by Russell Vannozzi | Apr 22, 2019 | News Slider, Sports
Lipscomb guard Garrison Mathews is quickly gaining attention as he prepares for his professional basketball career. The latest development? He now has his own Wikipedia page. “I didn’t even know I had one,” he said with a laugh. “I guess I’m making a name for myself, huh? Mathews just returned from the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, where his Portsmouth Partnership team won the championship with a 90-81 win over Sales Systems, Ltd. on Saturday. He averaged nine points over three games, performed well during agility and athletic tests and spoke with representatives from at least nine NBA teams. “It was overall a really good experience just to spend time with [the other prospects] and to show what I can do against some higher-level guys,” Mathews said. Mathews, who measured at 6-foot-6 in shoes, scored 15 points and made three shots from beyond the arc in his second game, an 83-71 win over Portsmouth Sports Club. He also pulled down 12 total rebounds in his three games, which were attended by Lipscomb assistant Sean Rutigliano and Director of Basketball Operations Adam Notteboom. “I didn’t shoot it as well as I would’ve liked to, but that wasn’t my ultimate goal in [Portsmouth],” he said. “My mindset was to show that I can guard higher-level guys, and that I can rebound and do the little things. If I make it to the NBA, I don’t know if my role will necessarily be as a scorer. But I want to be the guy that can come in and knock down open shots and play some defense.” Portsmouth Partnership runs the inbound to perfection and...
by Russell Vannozzi | Apr 22, 2019 | BREAKING NEWS, News Slider, Sports
Rhodes College women’s basketball coach Lauren Sumski is taking the same job at Lipscomb, athletic director Philip Hutcheson announced Monday morning. Sumski has been head coach at Rhodes since 2017 and compiled a 35-21 record over two seasons. She is the first-ever female to lead the Lipscomb women’s basketball program in the school’s DI era. “I am humbled, honored, and grateful,” Sumski said in a release. “I am excited for the opportunity. I think that Lipscomb has a ton of things in place for us to field a successful women’s basketball program. “More than the things, it’s just such a high-quality type of person there. We’re excited to get to work and start building back up.” Sumski, 27, will be one of the youngest college head coaches in the nation. She graduated from Rhodes in 2014 and also played one year at Tennessee under legendary coach Pat Summit. She was rated the 28th-best high school prospect in the nation by ESPNU Hoopsgurlz, although injuries slowed her time as a Lady Vol, prompting her to return to Memphis to play for Rhodes. Following her graduation, Sumski spent three seasons as an assistant at Union under Lipscomb alum Mark Campbell. Hutcheson said several people highly recommended Sumski for the job, saying that she was “on her way to great things in the coaching profession.” “Those people commented on her energy, her intelligence, her ability to connect with others and her high emotional and basketball IQ, and those involved in the process all found that to be the 100 percent truth,” Hutcheson said. “From the very first phone call to our final...
by Russell Vannozzi | Apr 15, 2019 | News Slider, Sports
Things have gone from bad to worse for the Lipscomb men’s basketball team. After losing coach Casey Alexander to Belmont last week, junior guard Kenny Cooper announced that he’s putting his name in the NCAA transfer portal. “I have decided through a lot of thought and prayer that I will be putting my name on the transfer list and [will explore] other institutions,” he said in a tweet Monday. “Everyone [is] entitled to their own opinion, but this is what I feel is best for me.” Cooper averaged 9.8 points, 4.5 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game this season. He has been the team’s starting point guard for the last two seasons after contributing 6.9 points per game as a freshman in 2016-17. “I want to thank Coach Alexander, Coach Idstrom, Coach Drabyn and Coach Rutigliano for believing in me and allowing me to play at Lipscomb University,” Cooper said. “You all trusting in my abilities is something that I will be forever grateful for.” The Franklin Road Academy graduate saved some of his best performances for the end of the season. He recorded a rare triple-double (15 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists) against Kennesaw State in the ASUN quarterfinals and later hit the game-winning shot in a 94-93 victory over NC State in the NIT quarterfinals. Cooper has one season of eligibility remaining, and he told 247Sports analyst Evan Daniels that he plans to appeal to the NCAA for a hardship waiver to be eligible immediately. If Cooper isn’t granted a waiver, he would have to sit out next season if he stays on the Division I level....
by Russell Vannozzi | Apr 10, 2019 | News Slider, Sports
Wednesday morning brought news that Lipscomb coach Casey Alexander is heading to Belmont to take the reins at his alma mater. Lipscomb is now tasked with a national coaching search to replace him. Associate Head Coach Roger Idstrom will serve as the interim in the meantime. Two of the top names being tossed around include Brian Ayers, a former Lipscomb player and current Belmont assistant, and Drew Maddux, an ex-Vanderbilt star and current head coach at CPA. Athletic director Philip Hutcheson could look to others with Lipscomb connections or someone with college head coaching experience. Here are Lumination’s five potential candidates to replace Alexander (listed alphabetically): Lennie Acuff, University of Alabama-Huntsville head coach Acuff’s resume speaks for itself, as he has turned UAH into a national power in the D-II ranks. He has a 437-214 record with the Chargers and a 554-325 overall record in 29 seasons as a head coach. His track record of success might interest Lipscomb. According to public records, Acuff earned about $180,000 at UAH for the 2017-18 school year. A D-I opportunity in Nashville would give him a salary bump and a chance to stay close to his hometown of Huntsville. Brian Ayers, Belmont associate head coach As a Lipscomb alum with plenty of college coaching experience, Ayers figures to a natural choice. Stadium basketball analyst Jeff Goodman tweeted that Ayers could be high on Lipscomb’s list Wednesday morning. Ayers graduated from Lipscomb in 1993 and was an assistant at Lipscomb Academy for the 1994-95 season. He was later on the staffs at Austin Peay and Vanderbilt before joining the Bruins as an assistant in 1998....
by Russell Vannozzi | Apr 10, 2019 | BREAKING NEWS, News Slider, Sports
Lipscomb coach Casey Alexander is changing addresses on Belmont Boulevard. In an email sent to students Wednesday morning, Lipscomb president Dr. Randy Lowry III announced that Alexander will accept the open Belmont coaching job. Alexander will be formally introduced as the Bruins’ head coach Thursday at 9 a.m. CT in a welcome event at Curb Event Center. Lipscomb associate head coach Roger Idstrom will serve as the interim while Lipscomb conducts a national search for its next coach. Alexander previously spent 20 seasons at Belmont, including four as a player and 16 as an assistant under the legendary Rick Byrd. Alexander has spent the last eight seasons as a head coach, including the last six at Lipscomb. “It’s an honor and a great privilege to have the opportunity to return to Belmont,” Alexander said in a Belmont release. “I’m grateful that Dr. [Bob] Fisher and Scott Corley believe I’m the right person to lead this incredibly successful program. The experiences gained over the last eight years have shaped and impacted me greatly, and I return to Belmont far better positioned to lead.” Byrd spent 33 years as Belmont’s head coach. He won 805 career games, which ranks 12th all-time among NCAA Division I coaches. Alexander said he is excited to follow the legacy his mentor left with the Bruins. “This will always be Coach Byrd’s program in my mind,” Alexander continued. “So nothing will motivate me more than to make him proud and honor his legacy. We have a history of sustained excellence at Belmont, and everything is in place to build upon recent successes and make new history. We’re...
