Bryant? All it can hope for is that the Braves (1-28) keep tumbling so it doesn’t have to go alone with the worst Division-I team title.

Heading into the last week of the regular season, Alcorn State will have two shots to move past the Bulldogs (1-29) in the 2009-10 season win column. Not being the team with the least wins wasn’t exactly what the Braves were looking to brag about this year, but at this point, they’ll take it.

It’s not like they have much else to hang on to. Just like Bryant, the Braves won’t have post-season play.

The Braves knew from the very beginning it was going to be bad. Their season opener was a 40-point defeat at the hands of Ohio State, followed by a 62-point humiliation to Arkansas. Check, please?

Alcorn State kept on playing. Ten games later, it was 10 more double-digit losses, including a couple more 60-point losses. By the time the Braves won their first game — in their 25th try, 55-54, against Mississippi Valley State Feb. 13 — only 750 fans showed up to see it.

Bryant‘s path was a bit less embarrassing. The Bulldogs started off with 43- and 24-point losses before dropping a close one, 59-56, to Bucknell. Five of their next 23 losses were by six points or less before finally becoming the last Division-I team to win a game. Bryant defeated Wagner, 53-51, on the road Feb. 18.

The Bulldogs closed the season with three more losses, including an overtime one, 69-60, to St. Francis, N.Y., Thursday.

The résumés are alarming for both squads, although Bryant seems to have a slim edge just because Alcorn State was blown out in all but three games this season. And even in that one, the Braves tried to give it away. They led 54-47 with 32 seconds to go, but Mississippi Valley State was within one point 26 seconds later.

Alcorn State clanked two free throws to give Mississippi Valley State a last chance at the winner, but it didn’t go.

A few more close games, a road win and being a team in transition from Division II are the sad edges Bryant has over Alcorn State even though the Braves still have two games to go and could potentially end up with three times as many wins as the Bulldogs. But it isn’t happening.And even though the Braves score nine points more per game than Bryant did this season (51.9), defense matters more when you’re trying to find an identity. The Bulldogs held opponents to 69.5 points per game while Alcorn State has allowed them to score 82.5.

One can compare attempting to give an edge to either of these awful teams through the previous statistics to trying to find light in two black holes, though. The bottom line is neither one will be bragging. Bryant already left the 2009-10-season room very quietly; Alcorn State will follow soon, tip-toeing.

Southwestern Athletic Conference 2006-07 Preview

by Phil Kasiecki

The Southwestern Athletic Conference doesn’t get much national publicity, but it seems poised for a very competitive campaign that should be well worth watching. There is hardly a prohibitive favorite, and several teams in the middle could be dark horses to contend for the title. There are some teams which almost seem difficult to pick in the second division of the standings.

At many levels of play below the high-major conferences, experience often counts for a great deal, and we should see that in the SWAC this season. All five preseason selections for the All-SWAC team are seniors, while several contenders sport starting lineups with mainly upperclassmen. One good example is Alcorn State, which starts four seniors and should be in the title hunt.

One pleasant development last season was the improvement of Arkansas-Pine Bluff, which had its best season in nearly a decade in going 8-10 in SWAC play. Defense was the key behind this surge, as the Golden Lions were the top defensive team in the conference last season. Should they keep that up and improve offensively, they could move into the first division and be one of the dark horses to contend.

There won’t be many easy outs in the conference this season, so the race for the top is likely to look a lot like the race for second place last season, when Southern ran away with the title and three games separated second from eighth place.

There isn’t much change at the top, as Byron Rimm takes over at Prairie View A&M as the only new head coach in the conference.

Preseason Awards

Player of the Year: Trey Johnson, Jackson State
Rookie of the Year: Grant Maxey, Jackson State
Defensive Player of the Year: Mickell Gladness, Alabama A&M
Primed to Break Out: Andrew Hayles, Alabama State

All-SWAC Team
William Byrd, Sr. F, Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Michael Ford, Sr. F, Alabama A&M
Trey Johnson, Sr. G, Jackson State
Deforrest Riley-Smith, Sr. F, Southern
Delvin Thompson, Sr. G, Alcorn State

Jackson State (15-17, 10-8 SWAC)
Projected Starters:
Sr. G Trey Johnson (23.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 2.3 apg, 1.4 spg)
Jr. G Catraiva Givens (3.8 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 2.2 apg, 1.2 spg)
Sr. F Julius Young (9.1 ppg, 3.6 rpg)
Fr. F Grant Maxey
So. F-C Jeremy Caldwell (5.2 ppg, 4.5 rpg)
Schedule Highlights: A very challenging non-conference slate has just one home game on tap, December 18 against Tougaloo College. Among the road games are Alabama and Georgia Tech to start the season, Illinois-Chicago and Memphis to begin the Chicago Invitational (five games, also including Rutgers), Tulsa, and appearances in the Bay Classic Invitational (San Francisco) and Sun Bowl Tournament (at UTEP). They don’t get a break from road games once SWAC play starts, as five of the first seven are away from home.
Outlook: Johnson’s return gives them a star player who could help carry them to the title. He’ll have good help from Young on the wing and Maxey could be a nice player right away. If Caldwell improves and Maxey and other newcomers help on the boards, where they struggled last season, the frontcourt will do their part on this perimeter-oriented team. The main concern in the backcourt is the loss of starting guard Charlie White, who was expelled from the university after a September incident. They may not lose much in the starting lineup since Givens started 14 games last season, but they’ll need a newcomer to help off the bench.

Southern (19-13, 15-3 SWAC)
Projected Starters:
Jr. G Joe Holliday (junior college transfer)
So. G Steffon Wiley (4.2 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 1.1 apg)
Sr. F DeForrest Riley-Smith (10.9 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 1.5 apg)
So. F Chike Ekweozar (transfer from Utah Valley State)
Jr. F Ralph Hishaw (6.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 2.2 apg)
Schedule Highlights: A very challenging non-conference slate has just three home games and begins with road games at Georgia, Wisconsin and Oklahoma State. After participating in the South Padre Island Tournament, they head to Florida to play the defending national champions and later host Missouri. They also have a home-and-home with Louisiana Tech.
Outlook: The Jaguars lost several top players from last season, but they reload with one of the conference’s best in Riley-Smith, who should be even better now that they will count on him for more. Holliday figures to give them an instant impact in the backcourt, while Hishaw is a solid post player who should get better. They were near the bottom of the SWAC in scoring last season, so they know how to win without scoring a lot of points. If they can shoot (SWAC-best 43.8 percent last season) and defend like they did last season, while improving on their turnovers (only three SWAC teams had more), they’ll be right in the hunt.

Alabama A&M (13-13, 11-7 SWAC)
Projected Starters:
So. G Evan Hilton (5.5 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 1.2 apg)
Sr. G Johnnie Brown
Jr. G-F Kudus Ogbara (1.7 ppg, 1.3 rpg)
Sr. F Michael Ford (15.6 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 2.0 apg, 1.5 spg)
Jr. C Mickell Gladness (3.5 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 3.0 bpg)
Schedule Highlights: The Bulldogs open up in the BCA Classic, then four of the next five games are at home against non-Division I schools. After that, they hit the road for three tough ones: Nebraska, Mississippi and Vanderbilt. They also host Winston-Salem State in mid-February. In SWAC play, five of the first seven games are in Huntsville, giving the Bulldogs a chance to get some early momentum.
Outlook: There isn’t much size, but the Bulldogs have good personnel to play at high speeds. The question is if the backcourt experience will be enough, as the only senior who figures to start (Brown) didn’t play a lot last season. Ford is one of the conference’s best, while Gladness could blossom into one of the best post players and especially at the defensive end. Hilton had a good freshman season and must build on it to give them the leadership they need on the perimeter. It’s unlikely that they’ll lead the SWAC in scoring again, but they’re a good bet to force the most turnovers. If they defend like they did last season, they should have a chance at the title.

Alcorn State (13-16, 8-10 SWAC)
Projected Starters:
So. G Carl Landry (6.9 ppg, 1.9 rpg in 14 games)
Sr. G Delvin Thompson (17.2 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 2.3 apg, 1.7 spg)
Sr. G-F Clifton Douglas (11.4 ppg, 2.9 rpg)
Sr. F James Kendrick (4.5 ppg, 2.6 rpg)
Sr. C Juan Wyatt (9.5 ppg, 6.8 rpg)
Schedule Highlights: The Braves open the season in the 2K Sports Classic at Texas, where they play the host Longhorns and then either Chicago State or St. Bonaventure. Other schedule details were not available at press time.
Outlook: The Braves have the kind of veteran core that could make them a sleeper, led by one of the conference’s best players in Thompson. He leads a solid perimeter unit, although Landry is a bit unproven at the point. Douglas can score and will play off Thompson. They have some good size inside, though the Braves were out-rebounded last season. They’ll need to improve on that and take better care of the ball, as only one SWAC team turned the ball over more.

