| Thursday, February 14, 2019 |
| Mississippi State develops smartphone app to test lumber | |
 | Determining the stiffest piece of lumber is now easier with a new smartphone app created by scientists in Mississippi State University's Forest and Wildlife Research Center. Called "Smart Thumper," the app uses soundwaves or vibrations to determine stiffness, a quality that relates to strength, for individual pieces of lumber. Developer Dan Seale, professor in MSU's Department of Sustainable Bioproducts, said it will help carpenters, contractors, architects, engineers, lumber mill personnel and consumers. Frederico Franca, the app's co-developer and an assistant research professor in sustainable bioproducts, first envisioned the app when he discovered that the equipment designed to test lumber costs around $84,000. Also a part of the code development team is Songyi "May" Han, an MSU sustainable bioproducts doctoral student whose 2017 master's thesis relates to marketing the smartphone app. |
| Roots, country music and comedy highlight 2019 Spring/Summer Performing Arts Series at MSU Riley Center | |
| Rising musical stars, longtime chart-topping artists and the funniest interpretation of Shakespeare ever highlight the 2019 Spring/Summer Performing Arts Series at the MSU Riley Center. "I'm really happy with this season's installment of our performing arts series; it's filled with wonderful music," said MSU Riley Center Executive Director Dennis Sankovich. "We have two returning performers -- The Righteous Brothers and America -- several first-timers to the Riley Center stage and a performance that is only presented every 10 years." The season is especially significant to Sankovich, who will retire April 1. "It's kinda bittersweet because I no longer will be here at the Riley Center. But the season will go on without me," said Sankovich, who as executive director oversaw the creation of the MSU Riley Center and has been at the helm of bringing top performing artists to the downtown Meridian venue. |
| A secure relationship with passwords means not being attached to how you pick them | |
 | Mississippi State University's Merrill Warkentin and Robert Otondo, along with Karen Renaud, write for The Conversation: When you are asked to create a password -- either for a new online account or resetting login information for an existing account -- you're likely to choose a password you know you can remember. Many people use extremely basic passwords, or a more obscure one they reuse across many sites. Our research has found that others -- even ones who use different passwords for each site -- have a method of devising them, for instance basing them all on a familiar phrase and making site-specific tweaks. In all those cases, the people are creating weak passwords that are easily guessed -- especially when up against automated password-cracking software that can test thousands of possibilities a second. One reason for this weakness might well be their users' emotional connection to their preexisting password creation routine. |
| Alissa Armstrong is ERDC's new chief counsel | |
| Three women stand on the desk of Alissa Armstrong; caricature statues of Princess Leia, Wonder Woman and Sophia from the "Golden Girls." "I guess all of them are a part of my character," she said. And her new position as chief counsel for the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center may require her from time to time to draw from the character traits of all three. A graduate of Mississippi State with a degree in chemical engineering, Armstrong was a process engineer at International Paper Co. when she decided she wanted to do something different. She went to law school at Mississippi College, did an externship at ERDC, "and that allowed me to hire in under the chief counsel's honors program. You're eligible for that program if you're in a clerkship while you're still in school." |
| Capitol reporter Elizabeth Crisp named as Washington, D.C. correspondent | |
 | Elizabeth Crisp, who has been covering politics in Louisiana for six years, will be The Advocate's correspondent in Washington, D.C. Crisp will cover the state's congressional delegation and how the federal government handles matters important to Louisiana, including flood insurance, coastal restoration and energy policy. "The Advocate is the only Louisiana news organization with a correspondent in Washington," said Peter Kovacs, editor of The Advocate. Crisp has a bachelor's degree from Mississippi State University and grew up in Pocahontas, Arkansas. She is married to former Advocate LSU football reporter Ross Dellenger, who now works for Sports Illustrated. |
| In Rural Mississippi, Still Waiting on Recovery | |
