Grambling State defeated Montana State 88-81 in overtime on Wednesday night in Dayton, Ohio, advancing to the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament. The Tigers will play Midwest Regional No. 1 seed Purdue at 7:25 p.m. ET Friday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Here’s what you should know about the Tigers.
Grambling State is making its first NCAA Tournament appearance
No. 16 seed Grambling State (21-14) won the Southwestern Athletic Conference for the first time, earning its first NCAA Tournament berth. It’s the latest impressive accomplishment by coach Donte’ Jackson, who led the Tigers to their first SWAC regular season title in nearly 30 years in 2017-18, his first season with the program. Last season, Grambling State went 24-9, its most wins in a season since joining Division I in 1977, including victories over Colorado and Vanderbilt, Grambling State’s first wins over Power 5 teams.
Who are Grambling State’s top players?
∎ Kintavious Dozier, a 6-1 junior, is the Tigers leading scorer at 13.1 points per game as something of a volume scorer. shooting 45.4% overall and 33.3% on 111 3-pointers.
∎ Tra’Michael Moton, a 6-1 senior, is the point guard, averaging 11.8 ppg, 2.6 assists and 1.7 steals; making 37.1% of his 116 3s.
∎ Antwan Burnett, a 6-5 sophomore swingman, is the team’s top rebounder at 6.1 per game and is part of the balanced, perimeter-oriented attack, averaging 10.1 points and hitting 35.3% of his 3s.
∎ Jourdan Smith, a 6-7 senior swingman, nearly gives the Tigers a fourth double-digit scorer at 9.7 points per game with 4.6 rebounds and more than a block per game.
∎ Terrence Lewis, a 6-6 senior guard, is another threat from behind the arc, hitting 46.2% on his 3s and averaging 7.9 points.
Grambling’s 9.8 assists per game rank 347th out of the 351 Division I teams.
TV, radio, streaming: Purdue basketball vs. Grambling State in March Madness
Does Grambling State have any Indiana ties?
The Tigers have two players from Indiana:
∎ Mikale Stevenson is a 6-2 sophomore guard from Fort Wayne who previously played at Milwaukee Technical College. He averages 4.6 points and is second on the team with 2.1 assists per game.
∎ Jalen Johnson is a 6-8 senior forward from Manual in Indianapolis who previously played at Alabama A&M and Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He averages 7.6 points and 3.9 rebounds.
Well-represented: Dozens of Indiana high school basketball players will be in the NCAA Tournament
How did Grambling State do against Power 5 schools this season?
The Tigers won the first two games against Power 5 teams last season but didn’t fare so well this year, losing three games by an average score of 94-52. All three are in the NCAA Tournament.
Colorado: L, 95-63
Iowa State: L, 92-37
Florida: L, 96-57
First impressions: March Madness hasn’t been kind to Purdue in recent seasons
How will Grambling State deal with Zach Edey?
Zach Edey, the likely National Player of the Year for the second straight season, awaits the Tigers. How will Grambling defend the 7-4 senior?
According to coach Donte’ Jackson, whatever it takes: “We have to get to the room, pack up, figure it out, start our film. And just figure out how we can throw the whole house, the kitchen, the whatever at Zach Edey. We (have to) figure it out. Coach (Matt) Painter is one of the best coaches in the country, nothing but a lot of respect for him.
“We’ll let the chips fall where they may. They didn’t expect us to win this one.”
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Purdue basketball meets Grambling State in 2024 NCAA Tournament