Alabama State (12-18, 10-8 SWAC)
Projected Starters:
Jr. G T.J. Jackson (junior college transfer)
Sr. G Dustin Richmond (5.2 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 2.3 apg)
So. G Andrew Hayles (8.3 ppg, 3.0 rpg)
Jr. F Richard Lott (7.2 ppg, 4.5 rpg)
Jr. F Miguel Morton (3.0 ppg, 2.7 rpg)
Schedule Highlights: The non-conference slate includes three home games, one of which is part of an in-season home-and-home with Georgia State. Notable road games include Southern Miss and Mississippi State, while they will also be in the Price Cutter Classic at Missouri State (playing the Bears and Santa Clara) and the Dr. Pepper Shootout at Southern Conference contender Chattanooga.
Outlook: The Hornets don’t have a star, but they have several capable of becoming good players. Hayles was the best freshman in the conference last season and should lead the backcourt, which last season led a team that struggled to shoot the ball from long range. The frontcourt picture isn’t clear aside from Lott, although they had a positive rebounding margin last season. If Lott gets some help inside from players like Morton and newcomers contribute on the perimeter, the Hornets have a chance to contend.

Arkansas-Pine Bluff (13-16, 8-10 SWAC)
Projected Starters:
Jr. G Phillip Brooks (3.3 ppg, 1.6 rpg in 19 games)
So. G Larry Williams (7.4 ppg, 2.1 rpg)
Sr. G V’Angelo Smith (7.7 ppg, 2.6 rpg)
Sr. F William Byrd (11.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 1.8 apg, 2.1 bpg)
Sr. F-C Jarvis Gunter (7.7 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 1.6 apg, 1.8 bpg)
Schedule Highlights: Schedule not available at press time.
Outlook: The Golden Lions found that defense was the key to success last season, so the next step is to improve on an offense that scored fewer points than all but one team and shot below 41 percent from the field. Improving on their negative rebounding margin would help, and the experience of Byrd and Gunter should help in that respect. There are no stars on the perimeter, which is always important at this level, but there is some experience and that could make up for some of that. Williams could blossom after a good freshman season and become the best player on that unit.

Mississippi Valley State (9-19, 9-9 SWAC)
Projected Starters:
Sr. G Tychicus Snow (8.0 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 2.4 apg)
Jr. G Stanford Speech (10.5 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 2.2 apg)
Jr. G-F Carl Lucas (4.6 ppg, 3.8 rpg in 18 games)
Sr. F Kadrian Bryant (7.9 ppg, 5.8 rpg)
Sr. F-C Jeffrey Price (8.0 ppg, 4.6 rpg)
Schedule Highlights: The only home games in a very tough non-conference slate are consecutive outings against McNeese State (part of a home-and-home this season) and Central Arkansas in December. The tough road slate looks like this: Mississippi, Creighton, Kentucky, USC, and in the Hispanic College Fund Classic, they take on Ohio Valley contender Samford, LSU and Horizon League contender Wright State. The Delta Devils will need to win some early games in conference play to have some momentum before a four-game road stretch starting in late January.
Outlook: The Delta Devils have a good core of players that return, giving them one of the most experienced starting lineups in the conference. They fell apart after a 6-1 start in SWAC play, so reversing that will certainly help. Speech looks like the best player, while Snow has to be a good floor leader and Bryant and Price are capable inside players. No team forced fewer turnovers than the Delta Devils last season, so the road to defensive improvement (opponents shot over 48 percent against them last season) will come from good halfcourt defense. They’ll need it since they were last in the conference in scoring last season and don’t look primed to make a big jump in that category this season.

Grambling State (14-13, 11-7 SWAC)
Projected Starters:
Fr. G Andre Southern
Jr. G Andre Ratliff (12.4 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 2.7 apg)
Sr. F Anthony Williams (10.0 ppg, 4.8 rpg)
Jr. F Martez Stephens (2.3 ppg, 3.6 rpg)
Jr. F-C John Dorsey (3.3 ppg, 4.2 rpg)
Schedule Highlights: The Tigers have two non-conference home games on tap, including their season opener against Texas College. They’ll hit the road to take on Conference USA contender Houston, TCU, Baylor, Dayton, and Texas A&M. They don’t get much of a break from the road once SWAC play begins, as four of the first six are on the road.
Outlook: Scoring machine Brion Rush is gone, and while there is some experience among the group that remains, there are question marks even though they learned to play without Rush after he got hurt last season. Ratliff is the clear leader along with Williams, but the frontcourt has big questions as Stephens and Dorsey must get better if they are to have a positive rebounding margin again. Newcomers will need to contribute, with Southern looking like the one most ready to do so.

Texas Southern (8-22, 6-12 SWAC)
Projected Starters:
Sr. G Courtenay Brown (6.2 ppg, 1.7 rpg)
Jr. G Dominique White (junior college transfer)
Sr. F Leonta Matthews (9.1 ppg, 4.8 rpg)
Jr. F Jacques Jones (8.6 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 1.8 apg)
Sr. F Christopher Moore (12.4 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 1.8 apg)
Schedule Highlights: A non-conference slate loaded with guarantee games has just four contests at home, only one of which is against a Division I school (Texas-Arlington). Notable opponents include Oklahoma State, Baylor, Alabama, Texas, Connecticut and Iowa. In SWAC play, their first three games and five of the first seven are on the road.
Outlook: The Tigers have serious questions at the worst possible positions – the perimeter – after losing four guards. It could be a blessing since those guards were part of the team that led the SWAC in turnovers. White is a capable floor leader and should start right away, while Brown is the only other known quantity. Moore, Jones and Matthews form a solid frontcourt that should certainly improve on their negative rebounding margin last season.

Prairie View A&M (5-24, 2-16 SWAC)
Projected Starters:
Sr. G Jared Ellison (4.2 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 1.9 apg)
Jr. G Andy Genao (junior college transfer)
Sr. G-F Chris Gaines (8.5 ppg, 3.2 rpg)
Sr. F Clifford Franks (5.7 ppg, 4.4 rpg)
Jr. F Thomas Morgan (junior college transfer)
Schedule Highlights: Schedule not available at press time.
Outlook: Get your program, Panther fans: new head coach Byron Rimm changed the roster up in a big way once he got the job in the spring, adding mainly junior college transfers. By season’s end, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the starting lineup consisted entirely of newcomers save for Gaines, the best of the holdovers. The Panthers probably won’t finish fifth in scoring again, which isn’t good since they were near the bottom in most other statistical categories last season.

Conference Outlook

Jackson State may be the favorites heading into the season, but they are by no means prohibitive. Several teams picked right behind them could contend, and there are reasons to think each one could come out on top. Even teams picked in the second division, like Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Mississippi Valley State, will be tough outs and could certainly finish higher than they are picked. Most of these teams will have a tough non-conference schedule, so come January they will be ready to take on their conference foes. Experience will be a big factor, as much as talent, so teams who have veterans have one more thing going for them.

Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship Recap

by Neal Heston

Alabama A&M cruises to NCAA Tournament

Two games separated first-place Alabama A&M and sixth-place Southern when the Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament began on Friday, so it shouldn’t have come as a surprise that four of the seven games this weekend were decided by eight points or less. The three games that weren’t at all close involved the Alabama A&M Bulldogs, as the team rolled to its first ever NCAA Tournament appearance and first overall postseason appearance since 1997.

The Bulldogs cruised past Arkansas-Pine Bluff in the quarterfinals, 64-52, had no trouble in a 74-56 blowout of Jackson State in the semifinals, and then finished the tournament by pushing around second-seed Alabama State 72-53 in the championship on Sunday.

Alabama A&M will play Oakland (12-18) Tuesday night for the right to move into the field of 64 and clinch a date with North Carolina this Friday.

Obie Trotter scored 24 points in the tournament championship after nailing an amazing 8-of-10 shots from beyond the arc to lead the Bulldogs. The junior guard will need to assemble a new trophy case, as his performance earned him SWAC Tournament MVP. Trotter already boasts the SWAC Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year.

Kevin Spicer scored 15 points and grabbed 14 rebounds for Alabama State, who completed the season with a 15-15 mark.

Alabama State had a rockier road to the championship after squeezing past Southern in the semifinals, 54-50, and Prarie View A&M in the quarterfinals, 64-56.

Southwest Athletic Conference 2004 Offseason News Recap

by Ryan Lyle Commings

It’s been a long summer for the Southwestern Atlantic Conference. Some losses of good friends and some fresh new faces, the SWAC is prepping up to elevate the conference to one of the major, mid – majors in the country.

Conference News

A teleconference featuring the men’s and women’s basketball coaches of all 10 Southwestern Athletic Conference teams will start the 2004-05 season off for the SWAC’s basketball programs. The teleconference will be on October 20, at 11 a.m. Eastern time.

Alabama A&M

The 2004-05 season could mark the first year the Bulldogs get a bid in the Division I NCAA tournament since moving up to the Division I level in 1998. There wasn’t really any big news for Alabama A&M. They lost two starters and have three returning ones as the enter head coach, L. Vann Pettaway ‘s 17th season as head coach of the Bulldogs.

Alabama State

Alabama State assistant coach Courtney Stephens will return to the Army to serve his country. Stephens was reactivated after finishing his tour of duty 10 years ago. After leaving the Army as a specialist in communications, he played basketball and earned a degree at Alabama State. Stephens has been an assistant at Alabama State for the past four seasons.

The Alabama State Hornets have a new Director of Athletics. Patrick Carter has assumed the role after eight seasons working for the offices of the Southwestern Athletic Conference. Brother of NBA rookie Chris Bosh, Joel, has signed with Alabama State along with 5’10″ point guard Dustin Richmond from Memphis.

