Mid-major basketball: In-depth look at the Grambling Tigers of the SWAC

We are down South for this week’s mid-major focus as the Grambling Tigers of the SWAC are in our sights.

Everyone loves a good redemption story, and there is no greater one than the tale of the Grambling Tigers. The team has been a complete and utter doormat throughout the program’s history. They have been around since 1977-’78 and have only enjoyed 11 winning seasons in that span. Grambling is frequently near the bottom of the SWAC and has been one of the laughing stocks of college basketball. However, that has changed this season.

The program has endured some of the worst seasons in college basketball history over the last 20 or so years. Since 1998-’99, the Tigers have failed to win over 10 games 12 times, including several seasons where they failed to eclipse five victories. They hit their worst stretch from 2011 until 2016. Here is the win-loss breakdown over those five years:

2011-’12: 4-24

2012-’13: 0-28

2013-’14: 5-24

2014-’15: 2-27

2015-’16: 7-24

Cumulative win-loss record: 18-127 (.142 Win Percentage)

You do not need me to tell you how horrific that is. I mean, have you ever heard of a team only winning two games in a season in the NCAA. Not only that, but Grambling did not win any games on 2012-’13. ZERO! For a Division I program no less! That is astounding, and it almost makes you feel sorry for the program. It is also worth noting that the team has never made it to the NCAA Tournament.

Yet, all of those poor years may be overcome thanks to this season alone. The Tigers are only 15-12 overall, but they have been dominant in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. They currently have an 11-3 conference record with all of those victories coming consecutively. Thanks to that phenomenal win streak, Grambling has a two game lead over Southern with four games remaining in the regular season. Three of those four games are against the three worst teams in the conference in Alcorn State, Alabama A&M, and Mississippi Valley State.

The Tigers do not jump off the page when you look at their team statistics. They only score about 73 points per game while giving up nearly 76 a game. Those numbers are slightly skewed due to Grambling’s lack of success in their non-conference schedule. What has pushed them to the top of the SWAC standings is how sharp and resilient the team has been. After losing to Southern on January 6th, the Tigers were 0-3 in the conference and 4-12 overall.

Those numbers alone could be reason enough for a team to throw in the towel. However, Grambling has not lost since and have they have outscored their opponents by 97 total points in those 11 contests. That is the definition of persistence and redemption. Given the program’s history, it makes this run that much more impressive.

They are led by sophomore Ivy Smith Jr. who has emerged as one of the top players in the conference. The Seattle native is averaging 16.3 points, four rebounds, and five assists per game. Though he does not shoot the highest percentage from the field, he gets to the free throw line almost eight times a game. Not only that, he is the most efficient free throw shooter in the SWAC, shooting 81 percent.

He is statistically the best passer in the league too, leading the SWAC in both total assists and assists per game. Smith Jr. also leads the league in steals per game, snatching two per contest. From an advanced statistics perspective, he is one of the best defenders in the conference. His 1.4 defensive win shares are tied for best in the SWAC.

Other key performers for the Tigers are Shirmane Thomas, who averages almost 11 points per game on 43 percent shooting. Anthony Gaston, Axel Mpoyo, Dionte Jones, and Devante Jackson all average at least seven points per game. It is clear that Grambling does a tremendous job of dispersing their offense to various players.

Next: Tournament droughts bound to be broken for mid-majors.

This story line is one that needs to be brought to the attention of the nation. Think about it, only a few years ago, this program won zero games, and now they are in prime position to make the NCAA Tournament. We have to draw attention to the turnaround this team has experienced in the last two years even. Their newfound success may be new, but if they score their first NCAA Tournament appearance, it will be a massive party on the bayou. While I try to be unbiased, I would love to see the Grambling Tigers on Selection Sunday.