Tigers To Open Up SWAC Play Versus Southern Saturday Night

• Texas Southern starts SWAC play with a three-game home stand versus Southern Saturday night. This is a busy stretch for the Tigers as this marks the third game over a 10-day span.

• This marks the second 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 last season.

• TSU has to replace three key starters from last year’s squad but has several returnees who had made starts last year that will have to step up. Point guard Tyrik Armstong, shooting guard John Jones and forward Eden Ewing will be counted on to lead the charge as Armstrong and Jones are top returning scorers while Ewing is the top returning rebounder.

• Head coach Johnny Jones is 73-70 all-time in the month of January and 4-3 at TSU. 

• Jones is 4-2 lifetime against Southern University and 2-1 against SU’s Sean Woods. Over the course of his career, TSU’s Johnny Jones is 31-6 lifetime against teams from the SWAC.

• Southern was picked sixth in the SWAC preseason poll. The Jaguars are 3-10 and are led by freshman Damiree Burns’ 9.4 points per game. Darius Williams leads the team in rebounding with 6.5 while Burns follows with 5.2. SU assistant coach Jethro Hillman was a former TSU assistant coach from 2001-2006 under Ronnie Courtney.

• TSU takes the term “home, sweet home” to heart as the Tigers are 95-22 inside the H&PE Arena since 2008. TSU has won nine-plus games at home every year since the 2010-11 season.

• TSU was picked second in the Southwestern Athletic Conference preseason poll as senior forward Eden Ewing was named to the All-SWAC Preseason First Team. Ewing was granted a sixth year of eligibility in the summer.