2017–18 Grambling State Tigers men's basketball team
American college basketball season
The 2017–18 Grambling State Tigers men's basketball team represented Grambling State University during the 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball season . The Tigers, led by first-year head coach Donte Jackson , played their home games at the Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly Center in Grambling, Louisiana as members of the Southwestern Athletic Conference .
With a win over Alabama State on March 3, 2018, Grambling State clinched the outright SWAC regular season championship, the school's first since 1989.[ 1] [ 2] [ 3]
Previous season
The Tigers finished the 2016–17 season 16–17, 10–8 in SWAC play to finish in a four-way tie for third place. As the 5-seed in the SWAC tournament they defeated Prairie View A&M before losing in the semifinals to Texas Southern .
On March 22, 2017, it was announced that head coach Shawn Walker 's contract would not be renewed.[ 4] [ 5] Stillman of the NAIA as new head coach.[ 6] [ 7]
Roster
2017–18 Grambling State Tigers men's basketball team
Players
Coaches
Pos.
#
Name
Height
Weight
Year
Hometown
G 0
Shaq Athie 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 185 lb (84 kg)
Jr
Cincinnati , Ohio
G 1
Ivy Smith Jr. 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 160 lb (73 kg)
So
Tacoma, Washington
G 2
Nigel Ribeiro 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 170 lb (77 kg)
Jr
Chesapeake, Virginia
G 3
Kareem Wright 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 180 lb (82 kg)
So
Nashville, Tennessee
G 4
Anthony Gaston 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 190 lb (86 kg)
So
Richmond, Virginia
G 5
Shirmane Thomas 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 195 lb (88 kg)
Sr
Homer, Louisiana
G 10
Drake Wilks 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 175 lb (79 kg)
Sr
Baltimore, Maryland
F 11
Axel Mpoyo 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 215 lb (98 kg)
Jr
Meridian, Idaho
G/F 12
Bobby Jackson 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 185 lb (84 kg)
Jr
Atlanta, Georgia
G 20
Charles Simmons 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 175 lb (79 kg)
So
Ahoskie, North Carolina
F 21
Zavier Peart 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 250 lb (113 kg)
Sr
Miami , Florida
G 22
Prince Moss 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 180 lb (82 kg)
So
Bessemer, Alabama
G 23
Marcel Thompson 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 190 lb (86 kg)
Fr
Baltimore, Maryland
G/F 23
Diing Diing Wol 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 220 lb (100 kg)
Jr
Baytown, Texas
G/F 24
Diontae Jones 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 215 lb (98 kg)
Sr
Las Vegas, Nevada
F 32
Devante Jackson 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 200 lb (91 kg)
So
Milwaukee , Wisconsin
F 33
Jason Perry-Murray 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 220 lb (100 kg)
Fr
Harlem , New York
G 34
Lasani Johnson 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 180 lb (82 kg)
Jr
Dallas , Texas
C 40
Travon Bunch 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 230 lb (104 kg)
So
Racine, Wisconsin
Head coach Assistant coach(es) Legend (C) Team captain(S) Suspended(I) Ineligible(W) Walk-on Roster
Schedule and results
Date
Opponent
Result
Record
Site (attendance)
Non-conference regular season
Nov 10, 2017 *6:00 pm, MASN
at VCU
L 65–94 0–1
Siegel Center Richmond, VA
Nov 16, 2017 *7:00 pm, BTN+
at Iowa
L 74–85 0–2
Carver–Hawkeye Arena Iowa City, IA
Nov 18, 2017 *7:00 pm
at South Dakota
L 55–84 0–3
Sanford Coyote Sports Center Vermillion, SD
Nov 21, 2017 *6:00 pm
at Bethune–Cookman Ramblin' Wreck Showcase L 78–87 0–4
