The Tennessee State Tigers decided a couple of years ago to make the leap up the ladder form the lower ranks of college basketball into the Big Time.  Though a dominant program for years in the lower echelons of the college game, few expected that the Tigers would come out of the blocks in the way that they have.  The Tigers have taken the Ohio Valley Conference by storm and made a name for themselves on the national landscape.  Last season the Tigers were on the verge of getting the kind of recognition they deserve but ended up coming up just short.  After a terrific first year in the OVC where they finished second in the conference finals to powerhouse Murray State they somehow got passed over by the NIT for a selection.  McClendon is taking no chances as they attempt to break down another door for civil rights as he has scheduled all comers including some big-time programs from the ACC, CUSA and SEC.  Heck, McClendon even convinced (guilted might be a better word) those Volunteers to play them this year. That prestigious powerhouse usually avoids their in-state neighbors like the plague and not just on the court.  The Tigers have one heck of a football team as well but there is no way those orange clad guys are playing these guys as Peyton Manning wants no piece of Richard Dent or Claude Humphrey in his backfield.  But we are talking basketball  and these Tigers have some superstars akin to those two studs on the court that you have probably never heard of.  Blessed with an abundance of athletic and gifted players, Coach McLendon has made this team a force to be reckoned with not just for now but for years to come in this burgeoning new world where all players and programs are created equal. 

Leading the way once again will be the legend that is Dick ‘Skull’ Barnett.  The senior shooting guard dominated just about every game the Tigers have been in since he arrived from the same hometown as the Jackson 5.  If he was not the best player on the court, no matter who they were playing, he definitely was not far behind. With his Alpha Dog personality, Barnett does not back down from anyone.  Barnett is without question the most talented backcourt player that you do not know enough about.  This smooth stroking lefty was a high school star in segregated Gary Indiana and was recruited to play at Roosevelt where he had a great prep career.  McClendon saw him play and recruited him to come south and play for the Tigers.  That first year playing in the South filled with racism was quite a transition but the fact that as soon as he stepped on campus Barnett almost automatically became the go to scorer for the Tigers made it easier.  The 6’4 stud is a tremendous wing who has the drive and skills to score on anyone.  ‘Skull’ Barnett as he is known on this campus primarily for his tenacity and toughness has led the Tigers in scoring all four years and is a shoe in to play at the next level after his illustrious college career.  To put it bluntly, Barnett is the man in Nashville with the only guy being more popular possible being that guy who sings Friends in Low Places.  Unorthodox with his jump shot (he basically kicks both of his feet out when he shoots) Barnett has been given a nickname for the ages.  ‘Fall Back Baby’ is his moniker he was given back on the Indiana playgrounds because this confident southpaw would shout ‘fall back’ on defense as he knew his shot was going in.  Most of the time it definitely did showing that indeed Barnett not only can flat score but has the kind of confidence every great shooter needs.  He is tough as nails and loves to go inside with the big boys and he will not back down from anyone but his best asset is his unique jump shot.  Barnett decided last year to give up some stats for the success of the team and it worked.  He had averaged over 25 a game in the NAIA but was much happier playing against this competition and especially showing he can compete at this level. He is one the best players in the country that did not receive All-American status and he was robbed.  He did earn MVP of the OVC and deservedly so but the scouts know how good he is.  He will be playing of some professional team next year and you hear it here first, Barnett will be awesome.  But of course more importantly for Barnett is leading his beloved Tigers to the promised-land of the Big Dance. He already has one major national title and I would not count out the Skull from leading the Tigers to another one. 

Going into this season, the Tigers have one of the best back court combos in the OVC with Barnett and fellow senior John Barnhill.  The problem was there is an up and coming hometown kid that McClendon can not not keep off the court.  Junior Ted “Hound” McCLain is a superb swing guard who backed up both Barnett and Barnhill for his first two years but this year he will push hard to get into the starting lineup.  This year the Hound finally wants to catch the Rabbit!  McClain is a superb scorer, almost at the level of Barnett, but was not going to beat out the ‘Skull’ so is pushing for Barnhill’s job.  McClain is a die-hard in the gym who worked his tail end off to become more of a distributor than a scorer and it has paid dividends.  McClain still scored over ten points a game but really improved his assists number to over three a game.  The primary reason he got on the court was not however his offense but rather his intense in your face defense. ‘Hound’ easily led the Tigers in steals averaging over three a game and had one game where he swiped the ball 12 times from Eastern Kentucky.  His input into the starting lineup seems inevitable but the Rabbit has got a few tricks up his sleeve.  Barnhill has done nothing to lose his starting job except miss a few games.  By the time he returned, McClain had saved the Nakatomi Building.   Barnhill is as quick as a ‘Rabbit’ and can cover anyone.  Yes, folks the Tigers have a Disney movie competing for their point guard job.  The Rabbit was another Indiana legend who led his high school to an undefeated season before teaming up with Barnett in what became the infamous ‘close the barn door’ back court.  Barnhill was always a great sidekick to the high scoring Barnett as he can score going to the hoop and is a good though not great passer.  Still, their connection is real and the chemistry between the Barn Boys was going to be hard to replace especially with a ‘Hound’ dog instead of a Rabbit.  Barnhill’s fellow Evansville teammate Porter Meriweather got some minutes as well but not much behind Barnett as a true two.  Meriweather is a terrific offensive player as well that goes 6’2 and can flat score.  On any other team in the OVC, Meriweather might be starting but not in Nashville.  Still, McClendon loves having this kind of depth and Porter will get some playing time and he is good enough to get a shot at the next level as the NBA is not the only pro basketball league.   

