Alabama A&M Bulldogs prepare to hit the road to begin SWAC play

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama - Alabama A&M coach Willie Hayes sees an improved, more challenging Southwest Athletic Conference this basketball season as the Bulldogs prepare to hit the road to begin league play.

Alabama A&M, 3-7 in preconference play, plays at Jackson State on Saturday at 5:30, with the women's game at 3 p.m. A&M will then travel to Grambling for a Monday night doubleheader.

"It'll be pretty tough," Hayes said of the SWAC, a 10-team league in which only seven teams are eligible for postseason play due to academic issues (Arkansas State-Pine Bluff, Grambling and Mississippi Valley are ineligible.) "You look across the board, and there are a couple of teams five wins or so in preseason. You can see the change. The whole conference is playing better in non-conference games."

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