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MEDIA DAY PRESEASON POLL
- Prairie View A&M
- Texas Southern
- Grambling
- Alabama State
- Jackson State
- Southern
- Arkansas Pine Bluff
- Alabama A&M
- Alcorn State
- Mississippi Valley State
MEDIA DAY PRESEASON SWAC PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Devonte Patterson – Prairie View A&M
MEDIA DAY PRESEASON SWAC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Jayveous McKinnis – Jackson State
MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-SWAC 1ST TEAM
Maurice Howard – Alcorn State, G
Ivy Smith – Grambling, G
Eden Ewing – Texas Southern, F
Devonte Patterson – Prairie View A&M, F
Jayveous McKinnis – Jackson State, C
MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-SWAC 2ND TEAM
Jacoby Ross – Alabama State, G
Shaun Doss – Arkansas Pine Bluff, G
Troymain Crosby – Alcorn State, F
Gerard Andrus – Prairie View A&M, F
Terrance Banyard – Arkansas Pine Bluff, C
NOTES FROM DAVID. For the past couple of decades, the SWAC has been one of the weakest, and perhaps THE weakest, conference in D-1 basketball. All of the teams spend the majority of November and December playing on the road against higher-caliber programs in games that they have little to no chance of winning. More often than not, the league lands in the First Four. They really are playing with a lot of circumstantial disadvantages.
Prairie View did manage 21 wins a year ago, and went 17-1 in SWAC play before winning the conference tournament. Only two starters are back, and they will have to replace one of the better players in the conference, but they should get some help from some JUCO transfers as well as guys who are ready to step in to bigger roles.
Texas Southern has been the top program in the conference in recent years, and they managed to win two huge OOC games a year ago by knocking off Baylor on the first night of the season, and also winning at Oregon, who went on to make the Sweet Sixteen. They went 14-4 in conference play before losing to Prairie View in the SWAC Championship game. Six players are gone from that team, but they have a quality JUCO player in Yahuza Rasas coming in, as well as some transfers who will be eligible to play after sitting a year ago. It wouldn’t shock me if they ended up winning the league this year.
Grambling has three starters back from a team that finished 3rd just a season ago. Most people don’t know this, but just before Donte Jackson arrived two years ago this program was among the worst in all of D-1. He’s done a remarkable job in his two seasons there, and the improvements should continue this year.
Arkansas Pine Bluff has two quality players in Shaun Doss and Terrance Banyard. They will also look to get some production out of three key JUCO transfers who are joining the roster. I’m a little surprised the media didn’t pick them to finish a tad bit higher.
Jackson State finished in a three-way tie for third place, and with four starters back that experience should help them this year.
Alabama State has a pretty solid guard in Jacoby Ross, but others on the team will have to step up if they want to play at a level that can help them finish near the top of the league.
Southern was a team that used to reign supreme in this conference, but they’ve kind of fallen on rough times as of late. They won only seven games a year ago, and with just one starter returning they appear to be in rebuilding mode.
Alabama A&M, who has been among the worst in D-1 in recent years, will undergo a complete overhaul of the roster to try and get things turned around.
Alcorn State and Mississippi Valley State are in for long seasons.