HISTORY VS. FISK
SERIES INFORMATION
Monday marks the 28th meeting between Tennessee State and Fisk. The Tigers hold a 24-3 all-time advantage and have won all 14 meetings in TSU's online series archive, which dates to November 2010. TSU has scored at least 100 points in three of the last seven meetings.
SMITH'S FIRST WIN CAME AGAINST FISK
Tennessee State beat Fisk 101-50 on Nov. 3, 2025, in Nolan Smith's first game as head coach. The Tigers led 47-16 at halftime and finished with a 63-30 rebounding advantage. Travis Harper II and Jalen Pitre each recorded a double-double. That victory opened a 23-win season that ended with TSU's first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1994.
PLAYER NOTES
BRADSHAW CREATES EXTRA POSSESSIONS
Aaron Bradshaw grabbed 10 offensive rebounds against East-West, more than any other Tiger had total rebounds. Seven came in the first half. The 7-foot-1 center enters the Fisk game averaging 10.0 points and a team-high 8.0 rebounds.
SIMMONS SCORES 14 IN NINE SECOND-HALF MINUTES
Ajayi Simmons scored all 14 of his points in 9:27 after halftime against East-West. He went 4-of-4 from the field, including a 3-pointer, and 5-of-5 at the line. Simmons also grabbed eight of his nine rebounds in the second half.
JAYDEN JONES STARTS FAST
Jayden Jones has made 10 of 14 shots through two games, good for 71.4 percent. He scored 17 points against East-West after scoring six in the opener, giving him 23 points this season. He totaled seven points in four appearances last season.
LINDSEY PERFECT AT THE LINE
Deondrea Lindsey has made all 10 of his free throws through two games, going 4-of-4 against Murray State and 6-of-6 against East-West. He has scored in double figures in both games and is averaging 11.0 points.
BODENHAMER TAKES CARE OF THE BALL
Maddux Bodenhamer delivered five assists without a turnover in 18:57 off the bench against East-West. He also scored 10 points and made both of his 3-point attempts. Four of his five assists came after halftime.
MORRIS LEADS THE TIGERS IN ASSISTS
Arterio Morris has nine assists through two games, two more than Ty-Laur Johnson. Morris followed a four-assist opener with five assists against East-West, adding 14 points, five rebounds, three steals and two blocks.
ALSTON FILLS THE STAT SHEET
Christian Alston has posted eight points and five rebounds in each game. Against East-West, he doubled his assist total from the opener with four and matched the team lead with three steals.
JOHNSON PRODUCES OFF THE BENCH
Ty-Laur Johnson scored nine points and handed out three assists without a turnover in 13:14 against East-West. He leads TSU at 12.0 points per game and has two steals in each of the first two games.
KAVIEN JONES FINISHES INSIDE
Kavien Jones went 4-of-5 from the field for eight points against East-West. He is shooting 63.6 percent through two games and has grabbed five of his nine rebounds on the offensive end.
SHELTON MAKES HIS DEBUT
Freshman Garrett Shelton made a 3-pointer, handed out two assists and recorded a steal in 5:05 in his collegiate debut against East-West.
TWO MCDONALD'S ALL-AMERICANS
Bradshaw and Arterio Morris give the Tigers two former McDonald's All-Americans. Morris played in 38 games during Texas' 2023 Elite Eight season and scored 25 points on 9-of-11 shooting against Louisiana. He comes to TSU from Bethune-Cookman, where he averaged 11.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 27 games last season. Morris opened that season with 20 points and 10 rebounds at Auburn.
BRADSHAW BRINGS SIZE AND SCORING
At 7-foot-1, Aaron Bradshaw is the tallest player on Tennessee State's roster. He arrives after averaging career highs of 8.6 points and 4.6 rebounds at Memphis, where he started 22 of his 29 appearances and shot 55.6% from the field. Bradshaw showed his range with a career-high 21 points at Florida Atlantic, making all three of his 3-point attempts. His college career also includes stops at Kentucky and Ohio State.
JOHNSON AND SMITH REUNITE
Ty-Laur Johnson reunites with Nolan Smith after playing at Louisville while Smith was an assistant coach in 2023-24. Johnson led the Cardinals in assists and steals that season and recorded 27 points and 11 assists against Florida State. He arrives at TSU following a season at San Diego in which he averaged 14.6 points, 4.3 assists and 2.3 steals. Johnson scored at least 20 points eight times, including a career-high 28 in a win over Washington State.
MARCH EXPERIENCE
Tennessee State's newcomers bring experience from deep NCAA Tournament runs. Arterio Morris played on Texas' 2023 Elite Eight team, while Presley Patterson was a member of Auburn's 2025 Final Four squad. Aaron Bradshaw also saw NCAA Tournament action with Kentucky in 2024, recording three points and three rebounds against Oakland in the first round.
