Tigers’ expectations high for deep roster
An indication of how good Texas Southern could be in men’s basketball this season is that two players were named to the SWAC preseason first team and another on the second team. And the four transfers who were in the program a year ago and who all sat out may be just as talented.
The Tigers are that good. There’s a reason coach Johnny Jones’ squad is the pick to win the conference regular season.
Making first-team AllSWAC are 6-7 junior forward Yahuza Rasas and 6-5 graduate student forward Justin Hopkins, a high-percentage shooter. Chris Baldwin, 6-9, received the second-team accolades.
“We have great length, certainly the biggest team across the board that we’ve had, and I love our athleticism with this group,” Jones said. “Hopefully, with that combination, some good things will happen for us.”
In his inaugural season for the Tigers, Rasas led the team in rebounding (8.2) and was fourth in scoring (9.8). Hopkins is the team’s leading returning scorer (10.5).
Running the point is senior guard John Jones, who added 8.7 points per game and connected on a teambest 51 3-pointers, which helped stretch defenses. He also was among team leaders in free-throw percentage (86.4).
Not only are the Tigers loaded at every position, but there’s quality depth in the rotation. Junior guard Bryson Etienne averaged 7.2 points, tops among the returning reserves. Baldwin, a senior post, averaged six points, and 4.4 rebounds and is noted for his rebounding and energy.
John Walker III, who started his college career at Texas A&M, has been hampered by injuries at TSU. When healthy, the 6-9 Walker has All-SWAC potential as well. In limited action in 2019-20, Walker averaged 5.2 points and 3.4 rebounds.
“We should be effective with the depth that we have,” Jones said. “Guys should be ready to make an impact on the floor.”
Among the players who sat out last season, 6-3 Oklahoma State transfer Michael Weathers may have the most upside. While at Miami (Ohio) he was the MidAmerican Freshman of the Year. Galen Alexander, a 6-6 forward, is a Georgetown transfer, high scorer Joirdon Karl Nichols, 6-9, began at Stephen F. Austin and 6-5 playmaker Jordan Gilliam comes from UC Riverside.
“In practice last year, they were extremely tough for our team to handle with the starters that we had, and they worked as the scout team against us,” Jones said. “They were really good and they stood out, so all those guys have been pushing for either starting minutes or a lot of playing time.”