 | Here's what has happened in Leflore County, Mississippi, since the end of the U.S. recession in 2009. The number of jobs fell 4 percent and nearly 8 percent of the businesses disappeared. Average annual pay at private firms stalled. The median age spiked a full three years as working age adults voted with their feet and left. Home ownership rates tipped from just over half of families to below it. The United States' record-setting and near-decade-long recovery from the 2007 to 2009 recession has restored many measures of the national economy back to or better than what they were. But it has done little for Leflore County. But it isn't unique to the region. Small towns in upstate New York or central Ohio are under similar pressure; in rural Minnesota, as heavily white as the Mississippi Delta is heavily black, small downtowns have also been abandoned, and local anxiety stoked by issues like a hospital's decision to relocate a county away. |
| For retired teachers and state employees, running for Legislature under rule change could be a gamble | |
| Retired teachers and other public employees wanting to run for the Legislature later this year will have to decide whether action taken this week by the Public Employees Retirement System Board of Trustees will ensure they will be able to draw their pension if elected to the House or Senate. The board that governs the state retirement system voted Tuesday to work to enact regulations to allow retired state and local governmental employees and educators to serve in the Legislature and receive their pension benefits starting with the new legislative term in January. But before putting those regulations in place, members of the board said they must address certain issues, such as ensuring the change does not negatively affect the retirement system's favorable federal tax exempt status. |
| Bill Waller Jr. to run for governor of Mississippi | |
 | Retired longtime state Supreme Court Chief Justice Bill Waller Jr., son of a former governor, is planning a gubernatorial run this year as a Republican, sources involved in his planning confirmed Wednesday. One of Waller's main campaign themes is expected to be that he is the only Republican candidate who can beat Democratic Attorney General Jim Hood -- who remains very popular in an otherwise deep red state -- in the race for governor. Republican Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves, already with $7 million in his campaign war chest, has been the presumptive GOP front-runner. But Reeves has trailed Hood in past and recent polling and is unpopular with some segments of the establishment state GOP and hard-line conservatives. Another Republican in the race, freshman state Rep. Robert Foster, a farmer from Hernando, lacks the name recognition and fundraising capacity of Reeves and Waller. Many political observers believe Waller's entrance into the GOP primary might prompt Republican state Sen. Chris McDaniel, a favorite of tea party conservatives, to enter what's becoming a crowded primary. |
| Former Chief Justice Bill Waller, Jr. to enter governor's race, setting up cramped GOP primary | |
| Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves, long considered the heir apparent to the Republican Party's nomination for governor, could have a formidable primary challenge on his hands. Bill Waller Jr., former chief justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court and son of former Gov. Bill Waller, will run for governor this year as a Republican, the Clarion Ledger first reported Wednesday afternoon. Sources close to Waller later confirmed to Mississippi Today that he plans to run. Speculation began that Waller would be a candidate for governor almost immediately after he announced in November that he would step down on Jan. 31 before his term ended from his position as head of the state's highest court. As early as 2011, Waller shared with a reporter during a luncheon at a downtown Jackson restaurant that he was contemplating a run for governor -- as position his father was elected to in 1971 as a Democrat. |
| Republican-backed $1,000 teacher pay hike clears hurdle. Democrats ask: 'Is this a joke?' | Mississippi Today | |
| The Mississippi State Senate passed a bill that would bump up the salaries of public school teachers, but some say it's just not enough. Senate Bill 2770 passed out of the Senate Wednesday. The bill will increase teacher pay across the board by $1,000 over two years. If the bill is eventually signed into law, educators would receive an additional $500 in the first year and $500 in the next year, costing the state $50 million annually when the raise is fully phased-in. Right now a first-year teacher with a bachelor's degree earns $34,390, although school districts can and often do supplement salaries with their own monies. In the 2017-18 school year, the average salary for a public school teacher was $44,926, according to the state superintendent's annual report. "What do I say to my constituents -- that this educational pay raise bill is a joke?," Sen. Derrick Simmons, D-Greenville, asked. "That $500 a year is less than $50 a month and you all are just doing this in an election year. You all are not serious about increasing pay raises for teachers. If so, you would do a whole lot better." |
