Rutgers names basketball court after Coach Vivian Stringer

Rutgers dedicated its court to former coach C. Vivian Stringer on Sunday before the team's game against No. 4 Ohio State.

The 74-year-old Stringer won 1,055 games in her 50-year Hall of Fame career before retiring after last season. She was at Rutgers from 1995 to 2022 after stints at Cheyney State and Iowa.

"I was stunned when I saw that. I still can't believe that," an emotional Stringer said of seeing her name on the court.

Only a handful of schools have named their courts after women's basketball coaches, including Tennessee for Pat Summitt, NC State for Kay Yow, Arkansas-Little Rock for Joe Foley and DePaul for Doug Bruno.

Stringer was fourth all time among Division I women's basketball coaches in wins behind Tara VanDerveer, Geno Auriemma and Summitt.

She made four Final Four appearances and reached the NCAA tournament 28 times. She was the first coach in men's or women's basketball to take three different teams to the national semifinals.

Stringer led the Scarlet Knights to two Final Fours and three Big East regular-season titles. She was on leave last year because of COVID-19 concerns.

She was in attendance Sunday, and at halftime, her family and many former players gathered on the court to celebrate its dedication.

Rutgers gave Stringer a piece of the floor that her teams played on as a gift.

"I think my team always know that when I'm overwhelmed I just cry," she said to an adoring crowd at halftime. "I love you all."

Stringer won 20 or more games 37 times in her career, finishing with a 1,055-426 record (.712 winning percentage). She was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2001 and enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009. Stringer also served as an assistant coach on the 2004 U.S. Olympic team that won a gold medal.

[SOURCE: ESPN]

Incoming House Democratic leader Hakeem Jefferies interview on ABC News This Week

Incoming House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York was interviewed on ABC's "This Week" by anchor George Stephanopoulos. During the interview topics such as chances of his caucus working with Republicans to elect the chamber's next speaker, Jefferies being an election denier, and Republican extremism.

Jackson State University statement on Deion Sanders leaving for University of Colorado

Jackson State University Athletic Director released the following statement thanking Coach Deion Sanders for his achievements and time spent at JSU.

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Deion Sanders Named Head Football Coach at Colorado

Deion Sanders, known as "Prime Time" during his Hall of Fame playing career and has since transitioned into "Coach Prime," has been named the 28th full-time head football coach at the University of Colorado, athletic director Rick George announced Saturday evening.

Sanders, 55, joins the CU program from Jackson State University (Jackson, Miss.), where in three seasons the Tigers compiled a 27-5 record and won back-to-back Southwestern Athletic Conference championships competing on the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level; that mark includes a 12-0 record this season. Jackson State defeated Southern, 43-24, in the SWAC title game on Saturday.

"There were a number of highly qualified and impressive candidates interested in becoming the next head football coach at Colorado, but none of them had the pedigree, the knowledge and the ability to connect with student-athletes like Deion Sanders," George said. "Not only will Coach Prime energize our fanbase, I'm confident that he will lead our program back to national prominence while leading a team of high quality and high character."

At Jackson State, Sanders achieved tremendous success on and off the field as a fierce advocate for additional exposure and a level playing field for all Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Sanders brought national attention to HBCUs, pushing for opportunities to highlight its talent and the culture. In March 2022, Sanders held a Pro Day featuring athletes from four other schools in the state of Mississippi to provide a platform in front of 22 NFL teams and the Canadian Football League. In April 2022, Jackson State became the first HBCU to have its spring football game televised live nationally on ESPNU.

"Deion Sanders' stature transcends sports, and his hiring elevates not only the football program but the university as a whole," said CU Boulder Chancellor Philip DiStefano. "I'm thankful Deion has chosen to join our Buffalo family and I applaud Rick George for a truly inspired choice. This is an exciting new chapter in the long, storied history of Colorado football and I look forward to standing shoulder-to-shoulder with our students, supporters and fans to cheer on "Coach Prime" and our student-athletes next fall."

Sanders first game as head coach for the Buffaloes will be next Sept. 2 at TCU, currently ranked third in the College Football Playoff standings. His first home games follow on Sept. 9 against long-time rival Nebraska, with in-state rival Colorado State on tap the following Saturday. Those two foes open the 100th season of CU's historic Folsom Field.

Keke Palmer Wins Best Supportig Actress Award From New York Film Critics Circle

Keke Palmer pulled of what some might call an upset at the New York Film Critics Circle Awards.

The charasmatic actress won the award for best supporting actress by the New York Film Critics Circle for her role in Jordan Peele's and Universal Pictures’ “Nope.”

Hopefully this recognition by the NYFCC will give Palmer a book going into the upcoming awards season. Congratualtions Keke!

Founded in 1935, the Circle’s membership includes critics from daily newspapers, weekly newspapers, magazines, and qualifying online general-interest publications. Every year in December the organization meets in New York to vote on awards for the previous calendar year’s films.