Jan 29th, 2021
The Green Jays women's basketball season began on Wednesday, January 27, with a 76-72 win at home against the Columbia State Chargers. While the women had a strong showing at the season opener, the men's basketball team was absent from the usual two-game lineup.
The Jackson State athletics department notified teams within the Tennessee Community College Athletic Association (TCCAA) that the men's basketball season has been suspended due to the available number of students available to participate. According to Steve Cornelison, JSCC Director of Athletics, the suspension is due to several factors related to the pandemic. "Some student-athletes have opted not to play due to health concerns," stated Cornelison. "While we take every precaution, we also understand the concerns."
The JSCC athletic program follows health screening protocols defined by the NCAA tier model. This model requires basketball student-athletes to be tested for the coronavirus two times per week in addition to pre-game screening protocols.
Cornelison states that he is proud of the basketball teams' accomplishments and looks forward to a time when participation in and attendance at games can return to normal. While spectators are currently not allowed at sporting events, games are being live-streamed on the women's basketball Facebook page at @JSCCWomensBasketball. He encourages fans to support the women's team by tuning in to the live-streamed games and sharing their efforts through social media.
For the 2019-2020 season, the men's basketball program finished the season 21-5 overall, with a 14-4 regular-season record and a second-place finish in the TCCAA. The Green Jays also finished as TCCAA and NJCAA Region VII Tournament Runners-up. Kavion Hancock and Radarious Washington were voted First-Team All-TCCAA. Hancock was also honored as NJCAA First-Team All-American, TCCAA Player of the Year, and TCCAA Offensive Player of the Year. Coach Deron Hines was voted TCCAA Co-Coach of the Year.