CBB Review prepares you for every conference tournament leading up to Selection Sunday on Mar. 15. Up next: The SWAC Tournament.
Buckle y’all’s seatbelts, because this edition of the SWAC tournament might be the most entertaining yet in recent years. Daeshun Ruffin is running away with the SWAC Player of the Year award, while Dontae Horne has six games of 30+ points since January started. There’s a growing rivalry after a coach bolted for a conference rival after last season. Alabama State beat UAB on the road in the non-conference portion of the year. A Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback should’ve won SWAC Coach of the Year. Welcome to another wild year of SWACtion.
2026 SWAC Conference Awards
Player of the Year: Daeshun Ruffin, Jackson State
Freshman of the Year: Milhan Charles, Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Transfer of the Year: Quion Williams, Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Coach of the Year: Charlie Ward, Florida A&M
First Team:
- G: Daeshun Ruffin, Jackson State (23.3 PPG, 5.3 APG, 2.8 RPG, 1.6 SPG)
- G: Michael Jacobs, Southern (17.6 PPG, 5.2 APG, 3.7 RPG, 1.7 SPG)
- G: Dontae Horne, Prairie View A&M (19.7 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 2.9 APG, 2.0 SPG)
- G: Quion Williams, Arkansas-Pine Bluff (17.5 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 5.4 APG)
- G: Jakobi Heady, Bethune-Cookman (18.1 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 1.8 APG, 42.2 3PT%)
Second Team:
- G: Micah Simpson, Alabama State (13.9 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 3.5 APG, 1.4 SPG)
- G: Michael James, Mississippi Valley State (21.4 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 2.7 APG, 90.8 FT%)
- G: Kintavious Dozier, Alabama A&M (14.9 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 2.1 APG, 36.5 3PT%)
- F: Troy Hupstead, Texas Southern (14.6 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 1.1 APG)
- F: Jaquan Scott, Arkansas-Pine Bluff (15.9 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 1.2 APG)
2026 SWAC Tournament Simulation
First round – Monday, Mar. 9
10. Alabama State (10-21, 7-11) vs. 11. Alcorn State (8-22, 7-11) – 2 p.m. on ESPN+
These teams met once in the conference slate, with the Hornets prevailing 81-66 behind Asjon Anderson’s 23 points. Though the game was held in Montgomery, Alabama State has the talent to win this matchup in a neutral site as well. If Alcorn State is going to win, they’ll need to find a way to create stops on the interior: the Braves are last in the SWAC in giving up 37.1 points in the paint per game during conference matchups this year. Meanwhile, Tyler Byrd and Jerquarius Stanback are both averaging more than six points per game in the paint during the conference slate.
George’s pick: 10. Alabama State
9. Grambling State (13-18, 7-11) vs. 12. Mississippi Valley State (3-29, 2-16) – 8:30 p.m. on ESPN+
It’s nice to finally see a conference tournament format from the SWAC that allows all teams to participate in the postseason. However, MVSU is still a decent bit behind the rest of the conference as a program. Even with recent victories over Texas Southern and Arkansas-Pine Bluff, the Delta Devils sandwiched those two games with a 21-point loss to Grambling. The Tigers, on the other hand, are 2-7 in their last nine games. Neither team is playing particularly great.
But three of the four most recent loss for Grambling have come against the top three seeds in the conference. Its recent skid can at least partially be attributed to a tough stretch of schedule. Ultimately, the Tigers have the advantage in this game, talent-wise and according to their most recent matchup.
George’s pick: 9. Grambling State
Second round – Tuesday, Mar. 10
8. Prairie View A&M (14-17, 9-9) vs. 10. Alabama State – 2 p.m. on ESPN+
Prairie View is currently playing at one of the highest levels of basketball in the SWAC at the moment. After a heartbreaking home loss to Southern on Valentine’s Day during which Dontae Horne scored 46 points, the Panthers are 5-1 since. Horne hasn’t slowed down, either, averaging 26.0 PPG in that span. As a team, Prairie View’s block percentage sits at 19.2% in those six games, higher than its season average of 12.3%, which still leads the SWAC.
