Courtesy: SWAC.org
• The 2015 SWAC Basketball Tournament returns to the Toyota Center from March 10-14 in Houston, Texas.
ESPNU will carry the championship game live at 5:30 p.m.
• The SWAC welcomes a pair of new head coaches this season. Shawn Walker (Grambling State) and Andre Payne (Mississippi Valley State State). Walker spent the past 12 seasons as head coach at Elizabeth City State. Payne was the head coach and associate athletic director at Wiley College for the last eight seasons
• This year’s non-conference schedule is highlighted with games that include Alcorn State playing at Texas and Iowa State while Texas Southern visits Baylor and Michigan State. Baylor, Iowa State and Michigan State each ended last season ranked in the Top 25
• Alcorn State is the only school facing a ranked team this weekend. The Braves play at #10 Texas on ESPNU at 7 p.m. this Sunday
• Top returners in the conference in points, assists, rebounds and steals:
Points – LeAntwan Luckett(ALCN) – 15.8 /game
Assists – Jamel Waters (ALST) 6.1/game
Rebounds – Maurice Strong (ALST) 6.7/game
Steals – Tevin Hammond (UAPB) 2.7/game
•Alabama State is the only school in the league returning all five of its starters from the 2013-14 season. They were predicted to finish first in the preason predicted order of finish
• Jose Rodriquez returns as the only player to average double figures in scoring from last season’s Texas Southern team producing 11.4 points per game. The 6’5 senior out of the Bronx, N.Y. also pulled down an average of 5.7 rebounds per contest which was 10th
• The Alcorn State Men’s Basketball team will participate in the 20th annual 2K Classic benefiting Wounded Warrior Project, culminating with the Championship Rounds at Madison Square Garden from November 20-21.
• Montrael Scott (Prairie View A&M) shot a league-leading 41.8 percent from beyond three point range last season
• SWAC play begins just after the New Year with two games in Alabama, and one in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi, respectively, on Saturday, January 3.