| Mississippi advances ban on abortion after fetal heartbeat | |
 | Mississippi is working toward enacting one of the strictest abortion laws in the nation, in a race with other states to push a legal challenge to the more conservative U.S. Supreme Court. The Republican-controlled Mississippi House and Senate passed separate bills Wednesday to ban most abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected, about six weeks into pregnancy. Efforts to pass similar bills are underway in Florida, Kentucky, Ohio, South Carolina and Tennessee. "Other than election-year political pandering, why did you bring this bill to the House of Representatives? Because you know it is going to be overturned by the courts," Democratic Rep. Steve Holland of Plantersville asked the House Public Health Committee chairman, Republican Rep. Sam Mims of McComb. |
| Senate to revisit lifetime ban on food stamps, assistance for Mississippians with felony drug convictions | |
| This year, Mississippi lawmakers could finally make federal food assistance accessible to people who have been convicted of drug crimes. Since reforming its welfare laws in 1996, the U.S. government has banned people with drug-related felonies from participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), forms of cash assistance that re-entry advocates say can help people get back on their feet and feed their families after getting out of prison. Still, states can opt out of the ban. Mississippi is only one of three remaining states that continues to opt in -- a point made by Sen. Sally Doty, R-Brookhaven, last week as she amended a criminal justice reform bill to include a provision to lift the ban on SNAP. |
| Mississippi ban on tanning beds for those under 18 advances | |
| Children younger than 18 would be banned from using tanning beds in Mississippi under a measure passed Wednesday by the state Senate. However, sponsors of Senate Bill 2847, which is going to the House for more debate, said they might consider watering down the outright ban to allow some older teens to use tanning beds. Right now, children younger than 14 can use tanning beds in Mississippi if their parents are present, while those older than 14 but younger than 18 can use tanning beds with written permission from their parents. "Tanning causes cancer and we want to protect our youngest ones," said state Sen. Brice Wiggins, a Pascagoula Republican. He noted the state had banned smoking and drinking by juveniles. |
| Two new candidates announce for transportation post | |
 | With two new candidates entering the fray, including the first Democrat, a race in north Mississippi to fill an open transportation commission seat continues to grow crowded. Joe "Joey" Grist will seek the transportation job as a Democrat, while Geoffrey Yoste will join the Republican field. Jeremy Martin and Trey Bowman are the Republican candidates already in contention. Incumbent Transportation Commissioner Mike Tagert isn't seeking re-election after about 10 years in office. A native of Bruce and a Navy veteran, Grist previously served two terms in the state House of Representatives and currently works for North Mississippi State Hospital. Now a Tupelo resident, Grist said long-term planning, Mississippi-based hiring and beautification of roadways would be priorities for him in office. Republican candidate Yoste owns a business consulting firm that works with defense contractors. He previously qualified for the transportation commissioner post in 2015, but ultimately withdrew from the race and endorsed Tagert's re-election effort instead. |
| Mississippi's longest-serving lawmaker announces retirement | |
 | Biloxi representation at the state capitol will soon be changing. Tommy Gollott just put the rumors to rest. The Biloxi senator exclusively told WLOX he is retiring. Gollott, the longest serving state lawmaker in Mississippi history, says he will not run for re-election. "I'm retiring. Fifty-two years is long enough to be anywhere," he said. Gollott said he decided to go out on a high note and make the 2019 legislative session his last term at the state capitol. He spent his first 12 years in the House of Representatives. In 1980, he switched to the Senate and spent the last 40 years on that side of the capitol complex. But the senator is still thinking of Biloxi's future. A couple of hours ago, Gollott took his son-in-law Burton Swoope to the state GOP headquarters and helped him qualify for Gollott's senate seat. |
