By the conclusion of the 2021-2022 season, Jackson State University head basketball coach Wayne Brent’s plan to retire had been public information. Brent became the JSU head coach in 2013 after a successful career as a high-school coach and an assistant coach at the University of Mississippi.

In his nine seasons with the Tigers, Brent amassed a 115-153 overall record and a 85-76 record in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. Brent won one SWAC regular season championship in 2021.

JSU wasted no time in finding a successor for Brent. The Tigers’ new coach is well known in the Jackson area and has some head-coaching experience. Former Murrah High School star and NBA player Mo Williams accepted JSU’s offer to serve as the school’s new head coach. Williams spent the last two seasons coaching at Alabama State University.

In his two seasons at Alabama State, Williams had a 13-35 overall record and 12-24 SWAC record. He was an assistant coach at California State University at Northridge for two years before becoming the head coach at Alabama State.

Williams enjoyed a 14-year NBA career that included being a one-time NBA All-Star in 2009 and winning a NBA Championship in 2016. He began his professional career with the Utah Jazz but would only play there for his rookie season.

His most successful seasons came with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Williams had two stints with the Cavaliers and in his first time with the team he would make his lone All-Star team in 2009.

Williams would play for the Cavaliers and win his lone NBA title with the team. It is a historic championship as Cleveland came back from a 3-1 deficit to defeat the Golden State Warriors.

Before going into the NBA, Williams went to the University of Alabama where he was successful there. He helped the Crimson Tide win the SEC regular season championship his freshman season of 2001-2002.

Williams was named Sporting News National Freshman of the Year and SEC Freshman of the Year. He would declare for the NBA Draft after his sophomore season of 2002-2003.

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The University of Mississippi women’s basketball team finished fourth in the conference standings during the regular season. That finish allows the Rebels to earn a double-bye in the 2022 SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament.

The Rebels finished the regular season 22-7 overall and 10-6 in SEC play. UM finished a game behind the University of Tennessee in the standings to land in the fourth spot.

UM begins tournament play Friday, March 4, against Florida State University, who won against Vanderbilt University. Florida is the fifth seed and received a bye but Vanderbilt defeated Texas A&M University to earn the right to play the Gators.

When the Rebels do hit the court to play their opening game of the SEC Tournament, the team will be led by last season’s Gillom Award winner Shakira Austin. The Gillom Award is given to the most outstanding women’s basketball player at a four-year college or university.

The senior center from Fredericksville, Va., has played just as well this season leading the team in scoring, rebounding and blocks. Austin is averaging 15 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game.

She is 15th in the SEC in scoring, fifth in rebounding and third in blocked shots. Austin also averages 1.5 assists and 1.4 steals per game this season.

Austin has started all 29 games this season for the Rebels. She has 21 games where she scored double-figures in points, 11 games where she pulled down double-digits in rebounds and nine games where she notched a double-double.

The conference coaches voted Austin Postseason First-Team All-SEC for the second year in a row after she was named Preseason First-Team All-SEC. She is a finalist for the Gillom award again this season with a chance to win the award for two straight years.

Austin will have help as the Rebels hit the postseason. The league coaches named Angel Baker Sixth Woman of the Year for the conference. She is averaging 10.3 points per game to give the team a spark off the bench.

The Rebels will face the Gators or Commodores at 2:30 p.m. with the game on the SEC Network. A victory for UM could mean a date with No.1 seed University of South Carolina in the semifinals on Saturday, March 5 at 4 p.m. on ESPN.

After the SEC Tournament finishes on Sunday, March 6, the Rebels will have to wait until Sunday, March 13, to find out their fate. The 2022 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament will feature 68 teams for the first time.

The bracket will be revealed and the Rebels should be a lock to make the tournament as the fourth best team in the SEC in the regular season. How well they play in the SEC Tournament could determine what seed they will earn in the NCAA Tournament.

The Women’s Tournament begins Friday, March 18th and Saturday, March 19, with the first round games for the final field of 64 teams. The Women’s Final Four will be on Friday, April 1, and Sunday, April 3.

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The University of Southern Mississippi has been picked as the preseason favorite to win the baseball crown in Conference USA. The league coaches gave the Golden Eagles six first-place votes, by far the most of any team.

Louisiana Tech University and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte tied for second place with two first-place votes apiece. Old Dominion University and Florida International University each received one first-place vote.

Coaches named four USM players to the Preseason All-Conference USA team. Old Dominion led all schools with six players named to the team.

Golden Eagle infielder Danny Lynch was one of the four USM players named to the team. He finished last season with a .350 batting average, 12 home runs and 36 RBI.

The Juniper, Fla., native ended last season on an 11-game hitting streak. Lynch was named to the NCAA All-Regional Team in the Oxford Regional last season. He is one of three captains on this year’s team.

Joining Lynch on the preseason team was outfielder Gabe Montenegro, designated hitter Charlie Fischer and pitcher Ben Ethridge. All four players helped the Golden Eagles in their opening series of the season.

USM opened the season against the University of North Alabama this past weekend. The Golden Eagles swept North Alabama behind solid play from Lynch.

In the opening game of the three-game series, Lynch went 2-for-3 at the plate. He scored three runs, RBI and drew two walks. Southern Miss won the game 8-1as Lynch extended his hitting streak to 12-game dating back to last season.

Lynch kept his hitting streak alive in game two of the series but struggled at the plate. He went 1-for-4 batting and failed to score or drive in a run in USM’s 7-3 victory.

Southern Miss swept the series with a 14-1 win in game three. Lynch went 2-for-5 at the plate with a run scored.

Over the series, Lynch went 5-for-12 at the plate with 4 runs and one RBI and a .417 batting average. He earned two walks and struck out just once in the three-game series.

