2006 Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament Preview

By Nick Browne, College Basketball Staff Writer

FACTS & STATS: Site: Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Arena (17,000) — Birmingham, Alabama. Dates: March 9-11. Television: ESPN U (Semifinals and Championship Game). Annual: 29th. Defending Champion: Alabama A&M

OUTLOOK: Birmingham, Alabama is the site of the 29th annual Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament, which is set to get underway on Thursday, March 9th. While league play was tight this season, and teams battled until the final day of the regular slate for tourney seeding, one team stood above the rest throughout. The Southern University Jaguars (16-12, 15-3) were almost unstoppable in SWAC play, winning 15 of 18 league bouts to claim the regular season title and the top seed in this event. The Jaguars’ regular- season crown was their first since the 1989-90 season. Coming into tournament play, coach Rob Spivery’s squad is the consensus favorite to come out on top. If Southern is able to take the tourney title, it will be the seventh time it has done so and tie the school with Alcorn State for most all-time. While it looks as though this is the Jaguars’ tournament to lose, there are a few other squads looking to make some noise, most notably second seed and defending tournament champ Alabama A&M (13-12, 11-7), which finished the regular slate on a five-game win streak. Also, third-seeded Grambling State (13-12, 11-7) could be a team to be reckoned with. Last year, Alabama A&M knocked off Alabama State, 72-53, to win its first ever SWAC Tournament title.

The first game of the tournament features fifth-seeded Jackson State (14-16, 10-8) and fourth-seeded Alabama State (12-17, 10-8). ASU has just a 14-17 mark in this event all-time, but has played in four of the last five championship games, losing last year and taking the crown in 2004. The Hornets ended the regular season with a win over Jackson State, following a three-game losing streak. Prior to the skid, the Hornets had been one of the SWAC’s hottest squads, reeling off seven straight wins. As for JSU, it will be looking to avenge the season-ending 93-79 loss to the Hornets in this quarterfinal-round tilt. While the Tigers dropped five of their final seven games, they have been a force to reckoned with in the tourney in the past, winning the title four times, with the most recent coming in 2000.

The second tip-off of the opening day pits the third-seeded Grambling State Tigers (13-12, 11-7) against the sixth-seeded Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils (9-18, 9-9). The Tigers ended the regular season on a sour note, dropping a heart-breaking 58-57 decision to Alabama A&M. If the Tigers had come out on top in that contest, they would have earned the number two seed. GSU struggled down the stretch, losing three of its final four games to drop to 11-7 in league play. One such loss came at the hands of these same Delta Devils, 62-53. The Tigers have never won this event. Mississippi Valley State struggled through much of the season, and the team dropped seven straight at one point. The Delta Devils did however, rebound late in the year to win three of their final five tilts to secure the sixth seed. MVS has won three tournament championships in its history, with the latest coming in 1996.

The third quarterfinal-round clash features the defending tournament champs, second-seeded Alabama A&M (13-12, 11-7) against the seventh-seeded Arkansas- Pine Bluff Golden Lions (11-15, 8-10). The Bulldogs used a thrilling 58-57 win over Grambling State on the final day of the regular season to grab the No. 2 seed from the Tigers. A&M ended the season as quite possibly the hottest team in the conference, reeling off five consecutive wins to finish the regular campaign. While the Bulldogs have won just one tourney title, it came last season over Alabama State. The Golden Lions were up and down throughout the final portion of their schedule this season, seemingly alternating wins and losses down the stretch. APBU did, however, win four of its final six contests, including a 68-57 decision against Mississippi Valley State on the last day of the regular season. The team has never won the conference tournament.

The nightcap of the quarterfinal round has the top-seeded Southern Jaguars (16-12, 15-3) matching up with the eighth-seeded Alcorn State Braves (8-19, 8-10). The Jags were one of the hottest teams in the conference all season long, especially over the final 12 games, as they won 10 of their final 12 to finish far and above the rest of the league in the standings. Southern has won the SWAC Tournament six times, last taking the crown in 1993. The Jaguars appeared in the finals in 1999, but fell to the Braves, 89-83. Alcorn State was able to get its game on track in the final two regular-season bouts, claiming wins over Texas Southern and Prairie View. Prior to those victories, the squad had struggled in falling in four straight and 11 of its previous 14 contests. ASU has won the SWAC Tournament championship a record seven times, with the last coming in 2002 over Alabama State.

Despite, being outscored by the slimmest of margins (0.1 ppg), Southern managed to dominate play in the SWAC this season. The Jaguars did so thanks to the best shooting percentage in the conference (.444) and the number two scoring defense (65.9 ppg). Southern proved it has a solid, hard-nosed group of defensive-minded players, which will prove vital in the tourney, as the Jaguars will win the title and advance to the NCAA Tournament.

(Basketball News) Predicted Champion: Southern University