The 2004-05 schedule for Alabama State was just released and they are facing a very difficult non conference slate. This includes six teams that made the NCAA Division I tournament last season. They open regular season play on the road at NCAA runner up from last year Georgia Tech. They will also face Alabama, who was exited late in the tourney last year, by eventual champion UConn. They will also play the University of Tennessee and play in the Sun Bowl Tournament.

Alcorn State

The Braves are optimistic about the 04 – 05 season after a strong run in the conference tournament last year. The only real news about the Braves is that they have been announced in the field of the Guardians Classic. This is a twelve team field and it takes place November 15 and 16. Missouri, Creighton, and Ohio State will host opening rounds.

Arkansas – Pine Bluff

The University of Arkansas – Pine Bluff has a news Athletic Director and a new men’s college basketball coach. Craig Curry was the assistant AD at the University of South Carolina before taking the helm a UAPB.

Curry has just recently appointed a new interim head coach, Van Holt. Holt has served as an assistant for the Golden Lions for the past six years.

And Pine Bluff received some discouraging news as the Sporting News ranked the city the worst out of 369 sporting municipalities. A 1-26 record playing in the 31st-rated Division I college basketball conference made the Golden Lions’ hometown reappear after claiming the same distinction in 2002. Greeley, Colorado was worst in 2003.

Grambling State

A former forward for the Grambling State Tigers, Paul Haynes was named the Most Valuable Player in the 2004 Black College All – Star game. It took place in Gund Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. The game was a showcase of the best players from historically black colleges around the country. This was the first time a black all – star game was held in an NBA arena.

Jackson State

After a 12 – 17 finish in the SWAC conference the Jackson State Tigers are looking to turn things around for the 04-05 season. In the second year of head coach at Jackson State, former Murray State Golden Racers coach Tevester Anderson is already making moves for his program to implement a more aggressive and effective style of play.

Jackson State just signed the 2003 Mr. Basketball for the state of Mississippi after months of speculation. Charlie White a standout point guard from Provine High School signed with the Jackson State Tigers. He is the big name in a group of newcomers who are looking to return Jackson State basketball back to supremacy under their fairly new coach.

Mississippi Valley State

MSVU head coach and the SWAC coach of the year, Lafayette Stribling shared coaching duties for the West team at the Black College All – Star game in Cleveland. He shared coaching duties with Fred Watson from Benedict College. Six players from the SWAC Conference played in this all- star event.

It has also been a very sad off season for the Delta Devils as their former leading scorer in school history, Alphonso Ford died of leukemia at age 32. He had been battling leukemia while playing in Europe. He died less than two weeks after announcing his retirement from professional basketball. He was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers in 1993.

Prairie View

Three members of last years Prairie View Panthers received Southwestern All – Conference honors. Panthers’ freshman Tyrone Nelson was named to the all – conference second team and was also named the SWAC’s freshmen of the year. Seniors Kevin Cooper and Roderick Riley received ALL – SWAC Conference Honorable Mention.

However, Tyrone Nelson fled Baylor last season in the wake of the Patrick Dennehy slaying and the NCAA investigation of former coach Dave Bliss’ rules violations. He arrived at Prairie View A&M, where he started his career prior to transferring to Baylor. He was the Southwestern Athletic Conference freshman of the year and, in his second stint at Prairie View, he averaged 15 points and eight rebounds per game. Now, Nelson has transferred to New Mexico State and hopes he can call the school home for more than one season.

Southern

Things have been very quiet in Baton Rouge for the Southern Jaguars. Nothing major has occurred. They have four starters returning and are hoping to rebound from a sub par 12 – 16 record. They have four newcomers all JuCo transfers.

Texas Southern

Things have been relatively slow in Houston for the Texas Southern Tigers. Nothing really exciting or big going except for the signing of four newcomers. Two guards, a swing man, and a forward will bring a quicker more versatile look to the
Tigers’ backcourt.

Southwest Athletic Conference 2003-04 Season Recap

by Steve Sheridan

Everyone knows that preseason predictions are an inexact science. Sometimes, a team that is picked to finish high in the standings will inexplicably collapse and end up near the bottom. On other occasions, a team that nobody picked to do anything will prove itself worthy at season’s end. The 2003-2004 SWAC regular season provided both of these occurrences, along with the customary correct predictions as well.

At the beginning of the year, the top three teams were picked to be Texas Southern, Prairie View A&M, and Mississippi Valley State (in that order). As Meatloaf would say, “two out of three ain’t bad.” Texas Southern ended the year in third place, while MVSU finished up the regular season with the best record in the SWAC. Prairie View? Well, that’s a different story.

The Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils rolled through regular season play with the league’s best record, losing only twice in 18 contests, after going 6-4 in non-conference play. Preseason Player of the Year Attarrius Norwood led the team in scoring, but it was the tandem of Solomon Forbes and Edward Mack that allowed the Delta Devils to cruise through their SWAC schedule. The trio combined to score 42 points and grab 13 rebounds per game, giving the team a trio that was nearly unmatched in the SWAC. The Texas Southern Tigers finished up league play in third place, but the team was hounded by inconsistent play. The team was unable to put together an extended string of quality wins and instead became a very streaky team during conference play. Just when the team seemed to be headed in the right direction, after three straight wins, the team lost its last two regular season games to Southern and Alcorn State, dropping it to third place. I mentioned earlier that Prairie View A&M was chosen to finish second in the league, and in reality the team did end up in second…to last. The non-conference slate was a sign of bad things to come for the Panthers, who went 0-9 to begin the year. And although the team managed to scrape together seven conference victories, that wasn’t enough to make the eight-team conference tournament.

One peculiarity of this season was the abundance of parity in the midst of the conference: five teams – Grambling, Alabama A&M, Jackson State, Southern and Alcorn State – all ended the season with identical 9-9 league marks. The big surprise from this group was Alabama A&M, which was picked to finish ninth in the ten-team conference. But behind the determined play of Obie Trotter and Terry Horton, the Hornets proved the skeptics wrong and climbed all the way up to fifth in the conference by season’s end.

Then, all alone in the cellar of the SWAC, there is Arkansas-Pine Bluff. The Golden Lions were not very golden at all on the court this season, managing only one win – coming against Alabama State. In this case, the coaches and SIDs were on the mark, as everyone had picked the Lions to dwell in the cellar through the season, and the only real interest generated by UAPB was whether they would end the season as one of the nation’s worst teams. In that respect, mission accomplished.

SWAC Tournament

Usually, when headed into a league tournament, the casual observer can expect one upset – maybe two. But in the unpredictable world of the SWAC, three of the top four teams fell in the opening round of the conference tournament, opening a huge door for second-seeded Alabama State to roll into the NCAA Tournament with a Conference Championship.

The opening round of the tournament saw four very close games, with two coming down to the final possession. The top-seeded Delta Devils were upended by the eighth-seeded Braves of Alcorn State, 67-66, as MVSU’s duo of All-Conference guard Solomon Forbes and SWAC Player of the Year Attarrius Norwood combined to score just 20 points. Alabama State provided the only non-upset of the first round, barely escaping with a 63-62 victory over Southern. Ralfeal Golden hit a three-pointer with 21 seconds remaining to give the Hornets another close win. Jackson State and Alabama A&M also defied convention, pulling off upsets against higher-seeded Texas Southern and Grambling, respectively.

With many of the heavy hitters gone in the first round, the semifinals also proved to be full of exciting contests. In what may have been the SWAC game of the year, Alabama State outlasted Jackson State in double overtime, 59-56. Once again, it was a game-winning three-pointer that allowed the Hornets to move on, this time coming from the hands of senior guard Malcolm Campbell. Jackson State had a chance to win the game down the stretch, but Xavier Oliver swatted away Ernest Hassell’s attempt with time winding down, giving ASU possession of the ball and ultimately a spot in the finals. Alabama A&M joined their inter-state rivals in the final by holding off a hard-charging Alcorn State squad, 83-81. The Bulldogs appeared to have the game in hand late, holding a 72-59 lead with 2:21 to play, but the Braves would not go quietly, putting together eight consecutive field goals to dwindle the lead to just one. The Braves then held the ball, down two, with eight seconds left, but Terry Horton got a piece of DeAndre Jones’ lay-up attempt to preserve the win.

Horton and Obie Trotter attempted to carry the Bulldogs in the title game, combining for 41 points, but a balanced Alabama State attack proved too much in the Hornets’ 63-58 victory. Alabama State controlled the tempo of the game from the outset, never trailing after the 16:58 mark of the first half. Malcolm Campbell, who was named the Tournament MVP, scored eight points in a 13-5 run down the stretch that finally put down the Alabama A&M squad, which had come back from a 11-point halftime deficit to tie the game on two occasions in the second half. Campbell was joined on the all-Tournament team by teammates Xavier Oliver and Ralfeal Golden, while Trotter and Horton were named from the losing side.

The Big Dance

Upon winning the SWAC Postseason Tournament, the Hornets then discovered that they would be up against perennial powerhouse Duke University in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. The Hornets provided little resistance to the Duke juggernaut, falling, 96-61. Campbell led all scorers in the game with 26 points to close out his collegiate career, but there was no way that the Krzyzewski Krew would lose in this one.

