Mo Williams understands the dual significance of Saturday’s SWAC Tournament championship game.
A win would give Jackson State its first outright conference title since 2007 and put the program in the NCAA Tournament for only the fourth time since moving to Division I.
However, to reach March Madness, the Tigers would need to topple Alabama State — the school Williams left in 2022 for Jackson State.
The former NBA All-Star had gone 13-35 with a 12-24 conference record over two seasons in Montgomery before ultimately resigning to coach in his hometown.
The matchup — and the irony of it — was not lost on Williams.
“It’s going to be fun. It is a storyline for the ages,” said Williams on Friday night after JSU walloped Bethune-Cookman 71-50 in the SWAC Tournament semifinal. “Obviously, I coached there. This is our third year at our new institutions, and we’re seeing each other in the championship game. I got a lot of respect for (Alabama State coach Tony) Madlock. He does a great job with his group, and we have to be ready to play.”
Madlock, who replaced Williams after a stint at South Carolina State, has the Hornets playing for an NCAA Tournament automatic bid just a season after failing to qualify for the SWAC Tournament field.
“We all had a vision. The vision was to do everything the right way,” Madlock said in reference to how he was able to lead the Hornets to its first winning season since 2015. “We have a lot of pride in the city of Montgomery. We have a lot of pride in Alabama State, and it’s starting to show.”
Alabama State was picked to sixth in the preseason conference poll. Matlock said his group used that slight as motivation to propel them to the brink of a championship.
“We used that as motivation to work hard all year,” he said. “Everyone sacrificed and bought in.”
SWAC BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT
WHO: Jackson State vs Alabama State
WHEN: Saturday 8:30 p.m. CST
TV/Streaming: ESPNU/ESPN+
