The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) tournament, that began on Wednesday, March 12, saw some chaos in the early rounds which left some teams uneasy.
The first seed was knocked out early, then the third seed was knocked out shortly after that.
The tournament championship game was between the fourth seeded Alabama State University Hornets and the third seeded Jackson State University Tigers. Alabama State was able to win the game and claim the 24th automatic bid into the tournament as the representative from the SWAC.
For the first time in 14 years, the Hornets are going to the big dance.
After finishing fifth in the SWAC this season, the Hornets pieced together a Cinderella run of sorts in this year’s conference tournament, winning three games, including Saturday’s championship contest over Jackson State, to secure their place in the NCAA Tournament.
In order to reach the 2025 NCAA Tournament the Hornets beat Texas Southern University Tigers, Grambling State University Tigers and the Jackson State University Tigers over a three-day period in Atlanta to clinch the SWAC’s lone entry into the NCAA Tourment.
“This is a tremendous achievement for our program,” head coach Tony Madlock, visibly emotional after the game, said. “Our players showed incredible heart and determination tonight, and I could not be prouder of them.”
In its 60-56 win over the Jackson State University Tigers, the Hornets matched its best win total in a decade, when it went 19-10 during the 2014-15 season. At 19-15 for the 2024-25 campaign, it is a mark of progress for third-year head coach Tony Madlock, whose first season helming the Hornets saw them finish with just eight wins.
While the Hornets will not know where it is heading until Sunday afternoon, this NCAA Tournament trip will be the program’s fifth since the tournament field expanded to 64 teams in 1985. The Hornets are 0-4 to this point, with losses to Michigan State, Duke, Morehead State and UTSA.
The Hornets will look to become the fourth team in the last five seasons to give the SWAC a victory in the NCAA Tournament.