Postseason Hardware

All Conference Team:
Attarrius Norwood, forward, Mississippi Valley State
Solomon Forbes, forward, Mississippi Valley State
Paul Haynes, forward, Grambling
Brion Rush, guard, Grambling
Obie Trotter, guard, Alabama A&M

Conference MVP: Attarrius Norwood, MVSU

Norwood was tabbed the preseason Player of the Year and did not disappoint when the season began, leading his team to the regular season championship and the top seed in the conference tournament. Throughout the year, Norwood averaged 14.3 points and 5.0 rebounds per contest.

Freshman of the Year: Tyrone Nelson, Prairie View

The emergence of Nelson was one of the few bright spots for the Panthers this season. The forward averaged over 15 points per game, while placing second in the league by hauling in over eight rebounds per game. Look for him to continue his stellar play next season for the Panthers.

Coach of the Year: Lafayette Stribling, MVSU

Stribling earned the Coach of the Year vote after guiding his team to the top spot in the SWAC regular season standings and the subsequent top seed in the conference tournament.

Team Recaps

Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils (16-2, 22-7)

The Delta Devils easily made their way through the SWAC regular season schedule, posting the conference’s best margin-of-victory and scoring defense, but one fatal slip up in the first round of the conference tournament cost them everything. By far the consensus top team in the conference, the team was led by the trio of Attarrius Norwood, Solomon Forbes and Edward Mack. Norwood, the SWAC Player of the Year, and Mack, the SWAC Defensive Player of the Year, typified the solid play of the Delta Devils. But with Norwood and Mack, along with top rebounder Willie Neal, graduating, the focus next season will be solely on Forbes. Hosea Butler, who was the leading assist man for the Delta Devils this year, will also be counted on to contribute more on the offensive end as well, in order to make up for the sudden void.

Team MVP: Attarrius Norwood
Top Scorer: Norwood, 14.3 ppg
Top Rebounder: Neal, 7.6 rpg
Top Assist Man: Butler, 3.6 apg

Departing Starters:
Norwood (graduation)
Mack (graduation)
Neal (graduation)

Key Players Returning:
Forbes (junior forward, 14 ppg)
Butler (junior guard, 8.3 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 3.6 apg)

Alabama State Hornets (11-7, 16-15)

After the team’s 3-12 start, I would assume that nobody had Alabama State finishing second in the regular season and then winning the postseason tournament. And yet, that is what the Hornets did. Behind the shooting of Malcolm Campbell and the inside presence of Xavier Oliver, the Hornets played tough defense and scored just enough to win. The team had the second-best scoring defense margin in the league, yet posted the second-lowest scoring offense in the SWAC. With the graduation of both Campbell and Oliver, both aspects of the ASU game will be tested. Ralfeal Golden, who starred in the conference tournament alongside Campbell and Oliver, will be asked to up his offensive production in their absence. Also look for Alexander Oliver to step right into the offensive void and produce. And if the team gets off to another slow start next season, as it did this year, don’t count them out too quickly.

Team MVP: Malcolm Campbell
Top Scorer: Campbell, 13.4 ppg
Top Rebounder: Xavier Oliver, 6.8 rpg
Top Assist Man: Campbell, 3.3 apg

Departing Starters:
Campbell (graduation)
Oliver (graduation)

Key Players Returning:
Golden (junior guard, 12.1 ppg, 4.8 rpg)
Alexander Oliver (sophomore guard, 7.2 ppg)
Derrick Russell (junior forward, 4.3 ppg, 3.7 rpg)

Texas Southern Tigers (10-8, 14-15)

Texas Southern was picked in the preseason to finish in the top spot in the SWAC, but the team settled for third place after an inconsistent regular season. One of the major problems that the team had this year was its inability to hit the three-pointer. The Tigers ranked dead last in the conference in three-point shooting percentage (only 27 percent) – although the team didn’t take many shots from beyond the arc to begin with. TSU made its living near the hoop, with help from leading scorer and rebounder Allen Lovett. Lovett and his fellow Tigers helped give the team one of the best frontcourt crews in the conference, although the team will lose forwards Lionel Willis and Akil Butler to graduation. Despite the departures, look for Lovett to once again control the offense from his guard position.

Team MVP: Allen Lovett
Top Scorer: Lovett, 13.9 ppg
Top Rebounder: Lovett, 5.4 rpg
Top Assist Man: Sean Walker, 2.8 apg

Departing Starters:
Willis (graduation)
Butler (graduation)

Key Players Returning:
Lovett (junior guard, 13.9 ppg, 5.4 rpg)
Walker (sophomore guard, 10.3 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 3.6 apg)
Michael Sneed (junior forward, 8.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg)

Grambling Tigers (9-9, 11-18)

When talking about Grambling this season, the conversation will ultimately turn to Brion Rush and Paul Haynes, who formed the most prolific scoring duo in the conference this season. Rush, who led the SWAC in scoring, and Haynes, who came in third, combined to score almost 37 points a game for the Tigers – over 50 percent of the team’s offensive output. As a squad, the Tiger offense ranked second in the conference in points scored – but that was quickly countered by the team’s porous defense, which ranked ninth out of 10 teams. Opposing squads shot almost 46 percent on average against the Tigers – numbers that won’t win many games. With such stats, it’s a small wonder that Grambling managed to place fourth in the conference. But with Haynes lost to graduation, the Tigers will need somebody to clog up the middle and keep opposing teams from having free reign on the offensive end once again.

Team MVP: Brion Rush
Top Scorer: Rush, 19.3 ppg
Top Rebounder: Paul Haynes, 9.7 rpg
Top Assist Man: Maurice Searight, 7.0 apg

Departing Starters:
Haynes (graduation)

Key Players Returning:
Rush (sophomore guard, 19.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 3.1 apg)
Searight (sophomore guard, 5.9 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 7.0 apg)
Ron Ellis (junior guard, 9.7 ppg)

Alabama A&M Bulldogs (9-9, 13-17)

One team that was very well suited to play against Grambling was Alabama A&M, which had the best offense in all the SWAC this season. That offense was propelled mostly by the combination of Obie Trotter and Terry Horton, who ranked second and fifth, respectively, in the conference in scoring. Trotter will be back for another chance at the league title, albeit without his frontcourt complement, Horton. There are many departing pieces from the team that made it all the way to the conference finals, including Horton and fellow big man Otis Walker, but Trotter figures to get some help from some bench players that now will be called upon to deliver. No matter what, don’t count out the Bulldogs – after all, the team was predicted to finish ninth at the beginning of this season.

Team MVP: Obie Trotter
Top Scorer: Trotter, 18.2 ppg
Top Rebounder: Walker, 6.0 rpg
Top Assist Man: Trotter, 4.3 apg

Departing Starters:
Walker (graduation)
Horton (graduation)
Lorenzo Burks (graduation)
Jarvis Smith (graduation)

Key Players Returning:
Trotter (sophomore guard, 18.2 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 4.3 apg, 3.0 spg)
Rickey Ricketts (junior guard, 9.3 ppg)
Andre Matthews (junior forward, 5.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg)

Jackson State Tigers (9-9, 12-17)

Jackson State came out of the gates very strongly this season, posting an 8-3 conference mark after 11 games, but fell apart down the stretch, losing six of its last seven games to join the cluster of teams at 9-9. JSU seemed to have turned another corner come tournament time, however, by taking down third-seeded Texas Southern and taking eventual champion Alabama State to double overtime before succumbing. The end result was surely disappointing, but the Tigers had a respectable year thanks in large part to its talented trio of seniors: Ishmael Joyce, Leonard Taylor and K.C. Cavette. The good news was that the trio combined to provide over half of the team’s offense. The bad news is, of course, that all three have now graduated. Without three huge pieces of its offense, the Tigers will look to reload next season, with veterans Ernest Hassell and Antonio Williams-Parker looking to take a large part of the offensive load, but don’t expect the same amount of offense from this squad.

Team MVP: Ishmael Joyce
Top Scorer: Joyce, 15.6 ppg
Top Rebounder: Taylor, 5.5 rpg
Top Assist Man: Cavette, 2.7 apg

Departing Starters:
Joyce (graduation)
Cavette (graduation)
Taylor (graduation)

Key Players Returning:
Hassell (junior forward, 3.7 ppg, 2.7 apg)
Williams-Parker (junior guard, 7.1 ppg, 2.3 rpg)

Southern Jaguars (9-9, 12-16)

The Southern Jaguars could never get anything going during the 2003-2004 regular season. After the team’s first win streak – a three-game run early in the conference season – it was promptly followed up by a three-game losing streak that took away any momentum the team may have built up. The team was then unable to get another streak going until the very end of the regular season, and by that time it was almost too late. While the streak allowed the Jaguars to join the group at .500 in conference play, it did little to help the team’s fortunes. Timothy Johnson and Deion Sanders led the team on the offensive end – Sanders, despite missing nine games. Both players have now graduated; however the team has plenty of depth to provide for a more consistent season next year.

