OPENING TIP: Tennessee State closes the OVC regular season Saturday at UT Martin with a 1 p.m. tip on ESPNU. The Tigers can clinch the No. 1 seed in the upcoming OVC Tournament with a win — which would mark the first time TSU enters the tournament as the top seed since 1995. Tennessee State is coming off a 79-71 victory over SEMO on Thursday, while UT Martin defeated Tennessee Tech in its last outing. At worst, the Tigers will finish tied for second in the regular-season standings and no lower than the No. 3 seed in the conference tournament.

The Matchup: 
Tennessee State (20-9, 14-5) vs. UT Martin (21-9, 13-6)
Date/Time: Saturday, February 28 at 1:00 PM
Location: Martin, Tenn. | Elam Center
TV: ESPNU | ESPN+

SERIES INFORMATION VS. UT MARTIN: Tennessee State holds a 40-32 all-time advantage over the Skyhawks and has won the last three meetings, including a 78-71 victory in the conference opener this season. Aaron Nkrumah scored 23 points in that matchup, while Travis Harper II added 16.

MOST OVC SINGLE-SEASON WINS: The 2025-26 Tennessee State men's basketball team has set the program record for Ohio Valley Conference wins in a single season. Currently at 14-5 in OVC play, the Tigers have surpassed the previous benchmark of 13 conference victories set by the 1992-93 team (13-3). Only two other Division I squads in program history have reached at least 12 OVC wins: the 1993-94 team (12-4) and the 2024-25 squad (12-8). With 14 league victories, the 2025-26 Tigers now stand alone atop the program's single-season OVC wins list and continue to add to the school's conference record.

TOP THREE HISTORY: Tennessee State has finished in the top three of the Ohio Valley Conference regular-season standings nine times since 1992-93. The Tigers won the OVC Tournament and advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 1992-93 (1st) and 1993-94 (2nd). TSU finished tied for first in 1994-95 and second in 1995-96, advancing to the OVC Semifinals in both seasons. The Tigers placed tied for third in 1998-99 (OVC First Round), finished second in 2011-12 (OVC Championship Game), tied for second in 2015-16 (OVC First Round), tied for third in 2022-23 (OVC Quarterfinals) and tied for third in 2024-25 (OVC Semifinals).

CHASING HISTORY: The 2025-26 Tennessee State men's basketball team (20-9, 14-5 OVC) has positioned itself among the program's top NCAA Division I seasons. With 20 wins, the Tigers are now tied for the third-most victories in the Division I era, joining the 2015-16 (20-11) and 2011-12 (20-13) teams. Only the 1978-79 squad (20-6) reached 20 wins in fewer games during the Division I era.

Across all classifications, however, the 2025-26 team does not yet rank among the program's top overall seasons in total victories. During its NAIA era, Tennessee State produced three 30-win national championship seasons, including a 32-1 mark in 1958-59 and back-to-back 31-win campaigns in 1956-57 and 1957-58. The Tigers also posted a 32-8 record in 1972-73, finishing as the NCAA Division II national runner-up, along with multiple 26- to 28-win seasons during the NAIA and Division II eras.

While the current team has not reached those historical win totals, it now stands firmly among the top Division I seasons in school history and remains in position to climb further in the program's all-time rankings with additional victories.

TSU ON TOP: Tennessee State is tied for first place in the Ohio Valley Conference standings in February, marking the program's first February league lead in more than 30 years. The last time TSU held a February first-place position was during the 1994-95 season, when the Tigers went on to finish as co-OVC regular-season champions. The program's only outright OVC regular-season title came in 1992-93, when Tennessee State also won the conference tournament and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.

SEMO BY THE NUMBERS:

3: Tennessee State made 3 three-pointers in the game  

4: Tennessee State finished with 4 blocks  

5: Dante Harris totaled 5 rebounds  

7: Aaron Nkrumah had a team-best seven steals.

9: Tennessee State collected 6 steals  

9: Tennessee State dished out 9 assists  

9: Aaron Nkrumah pulled down 9 rebounds  

9: Antoine Lorick III grabbed 9 rebounds  

12: Aaron Nkrumah scored 12 points  

18: Travis Harper II recorded 18 points on 5-of-10 FG and 6-of-6 FT with four rebounds  

20: Dante Harris scored 20 points on 6-of-14 FG and 8-of-8 FT  

21: TSU finished with 21 fast break points.

22: Antoine Lorick III led the Tigers with 22 points on 6-of-13 FG and 9-of-12 FT  

36: Tennessee State totaled 36 rebounds  

36: Tennessee State made 36 free throws

AK4X: Aaron Nkrumah was named Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Week, the league announced Monday. It marks his fourth honor this season, the most of any player in the conference. The 6-foot-6 senior averaged 20.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.0 steals while shooting 50 percent (14-of-28) from the field in wins over Lindenwood and SIUE. Nkrumah scored 26 points on 11-of-15 shooting with 11 rebounds against SIUE for his second double-double of the season and added 14 points against Lindenwood.

ICY HISTORY: Nashville's 2026 ice storm brought comparisons to a similar weather event on Feb. 9, 1994, when temperatures in Middle Tennessee dropped from near 74 degrees to 23 degrees as sleet moved into the area, paralyzing the region. The recent storm left hundreds of thousands without power and downed trees across the city.

Why mention it in today's game notes? The last time Tennessee State advanced to the NCAA Tournament was 1994.