COLLEGE FOOTBALL

THE OHIO VALLEY CONFERENCE HAD ITS MEDIA DAY MONDAY IN NASHVILLE.

THE LEAGUE’S COACHES AND SPORTS INFORMATION DIRECTORS PICKED JACKSONVILLE STATE TO WIN THE LEAGUE. IT’S THE THIRD TIME IN FOUR YEARS THE GAMECOCKS HAVE BEEN PICKED IN THE PRE SEASON TO WIN THE CONFERENCE.

MURRAY STATE WAS PICKED SECOND, FOLLOWED BY EASTERN KENTUCKY, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI, TENNESSEE TECH, UT MARTIN, EASTERN ILLINOIS, TENNESSEE STATE AND AUSTIN PEAY.

MURRAY STATE QUARTERBACK CASEY BROCKMAN WAS SELECTED AS THE PRE SEASON OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR, WITH TENNESSEE STATE LINEBACKER RICO COUNCIL AND DEFENSIVE LINEMAN MONTE LEWIS OF JACKSONVILLE STATE PICKED AS THE CO DEFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE YEAR.

MURRAY STATE’S CASEY BROCKMAN AND RUNNING BACK MIKE HARRIS WERE NAMED TO THE OVC OFFENSIVE TEAM, ALONG WITH AUSTIN PEAY RUNNING BACK RYAN WHITE AND CENTER TIM SCHMID.

MURRAY STATE DEFENSIVE BACK DONTRELL JOHNSON WAS NAMED TO THE DEFENSIVE TEAM. JOHNSON WAS ALSO SELECTED AS THE LEAGUE’S RETURN SPECIALIST, WITH TEAMMATE KIENAN CULLEN NAMED AS KICKER.

THE COURIER JOURNAL REPORTS THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE HAS RECEIVED ANOTHER COMMITMENT FOR THE CLASS OF 2012. DAQUAL RANDALL IS A LINEBACKER FROM PALMETTO, FLORIDA AND CHOSE THE CARDS OVER SEVERAL SCHOOLS INCLUDING INDIANA, PURDUE AND MIDDLE TENNESSEE.

THE KNOXVILLE NEWS SENTINEL REPORTS UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE LINEBACKER AUSTIN JOHNSON ALLEGEDLY TRIED TO START A FIGHT AND HIT SEVERAL PARKED CARS OUTSIDE A KNOXVILLE BAR EARLY SUNDAY MORNING.

THE 22-YEAR-OLD JOHNSON WAS CHARGED WITH PUBLIC INTOXICATION AND DISORDERLY CONDUCT AND WILL APPEAR IN COURT AUGUST FOURTH. COACH DEREK DOOLEY HAS NOT OFFERED COMMENT ON THE MATTER.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

THE COURIER JOURNAL REPORTS FORMER U-K PLAYER DESMOND ALLISON WAS FOUND SHOT TO DEATH MONDAY AT AN APARTMENT COMPLEX IN COLUMBUS, OHIO. THE 31-YEAR-OLD ALLISON PLAYED TWO SEASONS FOR TUBBY SMITH AT U-K AND WAS SUSPENDED IN 2000 FOR VIOLATING THE SCHOOL’S ALCOHOL POLICY.

AN ASSOCIATED PRESS STORY SAYS THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE DID NOT FIRE FORMER BASKETBALL COACH BRUCE PEARL IMMEDIATELY AFTER REVEALING HE LIED LAST YEAR TO NC-AA INVESTIGATORS, BECAUSE DOING SO WOULD HAVE DETERRED OTHERS FROM REPORTING MISCONDUCT.

THE SCHOOL’S RESPONSE TO THE NC-AA ALSO SHOWS PEARL CONTINUED TO COVER UP ACTS OF WRONGDOING, EVEN AFTER PEARL’S JOB WAS SPARED. PEARL WAS EVENTUALLY FIRED ON MARCH 21^ST OF THIS YEAR.

GOLF

THE PEPSI JUNIOR GOLF TOUR’S TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS BEGAN MONDAY AT OXMOOR COUNTRY CLUB IN LOUISVILLE.

IN THE BOYS 17-18 DIVISION: CHRISTIAN COUNTY’S JONATHAN GRABARA SHOT 76, WHICH IS THREE SHOTS BEHIND THE LEADERS AT 73. HOPKINSVILLE HIGH’S DAYTON JONES SHOT 82.

IN THE BOYS 15-16 DIVISION: DANIEL TAYLOR OF PRINCETON IS THE LEADER WITH 70, WITH CHRISTIAN COUNTY’S T-J FERRY TWO SHOTS BACK AT 72.

TAYLOR HOWERTON OF MADISONVILLE IS 4^TH IN THE GIRLS 13-15 DIVISION WITH A 94.

THE FINAL ROUND TAKES PLACE TODAY.

THE 2011 GARLAND NISSAN CITY AM GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS BEGIN FRIDAY AT THE LINKS AT NOVADELL.  CHRISTIAN COUNTY RESIDENTS CAN SIGN UP THROUGH TOMORROW AT THE THREE LOCAL GOLF COURSES.  COVERAGE OF THE TOURNAMENT THIS WEEKEND COURTESY OF BUDWEISER OF HOPKINSVILLE CAN BE HEARD ON NEWSTALK 95.3 FM/1230 AM WHOP.

MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

THE TRADEWATER PIRATES OPEN THE OHIO VALLEY LEAGUE PLAYOFFS TONIGHT HOSTING THE OWENSBORO OILERS. THE OILERS ARE THE LEAGUE CHAMPS AFTER AN 8-6 13 INNING WIN OVER MARION MONDAY NIGHT.

MARION AND FULTON WILL PLAY IN THE OTHER BEST OF THREE SERIES TO DETERMINE THE TWO TEAMS THAT WILL PLAY FOR THE LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP.

THE NASHVILLE SOUNDS WON THE SERIES FINALE OVER THE IOWA CUBS 8-3 AT GREER STADIUM. THE SOUNDS OPEN A SERIES THIS EVENING AT OKLAHOMA CITY.

THE BOWLING GREEN HOT RODS DEFEATED PEORIA IN THE SERIES FINALE 4-3 AT BOWLING GREEN BALLPARK. THE HOT RODS HAVE AN OFF DAY TODAY.