What an absolute joke that the NCAA is too cheap to fly a few teams to Mississippi.  The Chocs have earned the right to host a sweet sixteen several years now and have been overlooked and it is a travesty.  The higher ranked team should host regardless of money and travel.  It will chap some people's butt if MC were to travel up there and whip their tail.  When it comes down to it, the NCAA is just catering to areas of the country.

 
Duckworth interviews with Tuskegee

By Ben Thomas
Montgomery Advertiser



Huntingdon men's basketball coach Tony Duckworth has interviewed for the same position at Tuskegee University.

Duckworth, who led the Hawks to the Great South Athletic Conference regular season and tournament titles a year ago, said he interviewed with Tuskegee's search committee Wednesday.

"I'm certainly not in any hurry to leave Huntington, but when this opportunity presented itself, I felt like I had to check it out," said Duckworth, who is 62-72 in five seasons at Huntingdon.

[remainder deleted to preserve newspaper's copyright.]

2006-06-09
by Marcus Fitzsimmons
of The Daily Times Staff

DUCKWORTH ON TUSKEGEE SHORT LIST: as the coaching wheels continue to turn, GSAC
member Huntingdon College is now getting a taste of what Maryville experienced
last month when men's basketball coach Randy Lambert was on the UT short list
for an assistant's position on Bruce Pearl's staff.

Huntingdon's head men's coach Tony Duckworth is on the short list of candidates
for the head job at Division II Tuskegee University.

``They contacted me to gauge my level of interest,'' Duckworth said. `` I've
been invited for an on-campus interview with their search committee.''

Duckworth is scheduled to meet with that committee today.

``It would be remiss of me not to talk to them and see what they have to say,''
Duckworth said in referring to the uphill challenges that division II and III
coaches face. ``It never hurts to look.''

Duckworth coached the Hawks to their first regular season win over Maryville
College this spring and his team claimed the GSAC tournament championship with
another defeat of MC. The Scots however still received a bid to the NCAA
tournament while Huntingdon did not receive one of the very few pool bids
available to the GSAC.

Duckworth also complimented his time with HC so far and the support of athletic
director Buzz Phillips since Tuskegee inquired about his interest.

Huntingdon played 20 D3 games this year....18 were South Region.  Remember the 2 Michigan games will be counted as 'in-region' beginning next year because all D3 games during a holiday (ie..Christmas...RALPH can confirm) will be included as in-region to help schools like Huntingdon - the only D3 in Alabama.  Consider this...when is Huntingdon going to play all of these other south region teams some suggest......the season begins the week before Thanksgiving....then there is a couple week Christmas break.....remember the majority of other D3's are in conference play come Jan/Feb.  This years schedule shows they played 10 games before Christmas - 8 were D3 and 6 were south region.  Tough to get other D3's in after Christmas other than GSAC.   They typically squeeze a couple of SCAC's in early Jan before conference play.  Looking at the last several years schedule, Huntingdon does not play any games IN ALABAMA - except at home.  Could it be Huntingdon's location is not feasible for many teams to travel to? 

Looking at the 7 Pool B's in South regions schedules on D3hoops only 2 played more South Region games than Huntingdon.  Also...RALPH can verify....non-D3 games are only secondary criteria in the selection process, so the 'non's' had no effect on Huntingdon not getting in.  In other words, 18 south region and 20 overall D3 is on par, or better scheduling, with other non AQ teams.  As for 'strength of schedule' that is not always easy to determine a year or two in advance when scheduling occurs....for instance, I'm sure most would have never envision Fisk winning as few as they did this year.  All is my opionion, of course...........                 

MattGrubb,

Lambert didn't get this done.  The committee must have felt sorry for them.  Huntingdon whipped their butts twice when it counted. 

I wish them the best of luck in the tournament, however. 

All I know is that it is a crock of SH!t for Huntingdon to not make the tournament after beating Maryville twice in 13 days.  Maryville couldn't even win the conference tournament.  It goes to show you that this crap is all politics. 

Huntingdon is the better team and proved it the last two weeks!

Old Lion and Urban,
Remember guys the GSAC All-Conference teams were selected by the GSAC coaches based on overall GSAC and regular season performance.  Babian without question deserved  to be selected based on that criteria.  See his numbers on the HC statistics page.  Players, particularly perimeters, have 'off' nights.  IE..should JJ Redick no longer be considered for player of the year or 1st team all-american since he had 2 bad games in a row?  In other words, Babian and others who struggled in the tourney performance can be questioned, but not whether they should be disqualified as all-conference.  That selection occured before the tourney.   

. 

Huntingdon 61, Maryville TN 48.  Hawks are in, IMHO. (Maryville TN and Fisk are probably out.)

Quote

I agree.  If any GSAC team gets in, it HAS to be Huntingdon.  They are on fire.  They beat Maryville twice and Fisk twice in the last 13 days.  Both were ranked high in the region at the time HC beat them.  The committee has to take the Huntingdon Hawks to the dance!  They will probably send them to Clinton, MS to play Mississippi College. 

Congratulations Hawks!  Playing all those out of region non-D-3's paid off for you defensively.  Everyone knows that is why you held Maryville to 25% from the field tonight! 

Good luck getting into the tournament.  If the GSAC gets a team, it will definitely be Huntingdon.

For Immediate Release
Feb. 24, 2006
Great South Athletic Conference announces year-end basketball honors

The GSAC held its conference awards ceremony at the championship tournament being held at Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Ala. Huntingdon's Allen White was named the GSAC Player of the Year. LaGrange's Travis Moore was the GSAC Freshman of the Year. The GSAC Coach of the Year was Huntingdon's Tony Duckworth.

