Delta Devils

NCAA Division: Division I
Conference: Southwestern Athletic Conference
Past Conferences: None
City: Itta Bena, Mississippi

Arena: Harrison HPER Complex
NCAA Tournaments: 5
National Championships: None
Conference Titles: 8

Team History

Pop Gaines coached the Devils in 1978. They failed to finish with a winning season during his five-year tenure. He finished his career with a 20-60 overall record.

Lafayette Stribling became the head coach of the Devils in 1983. They finished with a combined 53-34 record over his first three seasons. The Devils went on to win the conference tournament championship, and they were invited to the NCAA Tournament. The Devils then went on to have five straight losing seasons from 1986-1991. However, during that time guard, Alphonso Ford began blossoming. Ford averaged 30 points per game in his freshman season. During the 1991-1992 season, the Devils finished with a 16-14 record. They won the SWAC regular season championship, and the SWAC Conference Tournament and they were invited to the NCAA Tournament. Ford was magnificent. He averaged nearly 28 points per game, six rebounds, and four assists per game. Ford went on to get drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round of the 1993 NBA draft.

The Devils put together a nice run under Stribling from 1994-1997, where they had a combined record of 58-28. The Devils had one of their best seasons in 1995-1996, where they finished with a 22-7 overall record. They won the conference regular season title and the conference tournament title. The Devils followed it up the next season by finishing 19-10 but ended their season with the same accomplishments.

Stribling and the Devils finished with a 22-7 record during the 2003-2004 season. It was their last conference championship under Stribling. Stribling’s last season was the 2004-2005 season. He finished his career with a 305-318 record.

String of Coaches

James Green coached the Devils from 2005-2008. He led the Devils to two straight conference championships and two straight NCAA Tournament appearances. They finished with a 35-32 record in those two seasons. Green finished his career at Mississippi Valley State with a 44-51 overall record.

Sean Woods coached the Devils from 2008-2012. The Devils steadily got better each season under Woods. In his first season, they finished with a 7-25 overall record. Two seasons later the Devils finished with a 13-19 record. In Woods’ last season, the Devils finished with a 21-13 overall record. They won the SWAG regular season championship and won the conference tournament championship. Woods finished his career at MVS and headed to Morehead State. He left with a 50-80 overall record.

Chico Pitts coached the Devils from 2012-2014. He led them to a combined 14-46 overall record.

Andre Payne was at the helm from 2015-2019. He led the Devils to five straight losing seasons. The Devils never finished with a winning record under Payne. He finished his career with a 31-132 overall record.

Lindsey Hunter Jr coached the Devils from 2019-2022. They never finished with more than three wins under Hunter Jr.

Former Devils player George Ivory is the current coach at MVS.

All-Time Records (CBB)

• Points Scored

  • Alphonso Ford: 3,165
  • George Ivory: 1,681
  • Henry Ellis: 1,571
  • Attarius Norwood: 1,346
  • Carl Curry: 1,292

• Rebounds

  • Robert Sanders: 914
  • Willie Neal: 719
  • Bryant Johnson: 717
  • Marcus Mann: 711
  • Carl Curry: 685

• Assists

  • Ashley Robinson: 601
  • George Ivory: 429
  • Kevin Burwell: 374
  • Anthony Davis: 341
  • Alphonso Ford: 292

FAQs

What Is the Highest Win Total in Program History?

The Devils won 22 games on two separate occasions in 1995-1996 and again in the 2003-2004 season. They were crowned conference champions in both seasons.

What Was the Worst Season in Program History?

The 2021-2022 Devils finished with a 2-26 overall record. They finished dead last with a 2-16 conference record.

How Many NCAA Tournaments Have the Devils Made?

The Devils have made five NCAA Tournaments. They’ve yet to win a tournament game.