| Federal judge says 102 mile-long district violates Voting Rights Act, orders map redrawn | |
| A federal judge said a Mississippi state senate district, which snakes 102 miles across the state, violates the federal Voting Rights Act. State Senate District 22 stretches from near Cleveland, in the heart of the Delta, down to the Jackson metro area. Sen. Buck Clark, R-Hollandale, has held that senate seat since 2004. The defendants are Gov. Phil Bryant, Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann, and Attorney General Jim Hood. The Mississippi Center for Justice and Jackson-based attorney Rob McDuff represent the plaintiffs and were joined in the suit by the Lawyer's Committee, the Waters Kraus law firm of Dallas., and Cleveland attorney, Ellis Turnage. |
| Judge Rules Paul Manafort Lied in Violation of Plea Deal | |
 | A federal judge ruled Wednesday that former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort lied to investigators about his contact with an associate the FBI has linked to Russian intelligence despite agreeing to a plea deal requiring him to tell the truth. U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson said in a four-page order that the government met its burden of proof in showing that Mr. Manafort intentionally misled investigators on at least three matters. Her ruling voids the government's obligations under the agreement to offer him leniency in exchange for his cooperation in special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election. The ruling -- which also said the government didn't persuade the court that Mr. Manafort lied on two other issues -- is another blow to the long-time political consultant who earned tens of millions of dollars advising politicians in Ukraine. It means that Mr. Manafort, who is already facing eight or more years in prison, potentially faces a longer punishment when he is sentenced next month. |
| Sweets and savory for your Valentine | |
 | With Cupid due to arrive, anyone planning to cook for their sweetheart is fine-tuning the menu. A visit to Mississippi University for Women's Culinary Arts Institute Monday found Chef Mary Helen Hawkins showing students in a Demonstration Techniques class several options, from truffles and quick cookies to savory filet mignon. "My husband loves chocolate and loves steak, so you know what he'll be getting for Valentine's," the chef smiled. Hawkins enlisted the assistance of class member Franco Lopes Monday to demonstrate how truffles can be rolled in a variety of finishing coatings, including cocoa powder, chopped pecans or coconut. Moving on to some tips for preparing steak, Hawkins preheated a cast iron skillet and poured in a little olive oil and added butter, for flavor. With the tantalizing aroma of filet mignon lingering in the demonstration kitchen, Hawkins continued preparing students who will give their own demos soon in front of the class. |
| East Central Community College opens campus food pantry for students | |
 | Around 36% of college students didn't have enough food to eat in 2018. That's according to researchers at Temple University. To keep students from falling into that statistic, East Central Community College opened a food pantry. The name of the food pantry is Warrior POST, which stands for providing others support together. With the help of East Central Community College's chapter of Phi Beta Lambda, ECCC is hoping to keep every student fed. PBI Chapter Advisor Christy Ferguson says the idea began with two academic advisors who realized there was a need for food assistance on campus. "We have students who stay in the dorm and they may not have food over the weekend, because the cafeteria is not open. So it will help those who are not able to go home somewhere or maybe they live further distances and just don't have the ability or financial means to go out to eat in Meridian over the weekend, so just basic needs were needed," says Ferguson. |
| Louisiana to become second state in U.S. with veteran centers on every college campus | |
| Louisiana will be just the second state in the nation to offer help centers for military veterans on every campus this fall under a plan unveiled Wednesday by Gov. John Bel Edwards and other state leaders. Each site on the state's 30 campuses, called resource centers, will help veterans navigate campus life, including how to access state and federal benefits due them. Officials said there is often a wide gap between rank-and-file students and veterans, especially after years in the military culture and combat service. About 8,300 Louisiana college students are veterans. LSU President F. King Alexander said about five years ago officials concluded that LSU had about 50 former service members on campus. After opening a state-of-the-art veterans center two years ago school officials realized they had about 500 ex-soldiers at LSU. "They are on our campuses," Alexander said. "They just don't have a place to go." |
