2016 – 17 Jacksonville State Gamecocks men 's basketball team represented Jacksonville State University during the 2016 – 17 NCAA Division I men 's basketball season . The Gamecocks , led by first-year head coach Ray Harper , played their home games at the Pete Mathews Coliseum in Jacksonville , Alabama as members of the East Division of the Ohio Valley Conference . They finished the season 20 – 15 , 9 – 7 in OVC play to finish in third place in the East Division . As the No. 4 seed in the OVC Tournament , they defeated Southeast Missouri State , top-seeded Belmont , and UT Martin to win the tournament title . As a result , they received the conference 's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament , its first ever appearance , where it lost in the First Round to Louisville
OVC Tournament
2017 Ohio Valley Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
2016–17 Jacksonville State Gamecocks men's basketball team