Tigers Ready For Big Battle With Jackson State Friday Afternoon

• The No. 3 Texas Southern Tigers continue postseason play versus No. 2 Jackson State Friday afternoon in Birmingham, Ala. as the winner advances to the championship round.

• The Tigers have won seven straight and are winners of 12-of-13 games.

• This marks the third year for TSU head coach Johnny Jones. 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 competed in the CIT. TSU advanced to the semifinals of the CIT in 2019. Last season, 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.

• Head coach Johnny Jones is 44-32 all-time in the month of March and 14-4 at TSU. 

• Jones is 9-0 lifetime against Jackson State as he has faced JSU as head coach at Memphis, North Texas and TSU. He’s 4-0 against JSU as TSU’s head coach.

• Since 2007, TSU is 18-11 against JSU and has won 10 of the past 12 dating back to 2015. TSU is on a five-game winning streak over JSU. JSU starter Cainan McClelland spent three years at TSU before transferring to JSU last offseason. His brother, Ashton, is on TSU’s roster.

• This time of the year is TSU’s time to shine. TSU has not lost in the semifinal round since 2016.Last year’s tournament was canceled as TSU advanced to the semifinals.

• TSU has not faced Jackson State in postseason play since 2009 at Fair Park Arena in Birmingham. JSU won the last meeting 72-65.

• TSU was tabbed as the preseason favorite to win the 2020-21 SWAC title in the annual preseason poll with nine lettermen returning and three starters. The Tigers also had a trio of student-athletes earn preseason honors as Yahuza Rasas and Justin Hopkins were named to the first team while Chris Baldwin received second team honors. Experience won’t be an issue as four of the five newcomers are NCAA Division I transfers who sat out last season due to NCAA rules.

• TSU takes the term “home, sweet home” to heart as the Tigers are 109-25 inside the H&PE Arena since 2008. TSU has won nine-plus games at home every year since the 2010-11 season bit COVID-19 prevented the streak from continuing in 2021.