For the first time since 2011, Alabama State basketball will be playing in the NCAA Tournament, winning the SWAC Tournament despite being just a five-seed.
General Information:
Team: Alabama State
Location: Montgomery, Alabama
Record: 19-15 (12-6)
Head Coach: Tony Madlock (5th season, 3rd at Alabama State)
What to know about Alabama State basketball:
This team might have been the fifth seed in the SWAC conference, but they still did win 12 games in conference play. This included winning seven of their last eight regular-season games after a 5-5 start to conference play. You might want to call them the Cardiac Hornets because they won all three conference tournament games by a combined 11 points, including a four-point win in the final after trailing by one with 1:50 to go.
While this team has a few players it’s led by, you have to start with the conference tournament MVP CJ Hines. Hines scored 20 points in the final, shooting 4-6 from deep, and added 15 points in the other two conference tournament games. The guard is joined by Amarr Knox, who had a quiet tournament, but led the team all year with his 15.8 PPG and 1.7 SPG.
Something this team thrives in is not turning the ball over. They averaged 9.2 turnovers a game, 5th least in college basketball. In the NCAA Tournament, if you can limit the amount of turnovers and win the battle, you absolutely have a chance against anyone.
What they do struggle in though, is field goal percentage. They finished 348th in the country, shooting 40% as a team. They also finished 304th in assists per game. Based off those stats, you can get an idea of how they play on offense. They try to create their own shot a lot, and unfortunately it doesn’t go in most of the time.
NCAA Tournament prediction for Alabama State basketball: Round of 64 Exit
Actual seed: 16
Alabama State basketball will take on Saint Francis PA in the First Four for a chance to play the #1 overall seed, Auburn. Alabama State actually played four NCAA Tournament teams in the non-conference, 15-seed Omaha, 16-seed Norfolk State, 14-seed Akron, and 6-seed Missouri. They went 1-3 in those games, beating Omaha. They lost to Missouri by 17 and lost to other power conference teams. LSU and Cincinnati by 13 and 18. We don’t even have to discuss the SMU game, which they lost 72-101.
Grambling State represented the SWAC last year and won the play-in game, so Alabama State is hoping to extend the streak. The conference itself has won the play in game 4 of the last 5 years. Don’t expect much else though, this conference hasn’t won a round of 64 tournament games since 1993.
Before this season, Alabama State hadn’t had a winning season since 2014-2015, ten seasons ago. So, the fact they’re here says a lot about the positive trajectory of this program. Unfortunately for them though, they will not pull a Yale and beat Auburn in the first round.