| U. of Florida's 2023 class includes mix of students | |
 | The University of Florida released more figures regarding the diversity, socioeconomic and geographic breakdown of students admitted to the 2023 class on Wednesday. Close to 25 percent of students admitted were minorities, though the percentage of African-American students admitted (5.5 percent) was lower than UF's current enrollment percentage of African-American students (7.2 percent). Last fall, UF received an F grade for racial equity in a USC study, based on class of 2016-17 African-American student enrollment (6.1 percent) being below the percentage of African-Americans ages 18 to 24 within the state of Florida (21.5 percent). UF senior political science major and NAACP student president Ashley Marceus said the 2023 admissions figures were disheartening, but not surprising. Marceus said that while UF is trying the solve the problem cosmetically with pictures around campus, it has been unable to get to the root cause of why it has been unable to attract and enroll more African-American students. |
| Large numbers of Tennessee students not ready for college, new state data show | |
| Newly released data detailing how ready Tennessee students are for college paint a grim picture of the state's continued challenges in improving K-12 education. The data, released to the state Senate Education Committee Wednesday and obtained by the USA TODAY NETWORK-Tennessee, tally college readiness across the state in math and reading down to the high school level. "Connecting it with local high schools clearly makes it more tangible," said Mike Krause, Tennessee Higher Education Commission executive director.It shows that while some public high schools prepare their students extraordinarily well for college, others have profound challenges and send many of their students on needing remedial education. The data show that 46 percent of the roughly 33,000 high school graduates at Tennessee's public colleges in 2016-17 needed remedial efforts in math. And 33 percent needed remedial efforts in reading. |
| Study: UT System's economic impact topped $9 billion in FY 17 | |
 | The University of Tennessee System's economic impact passed an estimated $9 billion across Tennessee in the fiscal year 2017, according to a study from the Boyd Center for Business and Economic Research. The fiscal year is July 1, 2016, through June 30, 2017. The study looked at UT's campuses in Knoxville, Chattanooga and Martin, as well as the Health Science Center, the Space Institute and the Institute of Agriculture and Institute for Public Service. The total economic impact was estimated at $9.094 billion, according to a news release from UT. UT Knoxville had an estimated economic impact of $1.67 billion and created over 35,200 jobs. UT Knoxville Athletics had an economic impact of nearly $151 million and created over 2,900 jobs, according to the release. The study does not include the effect of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, which has over 4,000 employees. |
| UGA study: Gratitude a great gift for your valentine | |
 | Not sure what to give your sweetheart for Valentine's Day this year? Flowers, chocolate and spa days are nice, but don't discount the value of a heartfelt "thank you." That's especially true for married couples, according to University of Georgia researcher Allen W. Barton. "One of the best things you can give your spouse is a compliment," said Barton. And not the "I like what you've done with your hair" variety. Barton means showing gratitude for what your spouse does for your marriage and family. "When one spouse expresses gratitude, the other feels appreciated. And when you feel appreciated, you're more likely to invest in the relationship," said Barton, who studies family dynamics as an assistant research scientist at the College of Family and Consumer Sciences. A study, conducted by Barton in 2015, found that feelings of gratitude boosted marital satisfaction, commitment and stability, especially during difficult times. |
| U. of Missouri releases report on Title IX, civil rights | |
 | Complaints about racial and ethnic discrimination at University of Missouri declined last year but allegations of sex and gender discrimination were at a three-year high, a new report shows. MU's Office for Civil Rights and Title IX issued two annual reports Wednesday, one for the 2017-18 academic year and one that has been delayed that covers 2016-17. A news release issued with the report highlighted a decline in the number of reports of discrimination based on race and national origin because they stood out as areas of progress, said Andy Hayes, assistant vice chancellor for Civil Rights and Title IX. The release did not include the numbers on allegations of Title IX violations, which increased to 559 in 2017-18, up from 519 in 2016-17 and 549 in 2015-16. That category includes 117 allegations of sexual misconduct, with 54 complaints about "non-consensual" intercourse or contact, against students. "Even one incident of sexual harassment or discrimination is too many," Hayes said. |
