Southland Preview

Southland Conference 2007-08 Preview

by Phil Kasiecki

One year after the Southland Conference’s representative in the NCAA Tournament pulled off one of the most notable upsets in the NCAA Tournament, it nearly happened again. In trying to follow Northwestern State’s lead, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi gave Wisconsin all it could handle in the first round of the NCAA Tournament before succumbing. Not only was it nearly another big win for the conference, but it was also big for the school, which made it to the NCAA Tournament in its first year in the conference after several good years as a Division I independent.

The Islanders don’t appear ready to repeat this season even though they have the reigning Player of the Year back. Chris Daniels is their only starter who returns, and they have a new head coach. That opens the door for teams like Lamar and consistent winners Northwestern State and Sam Houston State, along with dark horses like improving Stephen F. Austin and UT-Arlington. The Islanders won’t be down for long, though, as they have a solid recruiting class and should win a few key games late in the year as their newcomers round into form. The East Division looks to be the stronger of the two divisions, but not by a wide margin.

One interesting note about the conference is that many of the best players are in the frontcourt, which is unusual. It’s not that teams lack backcourt talent, but at this level, good frontcourt players can be more imposing since many teams don’t have a great deal of size compared to teams in BCS conferences. Additionally, a number of teams lost starting guards from last season and some of the returning guards are on teams that project to finish too low for their best players to be likely all-conference selections, at least on the first team.

Only one team had a coaching change after last season. As mentioned earlier, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi saw Ronnie Arrow leave to take the head coaching job at South Alabama and begin his second go-round at that school. In his place is Perry Clark, whose last job was as the head coach at Miami.

Preseason Awards
Player of the Year: Lamar Sanders, Lamar
Top Newcomer: Kenny Dawkins, Lamar
Top Freshman: Shannon Shorter, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
Defensive Player of the Year: Shamir McDaniel, Sam Houston State
Best NBA Prospect: Jermaine Griffin, UT-Arlington

All-Southland Team
Jarvis Bradley, Sr. F, McNeese State
Ryan Bright, Sr. F, Sam Houston State
Chris Daniels, Sr. C, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
Jermaine Griffin, Sr. F, UT-Arlington
Lamar Sanders, Sr. F, Lamar

East Division

Lamar Cardinals (15-17, 8-8 Southland)
Projected Starters:
Jr. G Kenny Dawkins (junior college transfer)
Sr. G Darren Hopkins (13.4 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 2.8 apg)
Sr. G Currye Todd (10.6 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 1.6 apg)
Sr. F Lamar Sanders (12.2 ppg, 9.8 rpg, 3.3 apg)
Jr. F-C Lawrence Nwevo (4.9 ppg, 3.9 rpg)
Schedule Highlights: Consecutive November matchups with Wyoming and Summit League contender Oral Roberts highlight the eight-game home slate in non-conference play. They have road dates with Mississippi, Brigham Young and Texas Tech. In Southland play, they have a stretch in February with four of five at home, and they lucked out with inter-division games as they get Sam Houston State and UT-Arlington at home only.
Outlook: The Cardinals have the most talent in the conference and plenty of experience as they bring back four starters. The one starter not back is a talent, but James Davis was suspended multiple times last season and thus his loss is addition by subtraction, especially since they have the talent to offset it. As if the four returning starters are not enough, they have talented newcomers such as Dawkins and Brandon McThay in the backcourt and Jay Brown in the frontcourt, all of whom will get plenty of minutes right away and push the holdovers to get better. Hopkins will be better playing off the ball, while Sanders should be the conference’s top player by doing a little of everything. Dawkins and McThay must do one thing in particular, which is take good care of the ball as the Cardinals had the worst turnover margin in the conference last season and averaged nearly 17 turnovers per game.

Northwestern State Demons (17-15, 10-6 Southland)
Projected Starters:
Jr. G Keithan Hancock (6.4 ppg)
Sr. G- F Colby Bargeman (11.1 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 1.3 apg, 1.9 spg)
Sr. F Gerrell Thomas (5.0 ppg, 3.3 rpg)
Sr. F Trey Gilder (12.2 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1.0 apg, 1.3 spg)
Sr. C Jerry Moody (6.2 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1.2 bpg)
Schedule Highlights: The Demons open the season in the Basketball Travelers Classic at Stanford, where their opponents include Big West favorite UC Santa Barbara and the host team. Then they come home for four straight home games, then have two more after a trip to Centenary. They close out non-conference play with a tough road stretch with games at LSU, Arkansas, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State. In Southland play, they have two three-game road trips, the first of which is a little more difficult as it begins with Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and ends with McNeese State, and the next game is against Lamar at home.
Outlook: Mike McConathy’s teams have done plenty of winning lately, and now he has a team with plenty of experience despite some key personnel losses. Since the Demons routinely go deep into the bench, that experience pays off this season with plenty of options at the point, where Hancock will be pushed by Michael McConathy and Dominic Knight. Bargeman and Gilder are the leaders, while Moody is a steady middle man and Thomas a role player on the wing. There is some depth, so the Demons will be tough to beat again. The Demons will need to improve on defense, where opponents shot 48 percent from the field last year. That can negate the more than 20 turnovers per game they forced.

