SWAC Regular Season Men's Basketball Champion Jackson State to face Mississippi State in the NIT Duane Lewis 03/14/10 SECOND TIME AROUND The Jackson State Tigers will face the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the 2010 National Invitation Tournament Tuesday at 9 pm live on ESPNU. This is Jackson State’s second trip to the NIT in school history. In 1993, Jackson State won at Connecticut, 90-88 in overtime before losing in the second round at home to Southeast Missouri State, 70-52. SEASON RECAP The Tigers opened the season with a 10-game losing streak, playing NCAA Tournament teams Stephen F. Austin (twice), Baylor and North Texas, and NIT teams Memphis and Tulsa. Jackson State then got hot, winning their next six games, four of them in SWAC play. After a home loss to Texas Southern, J-State won their final 13 regular season games to win the SWAC regular season title. It’s the Tigers’ first share of a conference title since 1995-96 and their first outright title since 1992-93. Jackson State lost in the first round of the Farmers Insurance SWAC Tournament to Grambling State. JSU’s Garrison Johnson was named to the All-Tournament Team. SWAC IN THE NIT This will be the ninth NIT appearance by a Southwestern Athletic Conference school and first since 2008. Alabama State, the SWAC regular season champions, lost at Arizona State. In 2007, SWAC regular season champ Mississippi Valley State fell at Mississippi State. Five SWAC teams have been to the NIT. Jackson State will tie Alcorn State and Alabama St. with two appearances each, followed by Grambling State, Miss. Valley State and Southern with one appearance each. The SWAC is 2-8 overall in the NIT. In addition to Jackson State’s 1993 win, Alcorn State won the SWAC’s initial’s contest in the Tournament in 1979 as College Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Head Coach Davey L. Whitney led the Braves to an 80-78 win over Mississippi State. This will be the third time a SWAC team has played Mississippi St.