Season Ends, but Dreams Go On

Iowa State Defeats Tennessee State

(St. Louis, MO) – The scoreboard hit zeroes and the final score read Iowa State 108, Tennessee State 74. The Tigers’ season ends, but dreams go on. Coach Nolan Smith and his players re-wrote the narrative around Tigers’ basketball and leave St. Louis as history makers.

Tennessee State had not played in the NCAA Tournament in 32 years, but their regular season and postseason Ohio Valley Conference titles changed the program’s trajectory and its reputation.

This contest was decided early, when Iowa State exploded for a 29-2 first half avalanche. The Cyclones buried threes, dominated the defensive end and won easily.

But this visit to St. Louis wasn’t about this game. It is about what Smith, Aaron Nkrumah, Travis Harper II, Dante Harris and their teammates created from offseason through the postseason. A 23-10 record and a first place tie for the OVC regular season crown were the first special ‘dream-come-true’. Then a pair of victories in Evansville sent the Tigers to the Big Dance.

It’s what every young basketball player dreams of.

While the season came to an end, Smith, Nkrumah and Harper could still appreciate the historic nature of what they accomplished.

Smith’s championship pedigree helped this team believe they could win and be a championship-type of team.

The first-year head coach spoke of his gratitude for his players.

“For my first year as a head coach, I couldn’t have asked for a better group of great young men,” said Smith. “(They were) leaders, guys that bought in to winning with my staff, getting here end of July. They didn’t really like me at first. I think we’re pretty close now. But just so proud of them.”

Players Speak

Nkrumah and Harper were each all-OVC performers, with Nkrumah claiming the ‘Player of the Year’ honor. It wasn’t all easy for that young man. He had no college basketball offers coming out of high school, so he played a prep school season. His next opportunity was at the Division 3 level and finally he landed a spot on Brian ‘Penny’ Collins’ final team at TSU.

That history made this St. Louis weekend that much sweeter.

“This weekend was a lot. I’m blessed to be here with a great group of guys, a great coaching staff,” said Nkrumah. “The journey here, honestly I wouldn’t rewrite my story any other way. I feel like that’s makes me who I am. That’s what makes me play the best way possible every game. I’ve been playing from the ground up for 10 years now, trying to get to where I’m at. It’s a blessing.”

Smith calls his players ‘legends’ in TSU history.

“I think I told them pretty quickly that they’re legends, they’re legendary,” said Smith. “They’ll be forever remembered in Nashville and the TSU community. It probably took me a little longer to process what these guys did. But then when people started telling me around the city, man, 32 years, we’re champions, and just seeing the love for these guys and support, then it starts to hit me, like, man, these guys really did something incredible, something they get to tell their children, their children’s children and go back to the Gentry Center and look up facing the banners and see “2026 OVC Champions” and another banner that says “March Madness.“”

Keeping the Dreams Alive

Harper seems to grasp of the historic nature of what they accomplished.

“Obviously we went on a historical run,” said Harper. “We won the OVC championship and we ended up going to March Madness. So obviously we didn’t finish the way we wanted to, but at the end of the day, like everybody has said, we’re legends in Nashville. It’s something that hadn’t been done in so long, so people are going to remember us. That just means a lot to me personally, and I know it means a lot to everybody else on the team.”

Nkrumah finished with 21 points, Antoine Lorick III added 20 and Harper 13 points and his name plate from the postgame press conference. He asked permission, because the season ends, but dreams go on.

Do Good