Prairie View A&M and Jackson State both went undefeated in conference play this season. Prairie View did finish the season with more conference wins though, giving them the number one overall seed. Can the Panthers ride their SWAC Basketball regular season title to a tournament win? Let’s break down the conference tournament, previewing the conference and giving the standings, bracket and schedule.
SWAC Basketball Standings
| Team | Conference Record | Overall Record | Tournament Outlook |
| Prairie View A&M | 13-0 | 14-4 | 1 Seed |
| Jackson State | 11-0 | 11-5 | 2 Seed |
| Texas Southern | 10-3 | 13-8 | 3 Seed |
| Grambling State | 9-6 | 11-11 | 4 Seed |
| Southern | 8-6 | 8-10 | 5 Seed |
| Alcorn State | 6-7 | 6-12 | 6 Seed |
| Alabama A&M | 4-9 | 6-9 | N/A |
| Alabama State | 4-14 | 4-14 | N/A |
| Arkansas-Pine Bluff | 3-12 | 4-20 | 7 Seed |
| Mississippi Valley State | 2-13 | 2-21 | 8 Seed |
SWAC Basketball Schedule
Dates: March 10-13
TV: ESPN3, ESPNU
Site: Bartow Arena, Birmingham, AL
Byes: N/A
Most Recent Champion: Prairie View A&M
SWAC Basketball Tournament Bracket
Quarterfinals
- (2) Jackson State 74, (7) Arkansas-Pine Bluff 62
- (1) Prairie View A&M 91, (8) Mississippi Valley State 64
- (3) Texas Southern 78, (6) Alcorn State 55
- (4) Grambling State 72, (5) Southern 67
Semifinals
- (3) Texas Southern 84, (2) Jackson State 81
- (1) Prairie View A&M 75, (4) Grambling State 63
Championship
- (3) Texas Southern 80, (1) Prairie View A&M 61
Texas Southern advances to the NCAA Tournament
SWAC Basketball Conference Breakdown
Prairie View A&M started their season with a 1-4 record. The Panthers then went on to win their next 13 games. This propelled them to an undefeated conference season. The Panthers get after opposing teams on the defensive side of the ball. They average 10 steals a game, ranking them third in the country. That is about all Prairie View A&M excels at, though. They did finish the season with a +10 NET Rating. With the lack of talent in the SWAC, the Panthers should still be seen as the favorite to win the conference.
Jackson State was the other team in the conference who went undefeated in conference play. Senior guard, Tristan Jarrett averages 20 points per game. The Tigers also make their money on the defensive side of the ball. They only give up 61 points per game, ranking them 10th in the country. The Tigers also only give up 4.6 three-point makes to their opponent, good for second in the country.
The biggest overachiever in relation to the preseason rankings was Prairie View A&M, who was projected to finish third, but actually finished first. The biggest underachiever in relation to the preseason rankings was Southern, who was projected to finish second, but actually finished fifth.
Alabama A&M and Alabama State were both ruled ineligible for postseason play due to APR violations.
