Jackson State is scheduled to meet Tulane on Thursday in New Orleans, with the Tigers looking to respond after an opening loss to No. 19 Texas Tech. The game calendar listed a 6:30 p.m. start at Avron B. Fogelman Arena in Devlin Fieldhouse, with ESPN+ carrying the broadcast.
Jackson State (0-1) fell on the road to Texas Tech on Monday. Mike Williams led the Tigers with 11 points, while Dorian McMillian scored 10. Nikk Williams grabbed nine rebounds.
Tulane has won all three previous meetings between the programs. Each matchup was played in New Orleans, and the teams last met in 2019. No player on Jackson State’s current roster has faced the Green Wave, according to the team’s preview.
The game marks a homecoming for Jackson State sophomore Kobe Butler, who is from Marrero, about 11.2 miles from the arena. It is the first of four games the Tigers are scheduled to play in Louisiana this season; Louisiana Tech, Southern and Grambling State are also on the schedule.
Jackson State is in its first season under coach Trey Johnson. He previously served as an interim coach at Alabama State and Jackson State, including during an 80-60 win over Florida A&M on Feb. 14 last season.
Guard Daeshun Ruffin returns for his final season after receiving an NCAA waiver. He was named the Southwestern Athletic Conference preseason player of the year and earned first-team preseason honors after collecting SWAC Player of the Year and other accolades last season. Ruffin entered this season with 1,312 career points. McMillian began the year with 667 points across two seasons.
The Tigers added Division I transfers Chip Brunt, from Northwestern State, and Jayden Williams, from UIW. Jackson State returns players responsible for 59% of its scoring, according to the team. Its other listed nonconference games are at Baylor on Nov. 18 and at Memphis on Dec. 2, both scheduled for 11 a.m. on ESPN+.
