The Texas Southern Tigers started the season just 3-10 - including a win over Michigan State - but have won 18 of their last 21 games to win the SWAC and make their second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.
Resume:
Record – 22-12 (16-2 in SWAC)
RPI – 129
Strength of Schedule – 305
Starting Lineup:
G Madarious Gibbs (Sr.) – 14.2 ppg, 4.3 apg
G Deverell Biggs (Sr.) – 11.5 ppg, 3.0 rpg
F Chris Thomas (Jr.) – 12.6 ppg, 5.0 rpg
F Malcolm Riley (Jr.) – 10.0 ppg, 6.4 rpg
C Nick Shepherd (Sr.) – 2.7 ppg, 2.6 rpg
Key Player:
Madarious Gibbs
Gibbs was a big reason why Texas Southern made the tournament last year, and now in an increased role, he's the biggest reason the Tigers are dancing. He's great at attacking the basket and either drawing fouls or finding open teammates, which the Tigers need him to do more of.
Biggest Strength:
Balance
The Tigers have 11 players that average over nine minutes of playing time per game, which allows them to stay fresh and play their up-tempo style without having to worry as much about fatigue.
Biggest Weakness:
Ball Movement
Texas Southern's offense sometimes becomes very stagnant because of their lack of ball movement, making them very easy to guard. They rank just 287th in the country in assists per game (11), and that just won't get it done against the great teams they'll face in the tournament.
Outlook:
Texas Southern lost in their First Four matchup last year, and they'll probably find themselves in Dayton again. Winning that matchup is a possibility, but there's no way they advance past the Round of 64.
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