Jaguars

NCAA Division: Division I
Conference: Southwestern Athletic Conference
Past Conferences: None
City: Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Arena: F. G. Clark Center
NCAA Tournaments: 9
National Championships: None
Conference Titles: 17

Team History

The Southern Jaguars basketball program dates back to at least the 1950s. They are a part of the Southwestern Athletic Conference. Their first conference championship came in 1951. They went on to win four straight SWAC championships from 1951-1954.

Carl Stewart coached the Jaguars during the late 70s and early 80s. The 1978-1979 was especially good for the Jaguars. They finished with a 23-5 overall record, and they won the SWAC. The Jaguars had five players that averaged at least 10 points. Forward Frankie Sanders averaged 27 points per game and nearly 11 rebounds per game. Additionally, forward Collie Davis and guard Gregory Green nearly averaged a combined 40 points per game and 12 rebounds per game. The Jaguars averaged nearly 95 points per game while holding their opponents to 81.3 points per game.

The Jaguars returned to the top of the SWAC again in the 1980-1981 season after finishing 17-11. They were led by guard Alvin Jackson, forward David Williams and center Anthony Bryant. The Jaguars were invited to play in their first NCAA Tournament in program history. They entered as an 11 seed but fell to Wichita State in the first round.

Head Coach Stewart Is Out

After finishing 7-18 in 1981-1982, Stewart was out as head coach. He finished with a 77-61 overall record, two SWAC Championships and a tournament appearance.

Andy Stoglin and Robert Hopkins both went on to coach the Jaguars for the next two seasons. Stoglin led the Jaguars to a 32-26 overall record from 1982-1984. Hopkins led the Jaguars to a combined 38-19 record for two seasons. In the 1984-1985 the Jaguars won the SWAC tournament and made it to the NCAA Tournament. They lost in the first round to St. John’s. The next season, they won the SWAC again. Hopkins left the Jaguars for Grambling State.

Ben Jobe took over the reins in 1986. He stayed at the helm for 12 seasons. The Jaguars made perhaps their best run in program history during Jobe’s first four seasons. In 1986, they finished with a 19-12 overall record. They won the conference tournament championship and got a bid for the NCAA Tournament. In 1987, they finished with a 24-7 overall record. The Jaguars finished the regular season atop the SWAC and went on to win the conference championship. The Jaguars also went to the NCAA Tournament. The 1988 season finished the same as the 1987 season. They finished atop the SWAC, won the conference championship and appeared in another tournament. The 1986-1988 season marked the first and only time the Jaguars made the NCAA Tournament three straight times. In 1989, they finished 25-6. They won the regular season SWAC Championship. Unfortunately, they didn’t win the conference tournament and therefore didn’t make the NCAA Tournament.

The Jaguars won one more conference championship and tournament under Jobe in the 1992-1993 season. The Jaguars finished with just two losing records under Jobe, with both coming in his last two seasons. After losing 20 games in back-to-back seasons, Jobe was out as head coach. He finished his career with a 208-142 overall record at Southern.

From 2003-2011, the Jaguars had just one winning season.

Roman Banks became head coach at Southern University in 2011. The Jaguars enjoyed five straight winning seasons in Banks’ first five seasons. They won the conference three times and made the NCAA Tournament twice. In 2013, they made it to the second round of the tournament before falling to Gonzaga in a close game. Banks led the Jaguars to a 15-18 record in his final season. He finished his career at Southern with a 114-85 overall record.

Sean Woods has been at the helm since the 2018-2019 season. The Jaguars currently have a 53-74 overall record under Woods.

All-Time Records (CBB)

• Points Scored

  • Tim Roberts: 1,974
  • Bobby Phills II: 1,922
  • Jervaughn Scales: 1,797
  • Joe Faulkner: 1,733
  • Ronnell Williams: 1,709

• Rebounds

  • Jervaughn Scales: 1,099
  • Peter Cipriano: 944
  • Jared Sam: 937
  • Ronnell Williams: 797
  • Lionel Garrett: 748

• Assists

  • Avery Johnson: 732
  • Devan Clark: 534
  • Christopher Hyder: 476
  • Carlos Sample: 472
  • Jameel Grace: 435

FAQs

What Is the Highest Win Total in Program History?

The 1987-1988 Jaguars finished with a 25-6 record. The team featured Bobby Phills and Joe Faulkner, both averaging over 20 points per game. The Jaguars averaged 99 points per game.

What Was the Worst Season in Program History?

The 2010-2011 Jaguars finished with a 4-26 overall record. They averaged under 60 points per game and finished dead last in the SWAC.

How Many NCAA Tournaments Have the Jaguars Made?

The Jaguars have made the NCAA Tournament nine times. They most recently appeared in the tournament in 2016.