Feb. 1, 2010

Montgomery, AL - In a double header featuring both of the defending SWAC champions, Alabama State will host Prairie View on Monday on ESPNU. The women will square off at 3:30pm, and the men will follow at 6pm.

The Women's matchup:

Prairie View (10-9, 7-1) - 1st place SWAC

Coach: Cynthia Cooper-Dyke (81-68, 5th season)
A member of the Women's Basketball Head of Fame, Cooper-Dyke won two NCAA titles, an Olympic gold medal and four WNBA championships as a player. Since taking over the Panthers, Cooper-Dyke has led her team to three regular season titles and to two NCAA tournaments.

The team: The Panthers are coming off a 68-62 loss at Alabama A&M on Saturday. The defeat snapped a 23-game SWAC regular season winning streak. After roaring through their first five conference games with a 27 point average margin of victory, PV beat UAPB by only seven and struggled against Mississippi Valley State before eventually pulling away. In the Alabama A&M loss, PV committed 28 turnovers (tied for their season-high) and was outrebounded by a smaller team.

As a team, the Panthers lead the SWAC in scoring, scoring margin, free throw shooting, 3point percentage, blocked shots, assists and assist-to-turnover margin.

Players to watch: Four PV players average double figures scoring in SWAC games, led by Candice Thomas (16 ppg), Latara Darrett (15 ppg, 6rpg), and reigning SWAC player of the year Gaati Werema (14 ppg, 9rpg).

Alabama State (7-10, 4-4) 6th place SWAC

Coach Freda Freeman-Jackson (184-133, 11th season)
Freeman-Jackson was a standout player at Alabama State, capturing 1st team All-SWAC honors in 1984. As a coach, Freeman-Jackson led Loachapoka (Ala.) high school to a state championship before taking over her alma mater in 1998.

Freeman-Jackson led ASU to consecutive regular season SWAC titles in 2003 and 2004. The second of those title seasons also produced the school's only NCAA tournament appearance. Freeman-Jackson and Lewis Jackson are believed to be the only husband-wife head coach duo at the same Division I institution.

The team: While the team has struggled scoring (54ppg, 9th in SWAC), the Lady Hornets rely on their trademark pressure defense to keep them in games. ASU is second in scoring defense (57 ppg), first in field goal defense (35%), second in 3point defense (30%), and second in rebounding margin (+1.2),

No Lady Hornets averages 30 minutes per game, but 10 play at least nine minutes per outing as Freeman-Jackson seeks to wear down opponents.

Players to watch: Power forward Tanika Jackson has fought through a torn knee ligament and is the only player in the conference - men or women - averaging a double-double (14ppg, 10rpg). In addition to leading the league on the glass, Jackson is 4th in the league in free throw shooting (78%). Jackson's older sister Shameka was also a star at ASU and currently has her jersey hanging from the rafters of the Dunn-Oliver Acadome.

While no other player averages more than five points per game, center Shanice Merritt leads the SWAC in 1.9 blocks per game and point guard Jakayla Hill is 8th in the league in assists (2.5).

The men's matchup

Prairie View (10-9, 5-3) 5th place SWAC

Coach Byron Rimm II (43-69, 3rd year)
Rimm was an assistant coach for third-ranked Cal-San Bernandino before being named head coach at Jarvis Christian. After leading Jarvis to the NAIA national playoffs, Rimm took over PV where he has quickly built the Panthers into an athletic unit reflecting his aggressive "hit-the-floor" style.

The team: After winning three of their first four conference games, the Panthers have dropped two of their last three. Still, they lead the SWAC in scoring defense (64ppg) , scoring margin (+3.4), field goal percentage defense (39%), assists (14/pg), turnover margin (+2.8) and assist-to-turnover ratio (0.9).

Players to watch: The Panthers feature perhaps the SWAC's best all around player in Darnell Hugee (16ppg, 6rpg), who is 2nd in the conference in scoring and field goal percentage (56%). Michael Griffin scores 10 ppg while leading the team with 35 3pointers made. He is also second in the SWAC in assists (3.7/g) and fifth in steals (1.8/g). Dorian McDonald adds 8 points and 6 rebounds per game.

Alabama State (9-10, 6-2) tied-2nd place SWAC

Coach Lewis Jackson (83-69, 5th year)
Jackson won consecutive SWAC player of the year awards as ASU captured the 1983 and 1983 SWAC titles. After his career, Jackson was the only player from an HBCU invited to the 1984 Olympic trials, where he competed against all-time greats Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley and John Stockton. Jackson was assistant coach for five years at ASU, including the 2001 and 2004 championship seasons.

The team: After winning back-to-back SWAC championships and losing their top seven scorers from last season, the Hornets are perhaps the biggest surprise in the league. ASU is currently riding a conference-high five game winning streak. ASU is only four points away from being undefeated, with a one-point loss at Jackson State and a three point home loss to Mississippi Valley State. Alabama State leads the SWAC in 3point percentage (33%), is second in blocked shots (4.3 tied with PV), and is third in 3pointers made (125 - one behind PV).

Players to watch: Menji Mundadi has virtually unlimited range and is 5th in the SWAC in scoring (16ppg), 2nd in 3point percentage (40%), and is 4th in free throw percentage (74%). Tremayne Moorer has become a workhouse around the basketball after struggling with knee injuries throughout his career, averaging Moorer 12 points and 7 rebounds per game (3rd in SWAC). Chris Duncan is second in the SWAC in blocked shots (2.1/g).