Ole Miss Women's Basketball Assistant Alex Simmons Awarded WBCA Thirty Under 30 Honor

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Ole Miss Women’s Basketball Assistant Alex Simmons Awarded WBCA Thirty Under 30 Honor

Fourth-year Ole Miss women’s basketball assistant coach Alex Simmons was a recipient of the WBCA ’Thirty under 30’ Award given to 30 of the up-and-coming women’s basketball coaches age 30 and under in the sport across all levels of the game.

“We are extremely proud of Coach Alex,” said head coach Matt Insell. “Alex is an integral part of our team. As a player at Tennessee and a two-time national champion, she knows tradition and what it takes to win, play and compete at a high level both on the court and in life. She brings all of that to our team everyday. Alex truly cares about people and wants to see young women succeed in life by empowering them through the game of basketball. She’s very deserving of this honor and we’re very fortunate to have her at Ole Miss.”
Each recipient has exemplified their involvement in community service, mentorship and impact on others, professional manner and attitude and professional association involvement. Simmons becomes the first SEC women’s basketball assistant coach to earn the honor in the two years of the recognition.
“The WBCA is pleased to recognize up and coming talent in our coaching family. The 30 coaches who have been named to receive the Thirty Under 30 Award are deserving of this recognition, and the WBCA congratulates them for distinguishing themselves early in their careers,” said WBCA Executive Director Danielle Donehew. “These coaches have demonstrated eagerness, effectiveness, loyalty, love of the game, and a commitment to the student-athlete. We celebrate their effort on the basketball court as teachers and equally applaud the extensive role they play in impacting the lives of their student-athletes.”
“As Marriott embarks on a new and exciting partnership with the NCAA as Official Hotel Partner, we are thrilled to recognize 30 highly talented coaches who have also been outstanding members of their communities,” said Steve Heitzner, chief sales and marketing officer, Americas, Marriott International. “As a company, we focus on the development and recognition of professionals in many industries and are incredibly proud of the accomplishments and bright futures of these exceptional female coaches.”
One of the first staff members Insell hired when he took the job, Simmons is a crucial piece of the Ole Miss women’s basketball program. Simmons spearheads the Ole Miss recruiting efforts and has helped the Rebels haul in three straight top-20 classes including the No. 11 class for the 2017-18 season.
Simmons, a two-time national champion at Tennessee, works with the Ole Miss post players and has helped the Rebels to two postseason appearances. Simmons can be credited with the development of All-SEC player Tia Faleru (2012-15). Under Simmons’ tutelage, Faleru averaged a team-best 16.4 points and 9.4 rebounds, while posting 15 double-doubles on the season, a number which ranked second best in the SEC. Additionally, Faleru earned AP All-SEC first team honors and was a All-SEC and College Sports Madness second-team selection. She’s also been instrumental in the development of freshman Shelby Gibson who this season became the first freshman in the Insell era to earn multiple SEC Freshman of the Week honors.
For further ticket information go to OleMissTix.com or call the Ole Miss Ticket Office at 1-888-REB-TKTS (732-8587). For all Ole Miss women’s basketball news and information, go to OleMissSports.com, and follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissWBB and on Facebook at Ole Miss Women’s Basketball. Fans can also follow Ole Miss women’s basketball head coach Matt Insell on Twitter at @minsell.
Courtesy of Ole Miss Sports

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Defense Wins The Day, Freeze And Players Talk After Tuesday’s Practice

With the Grove Bowl set for Saturday, April 8, the Ole Miss Rebels continue Spring Practice. Coach Freeze is pleased with his team’s progress but sees some areas for improvement.
Breeland Speaks talked about his disappointing season in 2016, and how he is ready for a bounceback year. WR Van Jefferson discussed how the receiving corps is adapting to the new system under WR coach Jacob Peeler. OL Jordan Sims spoke about what it’s like going against the revamped Rebel defense each day in practice.
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Steven Gagliano HottyToddy.com

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SEC Spring Football Games Commentator Assignments and Special Features

For the second consecutive year, every Spring Football Game played in the Southeastern Conference will be nationally televised by an ESPN network. This year’s games are highlighted with an immersive experience into SEC officiating at the Georgia game on Saturday, April 22, and a unique field-access view during the Alabama game that same afternoon.

ESPN is surrounding Georgia’s Red & Black game with six additional television commentators and an ESPN.com writer to shadow and participate as referees throughout the day. Kevin Carter, Chris Doering, Brock Huard, Barrett Jones, Greg McElroy, Maria Taylor and ESPN.com’s Ed Aschoff, will take fans inside prep meetings, referee positioning & roles, as well as game calls. The SEC Coordinator of Football Officials Steve Shaw will serve as the game’s “white hat”. He will be wired and also wear a head cam for additional officiating viewpoints. SEC Network + plans to stream a singular Ump Cam view throughout, available on the ESPN app and WatchESPN.
Traditional game coverage on SEC Network will be provided by Dave Neal and Matt Stinchcomb.
The ESPN telecast commentating team of Joe Tessitore, Kirk Herbstreit and Joey Galloway are leaving the booth for the sidelines on April 22 at Alabama’s A-Day game. Last year, Galloway and Herbstreit provided analysis and interviews from the field, and this year Tessitore, who has called the last two College Football Playoff National Championship games from the sidelines as part of ESPN’s MegaCast – will join them.
Eleven games are scheduled for SEC Network throughout the month of April, with one game on ESPNU and one on ESPN. Vanderbilt’s Spring Showcase was covered March 25 and 26 in SEC Now. The first SEC Spring Game of the year kicks off this Saturday, April 1 at noon ET, in Columbia, S.C.
Full line-up of commentator assignments:

Courtesy of Ole Miss Sports

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Ole Miss’ Saunders Claims SEC Weekly Honor For Seventh Time

After a world-leading shot put at the Joe Walker Invitational over the weekend, Raven Saunders has been named Southeastern Conference Women’s Field Athlete of the Week.

It’s a familiar honor for Saunders, who picks up the award for the seventh time in her two-year Ole Miss career (five times indoors, twice outdoors).
With Ole Miss hosting its first home meet since Saunders joined the team, it was her first chance to take a crack at the facility record, and boy did she. The third attempt for the junior from Charleston, South Carolina, traveled 18.51m/60-8.75 to shatter a 13-year-old facility record.
Saunders now has the longest heave in the world this outdoor season after producing the best shot put in the world for the indoor season as well – a collegiate-record 19.56m/64-2.25.
Competing in all three of her throwing events in one day, Saunders saved plenty of strength for the final event, actually throwing the top four shot puts by an NCAA woman over the weekend.
She also won the discus competition with a distance of 54.91m/180-2 that ranks her No. 9 in the NCAA so far this year, and she was sixth in a world-class hammer throw competition with a toss of 55.61m/182-5.
The Rebels are back in action this weekend at the Pepsi Florida Relays on Friday and Saturday.
For more information on Ole Miss Track & Field, follow the Rebels on Twitter (@OleMissTrack), Facebook and Instagram.
Courtesy of Ole Miss Sports
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