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News Nuggets, 05.21.04
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NOTES FROM ECU AND BEYOND...

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Compiled from staff reports and electronic dispatches

ECU assistant Herenda in UVA sights

The senior assistant on East Carolina basketball coach Bill Herrion's staff is in the mix for a job at the University of Virginia, the Roanoke (VA) Times has reported.

Greg Herenda, who has served on Herrion's staff the last four years, will interview with Cavaliers head coach Pete Gillen next week, said the paper.

Herenda previously served on the staffs at Seton Hall, Yale and Holy Cross. He is a fellow Merrimack College alumnus of former Gillen aide Tommy Herrion, now the head coach at College of Charleston. Tommy Herrion is the brother of ECU boss Bill Herrion.

Virginia's interest in Herenda comes in the wake of the resignation earlier this week of UVa assistant Scott Shepherd, who became the second assistant to depart the team as Gillen carries out an apparent administrative mandate to restructure and improve the program or else.

UVa was 18-13 last season and reached the second round of the NIT.

Eustachy inks juco backcourt star

HATTIESBURG — Southern Mississippi head basketball coach Larry Eustachy has announced the signing of Michael Ford, a 6-1, 195-pound guard from Los Angeles Southwest College in Los Angeles, to a national letter of intent.

Ford was a standout player for Coach Reggie Morris at Los Angeles Southwest, where he helped lead the team to a 21-7 record and a final ranking of No. 17 in the California Community Colleges Men's Basketball Coaches Association (CCCMBCA) poll.

"No matter what level of basketball you compete in, guard play is important to your team's success," Eustachy said. "Michael is a versatile guard, who can play both point guard and the off position. He can make plays and score, and he is very athletic. Michael will be a good addition to our program."

The Macon, GA, native had a standout sophomore season at Los Angeles Southwest, earning CCCMBCA all-state honors, while also being named the association's Southern California Player of the Year. He was second in the state of California with a 24.4 points per game average, shot .863 percent from the free-throw line and had a state-best 51-point performance during the regular season. Los Angeles Southwest also advanced to the second round of the Southern California Regional Tournament. Ford was named to the CCCMBCA all-state team as a freshman and was the South Coast Conference Player of the Year that season.

Ford is listed as the No. 3 junior college point guard in the nation by Lindy's College Basketball and as the No. 6 juco point guard by The Sporting News. He is tabbed as a JC100 player by CollegeSports.com, and Rivals.com gives him a 3-star rating. Ford also was an honorable mention junior college prospect by NBADraft.net.

Signing a California Junior College Player of the Year is nothing new for Eustachy. While serving as the head coach at Iowa State, Eustachy also signed former California Juco Player of the Year Jamaal Tinsley, who went on to be named the Big 12 Conference Player of the Year and an All-American and now plays professionally for the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association.

Ford is the fifth signee for the 2004 Southern Miss signing class. The Golden Eagles signed Henry Salter (Gulfport, Miss.), a 6-foot-4 forward from Gulfport High School, during the fall signing period. In the spring period, the program also signed Rashaad Carruth (College Park, Ga.), a 6-foot-3 guard from Indian Hills Community College; Shakiem Mitchell (Brooklyn, N.Y.), a 6-foot-9 forward/center from the Globe Institute of Technology; and Dwayne Brown (Kingston, Jamaica), a 6-foot-8 forward from Southeastern Illinois Community College.

Upgrade in store for Saturday nights in Baton Rouge

The home of the Bowl Championship Series' designated national champion is about to undergo a major facelift.

A $60 million project to replace the west upper deck of the LSU Stadium, including a new press box and club seats, is under way and already has transformed the grounds on that side.

Work will begin on the project the day after the last home football game of the 2004 season, which is on Nov. 21, and nearly 400 worker will be involved at the peak of construction.

The target for opening the renovated stadium is Sept. 3, 2005, when LSU plays North Texas.

A bond issue financed by a private athletic fundraising organization connected to the school, the Tiger Athletic Foundation, will underwrite the construction.

News Nuggets are compiled periodically from staff, ECU, Conference USA and its member schools, and from Associated Press and other reports. Copyright 2004 Bonesville.net and other publishers. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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