The SWAC tournament saw some chaos in the early rounds. The 1st seed was knocked out early, and then the 3rd seed was knocked out shortly after that. The tournament championship game was between the 4th seeded Alabama State Hornets and the 3rd seeded Jackson State Tigers. Alabama State was able to win the game and claim the 24th automatic bid into the tournament as the representative from the SWAC.
The Hornets are making their 5th appearance in the NCAA Tournament and first appearance since 2010-2011. Alabama State is one of the few SWAC teams who has an overall winning record on the season. They head to the tournament with a 19-15 record and finished 12-6 in the SWAC. The record is impressive considering how many buy games the SWAC must play as a conference, and any time one of those teams can have a winning record it should be considered a successful season.
The Hornets, just like the SWAC conference does every year, get to head to Dayton for the First Four. Alabama State kicks off the NCAA Tournament and gets to play in the very first game of the event this season. The Hornets are different from most SWAC schools in how they play. Head coach Tony Madlock has built the team up in just three years, and they look to be a team that could be the next dynasty in the league. Here are some reasons why they will get their first-ever win in the NCAA Tournament
Threes
I mentioned that Alabama State plays differently than every other team in the SWAC, and that is because it's true. Most of the teams in the SWAC don’t shoot very many threes and like to get the ball inside. The Hornets go about it a different way and play a more modern heavy three-point attack. It doesn’t matter the opponent, and it doesn’t matter the score. The Hornets are going to get their threes up, and if they make them, they will have no trouble beating their opponent in the First Four. If they don’t make them well, it will be tough; they usually can overcome it by the sheer volume of threes that they are going to make enough to keep the game close. The Hornets have some shooters who can get hot and turn this game into a blowout.
Turnovers
How do you combat it when your threes are not going in the basket? Maximize possessions and get up more shots. Then, force turnovers on the defensive end to get out in transition. Alabama State and coach Madlock do this to perfection. They average 9 turnovers a game on the offensive end of the floor, which is one of the lowest numbers in the country. On the defensive end, Alabama State is forcing 13 turnovers a night. That isn’t a huge number, but anytime you can be a plus in the turnover margin, you will win a lot of games. The majority of the 13 forced turnovers come in steals that result in runouts for easy transition baskets. That is one way that the Hornets can combat a potential poor shooting night.
Guard Play
This should go without saying for the Hornets, right? They have a defense that is based on steals and turnovers, and they run a heavy three-point offense. If you have watched basketball, you would automatically assume that the guards are the ones who do all the heavy lifting. You guessed correctly, but the three starting guards for Alabama State all bring something different to the table, and all of them can beat you.
Amarr Knox is the point guard who leads the team in steals and free throws. He loves to get to the rim to make easy baskets, which usually result in a foul. CJ Hines is the three-point shooter who does most of his work from beyond the arc. He is a 39% three-point shooter. Finally, there is TJ Madlock, the coach’s son, Madlock is the teams best and most important player. He isn’t a great shooter but is a fantastic rebounder, finishes well in the paint, and can pass. Madlock doesn’t get as many shots as the others do, but he is the biggest guard and will guard the opponent’s best player. The guards do everything for the Hornets, and they must be good for Alabama State to have success.
The Hornets are one of the more talented teams the SWAC has ever sent to the tournament. They can win the First Four because of the reasons mentioned above. The win will give them their first ever win in the NCAA Tournament.