan. 6-7 and made a commitment to the Pirates. ... competed in shot put and discus in track. Did 47 feet, six inches in the 3-A regional last year in the shot and 116-3 1/2 in the discus. ... West Iredell lost showdown with West Rowan for the league title, 19-12, on Nov. 3. ... knocked out of 2006 playoffs at home in first round by North Gaston, 55-30. [Posted 01.13.07]

JULIAN CARTER (6-2, 180) S, New Bern ... four-sport athlete for the Bears who initially caught the eye of Pirate defensive line coach Donnie Thompson at a track meet during the recruitment of New Bern standout Darryl Reynolds. ... had eight interceptions during a 9-3 season under coach Bobby Curlines and also punted. ... will join former Bears which include safety Chris Mattocks, tight end Davon Drew and Reynolds in the ECU program. ... their presence in the program was influential to Carter, who was also recruited by North Carolina, N.C. State and Virginia. ... backed up Drew at quarterback early in his prep career ... high jumped 6-foot-2 in track and also competes in the 300-meter hurdles. ... averaged 37 yards per punt. ... has potential to add 20 pounds, according to Curlines. ... projected to redshirt in 2007. ... averaged 12 points and 12 rebounds as a forward in New Bern's 10-4 start his senior season. ... outfielder in baseball. [Posted 01.13.07]

EMMANUEL DAVIS (5-11, 190) DB, Manteo ... Davis is a tough, instinctive, physical strong safety type who flies around and is very productive in run support, according to his evaluation on ESPN's Inside Tracker. ... Redskins coached by former Bath standout Walt Davis. ... 2006 team finished 15-1, losing 28-7 to Elkin in the state final ... captured the 1-A Albemarle North Conference championship with an 8-0 league record. ... Also committed to North Carolina but strengthened on his commitment to the Pirates with a campus visit the first weekend in January. ... 13 catches for 250 yards and three touchdowns as a receiver. [Posted 01.13.07]

JONATHAN WILLIAMS (6-2, 195) RB, Greenville Rose ... ran for 2,804 yards and 39 touchdowns in leading the Rampants to their fourth straight 4-A state championship. ... committed to the hometown program despite visits scheduled to North Carolina and Clemson. ... Also recruited by Maryland, Rutgers and Virginia Tech. ... Offensive MVP for North Carolina in the Shrine Bowl after running for 106 yards in a 23-16 victory. ... Williams has a 40-yard time of 4.37 seconds. ... coached on the prep level by former ECU defensive end Greg Thomas at Rose. ... committed after campus visit the first weekend in January. [Posted 11.13.07]

BROCK YOUNG (5-11, 170) PG, Raleigh Broughton ... nephew of former Wake Forest and NBA player Danny Young. ... Caps off to a 13-3 start and ranked No. 6 in NCPreps.com poll as of Jan. 11. ... has the ability to penetrate defenses and score in traffic. ... personal attention in the recruiting process from Pirates coach Ricky Stokes and the possibility of playing time early in his career were deciding factors in his commitment to ECU. ... interested in studying communications. ... was assured of academic support by Stokes on the college level. ... has turned around his academic performance in high school with greater effort. [Posted 01.13.07]

Rice is ranked No. 1 in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) preseason poll, the fourth preseason poll that has ranked the Owls in the top spot.

Tulane was ranked No. 16 in the NCBWA poll and has been ranked in the top 20 of each 2007 preseason ranking. Houston and Southern Miss both received votes in the NCBWA poll.

Shelden Williams and J.J. Redick, who both starred at Duke from 2003-06 and are currently playing in the NBA, will have their jersey numbers retired at separate ceremonies.

Williams’ number 23 will be retired on January 28 and Redick’s number 4 will be retired on February 4 at Cameron Indoor Stadium, according to an announcement on the Duke athletics web site.

The two Blue Devil stars will be the 12th and 13th players to be so honored at Duke.

Notre Dame tailback Darius Walker has announced that he plans to enter the NFL draft.

In three seasons, Walker had rushed for 3,249 yards. He was on pace to break the school career rushing mark of 4,318 yards set by Autry Denson from 1995 to 1998. His 109 receptions are a Fighting Irish record for a running back.

News Nuggets are compiled periodically based on material supplied by staff members; data published by ECU, Conference USA and its member schools; and reports from electronic services and other sources. Copyright 2006 Bonesville.net and other publishers. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.