Week 4 in the SWAC: Bethune Cookman’s Dominance, Texas Southern’s Surge & Double-Digit Dominance
In a league known for parity, this week was anything but that outside of a few outcomes. There were three teams who finished the week undefeated while another three went winless. Five teams boosted their KenPom ratings, with Bethune-Cookman and Texas Southern producing the two largest jumps among all HBCUs nationwide, signaling real momentum rather than statistical noise.
The race at the top is tightening as Bethune-Cookman, Jackson State, and Florida A&M all crossed the five-win mark in conference play, while 7 of the league’s 12 programs now own winning SWAC records. Home courts mattered but not overwhelmingly, as hosts went 6–4 in a week where 6 of 10 contests turned into double-digit affairs.
Star power also took center stage as Jackson State’s Daeshun Ruffin and Prairie View A&M’s Dontae Horne each erupted for 30-point performances, while Alabama State’s Tyler Byrd came heartbreakingly close, finishing just one bucket shy of joining the scoring spree. In a week defined by emerging contenders, lopsided finishes, and data backed growth, the SWAC made one thing clear - conference play has officially hit its stride.
Bethune Cookman’s Dominant Start Continues
Bethune-Cookman put together one of the most impressive weeks in the SWAC, going 2–0 at home and doing so in emphatic fashion. The Wildcats capped the stretch with a dominant 85-48 dismantling of a surging Jackson State squad. During their 2-0 week the offense was on fire, eclipsing the 80-point mark in both games for the third consecutive outing.
The victories pushed Bethune-Cookman to 6–1 in conference play, its best SWAC start since 2012. It also extended its current league winning streak to four games, the longest in the conference. More telling, however, is how complete the Wildcats have looked on both ends of the floor. They now sit among the rare teams nationally ranked top three in their conference in both offensive and defensive efficiency, a balance that has quickly turned them into a hefty favorite to win the conference.
A major catalyst has been the return of Doctor Bradley, the Arkansas-Pine Bluff transfer who rejoined the lineup following a Landmark NCAA eligibility ruling. His presence has immediately elevated Bethune-Cookman’s defensive ceiling and lineup versatility, helping the Wildcats climb to 1st in the SWAC in defensive efficiency. With Bradley logging 20-plus minutes in each of the last three games, his impact has been undeniable, averaging 16.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.6 steals, and 1.6 blocks per contest. Bethune-Cookman is now 5–1 with him in uniform, and the numbers suggest an entirely different team when he’s on the floor.
The momentum has been felt beyond the conference standings as well. The Wildcats surged from 267th to 244th in KenPom this week, the largest jump of any HBCU program, underscoring how sharply their profile is rising. Jakobi Heady’s consistency has played a key role in that climb, earning him SWAC Player of the Week honors after posting 18.5 points and five rebounds per game on efficient 47/94/50 shooting splits.
With sole possession of first place in the SWAC standings, the Wildcats face a challenging finish: 7 of their final 11 games are on the road. However, their strong conference play so far on the road bodes well for sustaining this push toward a potential SWAC title and postseason berth.
Texas Southern Tigers Clawing Their Way Back In SWAC Contention
The Tigers put together one of its most encouraging weeks of the season, sweeping a two-game homestand against Alabama A&M and Alabama State by double figures. Both victories came by 12+ points and continued a growing trend inside the H&PE Arena, where the Tigers have transformed early-season struggles into dominant performances. After opening league play 0–3, Johnny Jones’ group has now won four of its last five games and sits at 4–4 in conference, building momentum as February approaches.
Offensively, the Tigers lead the SWAC in efficiency and rank second in three-point shooting at 37.6%. They're one of only two teams in the conference (Arkansas-Pine Bluff) shooting above 33% from beyond the arc, fueling their high-scoring outputs in these recent wins. In the Alabama State win, six players reached double figures, with Zaire Hayes leading the way at 17 points. Against Alabama A&M, they roared back from a 10-point halftime deficit with a dominant second half (57 points), led by Jaylen Wysinger's 23 points.
Individual performances from key players have been big in the turnaround but Troy Hupstead has helped spark the surge for the Tigers. Hupstead has quietly been one of the league’s most productive frontcourt players over the last six games. During that stretch, Hupstead is averaging 15.3 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per contest, recording four double-doubles and anchoring the Tigers on both ends of the floor.
The turnaround is also reflected nationally, as Texas Southern has climbed from 337th to 312th in KenPom rankings, one of the largest jumps among HBCU programs this week. Still, the path forward won’t be easy. A challenging road swing awaits with three straight away games, including matchups against the SWAC’s top two teams. Entering next week, the Tigers are projected to win just 11 games, potentially the lowest total of the Johnny Jones era. However, their recent form suggests they may be ready to outperform expectations and make the second half of conference play far more interesting.
