A year makes a difference for Southern University Basketball

TheResidentAssistant

Last year this time, Southern University Interim President Edward Jackson introduced Rob Spivery as head coach. Initally, not many were too impressed or optimistic about a program that have not reached the NCAA Tournament since 1993 or even won the SWAC crown since 1990. In fact, the head coaching position since the successful campaign of Ben Jobe have had a revolving door, including a return of Ben Jobe that could not muster the magic of old. Earlier that month, Southern fired Michael Grant after the foolish comments made by in the paper of his intention if he had been hired the head coach of Youngtown St.(Ohio.) Now with all the futility in previous years the basketball program have produced, not many expected Rob Spivery to make a difference. Some even wondered why Southern looked in conference for a head coach. Spivery, 129-136 at Alabama State, which included two NCAA apperances in four years, backed up the reasoning behind the hiring. In fact, Spivery's team eliminated Southern in the 2005 SWAC tournament. Now all eyes were on Coach Rob Spivery and Southern University. After starting off the season weak against stronger basketball programs such as Texas A&M, Texas, and LSU, Southern got the ball rolling with a convincing win against Louisiana Tech in Clifford Seymour Gym, due to the F.G.Clark Activity Center being converted into a shelter for Hurricane Katrina victims. With two wins to start off the year in SWAC play, some were happy, but were uesd to fast starts only to fizzle out in the course of the year. This team, strengthen by the brutal non-conference, were ready for the SWAC and Alabama A&M, whom Southern would beat twice this year and would break the futility of road trips to Alabama. Southern cruised to 19-12, a 15-3 record in the SWAC, a perfect 4-0 to win the coveted SWAC crown, the first since 1990 and a NCAA apperance. Led by Chris Alexander, Chris Cipriano, and Riley Deforest-Smith, Southern(16) would face Duke(1) in the first round in the tournament. Once again, many did not expect much from Southern. Even though Southern did not advance against Duke, Southern played Duke to their limit and made themselves a respected force for seasons to come.