How a long-downtrodden program now has college basketball's longest win streak

GRAMBLING, Louisiana -- In a topsy-turvy season in college basketball when blue bloods are vulnerable, new blood is rising and chaos is the only certainty, there’s no greater symbol of the tumult than the owner of the sport’s longest active win streak.

It belongs to a program that hasn’t won a league title in more than a quarter century, hasn’t produced a winning season in more than a decade and hasn’t ever made the NCAA tournament.

The head coach is a man who has repeatedly been turned down for Division I assistant coaching jobs. The star player is a point guard who had to go across the country to find a program that didn’t think he was too short to be a difference maker. Together they’ve led long-downtrodden Grambling State to 11 consecutive victories, an achievement that for 48 hours stood alone until Michigan State matched it on Tuesday night.

“It’s pretty crazy,” Grambling State coach Donte’ Jackson told Yahoo Sports. “I don’t know how significant it is because there’s no trophy for a win streak, but it’s good notoriety for our program and it helps us a little bit with recruiting.”

Jackson learned Grambling State had college basketball’s longest win streak on Sunday evening when his phone buzzed as he was chatting with his wife and packing for a recruiting trip. A friend texted to inform him that the Tigers had ascended to the top spot because Vermont had just lost for the first time in more than two months.

Although Jackson didn’t hug his wife in celebration or call to congratulate his players, the first-year coach did take a moment to quietly reflect on the accomplishment. Any positive recognition is significant for a Grambling State program five years removed from a winless season and two years removed from a 11-126 stretch against Division I competition.

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