Tennessee State's Smith Leads Historic March

0:00A March 9, Nolan Smith, made history in his first year as head coach at Tennessee State. The former Duke standout led the Tigers to their first Ohio Valley Conference regular season title since 1995. Just days later, he earned Conference Coach of the Year honors. Over the weekend, his team sealed the deal by winning the OVC Tournament Championship. The Tigers dominated Morehead State 93-67 in the final at the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana. Marked their sixth straight victory and gave them a record of 23 wins and 9 losses. Those 21 regular season wins were the most for the program in over 60 years. Now, Tennessee State heads to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1994. Smith beamed with pride after the win, standing alongside his son and flashing his 2010 Duke National title ring. He praised his players for staying cool under pressure and executing on both ends of the floor. Hence, and his old Duke teammates celebrated the milestone online.

1:00Smith's path to this point is impressive. He started Duke alongside John Shire on the 2010 National Champions and later became ACC player of the year as a senior. Drafted 21st overall by Portland, in 2011, he played two NBA seasons before coaching Stins at Duke, Louisville, and Memphis. Projections have the Tigers as a number 15 seed in the East region, putting them in the same bracket as top seeded Duke. All eyes will be on Smith Squad as they gear up for March Manus and chase another deep run.