McNeese State Cowboys (15-17, 9-7 Southland)
Projected Starters:
Sr. G John Ford (11.7 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 3.3 apg, 1.9 spg)
So. G Diego Kapelan
Jr. F John Pichon (6.5 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 1.4 apg)
Sr. F Jarvis Bradley (15.1 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 1.0 bpg)
Sr. C Kleon Penn (2.1 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 1.5 bpg)
Schedule Highlights: The Cowboys have six home games on tap in non-conference play, highlighted by Coastal Carolina. They’ll go on the road to play at Texas A&M, LSU, Missouri, Southern Miss and Louisiana Tech, and they have an in-season home-and-home with Lipscomb. Although Southland play begins at home, it can’t be much tougher as Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Sam Houston State are in town.
Outlook: Four starters return for the Cowboys, including two of the conference’s best players in Bradley and Ford. Ford is the floor leader at both ends, while Bradley should put up his share of double-doubles, especially if Penn gets better in the middle. Pichon helps Bradley on the glass, while Kapelan is one of several candidates to take over at shooting guard. The offensive end is the prime area for improvement if the Cowboys are to contend, as they were next-to-last in the conference in scoring, field goal percentage and assist/turnover ratio.

Nicholls State Colonels (8-22, 7-9 Southland)
Projected Starters:
Jr. G Justin Payne (5.5 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 4.6 apg)
Jr. G Gil Verner (7.8 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 1.3 apg, 1.2 spg)
Sr. G Adonis Gray (13.9 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 1.6 apg, 1.1 spg)
Jr. F Ryan Bathie (12.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 2.3 apg)
So. C Mitch Boyce (5.8 ppg, 2.2 rpg)
Schedule Highlights: Just two home games are on tap in a very tough non-conference schedule that features a trip to Las Vegas for the Duel in the Desert at the end of December. There, the Colonels will play Minnesota, host UNLV and Kennesaw State. They open the season at Florida State, then a stretch of eight straight on the road includes Tulane, California, St. Mary’s, LSU and Alabama, and they play at North Carolina before heading to Las Vegas.
Outlook: The Colonels might be a year away from contending and have a big personnel loss to absorb in leading scorer Stefan Blaszczynski. There is something to build with, though, as the four starters include good scorers in Gray and Bathie and a steady floor leader in Payne. Gray is the only senior on this squad and is joined by nine freshmen (one redshirted last year). An important place to improve is on defense, as only one team allowed more points and opponents shot nearly 47 percent from the field against them, and they had the worst rebounding margin.

Central Arkansas Bears (10-20, 4-12 Southland)
Projected Starters:
So. G Marcus Pillow (11.7 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 2.2 apg)
Sr. G Nate Bowie (10.8 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 3.0 apg, 1.2 spg)
Jr. F Mitch Reuter (8.3 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 1.3 apg)
Sr. F Durrell Nevels (12.1 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 3.3 bpg)
Jr. C Landrell Brewer (junior college transfer)
Schedule Highlights: The Bears have seven home games in non-conference play, including half of two in-season home-and-home series with Jacksonville State and Idaho. They open the season in the 2K Sports Classic at Kentucky, then later travel to Tulsa.
Outlook: The Bears had some good moments in their inaugural season in the Southland en route to 10 wins overall. While they won’t be a contender this season, they should improve and it wouldn’t be a surprise if they knock off a contender or two along the way. There are just two seniors on the roster, but both will start and play key roles. Nevels anchors the inside and will get help from Brewer, while Pillow and Bowie are a nice backcourt combination that will need to cut down on turnovers. Reuter is the best marksman from long range on the team. A bright side is that the Bears were solid at the defensive end, as they led the conference in field goal percentage defense and were third in rebounding margin. If they repeat that performance, it wouldn’t be a stretch to imagine them pulling off a .500 record in Southland play.

Southeastern Louisiana Lions (16-14, 8-8 Southland)
Projected Starters:
Sr. G Dekyron Nicks (3.5 ppg, 1.2 rpg, 2.1 apg)
Fr. G Derrio Green
Sr. G-F Kevyn Green (8.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 1.3 apg)
Jr. F Warrell Span (junior college transfer)
So. C Patrick Sullivan (4.5 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 1.7 bpg)
Schedule Highlights: The non-conference schedule has seven home games, including three straight after an early trip to LSU. They’ll play two more road games against SEC foes, at Alabama and Mississippi State, and will also travel to UTEP and Iowa. In Southland play, the Lions have a chance to get some momentum going about halfway through, as they have a stretch with six of seven games at home. After that, they close with a tough stretch: at Northwestern State, at McNeese State, and home against Lamar.
Outlook: The Lions lost three starters and seven players overall from last season’s team, and with them a great deal of scoring and rebounding. Eight newcomers will try to fill the void, led by Span and Derrio Green. Kevyn Green should be the team leader, while Nicks is the likely starter at the point. Sullivan had a good freshman season and will now be counted on for more in the middle, and with his size he should be able to give them that. If they are to avoid a long season, one thing they could repeat from last year is taking good care of the ball, as the Lions turned the ball over less than any other Southland team.

