Jacksonville Sports News*

TUESDAY TIPOFF: Dolphins open campign Monday against FSU in Tallahassee

By MIKE BONTS
www.jaxsportsnews.com

College basketball season has arrived.

Defending A-Sun Conference champion Jacksonville University is set to begin the regular season journey on Monday, ending in what the Dolphins hope to be another conference title and post season appearance.

Jacksonville University held its Tip Off Luncheon today at Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena. Men’s coach Cliff Warren's fifth squad at JU might be his best, with four starters returning from last year's championship team.

"We're honored to be picked to win the league, but this is a new season and we can't rest on what we did last year," said Warren. "We're no longer the hunter and the target is on our back now. I've stressed to our young men that we've got to get better each day if we want to repeat as champions."

The senior duo of Lehmon Colbert and Ben Smith and Lehmon Colbert have combined for more than 1,000 points in their careers and look to lead the Dolphins back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1986 after ending a 22-year postseason drought with a NIT bid last season.

Smith was named A-Sun Preseason "Player of the Year" while Colbert earned preseason all-conference honors.

Joining Smith and Colbert in returning is juniors Ayron Hardy and Travis Cohn. Cohn has stepped up his game after earning the starting 2- guard spot last season. Hardy is expected to take his game to a new level as well after being named A-Sun Defensive "Player of the Year" and earning preseason all-conference recognition.

The lone question mark in the starting lineup is who will replace Marcus Allen? Szymon Lukasiak and Will Alston are expected to fill the void left by the graduated Allen. Allen is reviewing offers to play overseas according to Warren.

The 2009-10 schedule has the Dolphins facing four teams expected to make the NCAA Tournament, with three of those on the road. JU will open the season on Monday at Florida State. They will also face California (Nov. 24) and South Carolina (Nov. 27). JU will host Florida for the first time since 2004 on Dec. 4.
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"Our non-conference schedule will be challenging once again this year," said Warren. "The goal in playing high-major teams is to prepare us for conference play and being able to host a two-time national champion in our building is generating excitement about our upcoming season."

The Florida game is the only non- conference home game for JU, but is one of 18 games that the Dolphins will play inside the state of Florida this season. Jacksonville will have 10 home games in Atlantic Sun Conference play, starting with Mercer on Jan. 2.

"It has been difficult to get home games this year due to our recent success and the fact that we just won the conference title last year," said JU director of athletics Alan Verlander. "We will have to go on the road more this year, but it is another indication of where Cliff, his staff and the players have taken our program. I hope our alumni and fans understand this and will come out and support our team when we are at home."

JU opens the season against the Seminoles for the second straight year, a rematch of last year's game that saw FSU come away with a 59- 57 win. The top eight teams will advance to the A- Sun Tournament which will be in Macon, Ga., hosted by Mercer.

GOLF: 2009 Handa Cup teams announced

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The field is set for the fourth-annual Handa Cup to be held Dec. 5th through 7th at the Slammer & Squire golf course at World Golf Village in St. Augustine, Fla.

The Legends Tour’s season-ending event, sponsored by Haruhisa Handa, a Japanese philanthropist, artist and businessman, pits U.S.-born LPGA Legends professionals against a team of World Legends professionals in an international match-play

Returning U.S. team captain and World Golf Hall of Fame member Kathy Whitworth is poised to lead 12 players, including Beth Daniel and five more World Golf Hall of Fame members, who will compete for a U.S. “four-peat” at the Handa Cup.

Scotland’s Cathy Panton-Lewis will captain the 2009 World Team, whose competing members include Legends Tour career money leader, Jan Stephenson, and 2009 Solheim Cup Captain Alison Nicholas in her second Handa Cup appearance.

In 2008, competition was nearly deadlocked at the close of first-round team matches with the U.S. securing the overnight lead by just two points. Hall of Fame member Patty Sheehan and seven-time Solheim Cup veteran Rosie Jones posted perfect match records at 3-0-0 for the tournament, boosting the U.S. team to a 14-point lead and helping to clinch the team’s third Handa Cup.

