Atmosphere like no other. That’s what SWAC basketball is all about. Smaller gyms, packed stands, bands playing loud enough to blow out your eardrums and good basketball to go with it. A few top teams are looking to take it all the way and make it potentially four different champions in the last four years. Here’s a look at the teams fighting for SWAC glory.
The Cream of the Crop
Bethune-Cookman – The Wildcats ended the regular season 17-14 overall and 14-4 in conference play to clinch the No. 1 seed. They have one of the best backcourts in the SWAC, led by Jakobi Heady andDaniel Rouzan, with Arterio Morris leading the second unit. The depth and quality of the Wildcats are why they were able to be so successful this season. Having a player of Morris’ caliber, a former five-star prospect, come off the bench and lead the second unit is invaluable.
Florida A&M – The Rattlers are the closest to Bethune-Cookman and got an upset win over them to end the regular season and clinch the second seed. After a rough start to the conference play, this team has bounced back tremendously, finishing the season with an 11-7 record in conference play and a 14-15 overall record. They play a more physical brand of basketball, punishing teams inside and hounding them defensively. Leading them this season is senior forward Tyler Shirley who is an inside-out player, able to kill opposing teams from anywhere on the floor.
Southern – The Jaguars finished last season as the number one team in the SWAC, this year they fell to three. It was a solid year for them finishing 11-7 in conference play and 15-16 overall. The big story in Baton Rouge though is the explosion from Michael Jacobs this season, who is averaging 17.5 points to go with five assists. I don’t give Southern a big chance at making a run in postseason play, but anything is possible in March.
Texas Southern – The Tigers are one of the best teams in the SWAC historically, appearing in the NCAA tournament for three consecutive seasons from 2021-23. This year they finished fourth in the SWAC, and tied with three other teams with a 10-8 record in conference play. Nothing jumps out about the Tigers to me, but their track record in March makes me believe they can make it all the way to the championship round.
Alabama A&M – The Bulldogs are the reigning champions and had a good enough season to earn the fifth seed in the tournament. Finishing with a 10-8 record in conference play and a 17-14 overall record, they aren’t the most impressive team on paper. However, their end of the season push was impressive, winning five of their last eight. Their three losses in that stretch included losses to two top three seeded teams and by less than three-point margins.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff – The Golden Lions, one of the best mascots in all of sports by the way, finished with a solid year considering they were second to last in the SWAC last season. Quion Williams was spectacular this season, averaging over 17 points a game, eight rebounds and five assists. He did everything for the Golden Lions and was a big reason they finished in the top six. Will they make a run in the tournament? I doubt it, but this season has been a great sign for the future of Golden Lions basketball.
JacksonState – The other Tigers in this conference finished with a disappointing record, going 10-8 in conference play and 11-20 overall. After finishing second in conference play last season, this was without a doubt not what the Tigers envisioned for this season. The lone bright spot though was Daeshun Ruffin who averaged over 23 points per game and ended his senior season on a high.
Prairie View A&M – The Panthers are by far the most interesting team in the SWAC to me. They finished eighth in the SWAC with a 9-9 record in conference play and a 14-17 overall record, but who led them to that record makes them interesting. They have two of the top scorers in the SWAC in Tai’Reon Joseph and Donae Horne, who are both averaging close to 20 points per game. Guard play wins in March. Big-time players make big-time shots and I think that’s what Horne and Joseph are. I expect them to at least make a run in the tournament and maybe even go all the way.
Grambling – The champions from two years ago had a disappointing season, finishing ninth. A lackluster 7-11 record in conference play and 13-18 overall record mean the Tigers’ season is all but already over. They play Mississippi Valley State tonight at 9:30, and they should win that matchup, but I can’t see them making it past round two.
Alabama State – The Hornets were a top four seed in the conference last season and are now tied for one of the worst records in the conference. They finished with a 7-11 record in conference play and a 10-21 overall record. They will open up tournament play matching up against Alcorn State today at 1 p.m. My money is on them to beat the Braves and advance to the second round, but their defense just isn’t good enough to get them farther than that.
Alcorn State – The Braves, similar to the Hornets, were solid last season but have fallen off a cliff this year. With a 7-11 conference record and an abysmal 8-22 overall record showed just how bad of a season it was for them. Their defense was atrocious, giving up over 80 points per game this season. With the offense not being much better, I don’t see a way they make it out of the first round.
Mississippi Valley State – The Delta Devils, also one of the best mascots in the country, were, to put it frankly, bad. They finished the year with a 2-16 record in conference play and 3-29 overall record, which is surprisingly an improvement from last season. Progress is progress but there is no way the Devils make it out of the first round.
My Prediction
Out of all the teams mentioned, my pick for SWAC glory has to be Bethune-Cookman. It’s an obvious pick but it’s also the best one. As I mentioned earlier in the article, guard play wins in March and the Wildcats have an abundance of it. With the backcourt of Heady, Rouzan and Morris the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats will, without a doubt in my mind, be the 2026 SWAC Champions.