West Division

Sam Houston State Bearkats (21-10, 13-3 Southland)
Projected Starters:
So. G Ashton Mitchell (3.0 ppg, 2.1 apg)
Sr. G Shamir McDaniel (5.8 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 3.3 apg)
Sr. F James Barrett (7.7 ppg, 4.1 rpg)
Sr. F Ryan Bright (14.8 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 2.8 apg, 1.8 spg, 1.5 bpg)
Jr. F Reggie Rawlins (4.7 ppg, 2.0 rpg)
Schedule Highlights: The Bearkats open the season with four straight home games out of their eight in non-conference play. The highlight is the second game of the season, when Texas Tech visits, while Fresno State and Central Florida also come to town. The most challenging road game looks to be at Saint Louis. Southland play begins with four of six at home, but the two road games will be a little more difficult since they are at McNeese State and Lamar. That’s also one way in which they didn’t make out well with inter-division opponents since that is the only time they play both schools.
Outlook: The Bearkats lose three starters from last season’s team, but still have a senior-laden nucleus and also get back forward John Gardiner after an injury forced him to redshirt last season. Mitchell will likely run the show now, while McDaniel started every game last year and will be counted on for more offensively. Bright is one of the best in the conference and does a little of everything and will be the man everything goes through. They will need more out of Barrett as a complementary player, and Rawlins will need to improve inside as he moves into a starting role. With their personnel losses, the Bearkats will be hard-pressed to match the 77.3 points per game they scored last season, so a repeat of their good defense and even some improvement there will be essential to coming out on top.

UT-Arlington Mavericks (13-17, 8-8 Southland)
Projected Starters:
So. G Rog’er Guignard (10.9 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 3.5 apg, 1.5 spg)
Sr. G Rod Epps (9.7 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 3.1 apg)
Sr. F Larry Posey (8.4 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 1.0 apg)
Jr. F Anthony Vereen (11.0 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 1.2 apg)
Sr. F Jermaine Griffin (13.2 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 1.2 apg, 2.0 bpg)
Schedule Highlights: The Mavericks will play eight home games in non-conference play, including four straight and six of the first seven. Road highlights are at Wichita State and Oklahoma State. In Southland play, they have two three-game homestands, including one after they start the season after the road. With inter-division games, they get Northwestern State and Lamar on the road only.
Outlook: The Mavericks return all five starters and their top ten players, and that group closed out last season playing good basketball. Griffin and Vereen form the conference’s best duo inside, while Guignard and Epps are an underrated backcourt. Brandon Long and Tommy Moffitt are the key reserves along with forward Matt Read, who can come in to give the forwards a breather. If the Mavericks are to take the next step, they will need to cut down on turnovers as only one Southland team had more than they did, and improving on the more than 76 points per game they allowed is a must as well.

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders (26-7, 14-2 Southland)
Projected Starters:
Jr. G Matt Slatnick (2.9 ppg)
Jr. G Tim Green (junior college transfer)
Fr. G Shannon Shorter
Fr. F Isaiah Jackson
Sr. C Chris Daniels (15.3 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 1.6 bpg)
Schedule Highlights: After opening with Texas Southern at home, the Islanders head to College Station for a challenge in the NIT Season Tip-Off, where they play UTEP and either Oral Roberts or Texas A&M. They later host the Islander Invitational, which includes Atlantic 10 contender Rhode Island, and have road dates with DePaul, Oklahoma State and Auburn. The highlight of the six-game home slate in non-conference is a December 21 game against Mississippi State, and the Islanders also have an in-season home-and-home with Troy. In Southland play, they get a break in inter-division games, as they get Lamar and Northwestern State at home only.
Outlook: The Islanders have a new look this season with only Daniels and Slatnick back among key players, as well as a new head coach. Perry Clark doesn’t inherit a bare cupboard, however, as Green, Shorter and Jackson are all part of a fine recruiting class that will keep the talent level high. Daniels was the conference’s Player of the Year last season and could win it again, although a slip in the standings might hurt him there. He will also be the center of opposing team’s defenses even more so this season with new complementary parts in the lineup. Don’t expect the Islanders to lead the conference in scoring again with all that they lost, but leading in rebounding margin is possible with Daniels back.

Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks (15-14, 8-8 Southland)
Projected Starters:
Jr. G Eric Bell (junior college transfer)
Sr. G Gerald Fonzie (4.7 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 2.3 apg)
Jr. G Josh Alexander (13.0 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 1.1 apg, 1.2 spg)
Sr. F Scott Weaver (3.4 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 1.0 apg)
Jr. F Matt Kingsley (12.6 ppg, 4.7 rpg)
Schedule Highlights: The Lumberjacks have seven home games in non-conference play, including part of an in-season home-and-home with Jackson State. Road games of note include Texas Tech, Oklahoma and the SMU Tournament. In Southland play, they get a bit of a break with inter-division games as they get Lamar and McNeese State at home only, and will play them in consecutive games in mid-January.
Outlook: The Lumberjacks might be the sleeper team in this conference, although they will count on a newcomer at the key point guard position. If Bell and freshman Preston Davis can run this team right away, Fonzie can move off the ball and become a better scorer to complement Alexander on the wing. Kingsley anchors the team inside and Weaver will be counted on for a little more in his complementary role. The Lumberjacks allowed the fewest points in the conference last season, but teams still shot 44 percent from the field against them. The Lumberjacks have ten newcomers on the roster, and they’ll have to integrate with the holdovers quickly if they are to contend.