| Democratic contenders' higher ed positions go well beyond free college | |
 | At least nine Democrats have declared themselves candidates for the party's 2020 presidential nomination or have made noises suggesting they're making plans to run. And while the primary campaign will likely include a reprise of the 2016 debate over free college, several prominent candidates have unique track records in higher ed that they'll bring to the campaign, potentially setting up a broader debate about priorities for postsecondary education. The experience of figures like Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren taking on postsecondary education issues could suggest the approach they would take as president. Each would present distinct opportunities to offer a contrast with Trump administration policies on for-profit colleges, student debt and campus sexual misconduct. And with multiple candidates attaching their names to ambitious college-affordability legislation, those track records would offer another chance to separate the candidates from primary competitors. Other Democrats who have announced campaigns for the nomination, like New Jersey senator Cory Booker or former San Antonio mayor Julian Castro, are better known for positions on K-12 education issues. They'll likely be pushed to weigh in on higher ed issues, though. |
| Nearly Half of Undergraduates Are Students of Color. But Black Students Lag Behind. | |
 | The key data points in the American Council on Education's new report on race and ethnicity in higher education come as no surprise: College-student populations are growing more diverse, yet achievement gaps persist among different racial groups. Still, the poor outcomes for black students in particular are glaring. All students of color now make up more than 45 percent of the undergraduate population, compared with less than 30 percent two decades ago, the association's report found. Nearly one-third of graduate students are now people of color. Hispanic students have shown the most growth; they are enrolling in and completing college at levels never seen before. Black students, too, represent a larger share of the undergraduate- and graduate-student population than 20 years ago, and a larger share of the students who earn degrees. But black students who began college in the fall of 2011 had higher dropout rates and lower six-year completion rates -- 46 percent at public institutions, 57 percent at private institutions -- than any other racial group. |
| Despite Prevention Programs, Sexual Assaults Rise At Military Academies | |
 | Congress is keeping watch and the military has introduced prevention programs. Yet sexual assaults at military service academies keep rising. The leaders of those academies got an earful when they testified before a House Armed Services subcommittee on Wednesday. "After a decade-plus of concerted efforts to address sexual harassment and assault, the problem has only gotten worse," said Jackie Speier, the California Democrat who led the hearing of the Military Personnel subcommittee. "This isn't a blip, a 'me too' bump, or some accident. It's a clear illustration of a destructive trend and systemic problem." Cadets and midshipmen at the Army, Navy and Air Force academies formally reported 117 sexual assaults in the 2017-18 school year, up slightly from 112 a year earlier. The number has mostly been trending upward over the past decade. But what really grabbed attention was a separate, anonymous survey the Pentagon has been conducting every two years at the academies. A total of 747 students said they received unwanted sexual contact, up from 507 just two years earlier. That's a nearly 50 percent jump, and it also indicated that many victims are choosing not to make reports. |
| Alabama scientists help find gene change causing Alzheimer's disease | |
 | Alabama scientists have helped identify a genetic change that is causing Alzheimer's disease, the institute said Wednesday. The new findings could lead to drugs to treat Alzheimer's before symptoms begin, HudsonAlpha said. The advance came in the ongoing study of an extended family in Columbia with a history of inherited Alzheimer's disease. Researchers studied 93 family members and found 26 had "a never-before-identified mutation on PSEN1, a heavily studied gene known to cause Alzheimer's," HudsonAlpha said. Discovering new mutations adds to what scientists know about the gene. Current drug trials try to lessen Alzheimer's symptoms through early treatment. Scientists hope to give families like the one in Colombia the chance to join treatment studies and therapy years before symptoms begin. Scientists say PSEN1 is involved in the production of the amyloid beta protein. When the gene is mutated, the protein isn't trimmed to the best size, ends up longer and "stickier," and more easily forms "plaques in the brain." Stopping that plaque formation is a leading goal of current Alzheimer's treatment. |
