TSU schedule tough as ever

Texas Southern perennially plays one of the toughest nonconference basketball schedules in the nation. This season’s lineup will be no different.

Mike Davis’ Tigers will open at Gonzaga on Nov. 11 — the first of 13 nonconference games on the road, including stops at Ohio State (Nov. 16), Syracuse (Nov. 18) and Kansas (Nov. 21).

Before TSU returns home to open Southwestern Athletic Conference play, it also will visit Oregon (Dec. 11), Baylor (Dec. 14) and TCU (Dec. 18). In other news: • Tennessee athletic director John Currie believes in the nickname Lady Volunteers, so he is bringing it back. Currie said athletes for all women’s sports at the school again can refer to themselves as the Lady Volunteers, reversing a decision made by his predecessor three years ago. Former AD Dave Hart announced in November 2014 that the Lady Vols nickname and logo would be phased out for all sports other than women’s basketball, which got to keep the nickname because of the tradition it had established in winning eight national titles under former coach Pat Summitt.

• Minnesota Lynx center Sylvia Fowles was named the WNBA’s most valuable player. Fowles received 35 of 40 first-place votes from a media panel. She averaged 18.9 points, 10.4 rebounds and 2.0 blocks to lead the Lynx to a 27-7 record and the top seed in the playoffs. New York’s Tina Charles finished second in the voting, and Los Angeles’ Candace Parker was third.