30 In 30: The SWAC

Lewis Jackson brings Alabama State into this season looking to repeat as SWAC champs with an experienced backcourt. (Photo courtesy of ABC News)

The latest conference preview takes a look at the Southwestern Athletic Conference and its ten member institutions, one of whom will be fortunate enough to represent the SWAC in the NCAA Tournament.

1) Mississippi Valley State - The Delta Devils, known best for exporting the greatest wide receiver of all time to the sports world in the form of some guy named Jerry Rice, return four starters to a team that won twelve games in the SWAC last season. Center Paul Crosby is the best of that group, and Jason Holmes will be a big help in the post while Crosby looks for scoring opportunities inside.

2) Alabama State - The reigning SWAC champion Hornets will be most experienced in their backcourt, as Tramaine Butler leads the incumbents in that unit. Ivory White also comes back after a season in which he was an all-conference player despite only averaging seven points per game.

3) Texas Southern - The Tigers get a huge boost with the return of Lawrence Johnson-Danner for his sophomore campaign after averaging thirteen points per game. Aaron Clayborn returns as well for a team that went 16-2 in the SWAC over the regular season to clinch a berth in the NIT a year ago.

4) Jackson State - Jenirro Bush returns for the Tigers, and could be a SWAC Player of the Year contender. Rod Melvin will need to improve his scoring to go along with his stellar ballhandling skills at the point guard position for Jackson State to remain in the top half of the standings.

5) Grambling - The football school notorious for Eddie Robinson and Doug Williams brings back both of their top scorers from last year in forwards Justin Patton (also the SWAC's leading rebounder) and Brandon Wilson. The Tigers will also get the services of former St. John's transfer Quincy Roberts when the shooting guard becomes eligible in January.

6) Alabama A&M - Six seniors have come and gone, and so too has a head coach for the Bulldogs. However, new head man Willie Hayes still has Casey Cantey, a senior forward who could also be a contender for the conference's top player honors.

7) Arkansas-Pine Bluff - Now one year removed from a SWAC title and NCAA Tournament play-in game victory, sophomore Daniel Broughton will be counted on to be a force on the defensive glass after leading the team in rebounding last season. The Lions will also need to find ways to increase their offensive productivity after averaging only 60 points per game last year as a team.

8) Prairie View A&M - Power forward Brandon Webb (no relation to the former Cy Young Award winner) returns for the Panthers after leading the team in scoring. His second option also comes back in the form of point guard Michael Griffin, who averaged over three assists a night last season.

9) Alcorn State - The program most notorious for producing the late Steve McNair as its quarterback in the mid-90s comes to the hardwood this season off a campaign in which the Braves only won four games. However, Marquis Baker returns to the backcourt on the heels of finishing second in the SWAC in scoring with his 15.9 points per game average.

10) Southern - Another school that only won four games last year, the Jaguars pick up a new coach, as Roman Banks leaves his former post as an assistant at Southeast Louisiana. Banks will get both halves of his new backcourt to return intact, as Brandon White will join double-figure scorer Blake Sanford for their senior campaigns.