Alabama State, however, is going to be coming off of a game played the previous day, as opposed to Prairie View’s five days of rest and preparation. Alabama State dropped 95 on Prairie View last time these two teams met, but the odds that the Panthers commit 23 turnovers again (a season high) or the Hornets hit 50% or better from deep again (a mark they’ve hit just three times this season) are low. Prairie View should take this one behind another strong performance from Dontae Horne.
George’s pick: 8. Prairie View A&M
7. Jackson State (11-20, 10-8) vs. 9. Grambling State – 8:30 p.m. on ESPN+
Jackson State has the best player in the SWAC in Daeshun Ruffin. The senior’s performance against conference opponents this season has been insane: he’s averaging 27.3 PPG and 6.5 APG since the calendar turned to 2026. That includes three performances of 38 points or more. But these high stats don’t always correlate with team success: in games in which Ruffin scores 35 points or more, Jackson State is 2-4.
Grambling won on the road in Jackson in these two teams’ only meeting this season. Even though Jackson State is seeded higher, the Tigers (Jackson State variant) have recorded some questionable results recently, including an 18-point loss to Alcorn State and a 25-point loss to Texas Southern. Ever since Jackson State defeated Bethune on February 16, they just haven’t looked as good on the court, for whatever reason. Grambling should be able to win this rematch.
George’s pick: 9. Grambling State
Quarterfinals – Wednesday, Mar. 11
1. Bethune-Cookman (17-14, 14-4) vs. 8. Prairie View A&M – 2 p.m. on ESPN+
Bethune-Cookman was picked first in the preseason polls, and that’s where they ended up at the end of the regular season. The Wildcats actually finished three games ahead of any other SWAC opposition. Jakobi Heady is a big reason for that, and he’d have an argument for conference player of the year if Ruffin wasn’t playing.
Who else would stand in Heady’s way? The aforementioned Dontae Horne, who has scored at least 16 points in all eight games since Bethune held him to 15 points in a 82-76 win for the Wildcats on February 7. This is not a favorable draw for Bethune, who have to play a team that is playing some of its best basketball. However, the depth advantage that the Wildcats hold is so valuable once the conference tournament starts, as Bethune’s eight-man rotation should prove on Wednesday.
George’s pick: 1. Bethune-Cookman
2. Florida A&M (14-15, 11-7) vs. 9. Grambling State – 8:30 on ESPN+
Charlie Ward should be commended for earning the two seed in the SWAC tournament in his first season at the helm of Florida A&M. The Rattlers haven’t made the NCAA tournament in almost two decades, but they’ve got a solid shot to do so this year after an 11-7 conference record and current four-game winning streak going into the SWAC tournament.
Grambling, as mentioned previously, doesn’t have that same type of momentum going in, with a 2-7 record in its past nine games under head coach Patrick Crarey II. If that name sounds familiar, that’s because it is. Crarey coached last season at Florida A&M, only to leave after one year to accept the head coaching job at Grambling. The grass isn’t always greener, however, as not only is Florida A&M seeded second and Grambling ninth, but the Rattlers actually swept the Tigers 2-0 in the season series. A win on Wednesday will make that mark 3-0.
George’s pick: 2. Florida A&MÂ
Quarterfinals – Thursday, Mar. 12
4. Texas Southern (12-17, 10-8) vs. 5. Alabama A&M (17-14, 10-8) – 2 p.m. on ESPN+
These two teams have quite different overall records but have played at about the same level during SWACtion this year. Not to mention, both teams are playing well recently, too. The Tigers are 5-2 in their last seven games, with victories against Southern and Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Alabama A&M is 5-3 in its last eight games, with an impressive road victory against Florida A&M. Kintavious Dozier has already been named to the All-SWAC Tournament team in both 2024 and 2025, and it’s possible he gets that recognition again.