During a midweek game against the University of South Alabama, Lynch saw his 14-game hitting streak, dating back to last season, come to end. Lynch went went 0-for-4 at the plate with two walks and a run scored. South Alabama would go on to win 6-5 in 13 innings.

Southern Miss hits the field again this weekend against Jacksonville State University. The three game series starts Friday, Feb. 25, and ends Sunday, Feb. 27. The Friday and Saturday games start at 6 p.m. and the Sunday game starts at 2 p.m.

Both teams playing in Super Bowl LVI haven’t fared too well in big games past. The Cincinnati Bengals are 0-2 in the Super Bowl and the Los Angeles Rams are 1-3 moving from two different cities.

Cincinnati lost both Super Bowls to Joe Montana and the San Francisco 49ers. Super Bowl XVI saw the Bengals lose 26-21, and Cincinnati lost 20-16 in Super Bowl XVIII.

Los Angeles lost 31-19 to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XIV at the end of Terry Bradshaw’s career. The Rams tasted victory in Super Bowl XXXIV with a 23-16 win over former Alcorn State University great Steve McNair.

Tom Brady stopped the next two Super Bowl trips for the Rams. In a bookend to his New England career Brady won his first Super Bowl and last as a Patriot against the Rams. The Patriots won Super Bowl XXXVI 20-17 and Super Bowl LIII 13-3.

Los Angeles joins the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the second-straight team to host the game in their home stadium. Tampa Bay won last year as Brady won his seventh Super Bowl.

Cincinnati has been on a fairytale run to Super Bowl LVI with wins over the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds in the AFC. Every postseason game for the Bengals has ended with an interception that ended the game or led to the game winning points.

The Bengals ran out the clock after an interception against the Los Vegas Raiders and used an interception to beat the Tennessee Titans and the Kansas City Chiefs. The Bengals won the turnover battle in all three games.

Los Angeles opened the playoffs destroying division rival Arizona Cardinals. The Rams needed a last second field goal to put down Brady and the Buccaneers. Los Angeles used the 49ers’ mistakes to reach the big game.

The Rams are built to win now as they have traded several draft picks for a spot in this Super Bowl. Matthew Stafford is one of the biggest trades as he will start Super Bowl LVI instead of Jard Goff, who started Super Bowl LIII for the Rams.

Cooper Kupp is the star of the Rams show leading the NFL in just about every receiving category this season. He will be the main target for Stafford against the Bengals.

Two former LSU Tigers make the offense go for the Bengals. Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Joe Burrow and wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase. The two have picked up where they left off after terrorizing SEC defenses in route to the national championship.

Both teams feature solid defenses that are good at shutting down the run. The Bengals are the fifth best run stopping defense and the Rams are sixth in rushing yards per game.

Neither team is great at stopping the passing game with the Rams 22nd and the Bengals 26th in passing yards per game. The team that can run the ball to help mix with the passing game will have the better advantage.

Both quarterbacks come in as former number-one picks, and both played in the SEC. Both teams enter the Super Bowl as the fourth seed from their conference. The head coaches of both teams are under 40 years old.

Cincinnati feels like a team of destiny as one of the more unlikely teams to reach this game. The Rams were expected to be here with their win-now attitude with big trades.

Much like Brady and the Patriots win over the Rams, this game feels like a young Burrow will out shine the older Stafford. This game feels like it will end on a field goal and rookie Bengals kicker Evan McPherson is 12-for-12 in the playoffs.

Super Bowl LVI will be played on Sunday, Feb. 13, with kickoff at 5:30 p.m. U.S. Central Time on NBC.

Final Prediction: Bengals 27, Rams 24

This preview does not necessarily reflect the views of the Jackson Free Press. Read more sports coverage at jfp.ms/sports.

A handful of players in Super Bowl LVI have ties to the Magnolia State. Most played college football in Mississippi and a couple left the state after successful high-school careers to play during college.

When the Cincinnati Bengals clash with the Los Angeles Rams, a total of five players will have connections to our state. Two players will take the field for the Bengals and two more for the Rams, with the possibility of a third player.

Former Clinton High School star Cam Akers might be the most renowned player for most around Mississippi. Akers is a former Gatorade Player of the Year for Mississippi in 2016 and played college football at Florida State University.

The Ram drafted Akers in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He enjoyed a successful rookie season and was expected to play a larger role in the 2021 season. That was until he tore his achilles in the preseason.

Thought to be lost for the entire season, Akers returned for the final week. He has contributed to the Rams offense throughout the playoffs and should be on the field at Super Bowl LVI.

Another Rams player with ties to our state is wide receiver Van Jefferson. His biography says he played college football at the University of Florida, but before being a Gator, he was a Rebel.

Jefferson began his career at the University of Mississippi before the NCAA hit the school with new sanctions. He left the Rebels to finish out his college career with the Gators.

The Rams drafted Jefferson in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He is in his second year with the team and started all 17 games with 50 catches for 802 yards and six touchdowns.

Darrell Henderson played his high school football at South Panola High School and was named Gatorade Player of the Year for Mississippi in 2014. He went on to play his college football at the University of Memphis.

The Rams drafted Henderson in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Henderson ran the ball 149 times for 688 yards and five touchdowns. He currently is on injured reserve, and his status for the Super Bowl is not currently known.

Cincinnati has a player on offense and a player on defense with ties to our state. One started out as a player for the Rams and the other started as a player for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Wide receiver Mike Thommas was selected out of the University of Southern Mississippi in the sixth round of the 2016 NFL Draft. He is in his sixth year in the league and has caught five passes for 52 yards with no touchdowns.

