Tennessee State Tigers basketball

For the women's teams, see Tennessee State Lady Tigers basketball.

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]

Tennessee State Tigers basketball
2024–25 Tennessee State Tigers basketball team
University	Tennessee State University
Head coach	Nolan Smith (1st season)
Conference	Ohio Valley
Location	Nashville, Tennessee
Arena	Gentry Complex (capacity: 9,100)
Nickname	Tigers
Colors	Reflex blue and white[1]
NCAA tournament runner-up
1970*, 1973*
Other NCAA 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
NAIA tournament champions
1957, 1958, 1959
Other NAIA tournament results Semifinals 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960
Conference tournament champions
1993, 1994
Conference regular-season champions
1993, 1995
* at Division II level

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 twice in the NCAA Tournament, most recently in 1994.

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 two NCAA Division I Tournaments. Their combined record is 0–2.

Year	Round	Opponent	Result
1993	First round	Seton Hall	L 59–81
1994	First round	Kentucky	L 70–83

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