Coach Johnny Jones: 'Wizard of the SWAC Tournament'

Johnny Jones and his staff are masterful for conjuring offensive and defensive strategies to win in the SWAC Basketball Tournaments.

HOUSTON - Johnny Jones and his Texas Southern Tigers teams have owned the SWAC Men's Basketball Tournament since the 2020-21 season. 

Texas Southern head basketball coach Johnny Jones vs. Alcorn State at the 2023 SWAC Basketball Tournament.  Credit: Wade Event Photography

Masterfully he and his staff have crafted winning two straight SWAC Tourney titles ('21 and '22) after failing to win the conference's regular season championships. His TSU Tigers teams parlayed their wins into NCAA First Four tournament upsets of Mount St. Mary's ('21) and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi ('22).

Although each NCAA First Four win for the Tigers ended at the hands of the No. 1 seeds Michigan and Kansas (2022 NCAA National Champion), Jones' ability to conjure unlikely postseason wins is a testament to his genius and wizardry.

Mar 14, 2022; Dayton, OH, USA; Texas Southern Tigers head coach Johnny Jones to the press during practice the day before the start of the First Four of the 2022 NCAA Tournament at UD Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

On Tuesday evening at Bartow Arena, Jones and the Tigers defeated regular season co-champions and No. 1-seed Alcorn State 66-62.

"It's a huge win for us, especially what we battled through all season," Jones said to Fox 26. "Wind up coming in as an 8th seed, the last team to get into the tournament and playing the No. 1-seed. It's a huge win for us, and I think it speaks volumes about our guys. And they're focused, knowing what we've been through, to come out on top tonight."

TSU (12-20, 7-11 SWAC) will play the Winner of Game 4 between the Southern Jaguars and Alabama A&M Bulldogs on Friday, March 10. SWAC teams should be cautious when hearing Jones and the Tigers advanced in the bracket.

If the Tigers expect more magic, they must improve their shooting from beyond the arc. On Wednesday, the team nailed only 2-of-12 three-point shots in the game versus Alcorn State.

The overall strategy should remain the same by pounding the ball inside and allowing Walker III and Karl Nicholas to work the paint.

Prediction: Texas Southern steals another victory and advances to the championship game!