Team MVP: Timothy Johnson
Top Scorer: Johnson, 13.6 ppg
Top Rebounder: Peter Cipriano, 5.2 rpg
Top Assist Man: Trayvean Scott, 2.9 apg

Departing Starters:
Johnson (graduation)
Deion Sanders (graduation)

Key Players Returning:
Jerimie Collier (junior guard, 11.1 ppg, 3.7 rpg)
Scott (junior guard, 7.6 ppg, 2.9 apg)
Cipriano (junior forward, 6.9 ppg, 5.2 rpg)

Alcorn State Braves (9-9, 11-18)

Alcorn State was another team that couldn’t get much going during the regular season, thanks in large part to three separate three-game losing streaks that took away any chance at advancing within the conference. Seniors Brian Jackson and Dion Callans cleaned up on the score sheet and the boards, respectively, with sophomore Trey Johnson proving to be an effective second-scorer and point guard. Although the team didn’t have a spectacular regular season, the Braves provided the shock of the SWAC Tournament when it upended top-seeded MVSU in the first round. The team then almost upset Alabama A&M in the semifinals, instead falling by just one bucket. The Braves will hope to continue the good feelings elicited by the team’s late season run next year, albeit without the services of both Jackson and Callans.

Team MVP: Brian Jackson
Top Scorer: Jackson, 13.9 ppg
Top Rebounder: Dion Callans, 6.8 rpg
Top Assist Man: Trey Johnson, 2.7 apg

Departing Starters:
Callans (graduation)
Jackson (graduation)

Key Players Returning:
Johnson (sophomore guard, 11.0 ppg, 2.7 apg)
Myles Howard (junior forward, 6.0 ppg, 4.7 rpg)

Prairie View A&M Panthers (7-11, 7-20)

Picked to finish second in the SWAC in the conference’s preseason poll, this season was disastrous for the Prairie View Panthers. Most of the blame could fall on the team’s lack of defense – the team allowed its opponents to shoot nearly 46 percent from the field and 39 percent from beyond the arc, both worst in the conference. This helped to counter act the offensive prowess of freshman Tyrone Nelson and senior Kevin Cooper, who tied for sixth in the league in scoring. Unfortunately for the duo, no other Panther averaged in double figures. It was a down year in particular for senior Roderick Riley, who was named the preseason Defensive Player of the Year. Riley averaged 9.5 points and 5.9 rebounds per game, and yet he didn’t become the offensive or defensive force that he was expected to be. With Cooper and Riley both graduating, all eyes will be on Nelson to see if he can top his excellent freshman campaign.

Team MVP: Tyrone Nelson
Top Scorers: Nelson and Kevin Cooper, 15.1 ppg
Top Rebounder: Nelson, 8.4 rpg
Top Assist Man: Jared Ellison, 2.7 apg

Departing Starters:
Cooper (graduation)
Roderick Riley (graduation)

Key Players Returning:
Nelson (freshman forward, 15.1 ppg, 8.4 rpg)
Ellison (freshman guard, 5.4 ppg, 2.7 apg)
Joshua Thompson (freshman forward, 3.8 ppg, 4.5 rpg)

Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions (1-17, 1-26)

It was a very forgettable year for Arkansas-Pine Bluff. The team placed no players in the top 20 in scoring, rebounding or assists – a suitable characterization of a terrible season. The team’s lone win of the year came at Alabama State – a game that the Hornets would surely like to have back. Nonetheless, that was the only highlight of a year in which the Golden Lions were outscored by an average of 22.1 points per game. But with five seniors graduating, maybe a new infusion of talent will change the losing ways of the Golden Lions. Then again, maybe not.

Team MVP: Michael Kendrick
Top Scorer: Kendrick, 7.5 ppg
Top Rebounder: Justin Lloyd, 4.4 rpg
Top Assist Man: Chris Parker, 1.7 apg

Departing Starters:
Lloyd (graduation)
Lee Curry (graduation)
Billy Hall (graduation)

Key Players Returning:
Kendrick (junior guard, 7.5 ppg, 3.0 rpg)

Southwestern Athletic Conference Notebook

by Joaquin Mesa

The Lead is Cut to None

Mississippi Valley State has been caught by Jackson State in conference play, and things are getting heated with the top two teams in the conference with two losses and Texas Southern, Southern University and Alabama A&M trailing just behind with four losses each. The battle for first was decided a week ago in a defensive battle between Jackson State and Mississippi Valley State, and the Delta Devils came out on top, barely. Mississippi Valley State had controlled their own destiny for much of the season, putting together the only winning non-conference record and positioning themselves atop the conference standings early in the season. However, two losses in the last two weeks gave others in the conference hope, especially with the Delta Devil’s recent loss to a struggling, young Grambling State team. The door is now left open for conference favorite Texas Southern to make the move that it needs in order to build momentum going into the conference tournament.

Pre-season Favorite for Last Proving Doubters Wrong

Arkansas Pine Bluff has shown the doubters who thought that they might win more then one or two games wrong, and the doubters are steaming hot about it. With Loyola (MD) win over Marist the other day, AR Pine Bluff now sports the nation’s worst record, not taking into consideration the amount of losses. They are battling for the distinction with Savannah State (1-22), Loyola Maryland (1-19) and North Carolina A&T (1-18). True, Savannah State has a large lead over the others in the loss column, but they will be playing Maryland Eastern Shore up next, and they only lost to them by one point in the last meeting. Chances are that Savannah State will not be part of this group for long, with Maryland Eastern Shore just two wins removed from this elite group themselves.

Player of the Year Standings

Attarius Norwood had many in the league offices talking at the beginning of the season, and his team is doing well enough to make a case for him, but there are too many good players other then Norwood who are putting together quality seasons that can’t be ignored. Brion Rush and Paul Haynes are leading Grambling State, both averaging around 18.5 points per game. Obie Trotter is averaging 17 points a game as well as 3.1 steals, 3.1 assists and 5 rebounds a game for Alabama A&M. Ishmael Joyce is putting together a good season at Jackson State, as is Deion Sanders at Southern University. My pick so far would be Trotter, who is playing well across the board.

Mississippi Valley State (7-2 conference, 13-6 overall)

50-41 W Jackson State
83-69 L at Grambling State

The Delta Devils are putting together a quality season, but it will all be for naught if they were to lose the conference tournament. Thus, they, like every other team, must get momentum going towards the end of the season. Their next four games are against middle of the road teams in the conference, and they must have a good showing so as to get good positioning. Attarius Norwood was the leader going into the season, but Solomon Forbes has stepped up as a legitimate scoring option. The big game will come on Saturday February 21st when the Delta Devils host Texas Southern.

Jackson State (7-2 conference, 9-9 overall)

50-41 L at Mississippi Valley State
66-48 W at AR Pine Bluff

There is nothing like playing the worst team in the nation to bring ones ego back to where it was after a loss. The battle for first was decided when Mississippi Valley State sweated out Jackson State, but Jackson State was brought back into a tie for first place when Mississippi Valley State stumbled against Grambling State. Now, Jackson State has to prove that it can beat the best teams in the conference. Two of their next four games are against top four teams on the conference. Their next game is against Alcorn State. Three different players, K.C. Cavette, Leonard Taylor and Ishmael Joyce, contributed to lead Jackson State to a high scoring win the last time out. Look for a much tighter game, with Ishmael Joyce leading the way.

Texas Southern (5-4 conference, 9-10)

69-51 L at Alabama State
69-64 L at Alabama A&M

Two tough road losses dropped Texas Southern from the elite of the conference quickly, but they are still one of the strongest teams in this league. Obie Trotter’s two free throws in the final minute sealed the Bulldogs win over the Tigers, and it was poor free-throw shooting that hurt the Tigers most. Now, they have a chance to beat up on Arkansas Pine Buff before they head to Grambling State, and more importantly, Jackson State. The resolve of this team will be tested in the next few weeks, so let’s all see if the conference favorite can pull it out.

Southern University (5-4 conference, 8-10 overall)

71-70 L Alabama State
84-73 W Alcorn State

The Jaguars couldn’t lose three home games in a row, so they put together a strong showing against Alcorn State. The Jaguars are in a midst of a tough stretch in their schedule, where they will play the top two teams in the next two weeks. If they can come away with at least one win against them, they might be able to build some momentum towards the end of the season.

Alabama A&M (5-4 conference, 7-10 overall)

78-68 W Prairie View A&M
69-64 W Texas Southern

The strong showing against Texas Southern has the Bulldogs high on life, and looking to improve their standing with games against AR Pine Bluff, and a much bigger game against Mississippi Valley State. Aside from the game against the Delta Devils, their schedule is light. It includes a game against Savannah State, another one loss team, who when combined with AR Pine Bluff makes for two assured wins in the next four games. They proved that they can win tight games in the final minutes, and that is the most important thing going into the conference tournament.

Alabama State (4-5 conference, 6-12 overall)

69-51 W Texas Southern
68-42 W Prairie View A&M

Alabama State is the first of the 5 loss teams that are looking to make an immediate move towards the top if they want to accomplish anything this season. They have the hardest road, with a huge game against Mississippi Valley State coming up on Saturday. They have a three game winning streak that gives them some momentum coming into the big game, winning their last two games by an average of 22 points. However, it won’t be enough make a move.

Grambling State (4-5 conference, 6-13 overall)

78-55 W at AR Pine Bluff
83-68 W at Mississippi Valley State

Grambling State has the best chance to challenge towards the end of the season. Their strong win over the top team in the conference gave them the momentum they needed to beat middle of the road teams like Southern University and Alcorn State. They also have two of the most complete players in the conference in Brion Rush and Paul Haynes. This team knows where its scoring is coming from, and they have a legitimate third option in senior guard Ron Ellis.

