How Jackson State men's basketball's Mo Williams found positives even after SWAC title game loss
The Jackson State men's basketball team wanted to end its 18-year NCAA tournament drought, and the only way it could do it this season was to win the SWAC tournament championship and its automatic berth.
The Tigers got to the final, but lost to Alabama State 60-56 on Saturday.
" . . . We had a goal coming into the season to go to the NCAA tournament," Jackson State coach Mo Williams said at a news conference Wednesday. "Obviously, we fell a couple minutes short of that. But being proud of the guys is no understatement. Extremely proud of our guys. I thought we answered the bell all season."
JSU finished the regular season 14-17 overall, 14-4 in the conference. It was 0-13 against non-conference opponents, but the players believed that competition set them up for a strong conference performance and the No. 2 seed in the SWAC tournament.
Despite the missed chance at the NCAA tournament berth, Williams, in his third season, found positives that outweighed the negatives of the season.
"The only thing that was negative was the championship game," he said. "But outside of that, man, we took care of business. When conference play started, we won 16 out of 20 heading into that championship game.
"We won games, not playing well, just sticking together. We stayed together as a team. I mean, everything was a positive. I think that's why we were so devastated in that championship game, because everything was going so good. Everybody bought into their roles."
Freshman guard Dorian McMillian was named SWAC Freshman of the Year and center Shannon Grant was All-SWAC second team. Daeshun Ruffin was nominated for the 2025 Howell Trophy, awarded annually to the top men's college basketball player in the state of Mississippi. Ruffin was JSU's catalyst, averaging 15.7 points and 4.2 assists per game.
Williams, the 2001 Mr. Basketball and an NBA champion with the Cleveland Cavaliers, also knows what it's like to get close, and the team will use that as fuel during the offseason.
"I've tasted the championship game," he said. "I've tasted getting close to winning a regular-season championship. So I still have a lot of motivation, a lot of goals that I've set for myself individually, that we can get collectively. I still have to reach that goal."
Michael Chavez covers high school sports, among others, for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at mchavez@gannett.com or reach out to him on X, formerly Twitter @MikeSChavez.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Jackson State basketball: How Mo Williams found positives after SWAC loss
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