Cornerback Mike Hilton played every defensive back position while at the University of Mississippi. His time with the Rebels prepared him for playing in the NFL as one of the best defensive backs in the SEC.

Hilton was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars and bounced to the New England Patriots before finally finding a home with the Steelers. He spent four seasons with Pittsburgh before joining the Bengals.

This season has seen Hilton rack up 43 tackles with two interceptions and a forced fumble. He took one of his two interceptions back for a touchdown against the Steelers.

Cincinnati and Los Angeles will meet in Super Bowl LVI on Sunday, Feb. 13, with kickoff at 5:30 pm. The Bengals are looking for their first Super Bowl win as a franchise and the Rams are looking for their first title since 2000.

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Just a few seasons ago, the Mississippi State University women’s basketball program had grown from ranking near the middle of the pack in the Southeastern Conference to national championship contenders.

Head coach Vic Shaefer built MSU into a power as the Bulldogs began to challenge fellow SEC power University of Southern Carolina. The program reached notable high points, winning the conference regular season championship in 2018 and 2019.

The Bulldogs won their first SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament in 2019 and celebrated a thrilling victory over yearly power University of Connecticut in the NCAA Tournament. MSU reached unprecedented heights with back-to-back appearances in the Women’s NCAA Tournament National Championship Game in 2017 and 2018.

Things have slowly broken down since the Bulldogs lost to the University of Notre Dame in the 2018 title game. MSU would reach the NCAA Tournament in 2019 before bowing out in the Elite Eight.

Soon, Schaefer would leave to take the head coaching job at the University of Texas at Austin. His replacement Nikki McCray-Penson would leave after just a single season to focus on her health.

COVID-19 concerns canceled the 2020 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament, and MSU wouldn’t even get into the 2021 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament—the first time since 2014 the Bulldogs didn’t reach the Big Dance.

This Monday, Jan. 24, MSU star and leading scorer in the SEC Rickea Jackson announced she was entering the NCAA Transfer Portal. Jackson was averaging 20.3 points and 6.8 rebounds in the 15 games she appeared in this season.

Jackson won the Gillom Award, which is given to the best women’s basketball player at a four-year university or college in the state of Mississippi, in 2020. She was named to the SEC All-Tournament Team in 2020 as well. The coaches also named her 2020 SEC All-Freshman Team and Second-Team All-SEC.

The Detroit, Mich., native made her announcement on Instagram after spending three seasons playing for the Bulldogs. Jackson can’t enter the WNBA Draft this year because she won’t turn 22 in this calendar year. She will turn 21 in March of this year.

Jackson is taking advantage of the new transfer portal rule that allows players to transfer to another school one time without having to sit out a year. Jackson could transfer to UCONN, South Carolina, Texas or any other school and play right away.

MSU currently is 12-7 overall and 3-4 in SEC but will be without Jackson for the rest of the season. The Bulldogs will host the University of Texas A&M next on Sunday, Jan. 30, with tipoff at 3 pm on the SEC Network.

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Mississippi State University is losing its record breaking wide receiver after just one season with the program. Redshirt sophomore wide out Makai Polk has announced he will enter the 2022 NFL Draft.

Polk started his college career at the University of California for the 2019 season. He appeared in all 13 games and made four starts. He caught 16 passes for 276 yards and two touchdowns.

In the unpredictable 2020 season, he appeared in four games with two starts. The Richmond, Calif., native caught 17 passes for 183 yards and one touchdown. He entered the transfer portal after playing in his final game.

Polk started slow at MSU early in the season. He didn’t gain 60 or more yards receiving in either of the first two games. Things started to come together in the third game of the season as he went off for 136 receiving yards on 11 catches with one touchdown.

He would finish the season with 1,046 receiving yards on 105 receptions with nine touchdowns. It would be one of the best pass catching seasons in MSU history as Polk rewrote the record book in one season.

Polk set the single season record for most receiving yards breaking a record that stood for nearly 45 years. The wide receiver broke Mardye McDole school record with his 1,096 yards season.

He also broke Fred Ross’ single-season reception record with his 105 catches. That shattered the 88 catches Ross made during his record setting season.

Polk led the Bulldogs in nearly every single receiving statistic. He led the team in catches, receiving yards, touchdowns and scoring.

In the Southeastern Conference, Polk led the conference with the most receptions. He finished one catch ahead of University of Kentucky wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson.

Polk finished sixth in the SEC in receiving yards. He finished just 35 yards behind University of Tennessee wide receiver Cedric Tillman for fifth place.

The Bulldogs receiving unit took another hit when Jackson, Miss., native, Malik Heath entered the transfer portal. He caught 34 passes for 442 yards and five touchdowns.

Polk will learn which team he will be playing for if he is selected when the 2022 NFL Draft kicks off on Thursday, April 28. The draft runs until Saturday, April 30.

If Polk isn’t drafted he could sign with a team as an undrafted free agent. Polk will need to make a great showing at the NFL Combine if he gets an invite to help him move up draft boards.

Read more sports coverage at jfp.ms/sports.

The University of Mississippi enjoyed its first 10-win regular season in school history. Head coach Lane Kiffin brought his high-powered offense to Oxford and retooled the defense in just this second season.

Success is a double-edge sword as it brings wins to the program but means players sometimes leave early for the NFL. The Rebels are in the midst of several offensive players having declared for the 2022 NFL Draft.

Quarterback Matt Corral made his intentions known to leave UM for the NFL before the Rebels final home game of the season. The record-setting quarterback was injured early in the Sugar Bowl against Baylor University.

Another key piece to the Rebels offense has also declared for the NFL Draft. Running back Snoop Conner is leaving after his junior season, and his departure leaves the Rebels then at the position.