Best of the Rest in Week 4
Florida A&M remains one of the league’s more intriguing stories under first-year head coach Charlie Ward. Despite a tough home loss to Jackson State after controlling much of the game, the Rattlers sit at an impressive 5–2 in conference play. Offense has been harder to come by lately as FAMU has been held under 70 points in three straight contests. However, the early league success signals a program trending upward for a team not many thought would be this good, this soon.
Jackson State remains a threat despite a challenging 1-1 road week against the league's elite. They are 5-2 in conference but undefeated at home in SWAC play (3-0). Preseason Player of the Year Daeshun Ruffin is on a tear in league games, recently earning Co-Impact Player of the Week honors. His continued production could propel the Tigers higher if they shore up consistency, especially on the road.
Alabama A&M has been one of the mid-tier surprises, posting a 4-3 conference record, their best seven-game SWAC start since 2021 (post-COVID era). They went 1-1 on the road last week which puts their record at 11-9 overall mark (the 2nd best among HBCUs) and have already surpassed their regular season win totals from the past two years.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff continues to hover just outside the upper tier after a dramatic one-point road victory at Southern snapped a brief three-game skid. The Golden Lions are 4-3 in conference play, a massive turnaround from last season’s 0–8 start. They are a few baskets and stops away from being even better. Two of their three losses came against the league’s top two teams by a combined nine points, including one overtime thriller.
Southern, meanwhile, is experiencing an unfamiliar stumble after last season’s blistering 10–0 SWAC opening. The Jaguars dropped a heartbreaking one-point home decision to UAPB and now sit at 3-3 which is their worst six-game league start since 2020. Still, advanced projections remain bullish, forecasting victories in 11 of their final 12 games with strong win probabilities suggesting the talent is there for a late surge.
Alabama State has struggled to find defensive consistency, splitting a pair of road games to fall to 3–4 in conference play, its worst start since 2022. The Hornets have allowed 75 or more points in five of seven league contests. They have played just twice at home so far which could bode well for them down the stretch when some of the teams above them have to come to Dunn Oliver Acadome.
Prairie View A&M endured a rough homestand, dropping both games to the Alabama schools by 15+ points while surrendering 80 or more in each outing. The Panthers have now lost four straight after opening conference play 3-1 and sit at 3-5, suddenly sliding toward the bottom half of the standings.
Week 4 in the MEAC: Bears & Bulldogs Gain Momentum, Weather Delays, & Close Game Fortune
Severe weather across the region wreaked havoc on the schedule, sidelining two teams entirely for the week and limiting four others to just a single game. Postponements piled up, forcing rescheduling that will cram tougher matchups into compressed windows. The result? A chaotic stretch where rhythm can be disrupted, treacherous travel turnaround, and every contest being magnified in the tight race for MEAC supremacy.
Morgan State and South Carolina State emerged as the week's perfect performers, going undefeated in their limited action and proving resilience pays dividends. The games that did tip off? Pure theater, three of the four were settled by two possessions or fewer, with razor-thin margins deciding fates. Home-court advantage? Not this week: a dead-even 2-2 split between home and road teams underscored the league's signature parity.
Momentum Filled Week Three for Morgan State
The Bears continue to build momentum in MEAC play after navigating a grueling stretch with remarkable poise. The Bears went 2–0 on the week with dramatic one-point road victories over Howard and Norfolk State, completing a four-games-in-nine-days gauntlet while extending their winning streak to four. Even more impressive, three of those four victories have come away from home, decided by a single point which highlights the Bears’ growing comfort in late-game situations.
Now sitting at 4-2 in conference play, with both losses coming against league frontrunners North Carolina Central and UMES, the Bears have matched last season’s 4–2 MEAC start. Though their KenPom ranking has slipped, the underlying numbers point to a team trending in the right direction. Morgan ranks 6th in the league in both offensive and defensive efficiency but still wins games due to their connectivity and clutch genes. They play at the fastest tempo in the MEAC, one of the top 55 paces nationally which fueled an attack that has averaged 91.3 points during its current streak.
Defensively, the Bears have been especially disruptive on the perimeter, holding conference opponents to just 24% shooting from three-point range, best in the MEAC. Offensively, ball security remains a strength overall, though an uptick in turnovers during league play has slightly dampened their metrics. Similarly, a drop in free-throw rate in conference action has limited easy scoring opportunities, an area that could make Morgan State even more dangerous if it can get back to getting to the free-throw line at a high rate.
