The Grambling State Tigers men's basketball team represents Grambling State University in Grambling, Louisiana. The school's team currently competes in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. They currently play their home games at the Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly Center. They made their first ever appearance to the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament in 2024.
History The glory years of the Tigers were led by Fred Hobdy, who led the Tigers to eight SWAC regular season titles (five outright) during his coaching tenure. Hobdy went 572-288 as head coach from 1957 to 1986, which saw them play in NCAA Division II and the NAIA. They reached the Elite Eight of the Division II tournament in 1958 and won the NAIA title in 1961. Notable players during this time were Willis Reed, who was an NAIA All-American before becoming drafted by the New York Knicks; Reed was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1982.
The Tigers advanced to the 1980 SWAC men's basketball tournament against Alcorn State (the regular season champion) for a chance to reach the NCAA Division I Tournament but lost 83–61. In 1986, Hobdy retired, later serving as athletic director for the program from 1989 to 1996 prior to his death in 1998 (years later, Grambling's new Assembly Center would be named after him). The 1986-87 team won the regular season championship but were walloped 105-55 by Southern in the SWAC Final. They returned to the Final the following year and lost again to Southern 78–62. Grambling won a share of the regular season title for the 1988-89 season with Southern and Texas Southern after each had 10-4 records, but Grambling lost in the Semifinals to Texas Southern, who then lost to Southern. The Tigers, with a record of 8–10 in SWAC play and seeded 6th, pulled off two shocking upsets (of three-seeded Mississippi Valley State and two-seeded Jackson State) to advance to the final round of the SWAC men's basketball tournament for the fourth time in program history in 2011 but lost to fourth-seeded Alabama State.
The 2012–13 team became the eighth NCAA Division I team to finish a season winless. The 2022–23 Tigers team returned to the SWAC Tournament title game for the fifth time in school history only to lose against Texas Southern, 58–61, for the right to advance to the NCAA Tournament.
On March 16, 2024, Grambling won the 2024 SWAC tournament after winning the regular season title, defeating the three-time defending champion Texas Southern, earning its first NCAA tournament bid in program history. The Tigers beat Montana State in the First Four, 88–81 in overtime, giving them their first win in the tournament.
Postseason results NCAA Division I Tournament results The Tigers appeared in one NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. Their combined record is 1–1.
2024 #16 First FourFirst Round #16 Montana State#1 Purdue W 88–81OTL 50–78
NIT results
The Tigers have appeared in one National Invitation Tournament (NIT). Their record is 0–1.
1980 First Round Ole Miss L 74–76
CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT) results
The Tigers have appeared in one CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT). Their record is 0–1.
2019 First round UTRGV L 73–74
NCAA Division II Tournament results The Tigers have appeared in two NCAA Division II Tournaments. Their combined record is 3–2.
1958 Regional semifinalsRegional FinalsElite Eight South Carolina StateNorth Carolina A&TSaint Michael's W 104–79W 88–73L 76–84 1976 Regional semifinalsRegional Finals Missouri S&TNicholls State W 67–61L 89–90
NAIA Tournament results The Tigers have appeared in seven NAIA Tournaments. Their combined record is 15–6 and were NAIA national champions in 1961.
1959 First roundSecond Round Christian BrothersLenoir-Rhyne W 81–70L 78–88 1960 First roundSecond RoundQuarterfinals Central ConnecticutThomas MoreTexas State W 92–68W 113–97L 68–76 1961 First roundSecond RoundQuarterfinalsSemifinalsNational Championship Game LinfieldPeru StateAnderson (IN)Westminster (PA)Georgetown (KY) W 107–85W 80–60W 62–54W 45–44W 95–75 1963 First roundSecond RoundQuarterfinalsSemifinalsNational 3rd-place game Arkansas TechAthens StateCarson-NewmanTexas–Pan AmericanFort Hays State W 76–59W 56–45W 79–70L 83–90W 107–86 1964 First roundSecond Round QuincySaint Mary's (TX) W 75–72L 66–72 1969 First round UNC Asheville L 74–86 1971 First roundSecond RoundQuarterfinals MansfieldRowanKentucky State W 88–78W 77–75L 81–93
See also List of NCAA Division I men's basketball programs
References
External links Website