SWAC basketball has had some difficult times, but things are improving. And timing is an issue.

By Steven J. Gaither

If the first night of SWAC basketball is any sign, the conference contest will be one to keep an eye on throughout the season. Four of the teams that defeated Pac-12 opponents earlier in the season met in conference openers in Texas, and three games were decided in the closing seconds.

Prairie View defended its home floor against Grambling State, but it took a bucket from Yahuza Rasas with 17 seconds left to secure a 61-60 victory. PVAMU advanced to 5-9 on the season, with a victory over Washington State on November 15. Grambling State dropped to 7-6 overall, with one of those victories coming against Colorado early in the season.

Jackson State does not have a Power Five victory, but it did defeat a foe in Alcorn State. JSU head coach Mo Williams earned his first SWAC victory in his new position with a 67-66 victory on a 3-pointer by Coltie Young with 11 seconds remaining.

SWAC basketball inaugural night is more than just one wild night of hoops. It’s part of the conference’s upward tendency in a key metric of collegiate basketball — NET rankings. NCAA Evaluation Tools play a significant role in teams receiving at-large invites to the NCAA. In previous years, the league battled to remain out of the bottom third of the region, as did RPI before that.

Dr. Charles McClelland, SWAC Commissioner, described how the league has historically been burdened by low NET rankings, which are often the result of taking on top-tier schools for money games at the cost of blowouts.

“What has hurt the SWAC is that we have been on the road and have been defeated by 20 and 30 points.” We have poor offensive and defensive efficiency because we’re on the road playing these teams, and then when we get to the meat of our schedule, we’re so low in NET because of such severe deficiencies that it’s difficult to elevate ourselves,” McClelland told the media in December.

When the scores were released, McClelland predicted that several teams would be ranked above 300. As of Monday, five of the league’s 12 teams had scores in excess of 300. Grambling State is the league’s best squad, despite being named the worst Division I team in history just a decade ago.

“I think it’s a concerted endeavor and we have to have buy-in from teachers. When you look at the schedules of all 12 of our member schools, you will notice that it is not as top weighted as it has been in the past. And I believe that a lot of that stems from our knowledge of what it takes to advance the conference forward.

This season, there are 363 Division I basketball teams, with seven SWAC schools among the top 300, led by Florida A&M at 361. However, as March comes, McClelland is excited about the top of the game.

“We’ve always had a very strong basketball image. But it’s tough to beat a mid-level squad when you’ve been on the road for seven, eight, nine, or ten games in a row,” he added. “And ultimately, what we tell our coaches is that you can still get your game guaranteed, but not at that highest level.”

The SWAC ADs and coaches have heard, and it appears that it is paying off this season.

SWAC MBB NET RANKINGS

181 Grambling State
217 Southern
242 Prairie View
276 Texas Southern
277 Alcorn State
309 Jackson State
334 UAPB
335 Alabama A&M
340 Alabama State
351 Bethune-Cookman354 Mississippi Valley State
361 Florida A&M