Conner finished second on the team in rushing this season with 647 yards on 130 carries with 13 touchdowns. He caught 14 passes for 89 yards but didn’t find the end zone as a receiver.

The Hattiesburg, Miss., native burst onto the scene in 2019 as he ran for 512 yards on 81 carries with five touchdowns. He caught just six passes for 60 yards and no touchdowns.

His second season with the Rebels in 2020 saw him rushing for 421 yards on 93 carries with eight touchdowns. He added 82 yards on 12 receptions without a touchdown through the air.

Leading rusher Jerrion Ealy has also declared for the NFL Draft. He along with Conner and Corral accounted for a good deal of the Rebels’ offensive production.

UM will have to rebuild its back field heading into the 2022 season. Three major playmakers are leaving the program after helping rebuild it under Kiffin.

Conner now will turn his attention to the 2022 NFL Combine and any on campus workouts before the draft. He will look to improve his draft stock and rise up the draft boards with his pre-draft workouts.

The 2022 NFL Draft will be held in Los Vegas from April 28 to April 30. It will be the 87th NFL Draft in the history of the league. College football players at least three years out of high school are eligible for the NFL Draft.

Underclassmen have until Monday, Jan. 17, to declare for the draft. A list of approved underclassmen will be released to all 32 NFL teams on Friday, Jan. 21.

Read more sports coverage at jfp.ms/sports.

The University of Mississippi women’s basketball team is off to a red-hot start this season. The Rebels dropped the opening game of the season and haven’t lost a game since. UM is off to a 13-1 start coming out of conference play, at the time of this writing.

During the two games the team played in the West Palm Beach Invitational, senior guard Angel Baker enjoyed two outstanding performances. She helped the Rebels to wins in both games and a scoring threat off the bench.

Against Texas Tech University, Baker scored a team-high 24 points after she went 11-for-13 from the field and 2-for-3 from the three point line. She added two rebounds and two steals in the 65-50 victory.

Baker scored 11 points to help the Rebels take down No. 18 University of South Florida and added three rebounds and one steal in the 61-53 win. It was the first win for UM against a ranked non-conference foe since 2007.

The Southeastern Conference named Baker co-SEC Player of the Week for her efforts against Texas Tech and South Florida. She shared the honor with University of South Carolina player Destanni Henderson.

Over the two games, Baker averaged 14.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.5 assist per game and went 16-of-26 from the field. Baker is averaging 9.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists. She has 15 steals and two blocks on the season as well.

The Indianapolis, Ind., native transferred to the University of Mississippi after playing three seasons at Wright State University. She was the Horizon League Tournament MVP in the 2020-2021 season and helped the Raiders reach the round of 32 in the 2020-2021 NCAA Tournament.

She has made five starts this season and played in all 14 games for the Rebels. Baker has scored double-digits in four games this season. She grabbed a season-high eight rebounds against Mississippi Valley State University.

The Rebels were supposed to start SEC play on Thursday, Dec. 30, against the University of Arkansas, but a positive COVID test and contact tracing postponed the game. UM's upcoming game on Sunday, Jan. 2, against number-one ranked South Carolina has also been postponed.

Mississippi might be able to hit the court on Thursday, Jan. 6, against the University of Florida to open SEC play. Longer and it would mean starting SEC play against the University of Tennessee on Sunday, Jan. 9.

No make up date for the Arkansas or South Carolina game has been announced by the SEC.

Mississippi State University women’s basketball team has begun to bounce back this season after a tough 2020-2021 season. Last season, the Bulldogs went 10-9 overall and 5-7 in Southeastern Conference play.

On top of dealing with COVID-19, the Bulldogs were adapting to a new head coach. Combined, those factors impacted the squad, which managed to just finish with a winning record.

This season, MSU is 9-3 overall and has yet to start conference play. Going 9-3 in out of conference play is a major boost before SEC play begins near the end of the year.

Freshman Denae Carter has played a major part in the Bulldogs’ outstanding non-conference play, with Carter playing in all 12 games and starting in two so far this season. The Philadelphia, Pa., native has upped her game the last few weeks as she is starting to find her footing at the college level. Carter has posted three straight double-doubles in the last three games, and MSU went 2-1 in those games.

Against Troy University, Carter scored 11 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and blocked one shot. MSU came up short in the 73-66 loss to open the Mississippi State Classic.

Carter scored a season and current career-high 17 points against Jackson State University in her first career start. She added 13 rebounds, three blocks and two steals in a 74-66 win over the Tigers. She tied a career high against South Carolina State University and pulled down a season-high tie of 14 rebounds with 12 points, four blocks and two assists in MSU’s 85-47 win.

The three straight games of double-doubles earned Carter the honor of SEC Freshman of the Week. Over the three games she had 40 points, 39 rebounds, eight blocked shots, two steals and two assists.

Carter is averaging 7.6 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game with nine steals and eight assists. She is first on the team in rebounding and blocks and fourth on the team in scoring. She leads SEC freshmen in blocks with 28 so far on the season.

The Bulldogs have finished the out of conference schedule for the rest of the season. MSU starts SEC play on Thursday, Dec. 30, against the University of Florida with tipoff at 6 p.m. on SEC+ network. The Bulldogs’ next game is Monday, Jan. 3, against the University of Kentucky with the tip at 6 p.m. on the SEC Network.

Read more sports coverage at jfp.ms/sports.

While other college football programs in Mississippi have had several high points this season, Jackson State University's momentum has become undeniable. The Tigers are enjoying an unprecedented run of success.

Since JSU hired Deion Sanders as the school’s new head coach in football, making national news, Sanders has endeavored to change the culture around JSU’s sports offerings, and those efforts have paid off at a rapid pace.

