2008-09: 12-6 CAA, 25-10
  Players to watch: C/F Gerald Lee, Sr.; F/G Ben Finney, Jr.; F Frank Hassell, Jr.; G Marsharee Neely, Sr.; G Darius James, Jr.
  Why they will win: Five starters return from a 25-10 team, led by preseason co-player of the year Gerald Lee (15.5 ppg, 5.7 rebounds). Monarchs are tall and physical around the basket, and they were the top team in the conference last season in scoring defense (60.3 points). Keyon Carter (6-8, 7.9 ppg) and G/F Kent Bazemore lead a deep bench.

VIRGINIA   Key players: G Monica Wright, Sr., 20.5 ppg, 3.1 apg; F Chelsea Shine, So., 5.5 ppg, 3.3 rpg
  Notable: Optimism is running high in Charlottesville. But is it justified? The Cavaliers must replace Lyndra Littles and Aisha Mohammed, who combined for 32 points and 17 rebounds. Opposing defenses will gang up on Wright unless someone—Shine? Paulisha Kellum? China Crosby?—emerges quickly as a consistent source of double-dight offense.

Virginia State and Virginia Union might be archrivals, but the Trojans became the Panthers’ best friend yesterday. Union had a chance to wrap up the CIAA’s East Division title by beating Elizabeth City. The Panthers lost 21-13. Union, though, got a reprieve when Virginia State refused to buckle on a goal line stand in the fourth quarter and later repulsed a two-point conversion attempt to hold off Bowie State 14-12.

Kingston, R.I.
  When: 1 p.m.
  Radio: WTOX (1480), 12:30
  Records: William and Mary 3-1 CAA, 6-1;
Rhode Island 0-4, 1-6
  Players to watch: W &M—RB Jonathan Grimes, 110.5 yards per CAA game, WR D.J. McAulay, 33 catches, 423 yards, 3 TDs, DE Ravi Pradhanang, 3 sacks in last 4 games. URI—QB Chris Paul-Etienne, 133 yards per game, P Tim Edger, 41.6 average punt, DE Steve Weedon, 6 forced fumbles in 7 games this year.

On a perfect night to keep the ball on the ground, the Virginia Union Panthers had the perfect plan. They ran and ran and ran some more in a steady rainfall.

Where: Williams Stadium (cap. 12,000), Lynchburg
  When: 7 p.m.
  Radio: Midlothian (106.9), WREJ (1540)
  Tickets: $25 premium, $20 reserved, $15 general admission
  Records: James Madison 1-1, Liberty 2-1
  Players to watch: JMU - QB Drew Dudzik, 18-28, 355 yards, 5 TDs; QB Justin Thorpe, 8-13, 135 yards, TD; TE Mike Caussin, 6 catches, 197 yards, 4 TDs; LU - QB/WR Mike Brown, 39-48, 313 yards, 2 TDs passing, 139.3 all-purpose yards; QB Tommy Beecher, 25-39, 228 yards, TD; WR Chris Summers, 17-182 yards, TD.

Virginia State University announced today that George White has been named the new men’s basketball coach. White was at Stanford University the past two seasons, serving as director of external relations for the men’s basketball program. He is a Harvard graduate and a Philadelphia native.—Ralph Paulk

Anthony Collins, who led Virginia State to the CIAA tournament semifinals last month, was reassigned today after four seasons as the Trojans men’s head basketball coach. Collins had been on the hot seat since midseason, partly because the Trojans didn’t resemble a team that was expected to challenge for the conference title. Then, booster and alumni members turned up the heat while VSU was losing nine of 11 games.

Despite an impressive second-half run, the Richmond women’s basketball team fell to Charlotte 62-55 yesterday in an Atlantic-10 game at the Robins Center. Sophomore Brittani Shells scored a team-high 15 points. Charlotte controlled most of the first half, as guard Shannon McCallum scored 13 points. The 49ers went into the locker room with a 29-23 advantage, marking the first time Richmond has trailed at the break since starting conference play.

Virginia State is sick and tired of losing to Virginia Union. And for the first time in a couple of seasons, the Trojans appeared poised to do something about it. When Trey Mines hit a 3-pointer from the corner to give the Trojans a 61-60 lead with 6:17 remaining last night at the Coliseum, the Panthers’ series winning streak was in jeopardy.

Ayear ago, Virginia Union guard Brandon Byerson didn’t have much to smile or laugh about, in part because he had lost confidence in his usually reliable jump shot. Nowadays, Byerson wears an easy smile. Even though he still struggles with his shot at times, he said he hasn’t had this much fun playing basketball since his days at Thomas Dale High School.

Virginia State center Brandon Macklin shrugged off talk about Virginia Union’s dominance of the Trojans, who have lost 13 in a row to their CIAA rivals. Macklin only wants to look forward. Besides, the past looks far too bleak for a Virginia State program that continues to improve under third-year coach Anthony Collins—save the hurdle that is Virginia Union.

Brandon Macklin scored 18 points and J.C. Chaney added 16 to lead Virginia State over Livingstone 70-49 Tuesday night.

Virginia State’s Trey Mines has spent much of this basketball season trying to rediscover the rhythm that made him among the most-feared shooters in the CIAA.

The finalists for the 2008 Dudley Award have become household names to football fans in this state. They’re seniors who grew up in Virginia and have regularly made headlines for their exploits on the field.
SLIDESHOW: Dudley Award Finalists