A season with so much promise has turned into lessons of overcoming adversity for the Jackson State men’s basketball team and its seniors.

Injuries derailed any chance for the Tigers to win the Southwestern Athletic Championship regular-season crown. Jackson State is playing with seven scholarship players and three walk-ons.

Jackson State (15-16, 11-7) finished the regular season strong, winning its last three games and is the No. 6 seed in the eight-team Starry SWAC Tournament. The Tigers open play at 2 p.m. Thursday against No. 3 seed Texas Southern at Bartow Arena in Birmingham, Alabama.

For Jackson State to get into the NCAA Tournament, it must win the SWAC tournament. The last time JSU men went to the NCAA Tournament was in the 2006-07 season when it was coached by Tevester Anderson.

Breaking the March Madness drought will be a challenge for an undermanned quad.

“It has definitely been tough,” Jackson State coach Mo Williams said. “It has been frustrating and a lot of sleepless nights while trying to figure it out from game to game. We have to be strategic in what we have and our game plans.”

The Tigers have played without two preseason All-SWAC players in Chase Adams and Romelle Mansel because of injuries. Adams has missed seven games in the latter part of the season but has played in the last two games. Romelle has played in only two games.

Other players have dealt with injuries:

• Keionte Cornelius has missed eight games but played in the past two.

• Jayme Mitchell has played in only nine games.

• Keiveon Hunt did not play in five games but has played in the past two

• Keijuan Johnson has missed 11 games.

• Daeshun Ruffin has missed the entire season.

Picking up some of the minutes in the last five games are walk-ons David McDaniel, Delyle Williams and Jalani Bell.

“Every walk-on in the world thinks they should be a scholarship player,” Williams said. “Every walk-on in the world thinks they should be playing; they just don’t get the opportunity. Those guys are stepping up and are giving us good minutes and taking the challenge of playing.”

This season has become a case study in perseverance for his team, particularly for its seniors -- Mansel, Adams, Ken Evans Jr., Jordan O’Neal and Treyon Johnson.

Williams said he would be surprised if O’Neal did not win SWAC Defensive Player of the Year and make all-conference.

Evans is a senior who has the possibility of another season because of the COVD season. Williams said Evans has carried the team through the injuries.  For Williams, Adams is the little engine that could and makes JSU go.

“If it were not for Adams,” Williams said, “we would not be in the position we are in.”

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Williams said Johnson was not starting at the beginning of the season and now is playing at a high level and giving the team a presence inside.

“Those seniors' careers are coming to an end, day by day,” Williams said. “I hope those guys are feeling that pressure of leaving it all on the floor. That’s all I expect from those guys, to go out with a bang.”

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Who must shoulder injury-Jackson State basketball's postseason hopes