Second year Southern head coachMichael Grant will try to take his team to the highest seed in the SouthwesternAthletic Conference since 2001- second place.
In the SWAC preseason polls theJaguars (13-12, 10-6 SWAC) were picked to take second. Alabama A&M (15-11, 12-4) leads theconference.
The Jaguars have two games leftagainst Texas Southern (9-15, 7-9) in Houston and at Prairie View A&M(4-21, 4-12) — Southern has topick up victories out of both games. Grant didn’t want his team to be in a position to let someone elsedecided their feat in the SWAC.
“We’re not banking on them(Alabama A&M) losing any games,” Grant said. “We’re trying to get into asituation where we can come in second in the league and then we will have toplay the number seven team. So we’re in a great position to do that.”
The SWAC Championship tournamentis March 9-13 at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex (BJCC) Arena inBirmingham, Ala.
The Jaguars have depth in theirguards with leading scorer junior Chris Alexander (14.6 averaged points pergame), senior Peter Cipriano adding 10.9 points per game and senior TrayveanScott recording 7.6 points per game.
“With us only playing one gamelast week it really helped us,” Grant said. “We ought to come in here with somefresh legs.”
The Jaguars defeated AlcornState University 85-53 in the F.G. Clark Activity Center.
Last season at the SWACtournament the Jaguars fell 63-62 in the first round to the Alabama StateHornets.
“I think that the parody in theleague is really good right now,” Grant said about how eighth ranked teamsknock off top seeds. “Anybody can beat anybody from one through eight, so it’sreally going to boil down to the team that’s the hottest. And whoever can getthat first win in and do it in a convincing way or just in a good solid way. Ithink that’s the team that’s going to carry on and win this thing. But, youknow we’re playing real good basketball right now, we just have to find a wayto stay in the tournament because anybody can beat anybody.”
SWAC awards will not beannounced until Tuesday. The men’s championship game is scheduled on Sunday, March 13, it will betelevised on Entertainment and Sports Programming Network 2 (ESPN2).
2005 SWAC Basketball TournamentSchedule
March 9-13
Birmingham-JeffersonConvention Complex
(BJCC) Arena
Birmingham, Ala.
Tuesday, March 8
8 a.m.- 6:45 p.m./ Team shoot-a-rounds / BJCC Arena
7 p.m. –8 p.m. /Tip Off / Welcome Reception / BJCC Arena
8 p.m. — 8:30p.m. / All-SWAC Teams Awards / BJCC Arena
Wednesday, March9 — School Day
Session 1
10 a.m. / game 1Women’s Quarterfinals
12:30 p.m. / game2 Women’s Quarterfinals
Session 2
5 p.m. / game 3Women’s Quarterfinals
7:30 p.m. / game4 Women’s Quarterfinals
Thursday, March10 — Show Your Colors Day
Session 3
10 a.m. / game 5Men’s Quarterfinals
12:30 p.m. / game6 Men’s Quarterfinals
Session 4
5 p.m. / game 7Men’s Quarterfinals
7:30 p.m. / game8 Men’s Quarterfinals
Friday, March 11– Family Day
Session 5
10 a.m. / game 9Women’s Semifinals
12:30 p.m. / game10 Women’s Semifinals
Session 6
5 p.m. / game 11Men’s Semifinals
7:30 p.m. / game12 Men’s Semifinals
Saturday, March12 — Women’s Day
Noon / SWACCheerleading Dance Competition
5 p.m. / Women’sChampionship Game / (ESPNU)
Sunday, March 13– Men’s Day
11 a.m. / Men’sChampionship Game / (ESPN2)