| Mississippi governor's race: Can Bill Waller defeat Tate Reeves and Jim Hood? | |
| The Clarion-Ledger's Sam Hall writes: Bill Waller Jr. took an already exciting 2019 governor's race and injected an entirely new, more exciting dynamic into it. The former chief justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court is well respected and has cross-party appeal. His candidacy means there is no longer a presumptive GOP nominee in Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves, and it means Democrat Attorney General Jim Hood could face a much different -- and possibly harder to defeat -- opponent in the general. Here are some early thoughts on what a Waller candidacy could mean for the 2019 race. |
SPORTS
| No. 5 Bulldogs have Valentine's date with Missouri | |
| No. 5 Mississippi State will spend its Valentine's Day attempting to stop Missouri and reigning SEC Player of the Week Sophie Cunningham. Cunningham, a senior guard, is currently averaging 17.1 points and scored 20 in a 57-53 loss to the Bulldogs in Columbia last year. Tonight's tipoff is slated for 8 at Humphrey Coliseum and televised on SEC Network. MSU (22-1, 10-0 SEC) rank second nationally in scoring at 88.3 points per game and are led by senior center Teaira McCowan averaging 17.2 points, 13.7 rebounds and 2.7 blocks. McCowan had 17 points and 17 boards against the Tigers last year. State has won three straight in the series and lead 7-1 overall. |
| How Mississippi State's backcourt defies current trends in college basketball | |
| In an era in which the way basketball is played changes daily, Mississippi State's backcourt hasn't budged. Seniors Jazzmun Holmes and Jordan Danberry are old-school ballers -- and they're just fine with that. When Holmes and Danberry line up across from the Missouri Tigers (18-7, 7-4 SEC) on Thursday night at Humphrey Coliseum, their counterparts might not look much different in stature. But their stat sheets sure are quite the contrast. Missouri redshirt senior point guard Lauren Aldridge has attempted 103 3-pointers this season. Mississippi State's senior point guard, Holmes, has attempted five. Missouri junior shooting guard Jordan Roundtree has attempted 38 3-pointers this season. Mississippi State's senior shooting guard, Danberry, has attempted three. The duo of Holmes and Danberry still averages more than double the number of points as Mizzou's -- 21.1 points per game to 10.2. The Mississippi State (22-1, 10-0 SEC) pair does it with high basketball intelligence and track-level speed. |
| No. 5 Mississippi State looms for Missouri women's basketball | |
 | The Missouri women's basketball team has scraped and clawed its way along a windy road in search of greatness this season, enduring a nonconference slate that was rocky at times only to find itself in the mix of teams battling for a top-four spot in the Southeastern Conference standings. The Tigers have a chance to prove they've moved from good to great Thursday night, when they take on No. 5 Mississippi State at 8 p.m. in Starkville, Mississippi. The game will be broadcast on the SEC Network and KTGR, or the Mizzou Radio Network. The Bulldogs (22-1, 10-0 SEC) have become one of women's college basketball's premier teams in recent seasons, and they've shown no signs of slowing down in 2018-19. Winners of its past 12 games, the team is the only unbeaten squad in SEC play and is seeking its third straight trip to the Final Four. |
| Can the Mississippi State women make it three trips in a row to the Final Four? | |
 | Mississippi sports columnist Rick Cleveland writes: Vic Schaefer's Mississippi State Bulldogs have advanced to the championship game of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament for two consecutive years, an amazing feat. So, you know what the next step is. But, honestly, did anyone think the Bulldogs could do it this year? I mean, they lost their leading scorer and All-American Victoria Vivians, the four-time C Spire Gillom Trophy winner. They lost Roshundra Johnson, their third leading scorer. They lost Blair Schaefer, their leading three-point shooter, who really was like a coach on the floor. And they lost Morgan William, their starting point guard and their assists leader. That's right: They lost four starters, four terrific players, who provided 48 points per game and about 90 percent of their three-point shooting. What's more, they lost Chloe Bibby one of their top reserves last year and a 12 points per game scorer through the first 18 games this season, to a season-ending knee injury. |
