TSU’s Dana Ford – Part Two

Why the Turn Around?

(St. Louis, MO) – ‘We want to be playing our best basketball at the end of the season” …. said every coach every season. Tennessee State is succeeding in that quest and Dana Ford says his team’s recent success stems from better execution and his team ‘coming together’ after a demanding non conference schedule.

Ford has established TSU as an Ohio Valley Conference threat. After a first season win total of five games (and two in the OVC), the Tigers have won 20 (11-5 in OVC) and 17 (8-8 in league play) the past two seasons. At 15 – 11 with a 10-5 OVC mark and three games and the OVC tournament remaining, Ford’s team is guaranteed to finish with its third straight season at .500 or better both overall and in league play.

TSU has won seven straight games and Ford says the winning streak has been about the players executing game plans more effectively.

 

 

Ford’s top two scorers, Delano Spencer and Christian Mekowulu are an outstanding inside/outside combination. Spencer’s 32 Thursday night points boosted his season average to 15.4 points per game. As the outside part of that combination, Spencer has made 77 three-pointers and 85 percent of his free throws.

Mekowulu, a 6’9 Nigerian-born forward averages 12.7 points and 7.9 rebounds per game.

Ford says the two leading scorers complement one another perfectly. Because the Tigers play such a high level of defense, Ford says the production by Spencer, Mekowulu and others is comparable to a 20-point scorer on some other team.

 

 

Sophomore transfer Kamar McKnight is the OVC’s reigning ‘Co-Newcomer of the Week‘ and Ford says he is a multi-talented versatile player that will remind fans of senior Darreon Reddick.

 

 

Heading into the final three games, the Tigers are tied with Austin Peay (15-12, 10-5) for third place  and one game in front of both Jacksonville State (18-10, 9-6) and Tennessee Tech (17-11, 9-6) in the OVC race.

Ford says just about anything can still happen during the last week of the season.

 

 

Winning a game in the post season tournament would be the next step for the TSU program. Ford is winless in two visits to the tournament formerly played in Nashville’s Municipal Auditorium, losing two games by a total of five points (one in overtime). This year’s tournament will be played at Evansville’s Ford Center.

Sighting the last two tournaments that witnessed Austin Peay’s magical run in 2016 and Jacksonville State’s unlikely run last season, Ford says the tourmament is wide open and all mid-major and low major conference tournaments are wide open.

 

 

The new location for the OVC reunion is a spectacular venue and the home of the Missouri Valley’s Evansville Purple Aces. Ford says the tournament should prove to be great entertainment for the basketball loving Evansville fans.

 

 

Tennessee State’s finishing schedule is not easy. After Saturday’s Senior Night contest against Eastern Kentucky, the Tigers go on the road to play Tennessee Tech and Belmont (21-7, 13-2). Top seeds have been determined and the Bruins and Murray State are receiving double-byes into the tournament’s semifinal round.

Seeds three and four receive a bye into the quarterfinals. Teams 5 through 8 compete in what amounts to a ‘play-in’ round. So taking care of business on Saturday and then handling Tennessee Tech are hugely important before playing Belmont at the Curb Center.

In Part One of this interview coach Ford discussed his desire to help develop his players into stronger and more mature men.

Part of Saturday’s schedule includes Austin Peay hosting JSU and Tennessee Tech traveling to Murray State. By Sunday much of the fog about the standings will have lifted.

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