Could Be the Tigers’ Year
(St. Louis, MO) – Tennessee State’s Brian Collins has a team to be reckoned with. The talent level on the Tigers’ roster is the best it’s been in years and ‘Coach Penny’ is quietly optimistic about his team’s chances.
During the recent Ohio Valley Conference media day we sat with Collins and Tennessee Tech transfer JR Clay. The four-time all-OVC guard brings another weapon into the TSU armory. Collins’ team was hit with various injuries last season and if healthy this team could prove troublesome for OVC opponents.
Clay joins returning leading scorer Marcus Fitzgerald (11.8 ppg) on the OVC’s preseason all-conference team. When ranking OVC backcourts, this one is second only to UT Martin’s. Clay is a four-time, second team all OVC performer and was named to the 2019 all-newcomer team. While at Tennessee Tech he accumulated 1,661 points and exactly 202 steals and 202 triples.
Two other Tigers landed on the league’s preseason all-conference squad. Grad-transfer Zion Griffin (Illinois Chicago) and senior Dedric Boyd are on the squad. Griffin (11.1 ppg) is a 6’7 forward who spent a season at Iowa State. This is Boyd’s second season in Nashville after spending time at both Eastern Kentucky and Illinois State.
Beyond those four first-teamers Collins is looking forward to the return of Georgia transfer Christian Brown. The 6’6 forward missed most of last season with a broken foot. Northern Illinois grad transfers Zool Kueth and Adong Makuoi bring more depth to the frontcourt.
Both Clay and Collins are very high on junior college transfer Justin Williams. Tennessee State’s Brian Collins has a team that can truly contend for the OVC title.
Our entire conversation can be seen and heard on YouTube.
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