Tennessee State Tigers basketball

Tennessee State Tigers basketball
Tennessee State Tigers basketball
	2026–27 Tennessee State Tigers basketball team
University	Tennessee State University
Head coach	Nolan Smith (2nd season)
Location	Nashville, Tennessee
Arena	Gentry Complex ; (capacity: 9,100)
Conference	Ohio Valley
Nickname	Tigers
Colors	Reflex blue and white;
NCAA Division I tournament runner-up
	1970, 1973
Final Four	1970, 1972, 1973, 1975
Other NCAA Division I tournament results
Final Four	1970, 1972, 1973, 1975
Elite Eight	1970, 1972, 1973, 1975
Sweet Sixteen	1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975*
Appearances	1967, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975*, 1993, 1994, 2026
NAIA tournament champions
	1957, 1958, 1959
Semifinals	1957, 1958, 1959, 1960
Other NAIA tournament results
Semifinals	1957, 1958, 1959, 1960
Conference tournament champions
	1993, 1994, 2026
Conference regular-season champions
	1993, 1995, 2026
	* at Division II level

The Tennessee State Tigers basketball team represents Tennessee State University (TSU) 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 Nolan Smith.^[2]

While they were a member of the NAIA, they were three time national champions (1957, 1958, 1959). TSU was the first team to win three consecutive basketball national championships at any level of college basketball – a feat only repeated by UCLA (seven straight championships from 1967–1973) and Kentucky State (1970, 1971, 1972). 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.^[3] Hunter still holds the record as the second-winningest men's basketball coach in Tennessee State's history.^[4] Hunter had succeeded outgoing coach John McLendon, who left in 1959.^[3]

The Tigers joined NCAA Division I for the 1977–78 season and joined the OVC for the 1986–87 season. Since joining Division I, Tennessee State has appeared three times in the NCAA Tournament, most recently in 2026.

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 three NCAA Division I Tournaments. Their combined record is 0–3.

Year	Round	Opponent	Result
1993	First round	Seton Hall	L 59–81
1994	First round	Kentucky	L 70–83
2026	First Round	Iowa State	L 74–108

NCAA Division II Tournament results

The Tigers have appeared in seven NCAA Division II Tournaments. Their record is 18–8.

Year	Round	Opponent	Result
1967	Regional Semifinals Regional Third Place	South Carolina State Stetson	L 59–66 W 65–53
1970	Regional 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
1971	Regional Semifinals Regional Finals	Louisiana Tech Louisiana–Lafayette	W 92–91 ^OT L 82–86
1972	Regional Semifinals Regional Finals Elite Eight Final Four National Third 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
1973	Regional 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
1974	Regional Semifinals Regional Third Place	Fisk Southern	L 54–65 W 98–88
1975	Regional Semifinals Regional Finals Elite Eight Final Four National Third Place	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 (1957, 1958, 1959). 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."^[5]

Year	Round	Opponent	Result
1953	First round Second Round Quarterfinals	Geneva Benedictine (KS) Texas A&M–Commerce	W 89–88 W 79–56 L 67–72
1954	First round	Regis (CO)	L 58–61
1956	First round Second Round Quarterfinals	Indianapolis Wisconsin-Eau Claire McNeese State	W 84–76 W 62–61 L 68–76
1957	First 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
1958	First round Second Round Quarterfinals Semifinals National Championship Game	Northern Michigan Anderson (IN) Texas A&M-Commerce Texas Southern Western Illinois	W 113–45 W 77–56 W 81–62 W 110–85 W 85–73
1959	First 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
1960	First round Second Round Quarterfinals Semifinals National 3rd-place game	Midwestern State West Virginia Wesleyan Wofford Westminster (PA) 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 (CIT). Their combined record is 0–3. They accepted an invitation to the 2020 CIT before it was cancelled amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Year	Round	Opponent	Result
2012	First round	Mercer	L 60–68
2013	First round	Evansville	L 72–84
2016	First round	Ball State	L 73–78 ^2OT
2020	First round		Cancelled

References

↑ Tennessee State University Brand Guide (PDF). December 31, 2020. Retrieved August 26, 2022.
↑ "Nolan Smith Named Head Men's Basketball Coach". TSUTigers.com. July 18, 2025. Retrieved July 19, 2025.
1 2 "Former Tennessee State basketball coach Harold Hunter dies". The City Paper. 2013-03-07. Archived from the original on 2013-11-02. Retrieved 2013-03-30.
↑ "NBA pioneer Harold Hunter, an ex-Xavier coach, died Thursday". Times-Picayune. 2013-03-07. Retrieved 2013-03-30.
↑ "Divac, Sikma, Moncrief headline Hall of Fame Class of 2019". NBA.com.

External links

Official website

[1] Tennessee State University Brand Guide (PDF). December 31, 2020. Retrieved August 26, 2022.

[2] "Nolan Smith Named Head Men's Basketball Coach". TSUTigers.com. July 18, 2025. Retrieved July 19, 2025.

[citypaper-3] 1 2 "Former Tennessee State basketball coach Harold Hunter dies". The City Paper. 2013-03-07. Archived from the original on 2013-11-02. Retrieved 2013-03-30.

[timespicayune-4] "NBA pioneer Harold Hunter, an ex-Xavier coach, died Thursday". Times-Picayune. 2013-03-07. Retrieved 2013-03-30.

[5] "Divac, Sikma, Moncrief headline Hall of Fame Class of 2019". NBA.com.

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v t e Tennessee State Tigers basketball
Venues	Kean Hall (1953–1980) Gentry Complex (1980–present)
People	Head coaches Statistical leaders
Seasons	List of seasons 1944–45 1945–46 1946–47 1947–48 1948–49 1949–50 1950–51 1951–52 1952–53 1953–54 1954–55 1955–56 1956–57 1957–58 1958–59 1959–60 1960–61 1961–62 1962–63 1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24 2024–25 2025–26 2026–27
NAIA national championships in bold

v t e Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball
Teams	Eastern Illinois Panthers Lindenwood Lions Morehead State Eagles SIU Edwardsville Cougars Southeast Missouri State Redhawks Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles Tennessee State Tigers UT Martin Skyhawks Western Illinois Leathernecks
Championships and awards	List of champions Player of the Year
Seasons	1948–49 1949–50 1951–52 1952–53 1953–54 1954–55 1955–56 1956–57 1957–58 1958–59 1959–60 1961–62 1962–63 1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69 1969–70 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24 2024–25 2025–26