The 2009 Handa Cup will begin Saturday, Dec. 5th at 9 a.m., Sunday, Dec. 6th at 9 a.m., and a pro-am will take place Monday, Dec. 7th. Tickets for Saturday and Sunday are available at the gate for $10. Children under 18 and military personnel are admitted for free. Pro-Am spots are still available and interested parties may contact Megan Gardner at 617-997-6194 to register. For more information, visit www.thelegendstour.com.

U.S. Team: Amy Alcott (WGHOF member), Pat Bradley (WGHOF member), JoAnne Carner (WGHOF member), Elaine Crosby, Beth Daniel (WGHOF member), Sandra Haynie (WGHOF member), Christa Johnson, Rosie Jones, Cindy Rarick, Nancy Scranton, Patty Sheehan (WGHOF member) and Sherri Turner. Captain: Kathy Whitworth (WGHOF member), Assistant Captain: Lori West.

World Team: Dawn Coe-Jones, Alicia Dibos, Gail Graham, Nancy Harvey, Jenny Lidback, Sally Little, Alison Nicholas, Mieko Nomura, Michiko Okada, Anne Marie Palli, Jan Stephenson, Aiko Takasu. Captain, Catherine Panton Lewis.

NFL: Pro Football Weekly publishes mid-season All-Pro performers

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The authority on pro football, Pro Football Weekly, is proud to announce its annual Midseason All-Pro team, which is led by first-half standouts like Peyton Manning, Andre Johnson, Jared Allen and James Harrison.

The squad includes six players from the league’s two remaining undefeated teams — Manning, WR Reggie Wayne, TE Dallas Clark and DE Dwight Freeney of the Colts and OG Jahri Evans and S Darren Sharper of the Saints. Head coach Josh McDaniels, who guided the Broncos to a surprising six consecutive wins to start the season, was selected as the league’s top coach.

OFFENSE
QB Peyton Manning/Colts*

RB Adrian Peterson/Vikings*

RB Chris Johnson/Titans*

WR Reggie Wayne/Colts

WR Andre Johnson/Texans

TE Dallas Clark/Colts

C Nick Mangold/Jets

OG Jahri Evans/Saints

OG Ben Grubbs/Ravens

OT Ryan Clady/Broncos*

OT Michael Roos/Titans

DEFENSE
DE Jared Allen/Vikings

DE Dwight Freeney/Colts

DT Darnell Dockett/Cardinals

DT Haloti Ngata/Ravens

OLB James Harrison/Steelers

OLB Elvis Dumervil/Broncos

ILB Patrick Willis/49ers

CB Darrelle Revis/Jets

CB Charles Woodson/Packers

S Darren Sharper/Saints*

S Brandon Meriweather/Patriots

SPECIALISTS
PK Sebastian Janikowski/Raiders

P Shane Lechler/Raiders

PR Josh Cribbs/Browns*

KR Percy Harvin/Vikings*

HEAD COACH
Josh McDaniels/Broncos

* — Unanimous selection by PFW editors

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Players begin accepting invitations to 85th East-West Shrine Game

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TAMPA, Fla. (Nov. 9, 2009) — Thirty-seven top NCAA athletes from across the country have accepted invitations to play in the 85th East-West Shrine Game. Rosters for the East and West Teams will continue to grow leading up to the Game, which will be held at the Florida Citrus Bowl in Orlando on Jan. 23.

“This is an outstanding group of players,” said East-West Shrine Game Executive Director Jack Hart. “These young men are high-level players from top schools around the country. We look forward to continuing to receive acceptances from many other quality players to round out our East and West Teams prior to our January 23 date in Orlando.”

The team rosters, which will be updated regularly as players accept invitations, are posted on the East-West Shrine Game Web site at www.shrinegame.com/rosters.

The East-West Shrine Game is the longest-running college all-star football game in the country and features some of the highest-rated players in the projected NFL draft ranking. In April 2009, 90 percent of players from the 84th East-West Shrine Game (played on Jan. 17, 2009) were either drafted or signed as free agents by NFL clubs. A total of 307 East-West Shrine Game alumni were on 2009 NFL opening-day rosters.

While the teams are divided by East and West, the players come together for the beneficiary of the event, Shriners Hospitals for Children, an international pediatric specialty health care system. The 85th East-West Shrine Game will kick off at 3 p.m. EST and be televised live on ESNP2.