JSU’s games have been highly televised this year. Rivals.com named Jackson State as having signed the No. 1 recruit, with ESPN's Travis Hunter ranking Sanders as the No. 2 recruit in college football this year—thus marking Sanders as the highest-ranked recruit to sign with a Football Subdivision Championship school.

Raking in awards, JSU has gone 11-1 this season and has won its first Southwestern Athletic Conference championship since 2007. The Tigers are enjoying a renaissance that is likely to continue for the foreseeable future as long as Sanders stays in Jackson, Miss.

The Tigers have one more mission to finish off this nearly perfect season: JSU is set to face South Carolina State University in the Celebration Bowl.

COVID-19 forced organizers to cancel last year’s Celebration Bowl, but the game returns for 2021 as the champion of the SWAC meets the champion of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. South Carolina State enters the game at 6-5 overall but 5-0 in MEAC play. The Tigers and Bulldogs will get to showcase the two top HBCU conferences at the highest level of play.

JSU enters the game averaging 29 points per game and only giving up 13.5 points per game. South Carolina State scored 24.4 points per game and allowed teams to score 27.6 points per game.

Both teams average around 350 yards per game on offense, but they do it in different ways. JSU gains most of its yards through the air at 255 passing yards per game and just 95.1 rushing yards. SCS uses a more balanced offense with 210.2 yards passing per game and 141.9 yards rushing per game.

Defense is where JSU has an edge in this game. The Tigers only allow 255.9 yards per game on defense ,and the Bulldogs allow 353. JSU has the offense to score points and the defense to stop South Carolina State’s offense.

The MEAC has dominated the Celebration Bowl since it began in 2015, going 4-1 over the same time frame. Only Grambling State University has carried the SWAC to a victory, and Alcorn State University is 0-3 in the game.

I predict that JSU gets it done with a 34-18 win and finishes the season with 12 wins and even more momentum heading into the 2022 season. The Celebration Bowl kicks off at 11 a.m. with ABC providing the national broadcast.

This sports editorial does not necessarily reflect the views of the Jackson Free Press. Read more sports coverage at jfp.ms/sports.

To few’s surprise, the University of Mississippi offense has been explosive and exciting in the 2021 season. The Rebels brought back quarterback Matt Corral and head coach Lane Kiffin.

Defense, though, was another matter for the Rebels going into the 2021 season. UM finished dead last in the Southeastern Conference in defense in 2020. The unit gave up 519 yards per game and 38.3 points per game.

That left little margin for error for the offense because the defense couldn’t make many stops. If the Rebels wanted to finish better than the 5-5 record from 2020, the defense would have to improve.

While it wasn’t a worst-to-first improvement, the UM defense did in fact score better in 2021. The unit only allowed 427.8 yards per game and 25 points per game. That is 91.2 yards fewer per game and 13.3 fewer points allowed per game for the past season.

The defensive improvement helped UM win 10 games for the first time in the regular season and a New Year’s Six Bowl game against Baylor University. These changes for the better didn’t go unnoticed around the conference when postseason honors were distributed.

On Tuesday, Dec. 7, the league office named Defensive lineman Sam Williams 2021 First-Team All-SEC. Williams took advantage of an extra year of eligibility due to circumstances regarding COVID-19.

Williams enjoyed his best season with the Rebels in 2021. He has a school record of 12.5 sacks with the bowl game still to be played. His sacks place him in fourth place at the FBS level.

The Montgomery, Ala., native finished with 56 total tackles, 30 solo tackles, 15 tackles for a loss, eight quarterback hits, four forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and one pass break-up. His 56 tackles are the most for a UM defensive lineman since 2018.

Williams is currently in third place on the school’s career sack list with 22.5 career sacks. He is seventh in career tackles for a loss in school history with 32.5. Williams is the only Rebel to make First-Team All-SEC. Corral and running back Jerrion Ealy were named 2021 Second-Team All-SEC—Corral at quarterback and Ealy as an all-purpose player.

Two Rebels were named to the 2021 SEC All-Freshman Team. Offensive lineman Eli Acker and defensive back Tysheem Johnson earned the honor.

UM doesn’t return to the field until Saturday, Jan. 1, in the AllState Sugar Bowl against Baylor with kickoff at 7:45 p.m. on ESPN. A victory there will get the Rebels to an 11-win season.

Read more sports coverage at jfp.ms/sports.

Conference realignment isn’t just for the highest division in college athletics. Programs from all levels will be moving to newer conferences for several reasons in the near future.

Belhaven athletics once belonged to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, or NAIA, for over five decades. The Blazers moved from NAIA to become a member of the NCAA at the Division III level.

In 2015, Belhaven joined the American Southwest Conference at the Division III level. The Blazers experienced growing pains as they adjusted to their new conference. The Blazers worked through the process of becoming a full-member of Division III and completed the transition in 2019. Belhaven became eligible to win ASC championships in the 2019-2020 season.

The Blazers now are moving from the American Southwest Conference to the USA South Conference. Belhaven will finish the spring season in the ASC before moving to their new home in the fall of 2022.

The move comes as the Blazers enjoyed the best winning percentage and best season in the football program’s history. Belhaven finished the season 7-3 overall and 6-3 in ASC play. In addition, head coach Blaine McCorkle earned the ASC Coach of the Year title for the second straight season.

Belhaven men’s and women’s soccer teams enjoyed success this fall. Both squads made the conference tournament this season. The Blazers will compete in the ASC in sports like men’s and women’s basketball, softball and baseball for the final time before the move.

The USA South Conference features 19 members at universities in Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, Kentucky, Virginia and North Carolina. Belhaven will stay at the Division III level as USA South is a Division III member.

