Tennessee State Tigers basketball


The Tennessee State Tigers basketball team represents Tennessee State University in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. The school's team currently competes in the NCAA Division I's Ohio Valley Conference. They play their home games at the Gentry Complex and are led by first-year head coach Brian "Penny" Collins.
While they were a member of the NAIA, they were three time national champions. TSU was the first team to win three consecutive basketball national championships at any level of college basketball – a feat only repeated once as of 2017, by Kentucky State The 1957 championship made TSU the first historically black college to win a national championship. The team was coached by Harold Hunter from 1960 to 1968. Hunter still holds the record as the second-winningest men's basketball coach in Tennessee State's history. Hunter had succeeded outgoing coach John McLendon, who left in 1959.
Seventeen former Tennessee State Tigers have played in the NBA, the best known are Ben Warley, Robert Covington, Dick Barnett, John Barnhill, Truck Robinson, Anthony Mason and Carlos Rogers.

Postseason results

NCAA Division I Tournament results

The Tigers have appeared in two NCAA Division I Tournaments. Their combined record is 0–2.
1993First RoundSeton HallL 59–81
1994First RoundKentuckyL 70–83

NCAA Division II Tournament results

The Tigers have appeared in seven NCAA Division II Tournaments. Their record is 18–8.
1967Regional Semifinals
Regional 3rd Place Game
South Carolina State
Stetson
L 59–66
W 65–53
1970Regional Semifinals
Regional Finals
Elite Eight
Final Four
National Championship Game
Bellarmine
Kentucky Wesleyan
South Dakota State
Buffalo State
Philadelphia
W 82–77
W 75–73
W 92–89
W 101–80
L 65–76
1971Regional Semifinals
Regional Finals
Louisiana Tech
Louisiana–Lafayette
W 92–91 OT
L 82–86
1972Regional Semifinals
Regional Finals
Elite Eight
Final Four
National 3rd Place Game
New Orleans
Delta State
Southampton
Akron
Eastern Michigan
W 80–79
W 79–73
W 95–55
L 69–71 OT
W 107–82
1973Regional Semifinals
Regional Finals
Elite Eight
Final Four
National Championship Game
Transylvania
Southeastern Louisiana
Akron
Assumption
Kentucky Wesleyan
W 53–45
W 62–54 OT
W 54–50
W 106–76
L 76–78 OT
1974Regional Semifinals
Regional 3rd Place Game
Fisk
Southern
L 54–65
W 98–88
1975Regional Semifinals
Regional Finals
Elite Eight
Final Four
National 3rd Place Game
Armstrong Atlantic State
Chattanooga
Akron
Old Dominion
Assumption
W 63–53
W 82–81
W 72–69
L 60–77
L 80–88

NAIA Tournament results

The Tigers have appeared in seven NAIA Tournaments. Their combined record is 23–4 and are three time national champions. Those same teams were later announced as inductees into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on April 6, 2019, with those teams being "the first collegiate team to win back-to-back-to-back championships."
1953First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinals
Geneva
Benedictine
Texas A&M–Commerce
W 89–88
W 79–56
L 67–72
1954First RoundRegis L 58–61
1956First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinals
Indianapolis
Wisconsin-Eau Claire
McNeese State
W 84–76
W 62–61
L 68–76
1957First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
National Championship Game
Adrian
Portland
Western Illinois
Pacific Lutheran
Southeastern Oklahoma State
W 87–69
W 87–70
W 90–88
W 71–70
W 92–73
1958First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
National Championship Game
Northern Michigan
Anderson
Texas A&M-Commerce
Texas Southern
Western Illinois
W 113–45
W 77–56
W 81–62
W 110–85
W 85–73
1959First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
National Championship Game
Nebraska Wesleyan
Youngstown State
Illinois State
Texas State
Pacific Lutheran
W 75–57
W 89–80
W 131–74
W 64–62
W 97–87
1960First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
National 3rd Place Game
Midwestern State
West Virginia Wesleyan
Wofford
Westminster
William Jewell
W 102–83
W 84–79
W 75–60
L 38–39
W 100–65

CIT results

The Tigers have appeared in three CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournaments. Their combined record is 0–3. They accepted an invitation to the 2020 CIT before it was cancelled amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
2012First RoundMercerL 60–68
2013First RoundEvansvilleL 72–84
2016First RoundBall StateL 73–78 2OT
2020First RoundCancelled