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College Basketball Preview - Southwestern Athletic Conference

Wed 2nd, November 2011

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) -

OUTLOOK: Jackson State ran through the regular season in 2010-11, racking up 16 conference wins, but that did not translate into a trip to the NCAA Tournament because the team fell short in the league tournament. This year's SWAC season could have more parity than normal with a few teams capable of claiming league supremacy.

Mississippi Valley State and Jackson State both finished 12-6 in conference a year ago, and they seem to be the teams with the most experience and depth. However, Alabama State also has the potential to cause trouble in the SWAC and could be ready to make another showing in the Big Dance. Those are the four teams that could be battling back and forth throughout the season, but the winner of the conference might not be known until the final day of the regular season.

CONFERENCE CHAMPION: Mississippi Valley State

PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH: 1. Mississippi Valley State, 2. Jackson State, 3. Alabama State, 4. Alabama A&M, 5. Texas Southern, 6. Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 7. Grambling State, 8. Prairie View A&M, 9. Alcorn State, 10. Southern

TEAM BY TEAM ANALYSIS:

MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE: The Delta Devils put up a fight last season, finishing tied for second in the league with Jackson State. This year's club will rely on its inside presence to return the team to the top of the standings. The combination of Paul Crosby and Jason Holmes should cause plenty of problems for the opposition. Crosby averaged 12.1 ppg last year and paced the team with 7.0 rpg. Crosby should continue to improve in all areas, especially if Holmes comes into his own. The big man showed flashes of excellence last year, but he should make tremendous strides this time around, creating more room for Crosby to pour in the points.

JACKSON STATE: The Tigers were the team that tied Mississippi Valley State last season, but just like the Delta Devils, Jackson State is hoping to improve upon last year's 12-6 mark. The team's chances are high thanks to Jenirro Bush, who has been tabbed as the preseason pick to win the Player of the Year award in the SWAC. Bush is a pure scorer, and he is coming off a 14.2 ppg campaign. There is little doubt that Bush is going to score and do so with alarming regularity. Where help is going to come from, however, is anyone's guess. Bush is the only senior on the roster, but there are a few juniors who should contribute, notably forward Davon Jones. A big-bodied guy, Jones is expected to do the dirty work in the paint for Jackson State. If he can produce more offensively then he could be a handful for any team.

ALABAMA STATE: The Hornets were never really fully healthy last year, but still managed to win 11 games in league action, so it is evident there is talent on the roster. Now the team is built to win this season, because all those players who were thrown into the fire have received great experience. On top of that, Jeff Middlebrooks and Tramaine Butler seem healthy and ready to go. Middlebrooks appeared in just one game last year, while Butler also missed some time. Butler still averaged a tad over 10 ppg, and he was joined in the ASU backcourt by Kenderek Washington, who posted 8.8 ppg a year ago. That trio will likely form one of the best backcourts in the SWAC, and if all three can remain on the court then the Hornets could sting a few of the better teams in the conference.

ALABAMA A&M: The Bulldogs were another SWAC team that finished above .500 in league action last year. They should enjoy a similar showing this year thanks to a dangerous one-two punch in Casey Cantey and DeMarquelle Tabb. Cantey is a scoring guard is every sense of the term. He has a knack for getting to the basket, but does not hesitate to pull up for a jumper. He does tend to take some ill-advised shots, but if he can create better looks at the basket then he should have little trouble improving on his 12.4 ppg from a year ago. As for Tabb, he is a force in the paint. Last year, the big man only tallied nine points per game, but he did pace the team with 6.0 rpg. Tabb is more advanced defensively than offensively and is coming off a year in which he blocked 44 shots. He will once again be a force at the defensive end, but the coaching staff will be expecting him to develop his skills at the other end of the floor.

TEXAS SOUTHERN: When the 2010-11 regular season came to an end, the Tigers were on top of the SWAC mountain with a 16-2 league ledger. Texas Southern did not get the job done in the league tournament though, giving this group something to play for this year. However, only one of the top-four scorers from last year are back, and he is Lawrence Johnson-Danner. Johnson-Danner is deadly from long range, as he drilled 74 three-pointers last year (.402), while averaging 13.1 ppg. Johnson-Danner will be asked to raise his level of play this season, because the loss of Travele Jones is going to hurt the squad -- at least on offense. Aaron Clayborn will also need to show he is able to help the team. Last season, Clayborn played in only seven games, but the sophomore forward could become the team's go-top guy in the paint.

ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF: The Golden Lions lost their first 14 games last season and could not recover. The team finished with only seven wins in league play, but that is a number that could improve slightly thanks to the return of a few experienced guys. Arkansas-Pine Bluff will likely lean on the tandem of Daniel Broughton and Terrell Kennedy in the paint. Both players averaged 9.1 ppg last year and both have the potential to reach double figures this time around. However, the coaching staff would like to see both do better on the glass, as Broughton averaged just 4.6 rpg a year ago, while Kennedy pulled down 4.3 rpg. Taking care of business in the backcourt will be Savalace Townsend, who averaged 11.9 ppg last season and should improve on that number now that he will likely be the go-to guy. However, that means he will have the ball in his hands more, and that could be a problem for the team since he led the squad with 98 turnovers a year ago.

GRAMBLING STATE: The Tigers were nothing more than mediocre during the regular season in 2010-2011, but once the SWAC Tournament came rolling around the team hit a different gear. In the tourney the Tigers, who were clearly underdogs, bounced Mississippi Valley State and Jackson State before falling to Alabama State. It was a magical run for a Grambling squad that will now try to get better during the 2011-12 regular season. That could be easier said than done though for this year's squad, because there are a lot of new faces on the roster. Derron Hobbs (4.4 ppg) and Raschard Boatner (4.6 ppg) are the only two seniors on the roster and will be looked upon to carry this squad for much of the year.

PRAIRIE VIEW A&M: The Panthers simply weren't good enough to challenge the upper echelon in the SWAC last season, and this year's squad could be hampered by the same level of mediocrity. The top two scorers from a year ago are gone, and there are only two players with any significant experience -- guards Michael Griffin and Tim Meadows. They should form a solid backcourt tandem, but Griffin is going to have to control his shooting. Last year he attempted 268 shots, making just 86 (.321), so clearly less is more in terms of his shot selection. Overall, this could be a really tough year for the Panthers, as a glaring lack of both talent and depth should see them battling to stay out of the SWAC basement.

ALCORN STATE: The Braves dropped their first 13 games a year ago and by season's end the team, only had four victories. Each win did come in league action though, so that was something on which to hang their hat. The biggest issue for this squad was it's poor play at the defensive end, as Alcorn State was clobbered for more than 80 ppg. Fortunately, the team does return its backcourt duo of Marquis Baker and Kendrick McDonald, as the former led the team in scoring with 15.9 ppg, and the latter added 10.2 ppg. Both players should continue to drive the offense for Alcorn State, but the team will need to find a productive source in the paint. It is possible 6-7 KeDorian Sullivan gets thrown into the fire, but it may take some time, if at all, for someone to establish himself down low.

SOUTHERN: The Jaguars ended the 2010-11 regular season with 11 losses and by that time the team had collected just four wins. A couple of the team's top scorers from that dreadful team are gone, so a resurgence by this year's squad is highly unlikely. Quinton Doggett is back in the fold and should give Southern a solid option in the paint, but last year he averaged just 7.8 ppg. He did lead the team with 6.5 rpg, so if he can improve his offensive skills he could become an impact player in the paint. Otherwise, it's going to take time for the Jags to show their worth, and even then it shouldn't surprise anyone if they once again suffer through another dismal campaign.