Men’s Basketball To Face Saint Mary’s Tonight On The Road

• The Texas Southern Tigers are back in action against Saint Mary’s College Friday night at the University Credit Union Pavilion in Moraga, Calif.

• The Tigers will face off against the Gaels for the second consecutive year and second time in school history. SMC won last year’s contest 82-70.

• Head coach Johnny Jones hit a career milestone late in 2021 with his 350th career win after the SWAC Tournament semifinal win on March 12. 

• This marks the fourth year for TSU head coach Johnny Jones. TSU returned to the NCAA Tournament after the 2020-21 season and won its second NCAA Tournament contest in school history. Jones went 24-14 in his inaugural year as head coach with three Power 5 conference wins. TSU fell in the finals of the 2019 SWAC Tournament and advanced to the semifinals of the CIT in 2019. In 2019-20, the Tigers made it back to the semifinals of the SWAC Tournament after a third-place regular season finish but saw the season end abruptly due to COVID-19.

• TSU will keep its bags packed as the first 13 games on the schedule are on the road. TSU’s first home contest isn’t until Saturday, Jan. 8.

• TSU will face off against teams from nine conferences in 2021-22. TSU will square off against teams from the Pac-12 (2), WCC (2), Mountain West, ACC, Conference USA, SEC, WAC, American and Big 12.

• SMC is 8-1 all-time against the SWAC with its lone loss to Mississippi Valley State (88-84) in 1990.

• Saint Mary’s is one of two WCC teams TSU will square off against this season as TSU will face BYU on Nov. 24.

• Jones is 2-4 all-time against the West Coast Conference with games against Loyola Marymount, Gonzaga and San Francisco, Saint Mary’s and BYU.

• TSU was picked to finish first by the Southwestern Athletic Conference while the duo of John Walker III and Justin Hopkins both earned preseason honors. Experience won’t be an issue as four starters return along with eight letterwinners from 2020-21.

• Head coach Johnny Jones is 58-42 all-time in the month of November and 6-12 at TSU.