It’s been nearly a decade since Mo Williams cemented his legacy as an NBA champion with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016. Fast forward to today and Williams has built Jackson State University, a Mississippi HBCU, into a contender for this year’s Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Championship.
Under the leadership of Williams, in his third season, the Jackson State Tigers hold an overall record of 12-17, with a strong 12-4 mark in SWAC play, good enough for second place in the conference standings with two regular season games remaining. If JSU wins at least one of its next two games it will be the best conference record to date for Williams during his time in Jackson. In his first year during the 2022-23 season, the Tigers finished 12-6 in conference play.
Offensively, Jackson State averages 70.7 points per game, with a field goal percentage of 40.8% and a three-point shooting accuracy of 31.4%. Defensively, they allow an average of 76.6 points per game, with opponents shooting 44.7% from the field. The Tigers have shown proficiency from the free-throw line, maintaining a 73.2% conversion rate.
The season started off with a horrendous beginning, losing 14 straight non-conference games, but the Tigers found their footing in January. Once SWAC play began, the Tigers won 12 of their next 16 games against HBCU competition. Daeshun Ruffin, a 5’11” point guard has led the way in scoring for the Tigers pumping in 15 points per game for Jackson State.
JSU trails Southern in the standings, the Tigers lost to the Jaguars by two points in their sole matchup this season. In that game Ruffin hit a three-pointer with eight seconds to play to send the game into overtime, but Southern held on for the 91-89 win.
Mo Williams and his team control their own destiny in regard to the No. 2 seed in next week’s SWAC Tournament in Atlanta. Holding on to that spot would give JSU a first-round bye while they would await the winner of the No. 8 vs No. 9 matchup. If the tournament started today that would be a matchup of Alabama A&M and Grambling. The Tigers won by double digits against both of those schools.
A steady point guard during his 13-year NBA career, Williams returned to Cleveland for the 2015-16 season, providing leadership and depth behind Kyrie Irving. Though injuries limited his playing time, his experience proved invaluable during the Cavaliers’ historic comeback from a 3-1 deficit in the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors. Williams’ contributions helped Cleveland secure its first-ever championship. After 13 seasons in the league, including an All-Star selection in 2009, he retired as a champion, later transitioning into coaching where he found a home in HBCU basketball. Williams coached briefly at Alabama State before taking the job at Jackson State.