Texas State Bobcats (9-20, 4-12 Southland)
Projected Starters:
Sr. G Brent Holder (9.6 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 1.1 apg)
Sr. G Brandon Thomas (5.9 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 1.6 apg, 1.6 spg)
Jr. G-F Brandon Bush (14.4 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 2.7 apg, 1.4 spg)
Jr. F Dylan Moseley (9.0 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 1.2 spg)
Fr. C Ty Gough
Schedule Highlights: The Bobcats open the season with three straight at home and later play three more in San Marcos, with Rice being the highlight of it. They head to Kennesaw for the 100 Club Classic and later play in the SMU Classic, and have road dates with Texas A&M and Texas. The Bobcats also have an in-season home-and-home with Texas-Pan American. In Southland play, they have three straight at home early on and close the regular season with three of four at home.
Outlook: The Bobcats return four starters, but they return from a team that struggled and the one starter gone is a key one. A gaping hole is now present at the point guard spot, with Holder and newcomers Corey Jefferson and Ryan White likely to battle for the starting job. Gough is one newcomer who should start right away, and he’ll inject some size into the lineup and move Moseley to power forward. Bush is at the center of it all as a versatile wing and one of the conference’s best players. Although they will need to cut down on their league-leading turnover total, offense isn’t a big concern as they led the conference in scoring last season. Rather, the defense is an area of much concern as they allowed over 85 points per game and allowed opponents to shoot nearly 51 percent from the field last season, both of which were dead last in the conference.

UT-San Antonio Roadrunners (7-22, 3-13 Southland)
Projected Starters:
Fr. G Devin Gibson
Sr. G Melvin Smith (12.9 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 2.3 apg, 1.1 spg)
Sr. G Isaiah Allen (10.4 ppg, 2.6 rpg)
Sr. F Andrew Francis (10.3 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 1.1 apg, 1.5 bpg)
Sr. F-C Keith Spencer (8.6 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 1.1 spg)
Schedule Highlights: Six home games are on tap in non-conference play, as well as a game against Navy at the Alamodome. The most notable home game is against SMU to close a three-game homestand. Notable road games include Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma State.
Outlook: The Roadrunners return four starters and also get forward Travis Gabbidon back after he was forced to redshirt last season. They’ll have scoring punch on the perimeter with Smith and Allen, but losing Kurt Attaway is not a minor blow. Gibson should be the only non-senior in the starting lineup, and while he is talented he won’t immediately reproduce what Attaway did last season. Francis and Spencer are a solid, if unspectacular, duo inside that will do the dirty work. Although there are a few areas for improvement, the biggest one is at the offensive end, as the Roadrunners were last in the conference in scoring and field goal percentage, and only two teams turned the ball over more.

Conference Outlook

Lamar has the most talent in the conference and has good experience, a combination that makes the Cardinals the favorite to come out on top. It won’t be easy, as Northwestern State has an experienced team and Mike McConathy has continued to win there, while teams like McNeese State, Sam Houston State and UT-Arlington can’t be counted out. TAMU-CC will be talented but young, meaning they will be dangerous late in the season.

Perhaps best of all for the conference, many of the bottom teams should be better this season, which bodes well. As long as the top teams remain strong and the bottom teams improve, the conference gets better. Several teams may have a freshman start right away, and while that is partly by necessity in some cases, it also speaks to the talent the teams brought in.

Southland Preview

Southland Conference 2006-07 Preview

by Phil Kasiecki

The Southland Conference had one of the big moments in the 2006 NCAA Tournament, as Northwestern State became the first team in the conference to reach the second round in 21 years when they rallied from a 17-point deficit to defeat Iowa. The game also marked the 15th time a No. 14 seed beat a No. 3 seed.

It’s a new season now, and the Demons have a new look with a number of key players gone from that team. The Conference has a new look as well, as new Division I school Central Arkansas and recent independent Texas A&M-Corpus Christi join the conference. Louisiana-Monroe has departed for the Sun Belt, giving the conference 12 teams and a two-division look.

There have been some changes in the coaching ranks as well, as five teams have new coaches. Lamar hired Steve Roccaforte to replace Billy Tubbs, who moved back to the athletic director’s office. McNeese State fired Tic Price in late July, replacing him with Dave Simmons, who has been an assistant on three Southland champions. Three Texas schools also had changes: Texas-Arlington replaced Eddie McCarter with former assistant Scott Cross, Texas-San Antonio replaced Tim Carter with Brooks Thompson, and Texas State replaced Dennis Nutt with Doug Davalos. Meanwhile, Northwestern State gave Mike McConathy the first multi-year contract in the school’s history to keep him in town for another four years.

One new team, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, should contend instantly. The Islanders went 20-8 last season as an independent and return much of that squad. Look for them to battle Sam Houston State and Stephen F. Austin in the West Division, which looks to be the stronger division of the two.

Preseason Awards

Player of the Year: Jejuan Plair, Sam Houston State
Newcomer of the Year: James Davis, Lamar
Primed to Break Out: Colby Bargeman, Northwestern State

All-Southland Team
Josh Alexander, So. G, Stephen F. Austin
Stefan Biaszczynski, Sr. F, Nicholls State
Chris Daniels, Jr. C, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
Jejuan Plair, Sr. G, Sam Houston State
Luke Rogers, Sr. G, Northwestern State

West Division

Sam Houston State (22-9, 11-5 Southland)
Projected Starters:
Sr. G Jejuan Plair (12.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 5.6 apg, 1.7 spg)
Jr. G Shamir McDaniel (5.7 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 2.8 apg, 1.2 spg)
Jr. F Ryan Bright (11.5 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 2.9 apg, 1.6 spg)
Sr. F Aaron Wade (6.1 ppg, 3.0 rpg)
Sr. F John Gardiner (7.8 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 1.1 bpg)
Schedule Highlights: The Bearkats have five non-conference home games, highlighted by December dates with West Coast contender Loyola Marymound and Wisconsin-Milwaukee. They also play in the South Padre Invitational at Oklahoma State, where they play the host Cowboys and could get SWAC contender Southern or MEAC contender Delaware State. Highlights of the road slate include Texas Tech and UCLA, and they will be on the road for a game in BracketBusters as well. Southland play begins with four of six games on the road.
Outlook: Four starters return from last season’s 22-win team, and it’s an experienced bunch led by player of the year candidate Jejuan Plair. McDaniel will step in for the lone departed starter, all-conference guard Chris Jordan. There isn’t a lot of depth on the perimeter, as Jeremy Thomas is the only other Bearkat guard with experience. There are more riches in the frontcourt, where Bright is a solid rebounder and role players Wade and Gardiner have plenty of help, including promising sophomore Reggie Rawlins. The Bearkats play good defense and have plenty of scoring, so they should be right in the hunt come tournament time.

