• Texas Southern closes out the first half of SWAC play Monday night on the road at Alabama State inside the ASU Acadome at 7:30 p.m. TSU is looking for its seventh straight win and can attain a .500 record with the win in addition to remaining in sole possession of first place.
• This marks the second year for TSU head coach Johnny Jones. Jones went 24-14 in his inaugural year as head coach with three Power 5 conference wins. TSU fell in the finals of the 2019 SWAC Tournament and competed in the CIT. TSU advanced to the semifinals of the CIT last season.
• TSU has to replace three key starters from last year's squad but has several returnees who had made starts last year that will have to step up. Point guard Tyrik Armstong, shooting guard John Jones and forward Eden Ewing will be counted on to lead the charge as Armstrong and Jones are top returning scorers while Ewing is the top returning rebounder.
• Head coach Johnny Jones is 73-69 all-time in the month of February and 8-0 at TSU.
• Jones is 3-0 lifetime against Alabama State.
• Alabama State was picked fourth in the SWAC's preseason poll and is under the direction of SWAC veteran Lewis Jackson in his 15th year. Tobi Ewuosho leads the team with 14.5 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.
• TSU has dominated the series against Alabama State recently as the Tigers have won 15 straight and 18 of the past 19 match-ups. ASU's last win over TSU was on Feb. 3, 2014.
• Yahuza Rasas has seven double-doubles on the season for the Tigers and averaged 10.5 rebounds in SWAC play.
• TSU's Eden Ewing is averaging 12 points and 6.5 rebounds since the start of SWAC play.
• TSU takes the term "home, sweet home" to heart as the Tigers are 98-23 inside the H&PE Arena since 2008. TSU has won nine-plus games at home every year since the 2010-11 season.
• TSU was picked second in the Southwestern Athletic Conference preseason poll as senior forward Eden Ewing was named to the All-SWAC Preseason First Team. Ewing was granted a sixth year of eligibility in the summer.
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Courtesy: TSU Athletics