Alcorn State (4-5 conference, 5-13 overall)

84-73 L at Southern University
74-52 L at Texas Pan American

Three straight losses have hurt this team’s ego, not to mention killed their chances at challenging in conference play. They, like many teams, will be looking forward to the conference tournament, hoping for a chance to play in the play-in game. With their three losses coming by more than 10 points in each instance, it is hard for anyone to predict that this team will end on a winning note.

Prairie View A&M (3-6 conference, 3-15 overall)

78-68 L at Alabama A&M
68-42 L at Alabama State

Not much to say about this Prairie View A&M team, who has won their three games in conference play. So, I’ve decided to combine their weekly blurb with another really bad team…

Arkansas Pine Bluff (1-8 conference, 1-17 overall)

78-55 L Grambling State
66-48 L Jackson State

The worst team in the nation (along with Loyola-Maryland) is only two games behind Prairie View A&M. This is the most hotly contested battle in the nation. The big game is on Saturday February 21st, 2004. Mark your calendar and pick you favorite. Will it be the Golden Lions or the Panthers?

Southwestern Athletic Conference Notebook

by Joaquin Mesa

Hallelujah! Hallelujah! HalleBerry! Life couldn’t get much better then this! It looks like there is a legitimate tournament team in the SWAC. I know, I know, it’s a miracle! I’ve been wishing and hoping and praying every night for success in one of the conferences that I was covering, and alas, it looks as if my prayers have finally been answered. Thank you Aphrodite.

Now, I may seem like a bit of a bandwagoner since I’ve never been much of a Delta Devil fan, that’s Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils if you haven’t yet bandwagoned, but I figure that the Double D’s might appreciate a little fan support (Get it, Double D’s, support). Anyway, after beating Northwestern in a nail biter 49-47, Mississippi Valley State has represented well with three straight victories over SWAC opponents. In reality, they have yet to be challenged in conference play. With their 9-4 overall record, they are a sight for sore eyes, and dag nab it, if they ain’t a itchin’ for a championship. They will have a Southern University team that is ready to jump above five hundred for the first time this year, as is Texas Southern University. If they can jump those hurdles, then they might even win twenty this year. Ain’t half bad.

Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils (3-0 conference, 9-4 overall)

60-47 W at Alabama State
72-60 W at Alabama A&M

They are over five hundred with room to spare, and the momentum they have coming into the heart of their conference schedule is astounding. They’ve beaten conference foes by an average of 18 points a game, and even beaten a Big 10 team. Attarrius Norwood continues his scoring for a team that desperately needs it, since its top four scorers are all shooting below forty percent on the year. Lucky that this team has Willie Neal to grab all the rebounds, otherwise, they might not be sitting so pretty atop the SWAC.

Jackson State Tigers (3-1 conference, 5-8 overall)

78-71 W at Alcorn State
78-64 L at Southern University

Jackson State fared better then Arkansas Pine Bluff against Oklahoma, but losing by 22 is essentially the same as losing by 70. There might be an ego or two that would say differently over at Arkansas Pine Bluff, but who is really asking them anyway? The seniors on this team are really stepping it up, hoping to get back onto the right track. They are leading the charge with Southern University and Mississippi Valley State atop the leader board, but they have a distinct disadvantage with a bad non-conference showing. If they were to win the conference, they most likely would not be seeded very high, even with a strong conference showing. Thus, this team really has to struggle to become a team that can battle quality opponents late into games.

Southern University Jaguars (3-1 conference, 6-7 overall)

73-63 W Grambling State
78-64 W Jackson State

The Jaguars followed their 65-47 loss at Texas Southern with two strong showings against some of the better teams in the conference in Grambling State and Jackson State. It seems that they finally woke up from a seven game sleepwalk in which they lost five of seven, and their two wins were both by two points. The problem to date seems to be turnovers. However, this isn’t something that can’t be fixed. After all, they aren’t playing the likes of LSU or Tulane anymore. They get a one game break before heading out to Mississippi to play the Delta Devils, so they can figure out how to catch and hold onto the ball against Arkansas Pine Bluff. Good luck.

Texas Southern Tigers (2-1 conference, 6-7 overall)

66-62 L Prairie View A&M
77-67 L at Texas A&M Corpus Christi

A loss to the “island school” was a little disappointing, and they aren’t going to get a break against Grambling State on Saturday or Jackson State on Monday. In fact, they aren’t going to get any tears from me either. The team that was supposed to win the conference couldn’t even pull off a win over Prairie View A&M, a team that had an 11 game losing streak going into their game against the Tigers. Though 2-1 in conference play, this has got to be a very disappointing start for coach Ronnie Courtney. Anyone shooting more then 2 threes game on this team is also averaging less then 30 percent from behind the arc, and their two leading scorers are hovering around forty percent from the field. This isn’t going to get it done. Lionel Willis has not stepped up into the dominant role he needs to play as a senior, and he better do it quick if this team wants to stay in contention early for the regular season championship.

Grambling State Tigers (2-2 conference, 4-10 overall)

73-63 L at Southern University
75-61 W at Alcorn State

Paul Haynes has been the surprise performer on this team, a team that needed the dominant inside force to accommodate the stellar guard play of Brion Rush and Maurice Seawright. Haynes is averaging 18 points a game and 7.4 rebounds. Those numbers are great, absolutely great, and he has given the Tigers the stability that they so needed. That having been said, they have lost some doozies: 83-36 to Georgetown to open the season, 105-56 to Auburn, 73-35 to Saint Louis, and 99-71 to TCU. Plus, they have allowed two teams to score a hundred on them. However, they have themselves scored 100 points on two different occasions, losing one of the games 103-101 to Texas A&M. This team can either shoot themselves in the foot, or rise to the occasion. Weird, isn’t it? Defense, defense, defense…how many times do you hear good coaches preaching about how defense wins games, not offense. Perhaps Grambling State should listen to these coaches.

Prairie View A&M Panthers (1-2 conference, 1-11 overall)

74-67 L Alcorn State
66-62 W at Texas Southern

Perhaps the win on Texas Southern’s home court will be just the thing to inspire the Panthers to turn around their season. Perhaps that first taste of blood will spark their fury. Perhaps….you know what, this team couldn’t beat Air Force, and how many seven footers do you know that can fly a plane, let alone fit in one. They most likely will lose to Jackson State, and proceed to fall to the depths of the SWAC conference alongside Arkansas Pine Bluff and Alabama State.

Arkansas Pine Bluff Golden Lions (1-2 conference, 1-11 overall)

71-41 L at Alabama A&M
61-54 W at Alabama State

This team beat Alabama State on Monday, but don’t expect that to happen again. I’m only going to say one thing about this team, and then I’ll leave it alone until next time. Their leading scorer, Lee Curry, my hero, is averaging 6.6 points per game.

Alabama State Hornets (1-3 conference, 3-10 overall)

60-47 L Mississippi Valley State
61-54 L Arkansas Pine Bluff

The emotional 60-53 win over Grambling State was followed by debilitating loses to Jackson State, Mississippi Valley State and Arkansas Pine Bluff. With a promising season ahead of them, they have yet to capitalize on the fact that they have the experience necessary to dominate the small conference that they are in. Lack of size seems to be hurting most of these SWAC teams, and the Hornets are no exception.

Alabama A&M Bulldogs (1-3 conference, 3-9 overall)

71-41 W Arkansas Pine Bluff
72-60 L Mississippi Valley State

Their one win in conference came against the worst team that I have seen in a while. How is the rebuilding process in Alabama you ask….well, Obie Trotter is coming along nicely. His percentages are down, but he doesn’t seem to mind taking shots, and as his confidence grows, so will his scoring average. Chris Collins is doing well coming off the bench, so look for him to start some more games down the stretch of the season.

Alcorn State Braves (1-3 conference, 2-9 overall)

78-71 L Jackson State
75-61 L Grambling State

Brian Jackson is living up to his billing, but two sophomores are helping to keep this team afloat. DeAndre Jones and Trey Johnson are giving the Braves some scoring. Now, if their sophomore skids can only wait until next year. Their shooting is suffering, but that is normal in a young team. They will get better down the stretch, trust me.

Southwestern Athletic Conference Notebook

by Joaquin Mesa

I began the season by taking pot-shots at the SWAC Conference, and I feel horrible about it. I have nothing against the conference other then its lack of creativity when choosing mascots for its teams. In fact, I’ve been proven wrong by the recent success of Mississippi Valley State’s winning record. Who would have thought that pre-season conference MVP Attarius Norwood would lead his team to three victories after their initial loss to Atlantic 10′s Richmond? I certainly wouldn’t have.

In fact, I had Mississippi Valley State finishing fourth in the conference. I should have realized that being named the Delta Devils puts them at a distinct advantage over other teams because they can differentiate between the players on the court, whereas the Tigers of Texas Southern and Jackson State become easily confused when playing each other, often finding themselves asking, ‘Why are their ten Tigers on the court?’ Attarius has taken his 14 points and 7 rebounds and translated it into wins over Mount St. Mary’s, Jacksonville State and Division II challenger Delta State, who will be looking for revenge on Dec. 11 (don’t forget to mark your calendar).

As for the other teams, they have four wins amongst each other. Two Division II teams couldn’t crack the shells of Texas Southern and Southern University, while Jackson State beat up on South Alabama and Alabama A&M outlasted Eastern Kentucky. Here is a look at how each team is faring.

