Everything you need to know about Jacksonville State basketball going into NCAA Tournament
Jacksonville State basketball is going dancing at the Division I level for the second time in school history.
The Gamecocks punched a ticket to the NCAA Tournament on Tuesday despite not playing in the ASUN Tournament championship game in Louisville, Kentucky.
Jacksonville State (21-10) last made the tournament during the 2016-17 season after winning the Ohio Valley Conference to earn a spot in March Madness. As a No. 15 seed, JSU lost 78-63 to No. 2 Louisville in the Midwest Regional in Indianapolis.
The Gamecocks are a No. 15 seed and will play No. 2 seed Auburn Friday in the first round in Greenville, South Carolina.
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Here are four things to know about Jacksonville State heading into the tournament.
Winning while idle
How Jacksonville State punched its ticket is seen as controversial. The Gamecocks fell to Jacksonville 54-51 in the ASUN tournament semifinal last weekend.
However, with Bellarmine knocking off the Dolphins in the championship game Tuesday, the door was opened for the Gamecocks to go dancing.
The Knights, which beat Jacksonville 77-72 to win a conference championship in their second season Division I team, are in in year two of a four-year transition from Division II to Division I and are not eligible for the NCAA Tournament.
The Gamecocks posted a 13-3 record in ASUN play during the regular season, edging out Liberty (12-4) for the league's regular-season championship. With Bellarmine ineligible, the league's regular-season champion was awarded the NCAA Tournament berth.
Scouting report
Ray Harper is in his sixth year as coach for the Gamecocks. He has posted a 119-74 record at the school. JSU reached the tournament in his first season and this will be his fourth trip as a coach. He also went as coach of Western Kentucky (2011-12 and 2012-13).
Harper won an NAIA national championship at Oklahoma City and two NCAA Division II titles at Kentucky Wesleyan.
Senior Darian Adams leads a balanced scoring attack, with six players averaging at least 8.8 points. Adams led the way with 15.6 points and 5.2 rebounds. Senior Jalen Gibbs and junior Demaree King each average 10.7 points.
![Jacksonville State guard Darian Adams (23) pulls a rebound away from Alabama guard Keon Ellis (14) in Coleman Coliseum Saturday, Dec. 18, 2021. [Staff Photo/Gary Cosby Jr.]](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/z9gG.VaB.BMFoLyOQ0z0vw--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTgzMQ--/https://media.zenfs.com/en/the-gadsden-times/31bd04efb015a982285f8fb7d1d364c7)
Following a 5-6 start, including a loss to Alabama, the Gamecocks went 15-5 to close the season. JSU had a 10-game winning streak from Dec. 21 to Jan. 29.
The loss to Jacksonville in the semifinals snapped a five-game win streak.
Championship past
The Gamecocks will be making just their second trip to the big dance, but do have a national championship at the Division II level in 1985.
The Gamecocks defeated South Dakota State 74-73 in the championship game in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Both Melvin Allen and Robert Spurgeon earned spots on the all-tournament team for the Gamecocks.
Moving to Conference USA
The football program made noise when it beat Florida State last September. Since then, JSU has remained in the national headlines. The program is slated to move to Conference USA starting in the 2023-24 academic year.
Former West Virginia, Michigan and Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez is the new coach for the football team, putting the Gamecocks in more of a national spotlight.
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The Gamecocks making the big dance for the second time could also prove to be a major boon for the university as it tries to make a name for itself while moving into a new conference and taking its program to FBS status in football.
Contact Ehsan Kassim at 256-300-5313 or ekassim@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Ehsan_Kassim.
This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Jacksonville State basketball in March Madness: What to know