Now for the monsters up front!  Where to begin?  The Tigers had one of the most physically intimidating front lines in the country and they do not have a guy over six ten.  Len “Truck “Robinson, boy does that nickname fit, is a man child.  Only 6 foot 7 (but a rock like 220 pounds) Robinson is the most physically gifted player on a roster full of studs.  He may look like he just came off the playgrounds of Harlem but Robinson is the complete basketball package.  A tremendous rebounder who had toiled in a support role his first two years in Nashville the Truck became something special when given the chance this year to become a major part of the offensive juggernaut that is the Tigers.  Fundamentally sound in every area of the game, Truck has the strength and physical attributes of a power forward with the agility of a small forward.  McLendon had watched this Jacksonville product pound down low as a support player for two years and not only never complaining but never even asking for more of an offensive role.  This year he changed all of that. With his nice variety of a bull like inside game that uses a multitude of shots based on his incredible positioning and a superb touch up to about 15 feet.  Robinson’s shots seem to always have the appropriate spin and he knows how to use the glass from almost any angle.  He has even developed his own version of a hook he uses by rolling through the key and then using his tremendous leaping ability to jump above the defender and then flicking his wrist effortlessly towards the hoop like he has a nerf ball in his hands.  The Truck became one of the most complete offensive players in the south this season.  He averaged over 15 a game and was still the demon he always was on the boards.  The Truck literally has no weakness!  He might be the second option on the offensive (in the non-stop motion offense there is really no preferred options) but he put himself and his beloved Tigers on the basketball map this year.  To put it bluntly Barnett was always an offensive machine but the Truck’s improvement was the difference maker for the team that finally got their due.  Next year the Tigers will be the Truck’s team and we can see if this stud can actually carry a team as his name suggests.  Or will he always be the second fiddle or the dump truck or even worse the ‘truck with four flat tires’ as the opposition loves to shout in relation to his lack of foot speed!  No matter which way it turns out for the Truck the pros are salivating at the opportunity to get this kid on their roster.   

Sophomore Anthony Mason may be even more intimidating.  He too is only six seven but goes about 260 and none of that 260 is soft.  AS a matter of fact there is nothing soft on either one of these dudes.  If any player ever fit his nickname it is definitely ‘Mase!’ With his imposing status Mase is someone ou do not want to get too close to or perhaps you might get hurt.  And you sure as heck to not want to make contact with this dude or he might explode in your face (unless of course you are Biggy Smalls).  Mason also looks like something out of a horror movie with his tats all over his head.  Kind of like Uncle Fester meets Steve Reeves. And he is mean.  He not only knocks you down but steps on you when you’re there.  He is scary.  And by the way he can play.  Mase really did come from the Big Apple and plays that kind of tough, street game.  This Queens native grew up having to bang to survive and he was not exactly a blue chipper with his lack of touch.  But he has worked on it and has become one heck of an all-around player.  He switches off at small forward with Robinson (Mason is a bit quicker and usually guards the three) but can you imagine coming in to play the Tigers and seeing these two line up against you.  You might walk off the court.  And think that they were the three-four combo of this front line meaning that Mason was guarding small forwards most of the time.  Yep that must be fun trying to hang down on the blocks with ‘Mace’ when you go six five and 190.  Mason could always guard people and that is what has got him into the lineup but the rest of his game improved by leaps and bounds this year though jumping is not exactly a huge part of this monsters game.  Another lefty Mase has a solid all-around mid-range game with his ability to handle the ball off the dribble and hit mid-range jumpers.  He of course does not shy away from contact (no one on this team does) so is superb at finishing at the hoop and getting harmed er well fouled as nobody is harming Mase.  Mason’s best attribute might be his ballhandling ability as he might be the best passer on the team.  He is superb at playing the high post and either screening for the cutter or getting the ball and hitting one of his teammates going to the hoop.  Another terrific board guy Mason might not be your prototypical ‘small’ forward but there is nothing typical about these Tigers and the way the maul the opponent into submission on the defensive end fits this street tough kid’s game and personality to a T. 