I get it…it’s impossible to bet against Johnny Jones in the SWAC tournament. The Tigers have three NCAA tournament appearances in the past five years. And we didn’t forget about the SWAC’s leading rebounder, Troy Hupstead, who’s averaging 9.9 RPG against conference opponents. But Hupstead hasn’t played since February 21. He scored 17 points last time these teams met, and without Hupstead, Alabama A&M likely has a small advantage.
George’s pick: 5. Alabama A&M
3. Southern (15-16, 11-7) vs. 6. Arkansas-Pine Bluff (13-18, 10-8) – 8:30 on ESPN+
This matchup sneakily might be the best quarterfinal the SWAC has to offer. Southern has one of the most talented rosters in the conference. Arkansas-Pine Bluff has one of the best offenses in the SWAC, though their defense needs some work. Quion Williams is on a short list for arguing who the best player in the conference is. The Abilene Christian transfer not only leads the conference in assists per game, but he’s second in rebounds per game and sixth in points per game. Did we mention he’s also sixth in steals per game?
Last time these teams met, just once this year on January 24, the Golden Lions erased a double-digit hole to steal a road victory over Southern, with Fazl Oshodi missing a game-winning three for the Jaguars with just seconds remaining. Oshodi did score 17 points in that game and 26 in a road win over Jackson State, so he’s worth monitoring in this rematch. The difference, however, will be Michael Jacobs. Jacobs had a 15-point, 11-assist double-double against Pine Bluff despite the loss last time out. If he can perform like that again, there’s reason to think Southern can snatch a victory.
George’s pick: 3. SouthernÂ
Semifinals – Friday, Mar. 13
1. Bethune-Cookman vs. 5. Alabama A&M – 2 p.m. on ESPN+
Bethune hasn’t had much trouble with Alabama A&M this season. In the first meeting between the two teams, Bethune won by 18 on the road in Huntsville. Meanwhile, the Wildcats jumped out to a 20-point lead on February 21 in Daytona Beach before eventually winning by nine. We don’t see a reason for too much stress for Bethune in this one: sometimes teams are just good matches for others.
George’s pick: 1. Bethune-Cookman
2. Florida A&M vs. 3. Southern – 8:30 on ESPN+
Florida A&M and Southern met twice during the SWAC regular season. Both times, the Rattlers came away with a win. Why should that change now, just that the stakes happen to be higher? Well, Southern is good, and it’s really hard to beat a good team twice. If anyone can, it’s the Rattlers. They’re far and away the best SWAC team on the boards right now, holding opponents to just a 22.1% offensive rebounding rate over their last five games. Southern, on the other hand, is averaging over six rebounds per game less than Florida A&M in that span.
But the Jaguars are still pushing the pace and taking advantage of opponents on the fast break, scoring 14.4 fast break points per game in their past five games, a span in which they are 3-2 with wins over Alabama State and Alabama A&M on the road. The Rattlers are giving up 12.6 fast break points per game over their past five, a rate far below average. If Southern can dictate the pace of this game and score quick, they can win.
George’s pick: 3. SouthernÂ
Championship – Saturday, Mar. 14
1. Bethune-Cookman vs. 3. Southern – 7:30 p.m. on ESPNU
This is the matchup that the conference has been waiting on since the preseason poll was released on October 8. Bethune and Southern received a combined 17 of 22 first-place votes in that poll, and were ranked first and second, respectively. In two matchups this season, the road team has actually secured wins in both. Following 80 minutes of basketball between the two teams, Southern leads 156-155. That’s about as close as you can get, in terms of competitiveness.
There’s reason to think a Bethune-Southern final will be a nail-biter, too. Southern is looking for their first tournament appearance in a decade, and they actually haven’t won a SWAC tournament game since prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, believe it or not, despite solid regular season success. Bethune, in a similar vein, have never made the tournament. Either way, history will be made, and the money is hesitantly on Southern and Michael Jacobs.
George’s pick: 3. Southern