While most of the ASC members are located in Texas with one school in Arkansas. Belhaven fits better geographically in the USA South. The Blazers being in a conference that covers most of the southeastern part of the US makes better sense.

Belhaven will become a full member of the USA South for the 2022-2023 academic year. The move won’t hurt the Blazers facing main rival Millsaps College. Plus gives the Blazers a chance to build closer rivals in their new home.

Read more sports coverage at jfp.ms/sports.

Jackson State University and Alcorn State University haven’t played each other in football since Saturday, Nov. 23. Alcorn State destroyed Jackson State in a 41-6 beatdown that ended the Tigers’ season at 4-8 overall.

The Braves went on to win the SWAC East for the sixth consecutive year. ASU went on to defeat Southern University in the SWAC Championship Game. The Braves’ season ended in a 20-point defeat to North Carolina A&T University.

Alcorn State decided not to play the spring season of 2021 after COVID-19 postponed the 2020 season. Jackson State played a spring schedule as new head coach Deion Sanders breathed new life into the program.

While Alcorn State sat out the spring season, Jackson State was laying the foundation for this fall. The Tigers went 4-3 and Sanders got a start on reshaping the program in his image.

Now the two longtime SWAC rivals are in opposite divisions as Alcorn State moved to the SWAC West and JSU stayed in the East. Florida A&M University and Bethune Cookman University joined the SWAC and were added to the East Division.

Jackson State sits on top of the East with a perfect 7-0 record in SWAC play. Alcorn State is currently in second place in the West with Prairie View A&M University leading the division.

The Tigers and the Braves are set to meet this Saturday, Nov. 20, in Jackson, Miss. JSU has already clinched a spot in the SWAC Championship Game. ASU must win this game and get some help to have any hope of a rematch in the title game.

Jackson State is the fourth best offense in the conference, averaging 29.7 points per game. Alcorn State is fifth in the conference in scoring, averaging 27.6 points per game.

Defense is where the game could change as the Tigers own the best-scoring defence in the SWAC. JSU is only allowing 14.2 points per game and ASU allows 26 points per game for fourth in scoring defense.

Alcorn State could try to control the game with their rushing attack. The Braves are the fourth best running team in the conference, averaging 167.1 yards per game.

JSU only allows 102.3 yards per game on the ground for the second best rushing defense in the SWAC. The game could be decided by whomever can run the ball the best or by whomever can stop the run. ASU allows 143.5 yards per game on the ground to land in fourth place in the SWAC.

Jackson State enters the game with the best passing defense in the SWAC only allowing 153.7 yards per game. The Tigers’ offense is second in the conference in passing yards with 267.4 yards per game.

Alcorn State passes for 227.9 yards per game on offense for fifth in the conference. The Braves defense gives up 225.7 yards per game for sixth in the SWAC.

This game also features two 2021 Conerly Trophy finalists. JSU quarterback Shedeur Sanders has led the Tigers to an undefeated record in SWAC play and first division title since 2013. Alcorn State defensive back Juwan Taylor will try to stop Sanders from throwing the ball on the Braves.

This game feels like it will be close for the first half with both teams feeling each other out. The second half is when JSU will take control and finish a perfect regular season in SWAC play. Alcorn State’s dream of a spot in the SWAC Championship game will die in Jackson.

The Tigers will lead 28 to 21 after the first two quarters. Then JSU shows a new beast has risen in the east and cruises to a 48-28 victory.

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During last season’s strange COVID-19-impacted college basketball season, Jackson State University started the season 0-5. That was before the Tigers started Southwestern Conference play and JSU ran through the SWAC.

JSU went 11-0 in SWAC play behind 2020-2021 SWAC Preseason Player of the Year Tristan Jarrett and 2020-2021 SWAC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year Jayveous McKinnis. The Tigers were rolling until being upset by Texas Southern University in the semifinals of the SWAC Basketball Tournament.

Jarrett ended up making the All-Tournament team in his final season at JSU. The Tigers didn’t play in the postseason after falling in the conference tournament.

While Jarrett is gone, JSU does return Mckinnis for the 2021-2022 season. The Tigers do return McKinnis for this season as he returns for his senior season.

McKinnis returned this season as the 2021-2022 Preseason SWAC Defensive Player of Year and Preseason First-Team All-SWAC. He finished second in the nation in rebounding and led the SWAC in rebounding with 13.2 per game.

The Pearl, Miss., native averaged 12.5 points per game and 2.1 blocks per game with nine double-doubles last season. He led a defense that held opponents to 62.8 points per game in conference contests.

In the preseason predicted order of finish, league coaches and sports-information directors picked JSU to finish third in the league. They picked Texas Southern to finish first and Prairie View A&M to take second place.

These sports professionals picked Alcorn State University to finish seventh and Mississippi Valley State to finish dead last. SWAC play doesn’t open up until early 2022 with the Tigers and Braves opening conference play against each other.

JSU opened the 2021-2022 season on the road against the University of Illinois. The No. 11 ranked Fighting Illini cruised to a 71-47 victory over the Tigers.

While it was a blowout win for Illinois, McKinnis stuffed the stat sheet with his play. The former Brandon High School star finished with a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds. He also added five steals and two blocks in 36 minutes of playing time.

JSU begins the season by playing the first 12 games on the road. The Tigers don’t have a home game until Wednesday, Dec. 29, against Southeastern Baptist College.

McKinnis and the Tigers hit the court again on Friday, Nov. 12, at Louisiana Tech University with tip off at 6:30 p.m. JSU’s next game will be televised on ESPN+ on Tuesday, Nov. 16, against California Baptist University.

