Tigers Return To The Hardwood At Prairie View A&M Monday Night

• Texas Southern is back in action Monday night after an unplanned hiatus with a short trip to Prairie View, Texas to face SWAC rival Prairie View A&M at 7 p.m.

• The Tigers haven’t played since Dec. 21 at BYU. Ironically, Prairie View A&M has yet to play a SWAC contest either as its last game was at TCU on Dec. 30. TSU was supposed to play TCU on that date but had to withdraw. Both teams were not in action during the opening weekend of SWAC play.

• 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.

• Jones is 2-3 lifetime against Prairie View A&M and PVAMU’s Byron Smith. 

• Jones is 79-71 all-time in the month of January and 10-4 at TSU.

• Prairie View A&M, the reigning back-to-back SWAC Regular Season Champions, was picked third in the preseason poll. Led by former TSU assistant coach Byron Smith, transfer Cam Mack leads the team with 15 points per game while Jawaun Daniels averages 9.8 points. Lenell Henry is the top rebounder with 5.3 boards per game while Faite Williams has a team-high 18 assists.

• Since 2013, TSU is 12-6 against PVAMU but since 1981, TSU sports a 24-14 record against PVAMU inside the Baby Dome. Since 1997, TSU is 8-14 at Prairie View and has lost 13 of the past 19 in Prairie View. TSU’s last win at PVAMU was in 2017.

• Three Tigers average double figures as guard Michael Weathers averages 15 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.4 steals. Forward John Walker III averages 14.6 points and 5.7 rebounds while Galen Alexander averages 11.1 points and 4.4 rebounds.

• 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.