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (20-8)
Projected Starters:
Jr. G Rashad Mintz (3.9 ppg, 1.2 rpg, 2.3 apg)
Sr. G Josh Ervin (7.7 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 3.7 apg, 1.5 spg)
Sr. F Cedric Smith (12.9 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 1.3 apg)
Fr. F Manuel Johnson
Jr. C Chris Daniels (15.0 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 1.6 bpg)
Schedule Highlights: The Islanders play six non-conference home games, two of which come in the Flint Hills Invitational that they host in late December. The home slate includes Northeast contender Monmouth and Kent State. Road games include Oklahoma State, Mississippi State and Purdue, and they will also play in the Duel in the Desert in Las Vegas against UNLV, USF and Norfolk State. Conference play gets tough quickly: after opening at home against McNeese State, five of the next six games are on the road.
Outlook: The Islanders have a vehicle to get to the NCAA Tournament, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if they made it in their first try. This team has good experience as well as talent, as five players started at least 14 games last season and there are high hopes for freshman Manuel Johnson. He joins Daniels and Smith in what should be the best frontcourt in the conference, while Mintz and Ervin are a capable backcourt that will need to improve to help the frontcourt players do their jobs. Seniors Josh Washington and Taurean Mitchell are capable backups, with classmate Kevin Menifee sure to be among the key reserves on the wing. All three played good minutes last season.

Stephen F. Austin (17-12, 9-7 Southland)
Projected Starters:
Jr. G Gerald Fonzie (3.9 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 1.3 apg)
So. G Josh Alexander (14.2 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 1.4 spg)
Sr. G Keith Hardaway (6.4 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 2.3 apg)
Sr. F Antuane Miller (13.4 ppg, 5.5 rpg)
So. F-C Matt Kingsley (4.4 ppg, 2.5 rpg)
Schedule Highlights: The Lumberjacks have seven non-conference home games, highlighted by San Diego. They have a few noteworthy road games, as they play at TCU, Arkansas, Missouri and SWAC contender Southern. A couple of early home games to start Southland play gives them a chance for some early momentum.
Outlook: If the Lumberjacks were in the East Division, they might have a chance, but they’re in the tough West and will have a tough time contending. Alexander had an excellent freshman campaign and should only get better, with Hardaway and Fonzie needing to improve if they are to keep up the late-season momentum the team gathered last season. Miller anchors the frontcourt with Kingsley, the other top holdover in the frontcourt. The Lumberjacks take good care of the ball, but they’ll need to improve at the defensive end, where they allowed opponents to shoot just under 45 percent last season.

Texas-Arlington (14-16, 7-9 Southland)
Projected Starters:
Jr. G Rodrick Epps (4.7 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 1.8 apg)
So. G Brandon Long (6.3 ppg, 1.9 rpg)
Fr. F Tommy Moffitt
Jr. F Larry Posey (6.6 ppg, 4.1 rpg)
Jr. F-C Jermaine Griffin (8.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 1.0 bpg)
Schedule Highlights: Four home games are on tap in a non-conference schedule with a few tough road games, notably at TCU, Illinois State, Oklahoma and Texas. Also notable is a home-and-home in consecutive games with Texas-Pan American. In Southland play, they have a three-game road slate early on, but the toughest stretches are probably two sets of back-to-back games Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Sam Houston State – both at home in late January, and both on the road about a month later.
Outlook: Here’s the dark horse of the division, a team that might have a chance if not for the strength of the top teams. New head coach Scott Cross inherits a team that doesn’t have much firepower, but has some capable bodies. Posey and Griffin lead a frontcourt that has a little size, with sophomore Anthony Vereen also in the mix. The backcourt needs to get better, and they could get a boost if sophomore Terrell Henry makes some strides and earns more minutes. A good recruiting class, with a few players that could start at some point, will also help. Moffitt and Trey Parker look to be the most ready to contribute. The Mavericks play good defense, and they’ll need to do that again with the lack of proven scoring. It wouldn’t hurt if they took better care of the ball as well, as only one team turned it over more last season.

Texas-San Antonio (11-17, 6-10 Southland)
Projected Starters:
Sr. G Kurt Attaway (5.2 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 3.5 apg, 1.1 spg)
So. G Aldric Reynolds (6.6 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 1.9 apg)
Jr. G Melvin Smith (junior college transfer)
Jr. F Travis Gabbidon (junior college transfer)
Jr. F-C Keith Spencer (junior college transfer)
Schedule Highlights: A difficult non-conference slate includes seven home games, notably against TCU and Big West contender Cal State Fullerton, both of whom they also play on the road. Where the challenges come in are on the road, as they travel to take on Washington State, Gonzaga and Oklahoma State. In Southland play, they have consecutive games twice against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Sam Houston State, while they didn’t catch a break in getting Northwestern State only on the road.
Outlook: The Roadrunners have a good starting point with Attaway, meaning they won’t be hurting for floor leadership. He’s one of just two seniors, with the other being little-used center Dwain Hall, so they are certainly building for the future under new head coach Brooks Thompson. Reynolds started six games last season and led the team in scoring in their final game, so he could become a scorer this season. Junior college transfers figure to get the bulk of the minutes in the frontcourt. The Roadrunners are unlikely to score over 73 points a night like they did last season, so they’ll need to reduce their league-leading turnover total and play the same solid defense that ranked first in the conference in field goal percentage defense if they want to have a chance on most nights.