White, a senior guard, led Huntingdon in scoring with a 15.9 points per game average. He also led the team with 68 steals while pulling down 4.1 rebounds per game. White was named the GSAC Men's Player of the Week three times during the 2005-06 season.

Moore, a point guard, averaged 3.4 points per game and 5.5 points per game in GSAC games. He averaged 1.5 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game.

Duckworth guided Huntingdon to an 18-7 regular season record and the GSAC regular season co-championship. The Hawks have improved their win totals under Duckworth the last three seasons.


2005-06 Men's Basketball Year-End Honors

Player of the Year - Allen White, Huntingdon

Freshmen of the Year - Travis Moore, LaGrange

Coach of the Year - Tony Duckworth, Huntingdon

All-Conference 1st Team -
Allen White, Huntingdon, SR, G, Detroit, Mich. 15.9 ppg, 4.1 rpg.
Monte Calloway, Marvyille, SR, G, Somerset, Ky. 15.6 ppg, 5.0 rpg.
Bobby Golden, Maryville, JR, P, Louisville, Tenn. 14.9 ppg, 6.4 rpg.
Jeremiah Williamson, Fisk, SR, G, Laconia, Tenn.
Cole Hairston, Huntingdon, JR, F, Snellville, Ga. 12.9 ppg, 6.3 rpg
Jake Baldwin, Piedmont, SO, F, Cumming, Ga. 15.7 ppg, 5.0 rpg.

All-Conference 2nd Team -
Corie Jackson, LaGrange, SR, G, Columbus, Ga. 13.3 ppg, 1.5 rpg
Courtney Ellis, Fisk, SR, F, Memphis, Tenn.
Bo Mason, Marvyille, SO, G, Kennesaw, Ga. 13.7 ppg, 2.3 rpg.
Marquis Patton, Fisk, JR, G, Atlanta, Ga.
Justin Babian, Huntingdon, SR, G, Lynchburg, Tenn.12.3 ppg, 4.6 rpg

All-Freshman Team -
Travis Moore, LaGrange, G, Acworth, Ga. 3.4 ppg, 1.5 rpg.
Samuel Coppage, Maryville, G, Ringgold, Ga. 2.8 ppg, 0.4 rpg.
Goldie Hall, Fisk, F, Nasville, Tenn.
David Sampleton, Huntingdon, G, Huntsville, Ala. 2.7 ppg, 1.8 rpg
Andrew Shumate, Maryville, Greeneville, Tenn. 1.3 ppg, 1.1 rpg

Wilbert,

Just trying to let Old Lion know that he isn't the all-knowing basketball guru.  I could care less if Piedmont wins every game they play or loses every game they play.  He acts as if they are the program that the rest of the world should pattern theirs after.  They struggled with the NCCAA schools and he wants to bash teams that play these same schools?   I am not going to sit back and allow him to act like he knows what he is talking about.

I can crack out PC's schedule for the past 4 years and discount his ludicrous statements.


Fisk really needs to beat Rust by the way.  It will help GSAC school's QOWI.

Old Lion,
If you go Piedmont's schedule since 2002 you will find that  they have lost to alot of NCCAA teams.  In fact, you may find if you back out the Toccoa wins you are pretty close to having a losing record versus NCCAA's. Tennessee Temple and Pensacola owned you for a year or two.  In fact, if NCCAA's are so bad why does Piedmont not play TTU anymore after playing home and home for years? It's because you can't beat them.   If the NCCAA is so bad why did Piedmont not win the National Championship when they were members of the NCCAA during their transition to D3?  I think you could go to the MASSEY rating and find alot of NCCAA's who are in the NAIA that have really high Massey ratings like Lee University, Faulkner (won the national championship in NAIA recently, etc.....

Now I guess you will say that NAIA basketball is weak like you have implied about the NCCAA. 

[tr]Per the correction from Hawks88, I guess I need to modify this. As it turns out, Wesley (Miss) is not the 15-10 team from Delaware. They are one of those "less serious" teams that doesn't even list their schedule and results on their website. The 69 -49 score makes more sense now. So I guess that's 5 teams with a winning record.
_________________________________________________________

In case you don't know, Wesley College is ranked #5 in the NCCAA in Division II.  That's not too shabby.  There are some dang good teams in the NCCAA.  Not that they are world beaters by any stretch of the imaginiation, but it is not exactly a cupcake game either. 

Old Lion, how can you not justify it.  Piedmont lost to HC twice.  PC has a 2-6 in conference record.  With that record, having even ONE player on the all conferece team would be a blessing for whoever that one person may be.  You could easily justify three HC players from a team with 6 conference wins.

You make some great points for a PC fan.   

By the way, I am sitting up very straight and nothing you say is over anyone's head.  No one agrees with you.  YOU ARE 2-6!!!!! You should be the one bent over taking that butt kicking all year long.

I just don't see where you come up with the crap that you come up with. 

It's funny how Old Lion 'creams' Huntingdon's schedule, but fails to mention that Piedmont played Warren Wilson - one of the worse 4 year programs in the nation, and Toccoa Falls College twice.  Don't question scheduling when typical teams like Rhodes and Sewanee (who have been to the NCAA's in recent years) have down years.  Old Lion touts Methodist as great wins on their schedule, when in fact Sewanee beat them this year too, and he says they were a bad win for Huntingdon.  Piedmont's only 2 GSAC wins came against a team that only won 6 or 7 games in LaGrange.  This is not a knock on Lagrange because I have a lot of respect for Coach Haynes.  You also say that Piedmont was two of Huntingdon's better wins....how 'bout Fisk and Maryville who were both regionally ranked at the time?  Again, Old Lion only sees through 'green' colored glasses.