Mississippi Valley State (3-1)

72-71 W Mount St. Mary’s
84-59 W Jacksonville State
64-61 W Delta State

All three of these games were at home for the Delta Devils, which doesn’t say much for the team having only won by one against Mount St. Mary’s and three against Division II Delta State. Attarius Norwood is living up to the hype, while Edward Mack and Hosea Butler are adding just enough punch to squeak out some wins. Their top three scorers are all averaging around 35% shooting, which won’t get it done come division play, where big men will force most shots outside. I would like to correct some mistakes in my conference preview article. Adrian Harper and Michael Archie are both not playing for the Delta Devils anymore, and Hosea Butler and Edward Mack are getting the bulk of time at guard while Soloman Forbes is playing mostly the three. I also would like to thank Yahoo Sports for providing the information that the Mississippi Valley State website couldn’t provide (I will not let this go until the folks over at MVS get things right).

Alabama A&M (1-2)

100-65 L at Texas A&M
75-61 W Eastern Kentucky

The blow out at Texas A&M showed that Alabama A&M isn’t going to challenge any Big 12 teams, but they can handle the worst of the Ohio Valley Conference no problem. Okay, that’s not fair…Eastern Illinois is 0-3 while Eastern Kentucky is 1-3. These smaller conferences are sure lucky that they get to play Division II teams, otherwise they might never win out of conference games. Two guards are leading this team in the early season. Ricky Ricketts and Obie Trotter are both averaging around 11 points a game. However, like the Delta Devils, these two are both shooting around 35%. This is not going to translate well in conference play, where the competition should be fiercer. The good thing is that there are four guys who are averaging at least ten points a game, which shows that this is probably one of the more well-rounded teams in the conference. This does bode well for conference play. I should have ranked these guys higher then 9th.

Jackson State (10-2)

77-63 L at Louisiana Tech
71-63 L at Jacksonville State

This team has had problems in the latter halves of games. Come to think of it, Alabama A&M also had problems in the latter halves of games. Perhaps this is simply a symptom of losing, or perhaps it something unique to the conference. Either way, after winning its first game against South Alabama having only shot 9 three pointers and shooting 51% from the field, the Tigers thought they should chuck up 22 threes the very next game. True, they shot 36% from the arc, but that’s also what they shot from the field. Their leading scorer K.C. Cavette had 3 points that game after scoring 25 the first game. The third game was no better, this time feeling they should shoot less threes; only 19 were thrown up. The six that were made helped the squad shoot 41% from the field. K.C. Cavette got back on track with 17, making 2 of 4 threes, but nobody got more then 6 rebounds.

Southern University (1-2)

78-72 L at Tulane
67-44 W at West Alabama

Southern University has played a respectable schedule, even though its only win came against Division II West Alabama. Conference USA’s Tulane and SEC’s LSU were its other two opponents, losing by 6 and 11 respectively. The minutes have been pretty well spread out on this team, with seven guys getting 20 minutes or more. Three Juniors are amongst the top four scorers, and the wealth of minutes allows for them to grow and be better players down the road. Trayvean Scott is leading the team in assists, and provides the solid Senior leadership that is necessary to challenge teams like LSU and Tulane. Look for some more wins from this squad, which has already played the toughest part of its schedule.

Texas Southern (1-2)

77-63 L at Southern Mississippi
74-55 W Texas College

After an opening loss to a Baylor team eager to get wins over lesser opponents so as to not look so terrible in the end, Texas Southern didn’t challenge Southern Mississippi the entire game. They were out-rebounded 43-28, they shot 56% from the line, and they 17 turnovers compared to 7 assists – that’s right, 7! However, like Southern University before them, they took out their frustrations on a Division II school. Texas College was no match for the Tigers. So far, Lionel Willis has been a consistent scorer, but is only averaging 6.5 rebounds per game. They have to improve on rebounding if they want to be a contender.

Alabama State (0-3)

67-57 L at Birmingham Southern
66-49 L at South Alabama

The first of five winless teams did it with only one player averaging double digit points per game. Their leading rebounder, Xavier Oliver, is averaging 5 boards per game. Their leading assists man, Malcolm Campbell, is averaging 3 per game. I don’t really have much more to say about this team. Campbell is also their leading scorer, which makes him a decent player on a bad team. He will probably start scoring more points, but not until conference play starts. I stick by my prediction.

Grambling State (0-3)

64-46 L at Arkansas
105-56 L Auburn

As if losing by 47 in their first game against Georgetown wasn’t enough, the Tigers decided to lose by 49 to Auburn a week and a day later. With Marquette and Saint Louis left on the schedule, it doesn’t look to get any easier for Grambling State, I mean, even Texas College is looking forward to their game against the Tigers. The two leading scorers for the Tigers are averaging 26% from the field. T-w-e-n-t-y s-i-x p-e-r-c-e-n-t., not a tick above or below. They only scored 36 points against Georgetown, and they are averaging 46 points a game. In their first two games, they only had one player in double figures each game, Brion Rush with 14 in game one, and Paul Haynes with 24 in game two. Rush did it by taking two more shots then he had points and Haynes needed 21 shots to get to 24. Work is needed.

Prairie View A&M (0-3)

77-57 L at Duquesne
88-79 L at Texas A&M

I feel bad for the Panthers who have had to play three games on the road to begin the season. They had such an outstanding year last year that I was hoping to see them have some early success. However, they are not yet on the same platform as the Pac-10, Big 12 or Atlantic 10, where each of their first three opponents came from. Oregon State, Duquesne and Texas A&M each had their way with the Panthers, but all was not lost. Roderick Riley, Kevin Cooper and Tyrone Nelson all are playing good basketball. Plus, they collectively shooting above 40%, something that is rare in this conference at this point in time. What is more amazing is that they are doing it against quality opponents rather then Division II teams and lower conference opponents. Riley is throwing up 13 points per game and 9 rebounds per game, both very respectable. Look for those numbers to grow as the season progresses and Prairie View A&M plays the likes of Grambling State, Alabama State and AR Pine Bluff. They have a big game against Oklahoma next Saturday Dec. 13, and if they win, I will finally have something positive to write about. I like this team though. They are my pick.

Alcorn State (0-4)

80-63 L Stephen F. Austin
84-49 L AR Little Rock

Little to say here. The two guards, DeAndre Jones and Brian Jackson, are the only story. They are both over ten a game, but the team hasn’t gotten any closer then 12 points in the end. Their competition hasn’t been all that outstanding, so I’m not upset that I put them near the bottom of the conference.

Arkansas-Pine Bluff (0-4)

80-50 L at Tulane
94-24 L at Oklahoma

It doesn’t get much sadder for AR Pine Bluff. After losing by 30 points to Tulane, they get handed about as bad an ego killing loss as possible by Oklahoma. Seventy points is what they were looking at in the end, and not even if they were dating the Swedish Bikini team could they recover from this beating with a happy heart. They only scored 24 points. I thought that the 26% put up by Grambling State was bad, but ARPB shot 25% against the Sooners. It was the largest margin of victory for Oklahoma in the Kelvin Sampson era, and AR Pine Bluff applauded them after the game. Oh, I’m sorry, I thought it was applause. I am being told that their coach was so mad that he made them run passing drills, but they kept missing the ball, thus, ending up clapping their hands instead. I would seriously like to revisit the option of moving a team from Division I to Division III if it cannot complete legitimately with even the worst of Division I teams. Let AR Pine Bluff set the precedents for forcing a league to make this decision.

Southwestern Athletic Conference Preview

by Joaquin Mesa

Since moving from California and the luxury of watching Pac-10 basketball, I’ve gotten a chance to enjoy the Big Green at Dartmouth. Though they are not part of the Southwestern Athletic Conference, I mention it because I’ve played pick-up ball with the women’s team here on campus. Why is this important? Well, I think I have a good sense now of the level of competition in the SWAC.

Now, you Jackson State fans calm down, I’m not demeaning your beloved Tigers, nor your Tigers Grambling State, nor your Tigers Texas Southern. I’m also not bashing the Panthers of Prairie View, or the Jaguars of Southern University or the Golden Lions of AR Pine Bluff. I’m basically calling all those of the feline persuasion unremarkable when compared to the Big Green women’s basketball team. I mean, you haven’t been jabbed in the gut until you’ve been faked out by a streaky female point guard at the 3-point line, then blown by. See, she had the free basket, but she decided to jab me in the gut anyway. Go figure.

This is the kind of tenacity that was lacking when the Southwestern Athletic Conference regular season champion Prairie View A&M lost to Alcorn State, a team that was under five hundred. This is the tenacity that was lacking when conference champion Texas Southern lost to NC Asheville in the Play-in game in the South Region. This is the kind of tenacity that will generally be lacking in most games this year involving these teams. I don’t mean to be so hard on the conference; it’s just that once you go green, you never look back.