Texas State (3-24, 1-15 Southland)
Projected Starters:
Sr. G Antwoine Blanchard (5.3 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 2.5 apg, 1.3 spg)
So. G Brandon Bush (9.3 ppg, 3.6 rpg)
Sr. F Charles Dotson (11.8 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 1.4 apg)
Jr. F Chris Agwumaro (junior college transfer)
Jr. F Matt Fullenwider (junior college transfer)
Schedule Highlights: Seven home games are on tap in non-conference play, three of which are against non-Division I teams. Two of those games are part of in-season home-and-homes with Centennary and Texas-Pan American. Notable road games include Baylor, Texas and UTEP. They open Southland play with two home games, then have a three-game road stretch.
Outlook: The roster has just two seniors on it, so the future is clearly the focus with this team, although there are seven juniors. Dotson and Blanchard figure to lead the way as the lone seniors, while Bush could develop into one of the team’s best players. Junior college transfer Brian Hill should get good minutes on the perimeter as well. A number of junior college transfers are among the frontcourt players, so that unit enters the season as an unknown.

East Division

Northwestern State (26-8, 15-1 Southland)
Projected Starters:
Sr. G Luke Rogers (9.3 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 3.3 apg, 1.5 spg)
Sr. G Keenan Jones (4.5 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 3.2 apg)
Jr. G Colby Bargeman (5.6 ppg, 2.4 rpg)
Jr. F Demetrius Bell (redshirt)
Sr. F Jermaine Spencer (5.3 ppg, 3.4 rpg)
Schedule Highlights: The Demons have four non-conference home games, highlighted by the season opener against Utah State and a later date with SWAC contender Southern. Notable road games include Oklahoma State, Louisville, Sun Belt contender New Orleans, Hawaii, DePaul and Northwestern. The Demons will also play in the Pepsi and Gold Classic, where they get Marquette and possibly Princeton, and in the BracketBusters in February. In Southland play, they lucked out by getting both Sam Houston State and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at home only.
Outlook: Last season, the Demons broke through for an NCAA Tournament win, then extended head coach Mike McConathy’s contract for the job he has done. That win was not isolated, as they scored several good wins during the season as well. Five of the top six scorers from that team are gone, but role players with winning experience return, and they aren’t young. Rogers is a solid floor leader, which is always a key, and players like Jones, Bargeman and Spencer could all blossom now that they will play more. The Demons shouldn’t fall far with that experience as well as what they have on the bench, but they can’t be considered the favorite with what they lost.

Southeastern Louisiana (16-12, 10-6 Southland)
Projected Starters:
Sr. G Terry Bryant (7.6 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 4.1 apg)
Sr. G Daryl Cohen (7.8 ppg, 1.4 rpg)
Jr. G Kevyn Green (junior college transfer)
Sr. F Quennell Green (12.1 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 1.6 apg)
Sr. F Joseph Polite (5.3 ppg, 3.8 rpg)
Schedule Highlights: Three home games are on tap in non-conference play, with SWAC favorite Jackson State being the only Division I opponent. They open the season on the road in the Oregon Rain Classic in Corvallis, where host Oregon State figures to be the toughest opponent. Later, they head to New Mexico State for two games in the Lou Henson Classic, and other road dates include Florida State, Penn State, Minnesota and SWAC contender Southern. Southland play begins with four of five games at home, giving them a chance to gather some early momentum.
Outlook: The Lions have an experienced team that could unseat the Demons at the top in this division. The backcourt led by seniors Bryand and Cohen, the former a solid floor leader, leads a team with six seniors on the roster. Green figures to give them a good boost, and senior Michael Cyprien and a couple of freshmen could be in the mix as well. The frontcourt has good experience as well, with Green leading the way, although he could improve on the glass, like the rest of the team as they were out-rebounded last season. With the experience on this team, they should improve on being ninth in the conference in scoring, and a little improvement on defense, where opponents shot nearly 44 percent against them last season, will make them contenders.

Lamar (17-14, 9-7 Southland)
Projected Starters:
Sr. G Brandon Chappell (8.0 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 4.0 apg)
So. G Matthew Barrow (12.3 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 3.8 apg, 1.3 spg)
Jr. G-F Currye Todd (junior college transfer)
Jr. F Lamar Sanders (junior college transfer)
Jr. C James Davis (junior college transfer)
Schedule Highlights: Six home games are on tap in non-conference play, highlighted by Sun Belt contender New Orleans and Brigham Young. The first road games are in the Shelby Metcalf Classic at Texas A&M, where they will be tested by the host Aggies, Atlantic 10 contender Saint Louis and Louisiana Tech. Later, they travel to Tulsa, Mid-Continent favorite Oral Roberts, Rice, Wyoming and Memphis. In Southland play, they caught a break in getting Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at home only, but have Sam Houston State only on the road.
Outlook: The Cardinals may have as much talent as anyone, but they’ll be relying on newcomers for a fair amount of contributions. The bright spot is that the main holdovers are in the backcourt, where Chappell gives them an experienced floor leader and Barrow is a budding star. That, plus Davis giving them good size to lead a good incoming group, could help them overcome the loss of conference scoring champ Alan Daniels in the scoring department. Even so, they’ll have to stop opponents better than they did last season, when they allowed nearly 77 points per game and were out-rebounded.