Moore Gymnasium Daytona Beach, FL
Nov 25, 2017 *7:00 pm
at Texas–Rio Grande Valley Ramblin' Wreck Showcase W 82–76 1–4
UTRGV Fieldhouse Edinburg, TX
Nov 27, 2017 *7:00 pm
at North Texas Ramblin' Wreck Showcase L 77–82 1–5
The Super Pit Denton, TX
Dec 1, 2017 *6:30 pm
at Georgia Tech Ramblin' Wreck Showcase W 64–63 2–5
McCamish Pavilion Atlanta, GA
Dec 4, 2017 *7:00 pm
Tougaloo W 111–95 3–5
Hobdy Center Grambling, LA
Dec 9, 2017 *8:00 pm
at Grand Canyon
L 53–87 3–6
GCU Arena Phoenix, AZ
Dec 12, 2017 *7:00 pm
at Louisiana–Monroe
L 57–59 3–7
Fant–Ewing Coliseum Monroe, LA
Dec 16, 2017 *2:00 pm
at Southeastern Louisiana
W 68–67 4–7
University Center Hammond, LA
Dec 21, 2017 *6:00 pm
at East Carolina
L 68–76 4–8
Williams Arena Greenville, NC
Dec 28, 2017 *9:00 pm
at Seattle
L 63–93 4–9
KeyArena Seattle, WA
SWAC regular season
Jan 1, 2018 2:00 pm
Alabama A&M L 64–71 4–10
Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly Center (231)Grambiling, LA
Jan 3, 2018 7:30 pm
Alabama State L 66–74 4–11
Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly Center (325)Grambiling, LA
Jan 6, 2018 5:30 pm
at Southern
L 69–80 4–12
F. G. Clark Center Baton Rouge, LA
Jan 8, 2018 7:00 pm
at Alcorn State
W 72–61 5–12
Davey Whitney Complex Lorman, MS
Jan 13, 2018 5:30 pm
Prairie View A&M W 80–71 6–12
Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly Center (715)Grambiling, LA
Jan 15, 2018 7:30 pm
Texas Southern W 79–78 7–12
Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly Center (1,243)Grambiling, LA
Jan 20, 2018 5:30 pm
at Jackson State
W 72–45 8–12
Williams Assembly Center Jackson, MS
Jan 27, 2018 5:30 pm
at Arkansas–Pine Bluff
W 69–68 9–12
K. L. Johnson Complex Pine Bluff, AR
Jan 29, 2018 7:30 pm
at Mississippi Valley State
W 92–89 OT
10–12
Harrison HPER Complex Itta Bena, MS
Feb 3, 2018 5:30 pm
Southern W 69–68 11–12
Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly Center (3,875)Grambling, LA
Feb 5, 2018 7:30 pm
Alcorn State W 81–72 12–12
Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly Center (1,160)Grambling, LA
Feb 10, 2018 5:00 pm
at Prairie View A&M
W 90–85 13–12
William J. Nicks Building Prairie View, TX
Feb 12, 2018 7:30 pm
at Texas Southern
W 78–55 14–12
H&PE Arena Houston, TX
Feb 17, 2018 7:30 pm
Jackson State W 71–64 15–12
Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly Center (1,207)Grambling, LA
Feb 24, 2018 5:30 pm
Arkansas–Pine Bluff L 66–75 15–13
Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly Center (2,700)Grambiling, LA
Feb 26, 2018 7:30 pm
Mississippi Valley State L 74–79 15–14
Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly Center (1,431)Grambiling, LA
Mar 1, 2018 7:30 pm
at Alabama A&M
W 84–74 OT
16–14
Elmore Gymnasium Normal, AL
Mar 3, 2018 3:00 pm
at Alabama State
W 66–64 17–14
Dunn–Oliver Acadome Montgomery, AL
*Non-conference game.
# Rankings from
AP Poll . (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
All times are in
Central Time .
References
^ "Grambling vs. Alabama State - Game Recap - March 3, 2018 - ESPN" . ESPN.com . Retrieved March 5, 2018 .^ "4 mid-major schools ineligible for postseason due to APR scores" . Mid-Major Madness . Retrieved November 9, 2017 .^ "17 D-I teams don't make NCAA grade, banned from postseason" . USA TODAY . Retrieved November 9, 2017 .^ Marshall, Kendrick (March 23, 2017). "Grambling State dismisses basketball coach Shawn Walker" . HBCU Sports . Retrieved November 9, 2017 . ^ "Isabella: GSU taking huge risk with hoops coaching change" . USA TODAY . Retrieved November 9, 2017 .^ "Donte' Jackson named Grambling men's hoops coach" . swac.org . Retrieved November 9, 2017 .^ "Grambling to hire Stillman's Jackson as hoops coach" . thenewsstar.com . Retrieved November 9, 2017 .
Venues People Seasons NAIA national championship in bold
