News and Notes from East Carolina, Conference USA and Beyond

PREVIOUS NUGGETS

04.24.06: Lavin reportedly offered NCSU post ... Pirates perform well in rain-shortened meet ... Southern Miss hosting C-USA men's golf

04.23.06: C-USA relief aces up for Stopper of the Year ... Mother Nature leaves Wolfpack, Heels hanging ... Freshman quarterback shines for Gators ... UCLA duo considering NBA

04.22.06: Apparent West Virginia spy nabbed at Marshall ... Veteran guard plans to leave Georgia Tech ... ECU's tennis seasons end

04.21.06: UNCW coaching search gathers Moss ... ECU women advance in C-USA tennis ... NCAA examining prep diploma mills

04.20.06: Deacs to install FieldTurf at Groves Stadium ... Zags' Morrison headed to NBA ... Walberg to guide Pepperdine hoops program

04.19.06: Krog leads Pirates to C-USA women's golf title ... UConn sophomore opts for NBA ... Another UConn cager eyes different pro route

04.18.06: Two Duke lacrosse players reportedly indicted ... ECU leads C-USA women's golf ... Tar Heels ranked No. 1 by Collegiate Baseball

04.17.06: Pirate track team has success in Knoxville ... ECU's Salisbury wins women's javelin ... FSU's Johnson will examine NBA option

04.16.06: Houston Bowl payouts not yet fulfilled ... Simmons looking at NBA draft status ... More apparent rejections for Wolfpack

04.15.06: Calipari signs new contract with Tigers ... UAB's Davis selects staff ... NBA D- League lowers minimum age

04.14.06: Dooley withdraws from consideration at UNCW ... Redick wins Sullivan Award ... Young's death now believed accidental

04.13.06: Sooners name Capel cage coach ... Bradshaw gives back to alma mater ... Little Leaguers to have their day at ECU ... New Buckeyes threads fuel backlash

04.12.06: Calipari reportedly remaining at Memphis ... U of M grants raise, contract extension to West ... 'Bama booster killed, son in custody

04.11.06: ECU's Smith is Johnny Bench Award candidate ... Calipari visits Wolfpack ... Barnes stays but Texas star headed to NBA ... Temple names in-town successor to Chaney

04.10.06: Memphis AD focusing on keeping Calipari ... Frasure leads Pirates at Clemson ... Hodge recovering from gunshot wounds

04.09.06: Holtz laments spring game deficiencies ... Camels announce return to the gridiron ... Gonzalez to lead Pirates basketball ... The Citadel selects Conroy

04.08.06: Purple-Gold stage is set ... Davis returns to native state as UAB coach ... Army women's basketball coach dies at age 28

04.07.06: 1070 airing Purple-Gold Game programming ... SMU dismisses Tubbs ... Tulane hoops star invited to Portsmouth event ... Colorado College becomes C-USA women's soccer affiliate

04.06.06: Pirates hold final session before Purple-Gold ... Pressler resigns as Duke lacrosse coach ... Division I athletes face summer drug tests

04.05.06: Thirteen C-USA alums in big leagues ... UAB interviews Davis ... Rondo departs Kentucky

04.04.06: ECU hurler Taylor earns league's weekly honor ... Pirates prepare for Purple- Gold Game ... Wooden watches final from hospital

04.03.06: Bruins go for record 12th NCAA hoops title ... Throng watches Texas spring game ... Pirates make strong showing in Florida

04.02.06: Sendek may become a Sun Devil ... Brownell departs UNCW for Wright State ... San Diego State star opts for NBA

04.01.06: J.P., ECU air game in high gear ... Jury awards no dough in suit against Petrino ... Redick reaps AP player of the year honor ... Lightning strikes Tigers twice

Matt Doherty has been named head basketball coach at Southern Methodist, incoming athletic director Steve Orsini announced Monday. Doherty becomes the 16th head coach in SMU hoops history.

Doherty brings with him 16 years of coaching experience, eight NCAA Tournament berths, seven conference titles and a Final Four appearance. In 2001, he was the Associated Press National Coach of the Year award while coaching at his alma mater, North Carolina.

Doherty spent last season as the head coach at Florida Atlantic, where he led the Owls to a 15-13 season that included a 14-6 record in Atlantic Sun play, the best in school history. The 15 wins were also five more than FAU had managed in the year prior to his arrival.

East Carolina freshman outfielder Brandon Henderson was named Conference USA hitter of the week by league officials on Monday, according to an ECU athletic media relations release. The announcement marks the third time this season a Pirate has earned weekly honors, following Jake Smith (Feb. 27) and Brody Taylor (Apr. 3).

Henderson, an Alpharetta, GA, native, had hits in eight consecutive at-bats and reached base safely 10 consecutive times last week. He finished the week going 8-for-15 (.533), which included his third home run of the season and three RBI. Henderson scored the game-winning run on Friday night against Marshall, the game-tying run in Saturday's win and totaled four runs scored on the week.

On the season, Henderson is hitting .333 (25-for-75) with three home runs, 15 RBI, four doubles, 12 runs scored with a .507 slugging percentage in 32 games.

ECU (27-15, 6-6) won its second C-USA series this weekend after winning 2-of-3 games against Marshall and moved into sole possession of third place in the league standings. The Pirates will play host to No. 23 Tulane this weekend at Clark-LeClair Stadium.

Texas swingman P.J. Tucker intends to declare himself eligible for the 2006 NBA Draft but does not plan to hire an agent, according to the Longhorns' athletic web site.

Tucker is the second Longhorn to declare for this year's draft, joining LaMarcus Aldridge who announced his decision on April 10.

"I believe the best thing for me at this time is to test the waters and see where I stand," said Tucker, who played on the high school level at Raleigh Enloe. "By going through this process, I feel I'll get an accurate view of where I could be drafted this year. This is a win-win decision for me. If I feel comfortable with where I'm told I'd be drafted, I'll have the opportunity to fulfill my dream of playing in the NBA. If I'm not comfortable with where I'm at, I'll return for my senior year at Texas."

Tucker earned second-team All-America honors from The Associated Press and the U.S. Basketball Writer's Association (USBWA) and was named the Big 12 Conference Player of the Year this season. He led the team in scoring (16.1 ppg), rebounding (9.5 rpg), steals (66) and minutes played (34.5 mpg).

By not signing with an agent, Tucker could return to Texas without losing eligibility for his senior season. Tucker has until June 18 to withdraw his name from the draft-eligible list.

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 other sources. Copyright 2006 Bonesville.net and other publishers. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.