Nicholls State (9-18, 5-11 Southland)
Projected Starters:
So. G Michael Czepil (7.0 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 2.1 apg)
Jr. G-F Aaron Scott (transfer from East Tennessee State)
Jr. G-F Adonis Gray (12.6 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 1.5 apg)
Sr. F Stefan Biaszczynski (16.4 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 2.1 apg)
So. C Chris Paige (5.0 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 1.1 bpg)
Schedule Highlights: The Colonels will spend most of the non-conference slate on the road, as the only home games are against North Texas and Atlantic 10 favorite Xavier. Before those two are nine consecutive road/neutral site games to start the season, which include Mississippi State, LSU, Texas, Ole Miss, Auburn, and three games in the Basketball Travelers Classic in Seattle against host Washington, Northern Iowa and an improved Pepperdine team. They also play at Vanderbilt. In Southland play, they have three straight games at home early on, the first of which is against Sam Houston State.
Outlook: The Colonels could make a jump if they get good support for Biaszczynski, a versatile forward who is one of the conference’s top players. Gray is a fast rising star, but they need players like Scott and Czepil, who is likely to run the show, to emerge. The Colonels need to improve on the defensive end if they are to rise in the standings, as they were last in every major defensive category last season and had the worst rebounding margin.

McNeese State (14-14, 9-7 Southland)
Projected Starters:
Jr. G John Ford (9.1 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 2.6 apg, 1.8 spg)
Sr. G Troy Aaron (6.0 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 1.9 apg)
Sr. G Ryan Price (6.9 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 1.3 apg)
Sr. F Quentin Gonzales (7.7 ppg, 5.9 rpg)
Jr. F-C Jarvis Bradley (5.5 ppg, 4.3 rpg)
Schedule Highlights: The Cowboys have five home games on tap in non-conference play, highlighted by Louisiana Tech. They open the season in the Seminole Colonial Classic in Tallahassee, taking on host Florida State and Illinois State. Among the later road games are LSU, Mississippi State and Big South contender Coastal Carolina. Southland play is tough right away, as the first two games are road dates with Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Sam Houston State.
Outlook: Tic Price was fired at an odd time in late July, but Dave Simmons inherits a team with three returning starters. What hurts is that they had a fourth, but leading returning scorer Dwight Boatner left the program in September. That means Ford becomes the likely go-to guy, while Aaron and Price need to improve to keep the backcourt as strong as it looked to be a couple of months ago. The frontcourt needs to improve at the offensive end, where the Cowboys made less than 42 percent of their field goal attempts, but their biggest area for improvement is on defense, where only one Southland team allowed opponents to shoot better.

Central Arkansas (18-10 in Division II)
Projected Starters:
Jr. G Nate Bowie (junior college transfer)
Sr. G Frederick Campbell (7.6 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 1.9 apg, 1.3 spg)
Sr. G-F LeMar Phillips (12.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg)
Jr. F Durrell Nevels (junior college transfer)
Sr. C Fernando Johnson (2.4 ppg, 4.3 rpg)
Schedule Highlights: The Bears have four home games in non-conference play, with Mississippi Valley State (whom they also play on the road this season) being the only Division I opponent. Notable road games start in the Hispanic Fund Classic in Hartford against host Connecticut, Mississippi and Fairfield, then later include Bowling Green and Mid-Continent contender UMKC. They also head to the Marist Classic in December, where they will play Patriot League favorite Bucknell and possibly the host Red Foxes, who are favored to win the MAAC. Four of the first six Southland games are on the road.
Outlook: New to Division I, the Bears have some experience but will need to adjust to the level of competition. Phillips looks to be their best player, while their first Division I incoming group should get their share of minutes, led by Bowie. Johnson will need to improve if he is to be serviceable inside. The Bears are in the weaker of the two divisions, but starting with four of six on the road won’t help them establishing any early momentum.

Conference Outlook

The strength is clearly in the West, as the two best teams look to be there and Stephen F. Austin is a solid third team. Northwestern State should get a good push from Southeastern Louisiana in the East, but their good veterans may be enough. This should be a one-bid league again, but if Sam Houston State or Texas A&M-Corpus Christi plays to their potential and emerges with the NCAA Tournament bid, the conference will have a dangerous team representing it.

Southland Preview

Southland Conference 2005-06 Preview

by Neal Heston and Zach Smart

It’s been said that there is no substitute for experience, and that saying could prove especially true in the Southland Conference in 2005-06. Experience may be the deciding factor in which teams compete for the title, and it’s reflected in the experience of the teams projected to finish at the top. Senior-dominated Northwestern State returns five starters; Lamar returns four seniors. Texas-Arlington could be a sleeper since they return five starters as well, though they return from a team that went 13-15 last season.

Experience also shows in the conference’s top players. All five of the preseason All-Southland selections are seniors, and in a conference with a lot of schools utilizing junior college recruits, there aren’t many freshmen getting a lot of mention.

In the spirit of experience, only two teams have new head coaches this season. Jim Yarbrough takes over at defending champion Southeastern Louisiana, while Louisiana-Monroe is now led by Orlando Early. Yarbrough has prior head coaching experience at the Division II level, while Early is in his first season as a collegiate head coach.

