Texas Southern has played most of its 11-game non-conference slate this season on the road. The Tigers visit Minnesota Dec. 14, a Sunday noontime contest at Williams Arena, for the first time since 1995.
The four-year public university based in Houston and founded in 1927 thus far has traveled and played at Gonzaga, Texas A&M and Vanderbilt. North Carolina State will be next on the Tigers’ road itinerary (Dec. 17) before SWAC play begins Jan. 3 at Southern.
“It’s important for us to compete at a high level, but [Gopher fans] will see a very competitive team in Texas Southern when we get to Minnesota,” TSU Coach Johnny Jones told MSR during the annual SWAC media days in October. The veteran coach pointed out that a tough schedule early on is “a measuring stick for us to go play that caliber competition to help us grow as a team.”
Jones is in his seventh season at TSU. The veteran coach began his stellar coaching resume after his college playing career at LSU under legendary coach Dale Brown, and was a member of the school’s 1981 Final Four squad. Jones then joined Brown’s staff as an assistant coach and helped recruit such legends as HOFer Shaquille O’Neal and overlooked two-time All American Chris Jackson (now Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf), among others.
Jones also was interim HC at Memphis (1999-2000), North Texas head coach (2001-12), and spent five seasons at LSU (2012-17), finishing as the fourth-winningest coach in school history.
Overall, Jones has 35 years of Division I coaching experience, including nearly 20 seasons as a head coach. He is widely respected around the SWAC and elsewhere.
This year’s Tigers feature guard Zaire Hayes, a 6’2” graduate student from Houston. He was picked all-SWAC preseason, all-SWAC second team, and averaged 10.5 ppg, three points above his career scoring average. Troy Haywood (15.4 ppg) and Drayce Roberts (15.0 ppg) are the Tigers’ other players averaging double figures.
“This team is going to be fast — we play quick. We like to push the ball and transition defensively,” stressed Jones, who said he’s looking forward to playing in The Barn.
“At the end of the day, we let the chips fall where they may.”
Charles Hallman welcomes reader comments to challman@spokesman-recorder.com.