RIVERA HAS DELIVERED LATE
Josh Rivera brings experience making decisive shots. At Fordham in 2024-25, he hit a game-winning 3-pointer with six seconds remaining against Bryant and another game-winning 3 against Duquesne. Rivera averaged 10.7 points and 4.3 rebounds that season before moving to Seton Hall, where he appeared in 30 games in 2025-26. His college career began at Lafayette, where he earned Patriot League All-Rookie honors and helped the Leopards reach the conference tournament championship game.
KAVIEN'S EFFICIENCY
Kavien Jones brings the most 2025-26 game experience among TSU's returning players who recorded statistics last season. The Franklin, Tennessee, native appeared in 30 games and shot 58.7% from the field. Of his 71 rebounds, 30 came on the offensive glass — 42.3% of his total. Jones averaged 2.7 points and 2.4 rebounds in 10.5 minutes per game.
HOWARD'S NEXT STEP
Damon Howard Jr. enters his sophomore season after appearing in 21 games as a freshman. The Indianapolis native recorded 18 assists against seven turnovers, an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.57. Howard moves from No. 1 to No. 11 this season.
KNICKS IN 5 CONNECTION
Aaron Bradshaw and Tennessee State director of player development Sam Serata share a connection to Rick Brunson's Camden High School program. Bradshaw played for Brunson while Serata served as an assistant coach during the Panthers' 2021-22 season. Camden finished 31-3, captured the New Jersey Group 2 state championship and advanced to the NJSIAA Tournament of Champions final. The two reunite at TSU in 2026-27, with Bradshaw joining the Tigers' frontcourt and Serata working in player development.
ALSTON RETURNS TO TENNESSEE
Memphis native Christian Alston returns to his home state after appearing in 51 games over two seasons at Abilene Christian. The 6-foot-7 guard scored more than 1,000 points at Bartlett High School before beginning his college career in Texas. Alston averaged 4.7 points and 1.9 rebounds last season, scoring a career-high 18 points at Utah Valley. He also recorded three steals in games at Arizona and Utah Valley.
LINDSEY'S HOME-STATE OPPORTUNITY
Deondrea Lindsey returns to Tennessee after a season at Iona in which he did not see game action. The Knoxville native began his high school career at Knoxville Catholic before spending two years at Oak Hill Academy in Virginia. A national top-150 prospect, Lindsey helped Knoxville Catholic finish 20-8 as a sophomore. The 6-foot-8 forward joins a TSU roster that also includes fellow Knoxville Catholic product Presley Patterson.
PATTERSON'S CHAMPIONSHIP SHOT
Presley Patterson helped Knoxville Catholic win its first boys basketball state championship in 2020, earning championship-game MVP honors after scoring 15 points on five 3-pointers in seven attempts. He later joined Auburn as a walk-on and appeared in the 2024 SEC Tournament championship game. The Knoxville native arrives at TSU after a season at Rice, bringing college experience in both the SEC and American Athletic Conference.
SIMMONS DOUBLED HIS PRODUCTION
Ajayi Simmons doubled his scoring average between his two seasons at North Idaho College, improving from 5.7 points as a freshman to 11.4 as a sophomore. The 6-foot-8 guard/forward also averaged 6.4 rebounds last season. Across 58 games at North Idaho, Simmons made 64 3-pointers and shot 36.2% from beyond the arc. His sophomore highlights included 25 points on 11-of-13 shooting against Central Arizona and 20 points with nine rebounds against Utah State Eastern.
VIEIRA-TUCK'S INTERNATIONAL ROUTE
Daniel Vieira-Tuck brings a background that includes basketball in Portugal, Overtime Elite and Texas A&M–Texarkana. He represented Portugal at the 2023 FIBA U20 European Championship Division B and later played for Overtime Elite's Diamond Doves. In seven appearances at Texas A&M–Texarkana last season, the 6-foot-5 guard made six starts and averaged 13.4 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists. He scored in double figures five times, including 20 points against LSU Shreveport.
SHELTON BRINGS A CHAMPIONSHIP BACKGROUND
Garrett Shelton helped Frisco Heritage win the 2025 Texas Class 5A Division I state championship, the first boys basketball state title in school history. The Tigers' lone freshman led his high school team in assists, steals and deflections during his senior season while averaging 3.7 assists and 1.8 steals. Shelton also made 42 3-pointers and recorded 22 points, nine rebounds and five assists against The Colony.
TENNESSEE ROOTS
Six of the Tigers' 15 players list Tennessee hometowns: Christian Alston, Maddux Bodenhamer, Jayden Jones, Kavien Jones, Deondrea Lindsey and Presley Patterson
Tennessee State Men's Basketball • Game 3 vs. Fisk • All times Central