| Inaugural Ron Polk Ring Of Honor Class Revealed | |
 | The inaugural class of the Ron Polk Ring of Honor will be unveiled on Saturday in the Adkerson Plaza, located at the right field entrance to Dudy Noble Field. The ceremony will begin at 11:30 a.m. The inaugural class includes Jeff Brantley, Will Clark, the late David "Boo" Ferriss, the late C.R. "Dudy" Noble and Rafael Palmeiro. The Ferriss and Noble families, along with Brantley, Clark, Palmeiro and Polk will be in attendance for the unveiling. The Ring of Honor is named after legendary head coach Ron Polk, who served as the head coach at Mississippi State from 1976-97 and again from 2002-08. Affectionally referred to as the Godfather of Southeastern Conference baseball, Polk served 31 years as head coach in the conference, adding a stint at the University of Georgia (2000-01). The architect of five SEC championship teams and five SEC Tournament squads, Polk was a four-time SEC Coach of the Year and two-time national Coach of the Year honoree. |
| Mississippi State infield preview | |
| Mississippi State didn't have many position battles to figure out during the offseason with so many offensive players returning from last season's College World Series semifinalist team. The biggest mystery stemmed from which players would be turning double plays up the middle for the Bulldogs with both Hunter Stovall and Luke Alexander gone. Since Stovall and Alexander started all 68 games last season, MSU will be breaking in new starters at both middle infield spots. Sophomore Jordan Westburg seems to have settled in as the starter at shortstop while second base is still up for grabs between newcomers Gunner Halter and Landon Jordan. "I think that's going to play out over the next couple of weeks," said MSU coach Chris Lemonis. |
| Bulldogs promote Cory Bichey as strength coach | |
| Mississippi State coach Joe Moorhead did not have to search far to find his new strength and conditioning coordinator. The Bulldogs promoted Cory Bichey for the position after serving as an assistant under Anthony Piroli last season. Piroli left last month to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers strength staff. "I'm very thankful to coach Moorhead for this opportunity." Bichey said. "We laid a solid foundation last year with our strength and conditioning program, and I take great pride in that he has the respect and trust in me to lead our program." |
| Ready for opening weekend? Check out LSU ballpark's latest upgrades, additions for 10th birthday | |
| The new Alex Box Stadium is not quite so new anymore. It's been 10 years since the then-state-of-the-art ballpark at the corner of Gourrier and Nicholson replaced the old Alex Box, a Works Progress Administration-era facility that was LSU's baseball home for more than 70 years. While several Southeastern Conference rivals have built or rebuilt their ballparks since The Box opened in 2009, LSU has spent much of that decade polishing the gem. "You have to improve," LSU coach Paul Mainieri said. "You look around, and Mississippi State and Florida are building new stadiums in excess of $50 million each. In a competitive league like the SEC, you always have to be making improvements." This year, there has been more polishing than ever. Fans attending LSU's opening weekend will notice several changes, new construction and soon will see even more work going on outside the stadium. |
| Pilot Flying J pulls sponsorship deal from ESPN's SEC Network after ESPN story critical of Browns ownership | |
| In the wake of an ESPN.com article that portrayed Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam in a negative light, Haslam's Pilot Flying J pulled its multi-million advertising and sponsorship agreement with ESPN and its SEC Network two years into a four-year deal, sources told SportsBusiness Daily. The ESPN.com article, by Seth Wickersham, described the dysfunction in the Browns' front office and coaching staffs since the Haslams agreed to purchase the team in 2012. It mostly blamed Jimmy Haslam, also Pilot's CEO, for mismanagement and meddling, including overruling then-GM Ray Farmer and drafting troubled quarterback Johnny Manziel. Pilot's deal with ESPN included extensive advertising around college football, a corporate sponsorship that made Pilot the SEC Network's official travel center, and an endorsement agreement with ESPN talent Paul Finebaum and Laura Rutledge. According to SBJ, Pilot and ESPN are in talks for how to withdraw from the deals, which are believed to be worth more than $1 million per year. |
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