by Tyler Harvey | Nov 2, 2019 | News Slider, Sports
The Lipscomb men’s basketball team will start its season with a different head coach and a lot of fresh faces Tuesday, Nov. 5, inside Allen Arena. Expectations are not as high as when the Bisons started its campaign last year by being picked the preseason favorites to win the ASUN conference by multiple media outlets. The Bisons also went on to have one of the best seasons in program history last year; the Bisons won the most games in the programs NCAA era history (29), made it to the ASUN Tournament championship game, and ended its extended campaign by placing second in the National Invitational Tournament (NIT). This year the ASUN preseason media poll predicted the Bisons to finish in fourth place, while the ASUN coaches poll predicted the Bisons to finish in fifth place. With former Lipscomb men’s basketball head coach Casey Alexander leaving after last season to coach down the street at Belmont, Lipscomb filled its head coaching vacancy by hiring Lennie Acuff. Acuff was formally the head coach at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, where he had been since 1997 and became the winningest head coach in the history of the program with 437 wins. New coach similar style of play Coach Acuff brings a style of play that he thinks is very similar to the style the Bisons became accustomed to in years past. “We’ll play a lot like they played last year,” Acuff said. “Our philosophy is we’d really like to shoot layups or threes; that’s where we’ve kind of made our living in the past and we’ll do that a lot with...
by Grant Ledgister | Apr 24, 2019 | News Slider, Sports
It’s been a busy two days for Lipscomb basketball. Yesterday, Lipscomb welcomed Lauren Sumski as the new head coach for women’s basketball. And today, Lipscomb introduced Lennie Acuff as the new head coach for men’s basketball. Acuff is the winningest coach in the history of the Gulf South Conference, amassing 437 wins over 22 seasons at the University of Alabama-Huntsville. He has a total of 550 wins in 29 seasons. Acuff said he believes that encouraging those around him is crucial. “The most powerful thing you can say to someone is ‘I believe in you,’” Acuff said. Acuff added that he knows there are difficult decisions he’s going to have to make as Lipscomb’s head coach, especially involving players, but he is prepared to make the decisions that bring the most benefit to both the team and the school. “You’ve just got to get guys that you think are good enough to win, but also guys that are good representatives of the school,” Acuff said. “You get guys that want to work — there’s a real big difference between guys that like it, and guys that love it. You need guys that love it.” Before college, Acuff attended basketball camp during the Don Meyer-NAIA era at Lipscomb. Today, he was visibly excited about the opportunity to lead Lipscomb’s program, but that excitement didn’t come without some sadness leaving the school and people he loves in Alabama. “We had a lot of friends,” Acuff said. “We had an unbelievable group of kids, and it’s going to be hard leaving them, but I’m excited to coach these guys and be a...
by Russell Vannozzi | Apr 24, 2019 | News Slider, Sports
Lipscomb guard Kenny Cooper is transferring to Western Kentucky, the Hilltoppers announced in a release Wednesday. Cooper entered his name in the transfer portal April 15, just five days after coach Casey Alexander bolted for the same job at Belmont. He then took an official visit to Bowling Green last weekend. “We’re excited to have Kenny join our program,” WKU coach Rick Stansbury said. “He’s a high-character young man from a great family. He has the valuable ability to make players around him better, and he’ll bring a wealth of experience and toughness to our team.” The loss of Cooper is a tough blow to an already-depleted Lipscomb roster, which is graduating five key seniors. He was set to be the team’s top returning player, having averaged 9.8 points, 4.5 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game this season. Cooper is currently a junior with one year of eligibility remaining. Non-grad transfers typically have to sit one season before playing, but he plans to apply for an eligibility waiver from the NCAA. Other schools that showed interest in Cooper included Butler, Virginia Tech, Missouri State, UNC Charlotte, Southern Illinois and Loyola Chicago, according to Corey Evans of Rivals.com. Cooper’s departure leaves Lipscomb with just one scholarship point guard in rising sophomore Alex Jones. Columbia Academy’s Carson Cary will be a walk-on next season, and rising senior John Matt Merritt is also a walk-on. New coach Lennie Acuff could look to the transfer portal to fill Cooper’s spot. Nearly 700 players from Division I schools were exploring transfer options as of last week. Photo by McKenzi...
by Russell Vannozzi | Apr 23, 2019 | BREAKING NEWS, News Slider, Sports
Longtime Alabama-Huntsville coach Lennie Acuff has been named Lipscomb’s next basketball coach, the school announced in a release Tuesday afternoon. The news was initially reported by 247Sports basketball analyst Evan Daniels Tuesday morning, and News Channel 5’s Steve Layman later reported that a deal was in place. Acuff will be formally introduced to the Lipscomb community on Wednesday at 2 p.m. CT in the Paul Rogers Board Room in the Ezell Center. “I am thrilled, very humbled and thankful for the opportunity,” Acuff said in the school’s release. “I understand the tradition that exists with Lipscomb basketball and I will do everything I can to continue to build upon that tradition.” Acuff has served as UAH’s head coach for the last 22 seasons, growing the Chargers into a national power on the Division II level. He owns a 437-214 record at UAH and an overall record of 554-325 in 29 total seasons as a head coach. Acuff was reportedly a candidate for the Lipscomb job in 2013 when then-Stetson coach Casey Alexander got the nod. Ironically, Acuff now replaces Alexander, who left for Belmont on April 10 after guiding Lipscomb to three consecutive 20-win seasons. “I have always wanted an opportunity to coach at the Division I level,” Acuff said. “I felt like if I were going to do it, it would need to be an institution I felt I was in alignment with from a faith-based and values situation, and Lipscomb had that. “The type of players at Lipscomb are the same type I recruit in Huntsville, high-character kids that they’ve developed. Coach (Casey) Alexander built a great culture...
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....
