Only one award matters to TSU
Texas Southern spent the week collecting awards. It has only one left to add now.
The Tigers (17-13, 16-2) open ed the SWAC tournament on Wednesday at Toyota Center with a 77-69 victory over Alabama A&M. On Friday, they will face the winner of Thursday’s late game between Alabama State and Southern.
TSU entered the tournament as the unquestioned favorites after winning a third SWAC regular season title in four years. TSU has won the last two SWAC tournaments.
On Monday, redshirt freshman Derrick Griffin swept all three specialty awards, winning the SWAC Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year. Head coach Mike Davis was named the SWAC Coach of the Year. Griffin is a first team all-SWAC pick as is senior Chris Thomas. Senior Malcolm Riley was a second team all-SWAC pick.
“I really didn’t expect to win all those awards,” Griffin said. “I thought my teammates would get them. But seeing that it happened, it’s a great feeling.”
TSU is searching for its third consecutive NCAA Tournament berth, but as always the Tigers have to win the SWAC tournament this week in order to accomplish that goal.
It’s nothing TSU isn’t used to. Davis said every game is a winor-go home scenario now even though he expects postseason play no matter what happens this week.
“You already know it before the season starts,” Davis said. “The one thing about us, once you win the league, you know you got the NIT guaranteed. So, we know we’re in the NIT. We know today won’t be our last game. But we’re just trying to focus on getting better and trying to win every game we play from here on out.”
The focus in the SWAC Tournament will be on Griffin, but one key for the Tigers down the stretch has been Thomas.
The senior notched a triple double against Alabama State on Feb. 29 and leads the team in scoring with 14.4 points per game. He was an assist away from another triple double against Southern on March 3.
“I just think Chris is so good driving the ball downhill,” Davis said. “You either come up and help and lose Derrick Griffin or Derrick is going to get Chris a layup. You have to pick your poison.”
ESPN’s bracketology projections have TSU in the South Region as a 16-seed against Virginia.
Thomas is one of the seniors on this team with one last shot to win an NCAA Tournament game. TSU fell to Cal Poly in the First Four in 2014 and Arizona in the Second Round in 2015.
Seniors D.J. Blanks and Malcolm Riley have been instrumental to the team’s success, too.
Griffin is hoping to help the seniors achieve their goal.