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Only one college football team in the nation has defeated three top-25 teams and three teams ranked in the first College Football Playoff Rankings as the season enters its final month: Mississippi State University.

Behind a historic performance by MSU quarterback Will Rogers, the Bulldogs knocked off the University of Kentucky 31-17. MSU previously defeated North Carolina State University and Texas A&M University.

Kentucky, NC State and Texas A&M are currently ranked in the College Football Playoff Rankings and have been ranked during the season. MSU is 3-2 against teams that have been ranked at some point in the season with losses to Louisiana State University and the University of Alabama.

Rogers completed 36-of-39 passing attempts to set an Southeastern Conference record for completion percentage at 92.3%. Rogers broke his own school record set against Louisiana Tech University and the previous SEC record set by University of Tennessee quarterback Josh Dobbs at 91.2%. He was one completion shy of setting the NCAA single-game record for completion percentage.

The Brandon, Miss., native wasn’t done rewriting the MSU record book against the Wildcats. He broke Dak Prescott’s record for single-season completions with 327 and counting.

His seventh 300-yard passing game ties a record by Prescott set in 2015. Rogers recorded his ninth career 300-yard game, which also tied Prescott. The quarterback finished his night with 344 yards and a touchdown.

Rogers leads the SEC in passing yards with 2,890 yards and is third in the nation in passing yards. His 2,890 yards is currently fourth best in MSU single-season record with four games left in the season.

The 566 career completions for Rogers is second all-time in school history behind Prescott who finished his career with 734 completions. His 19 touchdowns is currently fifth in the single-season records.

The sophomore quarterback’s 30 career touchdown passes currently sits in eighth place in school history. By the time the season ends, Rogers could rewrite the school record book for single-season and career marks.

MSU sits at 5-3 overall and 3-2 in SEC play with one win needed to become bowl eligible for the second straight season under coach Mike Leach. MSU travels to face the University of Arkansas on Saturday, Nov. 6.

If MSU wins it will be the fourth victory over a team ranked in the top 25 at some point in the season. The Bulldogs and Razorbacks will kickoff at 3 p.m., and the SEC Network will broadcast the game.

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Retired NFL player Brett Favre has repaid $600,000 in state welfare money he accepted for speeches where he didn't appear, but the state attorney general could sue Favre if he doesn’t pay interest owed on the amount, the Mississippi auditor said Wednesday.

Auditor Shad White said Favre paid the $600,000 to the auditor’s office this week. White sent the former Green Bay Packers quarterback a letter Oct. 12 demanding $828,000, which was the $600,000 plus $228,000 in interest.

Of the $228,000, White said: "If he does not pay that within 30 days of our demand, the AG will be responsible for enforcing the payment of the interest in court."

Favre is not facing criminal charges, but former Mississippi Department of Human Services director John Davis and other people have been charged in one of the state’s largest embezzlement cases. Allegations of misspending came to light in early 2020 when Davis and five others were indicted.

White said in May 2020 that Favre, who lives in Mississippi, had repaid $500,000 of the $1.1 million in welfare money he received for multiple no-show speeches. Favre was paid by Mississippi Community Education Center, a nonprofit group whose former leader is among those awaiting trial.

In a Facebook post when he repaid the first $500,000, Favre said he didn’t know the money he received came from welfare funds. He also said his charity had provided millions of dollars to poor children in Mississippi and Wisconsin.

White on Oct. 12 demanded that several people and organizations repay $77 million in misspent welfare money intended to help people in one of the poorest states in the nation. With interest, the demand jumped to $96 million. That included money sought from Favre.

White issued the demands about two weeks after a Maryland-based CPA firm issued an independent report about how the Mississippi Department of Human Services spent federal money from 2016 through 2019 through Temporary Assistance to Needy Families. The report found nearly $41 million in “questioned costs” for items including travel and programs to support college athletes.

White demanded the whole $96 million from Davis and most of it from Mississippi Community Education Center and another nonprofit organization, Family Resource Center. Davis left the Department of Human Services in July 2019.

Those indicted along with Davis were former professional wrestler Brett DiBiase; former Department of Human Services employee Latimer Smith; Nancy New, who has been the director of Mississippi Community Education Center and New Learning Resources; her son Zach New, who has been assistant executive director of the education center; and Anne McGrew, an accountant for the education center.

DiBiase pleaded guilty in December to one count of making a false statement. He said in court documents that he had submitted documents and received full payment for work he did not complete. He agreed to pay $48,000 in restitution, and his sentencing was deferred.

McGrew pleaded guilty on Oct. 11 to one charge of conspiracy to commit embezzlement for her role in the case. She awaits sentencing and has agreed to testify against others.

Davis, Smith, Nancy New and Zach New have all pleaded not guilty and await trial in state court.

Nancy New and Zach New also have been indicted on federal charges, have pleaded not guilty and await trial.

Mississippi Community Education Center, operating as Families First for Mississippi, received more than $44 million in government grants from mid-2014 to mid-2018, according to nonprofit tax filings. Amounts spiked to $12.9 million and $26.7 million in the final two years, as Davis outsourced a large portion of Mississippi’s Temporary Assistance to Needy Families spending to the group.

The University of Southern Mississippi announced on Tuesday, Oct. 26, that the school’s athletic programs would be leaving Conference USA. The Golden Eagles will be joining the Sun Belt Conference no later than 2023.

So what made USM, a charter member of C-USA, decide to leave the conference it helped form in 1995? The answer begins with the Southeastern Conference adding the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Oklahoma out of the Big-12.

When the SEC added two of the most influential programs out of another Power Five conference, teams began moving across the country. The Big-12, with only 10 members, would only be left with an eight-team conference.

