Let the mid-major madness take over with the SWAC Tournament, which begins on Tuesday, March 8. The Texas Southern Tigers earned the No. 1 seed of the tournament with their excellent conference play. But they also have some tough challengers, such as Alcorn State, trying to steal their thunder.
The favorites aren’t the only ones making a case for an automatic bid to the national tournament. Sleepers such as Southern and Alabama State each make their case for a strong championship run. Read on as we take a look at the teams vying for an appearance in the Big Dance.
Get plenty more college basketball tournament action with our complete previews for the Big East and Southland Championships.
March Madness News & Predictions
- 2016 March Madness Sleepers Predictions and Picks
- 2016 March Madness Longshots and Best Long Shots Picks and Predictions
- 2016 March Madness Preview
- 2016 NCAA March Madness Expert Picks
2016 SWAC Conference Tournament Preview
Favorites
Texas Southern Tigers
The Texas Southern Tigers were spectacular in the regular season. They compiled a 16-2 record in conference play to earn the top seed in this tournament. The Tigers used their blistering offense to get them all the way up to the No. 1 spot. They rank second in the SWAC in scoring offense (72.7 points per game) and first in field goal percentage (.460).
Texas Southern also controls the boards really well. They own a conference-high +5.1 rebounding margin. Derrick Griffin is their main man on the boards. He’s averaging a double-double this season with 13.4 points and 11.3 rebounds per game.
The Tigers have beaten all of their conference foes in the tournament. Expect them to be a dominant force as they make a bid for the championship.
Alcorn State Braves
The Alcorn State Braves may not score much, but they’re incredible in protecting the rim. They rank fourth in the conference rebounding (35.5 per game) and third in blocked shots (3.6 per game). Big man Octavius Brown drives the team, leading with 13 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game. He’s the Braves’ go-to guy inside on both offense and defense.
Brown can’t do it all on his own. He’ll need some solid play from the backcourt to keep defenses from locking down the paint. Tamarcio Wilson aids in dissecting opposing defenses. He is chipping in 12.1 points per game as the Braves’ leading guard.
While the Braves are strong contenders due to their ability to slow down the game, they still have much to be desired when it comes to sharing the ball. They rank among the bottom teams in the nation with 9.1 assists per game (348th).
Sleepers
Alabama State Hornets
Alabama State is scorching entering the SWAC Tournament. The Hornets went on a 6-1 run to end the regular season, including a 73-59 win over second seed Alcorn State. They get by with excellent backcourt play form Jamel Waters. He does everything the team asks of him. He’s averaging 15.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.8 steals per game. He’s ranked in the top five in points, assists and steals in the conference this season.
Waters is complemented with some solid frontcourt play from Tony Armstrong. The junior forward is averaging 12 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game. The Hornets have all the tools they need to beat opponents from anywhere on the floor, making them very dangerous opponents in the tournament.
Southern Jaguars
When it comes to the SWAC’s most-blistering offense, the honor goes to the Southern Jaguars. They may only be 9-9 in conference play, but they’ll score buckets on any of their opponents. The Jaguars score 72.9 points per game and lead the league in average scoring margin with +3.3.
Adrian Rodgers and Trelun Banks are averaging double-digit scoring this season. Rodgers chips in 16.8 points per game, while Banks is scoring 12.2 per game. The Jaguars also have Shawn Prudhomme, Christopher Hyder and Jared Sam averaging over nine points per outing. Southern should be fired up for this tournament after a huge win over first seed Texas Southern last Thursday.
Long Shot
Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils
The Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils don’t have plenty of believers. Going 6-12 in the conference and 1-6 in their last seven made sure of that. But they have one hell of a shot at making at least the semi-final round of the SWAC Tournament.
The Delta Devils’ lone win in their 1-6 run to close off the season was a win over Grambling State, their first round opponents in the conference tournament. Should they get past Grambling State, they take on second-seeded Alcorn State. The Devils almost beat the Braves in overtime in their latest outing, leading by as much as 71-65 with 1:51 left. But Alcorn State eventually rallied for the victory.
Mississippi Valley State doesn’t score much, ranking 330th in the nation with 64.8 points per game. But they can rely on Marcus Romain to be as unstoppable as he is all season long. He ranked second in the SWAC with 18 points per game.
Writer’s Prediction
Texas Southern runs away with the SWAC title.
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