Florida A&M men’s basketball is playing some of its best hoops of the season.
Riding a three-game winning streak, Orange and Green are in play to earn their highest-ever Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament seed, second.
“We have a lot to play for,” FAMU head coach Charlie Ward told the Tallahassee Democrat.
The Rattlers need one final favor from the FAMU faithful ― a packed house.
On Thursday, March 5, the Rattlers (13-15, 10-7 in SWAC) will play their home finale at FAMU’s 9,639-seat Al Lawson Jr. Multipurpose Center versus the SWAC regular season champions and longtime rivals, the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats (17-13, 14-3 in SWAC).
“We need people here in the building for sure,” Ward said. “And there will be. With it being Senior Night and Bethune-Cookman, we need everybody ― the student section, the band, the community, and we will work to give them something to be proud about.”
Tipoff is at 7:30 p.m. It will follow the FAMU women facing Bethune-Cookman at 5 p.m. on Thursday, which is Senior Night for the basketball program.
The SWAC doubleheader will air live on HBCU GO for those who can’t attend in person.
The Rattlers have had a pretty fair homecourt advantage at the Snake Pit.
They’re 7-4 when playing at the Lawson Center.
“The crowd’s going to give us energy. We’re going to feed off that to help us play better,” said FAMU guard Antonio Baker Jr. “Just seeing people in the stands will make you want to go crazier.”
Out of 12 teams, FAMU is tied with Texas Southern for No. 2 in the SWAC’s logjammed standings. Texas Southern also plays on Thursday versus Prairie View A&M.
All SWAC teams automatically qualify for the league’s tournament, which starts on March 9 in Atlanta. The top six teams get a double-round bye.
A win on Thursday could clinch the Rattlers’ highest SWAC Tournament seed and tie for the most wins in the league. The 2021-2022 season, FAMU’s first in the SWAC, saw the Rattlers earn a No. 4 seed, currently the highest, and set a program record with 11 league wins.
But standing in the way are the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats, whom the Rattlers haven’t beaten since March 2022. The Wildcats defeated the Rattlers for the seventh consecutive time this January, 87-83 in Daytona Beach.
“We need this win to secure that second-place spot. So it’s bigger than just a rivalry game for us,” said Tyler Shirley, a redshirt senior forward and FAMU’s top scorer, averaging 11.7 points per game.
“We haven’t beaten them in seven games. So, with that being on the table too, I feel like it’s a lot for us to play for.”
FAMU basketball’s season almost spiraled after best SWAC start
The vibes were high on the Highest of Seven Hills.
In his first season, Ward led the Rattlers to their best-ever SWAC start with a 5-1 record, sparked by a five-game winning streak.
Then came the fall.
A one-point loss to Jackson State in January snake-bit the Rattlers and led to a four-game losing streak.
After weeks of trading wins and losses, the FAMU is now playing inspired basketball, stringing together three consecutive triumphs, most recently beating Grambling State 66-59 on Feb. 28.
“We know there’s going to be some highs and lows,” Shirley explained. “When we were on our five-game win streak, I was telling everybody to stay even keel ― don’t get too high because it can change quickly. Just like that, we went from a five-game winning streak to a four-game losing streak. We just had to find our groove again.”
The Rattlers have found an offensive rhythm, averaging 74.6 points during the streak. Defensively, FAMU has ditched man-to-man coverage to playing zone and has its last three opponents shooting a lousy 36.8 percent combined.
“Our coaching staff does a great job of challenging the guys, and the guys do a good job responding,” Ward detailed the turnaround. “This is where you want to be the further you get in the season. Guys understand the system and how to communicate.”
Ward added that FAMU has done well finishing off opponents.
Part of the reasoning behind that is expanding a seven or eight-player-deep rotation.
Reserves such as guards Anquan Boldin Jr. and Lenard Taylor, and forward Tuscan Onuoha have been key in helping FAMU sporadically attack opponents with fresh legs.
“You need guys playing roles,” Ward said. “Whether you’re one of the main seven or eight, and if you’re nine or 10 and playing five minutes here and six minutes there and going in and making a contribution.”
FAMU basketball catching steam for Bethune-Cookman, SWAC Tournament
It’s about getting hot at the right time.
“This is the time you want to have some good momentum going into tournament play,” Ward said. “They know what’s at stake and whom we’re playing. We’re playing good, solid basketball.”
A statement win over the top SWAC team while breaking a lengthy losing streak against a rival could work wonders for the FAMU locker room.
The SWAC Tournament runs from March 9 until March 14 at the Gateway Center in College Park, Georgia, near Atlanta. The winner gets an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
“Everybody should be confident, and everything should be rolling,” Baker discussed the impact and possibility of FAMU beating Bethune-Cookman in Thursday’s regular-season finale. “We should be feeling good going into the tournament.”
Gerald Thomas, III is a multi-time national award-winning reporter for his coverage of the Florida A&M Rattlers at the Tallahassee Democrat.
Follow his award-winning coverage on RattlerNews.com and contact him via email at GDThomas@Tallahassee.com or on the app formerly known as Twitter @3peatgee.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FAMU basketball wants a packed Snake Pit for finale with ‘a lot to play for’
Reporting by Gerald Thomas III, Tallahassee Democrat / Tallahassee Democrat
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