The Big-12 raided the American Athletic Conference for the University of Central Florida, the University of Cincinnati and the University of Houston. In addition, the Big-12 added independent Brigham Young University.

The AAC raided C-USA for Florida Atlantic University, the University of North Texas, Rice University, the University of Alabama-Brimingham, the University of Texas at San Antonio and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. That would leave C-USA with eight teams before USM decided to leave for the Sun Belt.

C-USA not only lost USM, as Old Dominion University is also leaving for the Sun Belt, which could potentially add Marshall University as well, resulting in another loss for C-USA. That would leave C-USA with just five members, forcing the conference to scramble to add more teams to avoid falling apart.

The Sun Belt is rumoured to be trying to get Football Championship Subdivision power James Madison University to join. The additions could help the Sun Belt challenge the AAC as the top conference in the Group of Five.

USM has watched for years as teams have left C-USA for other conferences. UCF, Cincinnati, Houston, East Carolina University, University of Louisville, University of Memphis, University of South Florida, Southern Methodist University, Texas Christian University, Tulane University and the University of Tulsa are all football schools that left C-USA for other conferences.

After USM leaves, none of the charter members will be left in the conference, as all of the founding members besides the Golden Eagles had left years ago to other conferences.

The Sun Belt will increase to 12 members when ODU and USM join with a possible 14 members if Marshall and James Madison join. Current Sun Belt members include Appalachian State University, Arkansas State University, Coastal Carolina University, Georgia Southern University, Georgia State University, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, University of Louisiana at Monroe, University of South Alabama, Texas State University and Troy University in football. The University of Arkansas at Little Rock and University of Texas at Arlington are Sun Belt members but don’t play football.

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As October is quickly coming to an end, sports fans will catch the end to an exciting college football season. But sports fans have something else to look forward to as the calendar changes to November: the return of college basketball.

The Southeastern Conference released its preseason predictive order of finish and Preseason First-Team All-SEC team. A select panel of SEC media and national media voted on both order of finish and players.

Mississippi State University guard Iverson Molinar was voted to the Preseason First-Team All-SEC. The junior was the only player from either MSU or the University of Mississippi to be named to either the first team or second team.

The 2020-2021 season saw Molinar come into his own as he raised his scoring average from 5.9 points per game as a freshman to 16.7 points per game. He started 29 games and played in 30 as a sophomore after just starting eight games and playing in 31 games.

The Panama City, Panama, native helped the Bulldogs reach the championship game in the postseason National Invitational Tournament for the first time in program history. His play during the NIT earned him all a spot on the All-NIT Tournament team.

Molinar ranked among the best in the SEC as his scoring average of 16.7 points ranked fourth in the SEC, his 47.8% field goal percentage landed him in fifth in conference, and his 80.4% free throw percentage finished 12th in the SEC. He enjoyed eight games of scoring 20 or more points during a game this season.

MSU finished the strange pandemic season with an 18-15 overall record and an 8-10 record in SEC play. The breakout season for Molinar was a major help for the Bulldogs as he averaged 16.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists with 27 steals and three blocks.

The media picked MSU to finish in eighth place just ahead of the University of Mississippi. The University of Kentucky was picked to finish first and Vanderbilt University’s Scotty Pippen Jr. was picked as Preseason SEC Player of the Year.

Molinar and the Bulldogs begin the 2021-2022 season on Wednesday, Nov. 10, against the University of North Alabama at 7 p.m. on SECNetwork+. MSU begins SEC play on Wednesday, Dec. 29, against the University of Arkansas at 8 p.m. on the SEC Network.

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Less than a month before the start of the women’s college basketball season, Mississippi State University will start the season with an interim head coach. Associate head coach Doug Novak will coach the team for the 2021-2022 season.

Former head coach Nikki McCray-Penson stepped down as the Bulldogs’ head coach to focus on her health in hopes of returning to coaching one day. The move was announced on Tuesday, Oct. 12, and was effective immediately.

McCray-Penson coached MSU for just one season before stepping down as head coach. During the COVID-19-caused shortened season, she led the squad to a 10-9 overall record and 5-7 record in Southeastern Conference play.

MSU hired McCray-Penson after Vic Schaefer left the program to take the head coaching job at the University of Texas at Austin. Now undisclosed medical issues that McCary-Penson thought were behind her left her needing to step down.

McCray-Penson enjoyed a standout career with the University of Tennessee before playing professionally. While playing for the Columbus Quest of the American Basketball League, she won the league MVP and championship in the 1997 season.

She played for five teams during her time in the WNBA and was a three-time All-Star. She retired with the Chicago Sky at the end of the 2006 season.

While at Tennessee, McCray-Penson was a four-time SEC regular season champion, four-time Best Defensive Player, two-time All-American and two-time SEC Player of the Year. She helped the Volunteers to the NCAA all four years she was there.

McCray-Penson is a two-time Olympic gold medalist with the United States Basketball team. She won medals at the Atlanta in 1996 and Sydney in 2000 and a gold medal at the 1998 World Championship.

She started her coaching career at Western Kentucky University as an assistant coach. McCray-Penson returned to the SEC to become an assistant coach at the University of South Carolina.

While at South Carolina, McCray-Penson learned under head coach Dawn Stanley. She won a national championship with the Gamecocks in 2017 before leaving to become head coach at Old Dominion University.

After leading Old Dominion to back-to-back 20-win seasons, McCray-Penson left to become head coach at MSU. She is a member of the University of Tennessee Basketball Hall of Fame in 2004, Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012, Greater Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame in 2014 and the National High School Hall of Fame in 2015.

MSU begins regular season play on Tuesday, Nov. 9, against Alabama State University at home with the game on SEC+ at 6 pm. Novak will be making his head coaching debut at the Division I level against ASU.

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