LUBBOCK, Texas | Jackson State and first-year head coach Trey Johnson tip off the 2026-27 basketball season on the road against No. 19 Texas Tech on Monday night inside United Supermarket Arena.

The game tips off at 6 p.m. on CBS Sports Network.

Jackson (12-21 last season) returns a pair of Preseason All-Conference selections, including Preseason Player of the Year Daeshun Ruffin, who finished last season as the fifth-leading scorer in the nation. He enters the year with 1,312 points after hitting the 1,000-point career mark last season, despite missing the second half of the final regular-season game and both games in the SWAC Championship Tournament. He is joined by fellow First selection, Dorian McMillian, who averaged 11.9 points per game alongside Ruffin in the backcourt last season after a 2024-25 season in which he was named SWAC Freshman of the Year.

The game will be the first for Johnson, who was named the school's head coach back on April 15. The former Tiger began his coaching career at Alabama State before transitioning to Jackson State as the associate head coach. His legacy at Jackson State is cemented in the record books. He remains the program's single-season all-time leader in scoring (points per game and total points), free throws made, and free throws attempted, while also joining the prestigious 1,000-point club in just two seasons. His national recognition includes being named a Box To Row All-American, a 2006 Bailey Howell Trophy finalist, and the 2007 Bailey Howell Trophy Award winner. In recognition of his historic impact, Johnson was inducted into the Jackson State Sports Hall of Fame in 2020.

The two teams have met only twice in history, with their last meeting in 2022.

Game Information - Jackson State at No. 19 Texas Tech
Monday, Nov. 2 | 6 p.m. | United Supermarket Arena | CBS Sports Network
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Shot Blocker Added to the Roster
Jackson State added a shot blocker to this year's roster in UIW transfer Jayden Williams. The 6-9 junior had 14 blocks last season, while he had the fourth most blocks in the Southland, sending away 51 shots.

Same Name, Not Related
There are several players and coaches with the same name, but only a pair of those are related. The Tigers have four players with the last name Williams, and one coach. Mike Williams and Kydarrius Williams are the only related Williamses on the roster, as the two brothers will be together for the second consecutive year. The two are sons of former Jackson State head coach Mo Williams, who is currently on staff at Kentucky. The others on the roster include Delyle Williams (Compton, Calif.), Nikk Williams (Dallas, Texas), and Jayden Williams (Chicago, Ill.).

Familiar Face Returns to the Bench
Darrian Wilson joins the Jackson State coaching staff this season after a stint at Itawamba Community College. He finished with a 49-13 record in two seasons that included a MACCC championship and a Region 23 championship game appearance. After recording 26 wins in his first year as a head coach, he followed that up with 23 last season. Prior to his two years as a head coach, he served as an assistant from 2022-24, contributing to three consecutive 20-win seasons and coaching players such as AJ Dent, an All-American. He returns to Jackson State as the associate head coach and returns to his alma mater this year, after serving as a three-time team captain at Jackson State University, where he earned his master's degree in exercise science in 2022. He was part of the 2021 SWAC Regular Season Championship team as a player.

Pack Your Bags for the Non-Conference Portion of the Schedule
Jackson State opens the 2026-27 season with 14 consecutive games on the road, but only one Saturday contest. The Tigers will make three trips to the state of Texas [Texas Tech, Baylor and Texas], Oklahoma [Oklahoma State, Tulsa and Oklahoma], and a pair of trips to the state of Louisiana [Tulane and Louisiana Tech]. The Tigers will also play three non-conference games in the state of Mississippi [Mississippi State, Southern Miss, and Ole Miss]. When it's all said and done, the Tigers will log 11,766 miles round trip in two months.

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