All-Conference Team
Roderick Riley, C (Sr., Prairie View A&M)
Attarius Norwood, F ( So., Mississippi Valley State)
Jerrid Campbell, F-C (So., Southern University)
Brion Rush, G (So., Grambling State University)
Allen Lovett, G (Jr., Texas Southern)

This All-Conference team is very young, and it should be noted that senior leadership usually wins conferences, whether your team is good or not. Thus, this should be a testament to these players talent, not their successes. Attarius Norwood and Allen Lovett led their teams in scoring respectively as underclassmen. Campbell was a solid player at 10 points a game and 8 rebounds. Rush was .2 behind the scoring leader on the team, Paul Haynes, and he did this as a freshman. Haynes missed the list because of his 7.0 rebounding average. Any big man who isn’t putting up 10 rebounds a game in my book doesn’t get a nod, and since Campbell got 8 rebounds a game as a freshman, he is my pick at that position.

Conference MVP: Roderick Riley

Big men are always my favorites for MVP.

Freshman of the Year: Clyde Pride (Prairie View A&M)

Averaged 9.0 assists in high school, a place where ball-hogging is the norm.

Most Improved Player: Jerrid Campbell

His scoring will go way up.

Prairie View A&M (17-12, 1st – 14-4)

Projected Starting Five:
G – Kevin Cooper
G – Derek Flora
SF – William Tucker
F – Chris Garwood
C – Roderick Riley

After finishing the season strongly as the conference regular-season champions, the Panthers took an early exit from the conference tournament at the hands of Alcorn State, a team they had beaten a week earlier. First year coach Jerry Francis should be proud of his team, which was led by POY Gregory Burks. However, they have an uphill battle, with Burks, Malachi Thurston and Blannon Campbell all leaving. That leaves a very inexperienced backcourt of Cooper and Flora. However, Baylor transfer Tyrone Nelson looks to add to a frontcourt that will be dominant this year. Like I always say, big men win games.

Texas Southern (18-13, 4th – 11-7)

Projected Starting Five:
G – Shawn Walker
G – Allan Lovett
SF – Lionel Willis
F – Akil Butler
C – Jason Arbet

Texas Southern surprised everyone when they won the conference tournament. They return four starters from last season’s team, and it looks to be a very promising year for them. They are picked by the SWAC coaches as the projected top team in the conference. However, their big man, Arbet, is a freshman, and I don’t see him able to stop the older, bulkier big men in the conference. Their point guard is young too, replacing All-SWAC team member RaKim Hollis. Too many youngsters to make a run at the regular season title in my mind.

Grambling State (12-18, 6th – 9-9)

Projected Starting Five:
G – Ron Ellis
G – Brion Rush
SF – Maurice Seawright
F- Harold Lewis
C- Paul Haynes

Grambling State has a reputation of not living up to their potential. This year, with Michigan transfer Maurice Seawright, and returning FOY Brion Rush and All-SWAC team member Paul Haynes, the Tigers look to challenge for the conference title. However, they are going to go through most of the year with a small line-up after losing their top rebounder in center William McDonald. No matter how good your backcourt is, they will never win a game for you. This is why I have them as third in the conference this year.

Mississippi Valley State (15-14, 2nd – 13-5)

Projected Starting Five:
G – Michael Archie
G – Soloman Forbes
SF – Adrian Harper
F – Attarius Norwood
C – Willie Neal

This team is a mystery, and even I had trouble finding information on this team. It was very frustrating. Thus, I base my ranking on the fact that this team had a great season last year, and a returning forward who is dominant in Attarius Norwood. He is also projected to be the POY for the conference. However, I must say that Mississippi Valley State is not prepared as a marketing organization and I would not want to be a communications major there.

Southern University (9-20, 8th – 5-13)

Projected Starting Five:
G – Jerimie Collier
G – Timothy Johnson
SF – Peter Cipriano
F – Jerrid Campbell
C – Domonic Prince

Part of the reason that smaller conferences don’t get much respect is because they run spotty operations. Southern University has what seems to be a good team, but most folks wouldn’t know because they don’t promote themselves or cater to the media, which would at least give me a heads up. Two newcomers make the Southern starting five in Domonic Prince and Jerimie Collier, but it’s the returning big men in Peter Cipriano and Jerrid Campbell that get people riled up. Much like Texas Southern, this team is very young.

Alabama State (14-15, 3rd – 11-7)

Projected Starting Five:
G – Malcolm Campbell
G – Cedric Mitchell
SF – Akeim Claiborne
F – Xavier Oliver
C – Derrick Russell

With three holdovers from last year’s squad, Alabama State is hoping to improve on its middle-of-the-pack quality. However, they have no true center, and that doesn’t bode well for their conference hopes. There are too many other good big men in the league for Alabama State to make its move to the upper-echelon. Look for guard Malcolm Campbell to have another big year, and to score a whole lot more points.

Alcorn State (14-19, 5th – 10-8)

Projected Starting Five:
G – DeAndre Jones
G – Brian Jackson
SF -Dion Callans
F – Miles Howard
C -Rhau-Chavis Landfair

This team lost its leading scorer, but returns some promising guards. Brian Jackson had 12 points per game last year, while Dion Callans is a big man who will run some point for the season. DeAndre Jones is only a sophomore, and looks to add a little punch to a strong backcourt. Rhau-Chavis Landfair is a 6-10 monster on the inside, but isn’t a scorer. They will challenge late in a lot of games, but will come up short.

Jackson State (10-18, 7th – 9-9)

Projected Starting Five:
G – Ishmael Joyce
G – K.C. Cavette
SF – Ernest Hassell
F – James Williams
C – Shane King

First year coach Tevester Anderson has made some headlines, with a good recruiting year and a very valuable website that I appreciate greatly. They will be playing a few freshmen though, and it will take a year for this coach to really make this team standout. Look for a few good games out of James Williams and Shane King though. King is a 7-2 monster.

Alabama A&M (8-19, 10th – 4-14)

Projected Starting Five:
G – Obie Trotter
G – Ricky Ricketts
SF – Michael Ford
F – Jarvis Smith
C – Chris Collins

This team lost three starters and its top three scorers. It won’t be contending for anything this year. This will be a rebuilding year for a team that is used to winning. There are many good young players on this squad, like Michael Ford, who won’t start at the beginning of the season, but might very well by the midpoint. I have him in the starting five because I think his name deserves more print. Most likely, it will be Terry Horton starting at small forward, and splitting time at the two guard. Either way, it will prove to be a long and trying season for this team.

Arkansas Pine Bluff (4-24, 9th – 4-14)

Projected Starting Five:
G – Lamarquis Blake
G – Melvin Bell
SF – Chris Parker
F – Justin Lloyd
C – Courtney Lee

I had one more team to go before I could berate the SWAC conference on the whole again, and I couldn’t get past how bad Arkansas Pine Bluff was going to be. They finished last in the conference last year, AND lost three of their top four scorers. Two of the players in the starting five I could care less about, completely – as people. The only had one player in double figures last year, and he was only at 10 points a game. I don’t know what to do now. Should I write about the possibility of getting a new coach, or the possibility of moving to Division III?

In Closing

I would really like it if one of the teams here could make it past the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Then, I would finally be able to see pig’s flying. The only thing exciting in this conference is when the top three teams play each other, and who knows exactly who that is going to be this year. The coaches and media are saying that Texas Southern is supposed to win the conference, but I’m not so sure that they have what it takes. Why? Because they are in the SWAC. What else needs be said?

Southwestern Athletic Conference Notebook

by Kendrick Marshall

The wild and wacky SWAC season has concluded in 2003 and it was a roller coaster ride to say the least. There were huge surprises and major disappointments along the way. Prairie View, who was picked to finish near the bottom of the conference captured its first SWAC regular season championship for the first time since in 1962. A coaching legend in Dave Whitney roamed the bench for the last time in his 30 year coaching career in the SWAC title game. Another coach in the person of JSU coach Andy Stoglin probably coached his last game as the Tigers blew a 18-point lead to eventual champion Texas southern in the quarterfinal round on Friday.

Speaking of Texas Southern, they won their first ever championship in Birmingham, Alabama as they defeated Alcorn State 77-68. With the win Texas Southern will play UNC-Ashville in the NCAA “play in game” to determine who will square off against number one seed Texas Feb. 21 in the first round. Texas southern made their way through the field by winning close games and overcoming all odds to be crowned champion. In the quarterfinal round against JSU, they would overcome a 18-point lead and win the game 68-66. In the semi-final round they would square off against another team from the state of Mississippi in the team of MVSU. Once again they would have to pull a game out of the fire as they held on to win 73-72. Next would be the championship game, and along with that a match up against defending conference champion Alcorn State. In this hard fought battle TSU would hold off the Braves and will themselves to a 77-68 championship clincher. En route to the SWAC championship, senior guard Ra’Kim Hollis netted 18 points and nine assists, landing him Most Valuable Player and All-Tournament honors.

Now that the season has officially concluded, its time now to honor the player who stood above the rest and made this a very exciting season in the SWAC. Now without any further delay i give you the 2002-03 SWAC conference team.

First Team

G – Rak’Kim Hollis, Texas Southern (Jr. 6-3, 190, Tyler TX)
G – Tim Henderson, Jackson State (Sr., 6-5, 200, Jackson, MS)
F – F – Attarius Norwood, Mississippi Valley State (Jr., 6-8, 230, Crystal Springs, MS)
F – Cliff Walker, Jackson State (Sr., 6-5, 250, Meridian, MS)
C – William McDonald, Grambling State (Sr., 6-9, 220, Pontiac, MI)

Player of the Year

Grambling State Freshman Guard Byron Rush