National Sports – Page 3 – The Mississippi Link

Ole Miss hires Kentucky women's assistant Insell

April 1, 2013 Kermit 0

Matt Insell, who has spent the last five seasons as an assistant coach with the nationally-ranked University of Kentucky women’s basketball program, has been named head coach of the Ole Miss women’s basketball team, athletics director Ross Bjork announced.

Insell has helped guide Kentucky to four 20-win seasons and four trips to the NCAA Tournament in his time in Lexington. The Wildcats have ended the last three seasons ranked in the top-25 and are currently ranked No. 7 heading into the team’s Sweet Sixteen game Saturday.

Insell, who was responsible for the guards while also having recruiting and player development duties, served as the top assistant coach and helped UK ink three top-10 recruiting classes and seven McDonald’s All-Americans. […]

Southern Miss tops Charleston Southern, 78-71

March 25, 2013 Kermit 0

Jonathan Mills tried to put away Charleston Southern. So did Neil Watson. Neither could do it.

Instead, it was four points in the final 20 seconds from unheralded Rashard McGill that gave Southern Miss a 78-71 victory over Charleston Southern in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament.

The victory snapped a nine-game postseason losing streak that dates back to 1988. McGill hit an 18-foot jumper and two free throws – his first and only four points of the game – in the most crucial possessions of the night to seal the victory. […]

Mississippi's Johnson out with broken fibula

March 22, 2013 Kermit 0

Mississippi defensive end C.J. Johnson is out for the rest of spring practice after suffering a broken fibula in his right leg during Wednesday’s practice.

Johnson was expected to have surgery Thursday, according to school officials. Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze said Johnson’s recovery time is expected to be about three months.

The 6-foot-3, 233-pound junior played in all 13 games last season and led the Rebels with 61/2 sacks last season. […]

Freeze, Mississippi trying to keep momentum

March 20, 2013 Kermit 0

Most of the recent news about Mississippi’s football program relates to the surprising and star-studded recruiting class Hugh Freeze landed in February.

The second-year coach is excited about bringing in that new talent. But for the next month, he’s focused on improving what he already has on the roster as the Rebels go through spring practice. […]

JSU stadium could derail downtown arena plans

March 14, 2013 Kermit 0

Jackson State University’s recently announced plans to build a domed stadium could effectively kill an effort to build a downtown arena.

The city and other arena backers have spent or pledged $180,000 in recent years to study building an arena to host concerts, sporting events and other entertainment, The Clarion-Ledger reported.

The key factor in the city of Jackson supporting the university’s plans is that it would only have to pay $10 million toward the university stadium, Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. said. A feasibility study in January estimated that a 9,000-seat arena would cost the city $115 million. […]

‘Blind Side’ family relishes Big Easy Super Bowl

February 4, 2013 Kermit 0

A knowing grin spread across Sean Tuohy’s face as he considered the uncanny connections between the hit film that changed his family’s life and the fact that Baltimore Ravens offensive lineman Michael Oher played in and won his first Super Bowl in the Big Easy. (The Ravens beat the San Francisco 49ers 34-31)

New Orleans is where Tuohy grew up and went to high school with author Michael Lewis, who wrote “The Blind Side.”

The book led to the movie, which depicted the Tuohys’ rewarding experience as Oher’s adoptive family. Actress Sandra Bullock, who starred as Sean Tuohy’s wife, Leigh Anne, owns a home in New Orleans. […]

Mississippi State hires 2 defensive assistants

January 22, 2013 Kermit 0

Mississippi State’s Dan Mullen has hired two defensive assistant coaches.

The school announced that David Turner will be in charge of the defensive line while two-time Super Bowl winner Deshea Townsend will lead the cornerbacks.

Turner returns to Mississippi State, where he coached the defensive line from 2007-09. He has spent the past three seasons as an assistant at Kentucky and has more 13 years of experience in the Southeastern Conference. […]

Ole Miss crushes Fordham 95-68, looks to SEC play

January 7, 2013 Kermit 0

Mississippi looked like a team ready to begin Southeastern Conference play Friday night, routing Fordham 95-68 in the final nonconference contest for both teams.

“We’re alive. Not everybody can say their after nonconference games, but we can,” Mississippi coach Andy Kennedy said. “We want the SEC schedule to have significance, and it does.”

The Rebels (11-2) put five players in double figures, led by Marshall Henderson with 21 points. The balanced attack included Reginald Buckner with 18 points, Derrick Millinghaus with 16, Murphy Holloway with 15 and Nick Williams with 11.
The Rebels shot 50 percent from the field (33 of 66) and forced 22 Fordham turnovers. […]

Warrant issued for suspect in drive-by shooting

January 3, 2013 Kermit 0

Gulfport police have issued an arrest warrant for former Mississippi State basketball player Marcus Bullard involving a drive-by shooting on Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2012.

Police Lt. Phillip Kincaid said no one was injured in the shooting. Kincaid says four shots were fired at a car whose owner had just pulled into the driveway of his home. The car from which the shots were fired fled the scene. […]

Notre Dame’s 1st black starting QB dies at 60

December 21, 2012 Kermit 0

On Jan. 7, sophomore Everett Golson will attempt to tie a Notre Dame record by winning his first 11 starts as the Fighting Irish quarterback (originally set by Bob Williams from 1949-50).

Maybe the most refreshing aspect of this potential milestone is Golson is known as a quarterback – not “a black quarterback.”

That’s not how it was for Cliff Brown, who became Notre Dame’s starter as a sophomore in 1971, the man who bridged Joe Theismann (1969-70) and Tom Clements (1972-74). Theismann was a Heisman runner-up for the No. 2 team in 1970, and Clements directed the 1973 national title […]