Much of the recent surge has been driven by Alfred Worrell Jr., the Southern Miss transfer leads the team at 16.9 points per game. Worrell poured in 56 total points over the two road wins, knocking down 10 three-pointers and drilling seven from deep in two of his last three outings. He’s one of three Bears averaging at least 13 points per game, giving the Bears a balanced scoring punch as it pushes deeper into the MEAC race.
Best of the Rest: Challengers Heating Up in the MEAC Race
While the league’s frontrunners continue to separate themselves, the rest of the MEAC pack remains tightly bunched, with several teams facing pivotal stretches that could reshape the standings over the next two weeks.
Maryland Eastern Shore returns to action on Jan. 31 after nearly two weeks off, but the Hawks will be tested immediately. A daunting five-game road swing awaits, including three contests in a five-game span where they’re currently projected to go 2–3. Conditioning and focus will be key as UMES attempts to stay in the title race while navigating one of the most travel-heavy stretches any MEAC team will face this season.
North Carolina Central also had the week off but remain in good position at 4–1 in conference play. The Eagles have been perfect on the road in league action and will resume play on Jan. 31 before hosting Maryland Eastern Shore in a Monday showdown that could decide first place in the MEAC. That matchup looms as one of the most important games on the league calendar so far.
South Carolina State continues to hover around the middle of the pack after a 1–0 week that included a home win over Delaware State. The Bulldogs remain near the bottom nationally in KenPom (361st) but have been inconsistent within league play, alternating wins and losses and failing to string together two of either result since MEAC competition began. At 3-2 in conference for the third straight season through five games, SCSU is once again positioning itself as a dangerous spoiler, especially with a four-game homestand ongoing.
Norfolk State, meanwhile, has endured a rocky slide. A 1-1 week featured a 103-point outburst against Coppin State but a painful one-point home loss to Morgan State. That loss dropped them to 3-3 in conference, their worst start since 2021. With just 10 overall wins through 20+ games (lowest since 2018), the Spartans have tumbled from 300th to 307th in KenPom this week and dropped drastically from their preseason projection. The schedule doesn't lighten up, with three top-half foes looming, making a rebound essential if they're to reclaim their perennial contender status.
Howard suffered a home loss to Morgan State and fell to 2–3 in league play. The Bison are currently in the middle of a six-game homestand and have gone 1–1 during the stretch. Despite their early struggles, the projections still favor them to win 7 of their final 9 games. Much of Howard’s recent inconsistency can be traced to Bryce Harris’ slump since the calendar flipped to January, something that could swing quickly if the star guard finds his rhythm again.
Team of the Week: North Carolina A&T
After stumbling in league action on a six-game skid, the Aggies responded with back-to-back home thrillers over Towson (Preseason favorite) and Hofstra, two programs sitting comfortably inside KenPom’s top 175. For a team projected to go winless in conference play and still forecast by analytics to struggle the rest of the way, this week felt seismic with the momentum shift.
What makes the surge even more compelling is how close A&T had already been. Of those six early losses, two came by two possessions or fewer. If the ball bounces a different way a few times, we are looking at a team in the middle of the CAA. The record didn’t show it, but the Aggies were knocking on the door and this week, they finally kicked it down.
Despite sitting near the bottom of the metrics (jumped from 301st to 294th this week on KenPom), the underlying numbers hint at a team due for better fortune, particularly with opponents scorching them from three at an unsustainable rate. If the Aggies can sharpen their starts and maintain the poise they showed late in both wins, they suddenly look like the kind of spoiler nobody wants to face in February.
The biggest storyline? The emergence of redshirt freshman Lewis Walker in the absence of key contributor Lo Walker who has been out since December 9th after a strong start where he averaged 16.6 PPG on 50% from three in the team's 3-2 stretch with him. Lewis has been lights out, posting season-long splits of 18.8 PPG, 5.4 RPG on 51/38/88 shooting. But in this 2-0 week? He exploded: averaging 28.5 PPG, 7 RPG, 3 APG on scorching 59/70/94 clips, including tying a season-high 33 points (9-15 FG, 5-7 3PT, 10-11 FT) against Towson, a feat he accomplished just last week against William & Mary.
For his heroics of carrying the offense, hitting dagger threes, and attacking relentlessly—Lewis earned CAA Rookie of the Week honors, his second this season, making him only the second player in the league to notch multiple weekly Rookie of the Weeks. The Winston-Salem native is proving he's not just a spark, he's the consistent flame that is trying to turn around the Aggies CAA season.
Now comes the grind: four of A&T’s next five games are on the road in a stretch that’s difficult but manageable. If the Aggies keep defending home court, find steadier rhythm early in games, and ride their rising star, those preseason projections may start looking very outdated.