Senior George Finley and Junior Lloyd Neal rounds out the front line by sharing the center position.  Neal was the incumbent starter and this Georgia Peach was the primary low post defender for the Tigers once again. Neal is not a true center as he is the exact same size as Robinson at 6’7 225 but man can he board and bang down low. Mr. Consistent, Neal does not get the hype of his teammates (perhaps due to a lack of a moniker) but he is the glue for this team. Finley is the only true big man on the team as he goes a true 7’0 and gives the Tigers some size it lacks especially if they are to take on the blue bloods of D-1.  He is definitely a project but this team needs a big goaltender especially when McClendon goes to his vaunted full court press which some say he invented. Well, he might have but he sure put the spark in it with the quickness of his players but man does Finley really make it work, swatting away stragglers who get loose from the pressure. Scoring is not his thing and he is not a great board guy as he only goes 220 but man can he take up space and knock the ball out of the sky.   Neal, who was a big-time recruit from tiny little Talbotton Georgia and has been a stud in Nashville since day one, is a banger who can guard big guys and loves to grab boards.  Neal is undersized to play center but gets the most out of his abilities and works hard every night using his smarts to be able to guard much bigger men.  His workmanlike attitude and familiar smile have made Lloyd a huge fan favorite in the Music City.  And Lloyd Neal is a winner.  Rogers and Johnson may not be of the same physical specimens (rocks) as Mason and Robinson but they can play and more than hold their own in the post.  It is not every team that can rotate four guys into the three front court positions with the skills these four studs possess.  And it doesn’t end there as the Tigers have become an assembly line of producing big physical players who can play in the trenches. Depth was not a problem for the Tigers as several guys contributed including junior Monti Davis and senior Ed Johnson down low.  Both are similar versions of the guys they play behind.  Undersized and tough and terrific on the boards and love banging in the key! Johnson who might be the best board guy on the team was even the starter for a few games early until he got hurt and really understands how to play this game.  This vagabond from Georgia (another peach) is not afraid to hit the road as he (and a few others on this roster) enjoyed their summer in Europe and the Soviet Union showing the fans there how Americans play basketball.  He came into Nashville with a reputation as a malcontent and there is no doubt he can be a bit ornery but McLendon knew he would be a good fit with all of the other tougher than steel men on this roster that have had to fight their way up to get to where they are.  With guys like the Skull and the Truckster and Mase and the Hound and Rabbit (they do have great nicknames on this team don’t they) showing him the way to become a professional sooner or later it had to stick.  His life has been tough but Johnson came into Nashville knowing he could help the Tigers win.  And that he has done. Senior Boid Buie is also in the mix but has been moved down to the bench with the new studs breaking through the last two years in Robinson and Mason.  Buie is one heck of a story as he came to Nashville after he got his arm tore off when he was thirteen in a car accident growing up in rural Arkansas. He survived and started practicing hoops on the side and became a big time recruit here.  He learned how to put the ball in the hoop and it seems to have a better touch then other shots from other players.  Buie is a basketball showmen for sure but he can also play.  He led the Tigers to their first national title, the Black National Championship, beating an undefeated Langston team.  He is not big enough to play the post and he has slipped down in the pecking order but Buie is not a sympathy case, he can flat play and will continue to after graduation as he has already committed to being a Globetrotter.  Ben Warley became the perfect swing man for the team off the bench.  The senior has the athleticism to guard wings and the toughness to go inside.  He was a huge part of this team’s success at the lower levels but was having a hard time this year guarding athletic wings.  This was a problem throughout the year as Mason is good but even he needs a break and McClendon wanted someone more athletic off the bench to guard some of these studs from D-1.  Barnett can move up to the three and McClendon goes with a three guard set of McClain and the barn boys and can even insert Meriweather for more shooting.  This team has options and that is because they are so incredibly athletic and know how to play the game.    

 The Tennessee State Tigers are trying to burst into the mainstream college basketball scene with a team that is as tough and physical as any you have ever seen.  Coach John McLendon has brought together the best combination of talent of any mid major program in the country.  Their transference from the NAIA was a challenge as it seemed like every program in the country had heard of the Tigers success in the NAIA.  Their first season in the OVC was more difficult than expected as it seemed every team on their schedule wanted to show the Tigers that this was a different level of basketball and that they did not belong.  After a summer of bonding as McLendon led many of his players (and some others from other schools) on a trip to Russia and Europe and learned much about how the game is played there and the acceptance of the black athlete overseas.  They were ready when the season started but the AD had put together a tough schedule with some new opponents who wanted to show the Tigers what ‘real’ basketball was all about.  AS they say be careful of what you wish for because this group of Tigers was ready for all comers.  Arguably playing the toughest out of conference schedule in the country showed that this team belonged and will not be afraid to mix it up with anybody.   It is one thing to become the first black college to win a national title albeit the NAIA but it is entirely different to compete on a year in and year out basis with the great programs of not only the OVC but with their reputation they have to show all of college basketball that they are for real!  Will this team be able to repeat their success from last year and perhaps even take it a step or two farther by getting to the Big Dance?  WE shall see.  But one thing is for sure.  Nobody is going to be knocking down the door to get a piece of this team any time in the near future!