Savannah State Fires Its Coach After 0-28 Season

Savannah State Coach Ed Daniels was fired Thursday, three days after the Tigers became only the second Division I team in the last 50 years to have a winless season.

Savannah State finished 0-28 after a 49-44 loss to Florida A&M; on Monday night. The Tigers joined Prairie View, which went 0-28 in 1991-92, as the only other Division I team in the last half century to go winless. The Citadel was 0-17 in 1954-55.

Southern Mississippi went 0-24 in 1971-72, but that was one of three seasons that it had been stripped of Division I status because the NCAA objected to its weak schedule.

The Tigers won four games last season, but had to forfeit those because of an ineligible player -- Daniels’ son. This time, they lost them all on the court -- by an average margin of nearly 23 points.

Daniels was a member of Marquette’s 1974 team, which lost to North Carolina State, 76-64, in the NCAA championship game.

Daniels, who finished with a three-year record of 7-76, said that his replacement “has to be given a chance to win.”

The Tigers had three players on full scholarship and four on partial scholarships, compared to some Division I teams with 13 players on full scholarship.

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Seton Hall swingman J.R. Morris was suspended by Coach Louis Orr before Thursday’s game against Villanova. According to a statement issued by the university, Orr said Morris was suspended to “focus on his academic obligations.” Morris has started 20 games for the Pirates.... Miami Coach Frank Haith, 39, underwent an appendectomy in Coral Gables, Fla., and might be forced to miss Saturday’s game at Virginia Tech.... Indiana senior guard Donald Perry, who was suspended for six weeks earlier in the season for a violation of team rules, has left the team. He started 13 of 28 games as a junior.