Player of the Year: Alan Daniels, Lamar
Newcomer of the Year: Antuane Miller, Stephen F. Austin

All-Southland Team
Marcus Clark, Sr. G, Stephen F. Austin
Alan Daniels, Sr. F, Lamar
Steven Thomas, Sr. F, Texas-Arlington
Jermaine Wallace, Sr. G, Northwestern State
Ricky Woods, Sr. F, Southeastern Louisiana

Northwestern State (21-12, 13-3 SLC)
Predicted finish: First, SLC
It’s do-or-die for this senior-dominated team, and you can bet Northwestern State is ready to complete its unfinished work from last winter. NSU entered the Southland Conference Tournament as the top seed but was upset at home in the championship game by Southeastern Louisiana. A much-anticipated NCAA berth vanished in a poor offensive showing.

The nucleus is definitely there for Northwestern State to succeed in 2005-06. The top seven scorers return, which includes all five starters. This brings back 90 percent of the team’s scoring and rebounding from last season – one of the top return percentages in the nation. Four All-Southland team members will slip on an NSU uniform again: Jermaine Wallace, Jermaine Spencer, Byron Allen and Tyronn Mitchell.

NSU’s non-conference slate will give the team a lot of preparation for the SLC slate. Major opponents include Texas A&M, Oklahoma State and Wichita State, and a trip to the Rainbow Classic provides possible matchups against Iowa State, Hawaii and Western Michigan. NSU will be the best tested team when the conference slate begins.

With seven seniors on the squad, now is the time to make a strong run to the NCAA Tournament, and NSU definitely has all the pieces for the puzzle. The key is putting them all in the right place at the end of the season.

Lamar (18-11, 9-7 SLC)
Predicted finish: Second, SLC
A team that could likely surprise Northwestern State is the Lamar Cardinals, who enter this winter coming off their best season since going 20-11 in 1987-88.

Four of the Cardinal’s top six scorers from last year return this season, and senior preseason Mid-Major All-American candidate Alan Daniels will be looked at to lead Lamar. Daniels brings back a team-high 19.9 points per game. Also attempting to send the Cardinals to a Cinderella run are seniors Nashid Beard and Jeremy Long, as well as Josh Goodwin and Thomas Fairley. Sophomore guard Matthew Barrow will also get his chance to shine on the court.

The losses of Raymond Anthony and Teddy Davis will be roadblocks for this squad. With those two departed, the Cardinals will miss out on almost 23 points per game.

Southeastern Louisiana (24-9, 13-3 SLC, NCAA Tournament)
Predicted finish: Third, SLC
The reigning Conference champions, fresh off of the school’s first ever NCAA tournament appearance, should return to their throne at the peak of the Southland mountain. Their key to success is, of course, defense. The Lions backed up that old saying “Defense wins championships” and echoed the message sent by the Detroit Pistons in 2004, after frustrating opponents with suffocating defense. They were fourth in the NCAA in scoring defense, holding opponents to an average 55.8 points per game.

In the Southland championship, the Lions held Northwestern State below freezing (under 30% shooting) from the field and came out on top with a 49-42 victory.

SE Louisiana should fit right in to new head coach Jim Yarbrough’s system. Yarbrough, like previous head coach Billy Kennedy, loves to lockdown scorers and get after the ball. Yarbrough’s previous college, Division II Valdosta State, finished third in D-II in scoring defense (allowing just 60.9 ppg). During his stay at Georgia’s Valdosta State, Yarbrough averaged almost 20 wins a season.

The top holdover is reigning Conference Newcomer of the Year Ricky Woods, who was second in the conference in scoring with 17.2 points and eight rebounds last season. A 6-foot-6 inch forward, the former JUCO standout averaged was named All-Louisiana and First Team All-Southland. In leading a sturdy nucleus of players, Woods will need to take his game to the next level.

The Lions are without Nate Lofton (11.3 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 91 assists) and Jonathon Patton (11.2 ppg), but they have a handful of newcomers who should contribute right out of the gates. Among them is 6-7 power forward Joseph Polite, who starred alongside LSU’s Kentrell Gransberry at San Jacinto, one of the country’s premier junior college programs. Polite should be polite and attend to the Lions’ need for more efficiency on the boards this year.

With their swarming pressure defense that constantly throws high-scoring teams out of rhythm, the Lions will be a very tough team to beat.

Sam Houston State (18-12, 11-5 SLC)
Predicted finish: Fourth, SLC
After posting an overall record of 18-12 (11-5 in conference play) and falling just one game short of the conference title game, Bob Marlin (116-84 at SHSU, 239-119 overall) and the Bearkats hope to roar their way back to the semifinals and reemerge as one of Southland’s premier teams. Last season, a heartbreaking 72-61 loss at the hands of eventual champs Southeastern Louisiana was the end of the road for them.

Picked fourth in the Southland Coaches Pre-season poll, the Bearkats need to fill the scoring and leadership void left by 2005 conference Player of The Year Joe Thompson. Thompson, an honorable mention All-American at Forward, averaged 16 points, 5 rebounds, and three assists per game last year.

This means that reigning Southland Freshman of the Year Ryan Bright needs to come into his own. Bright, a lanky 6-foot-6 Forward, averaged 8.3 points and 4.5 rebounds per game last year while scoring in double digits fourteen times. Bright proved that he can connect from behind the arc, registering the team’s highest three-point percentage (.417). Though they lose three solid starters, the Bearkats return a strong backcourt with sophomore point man Brandon Streeter and senior off guard Chris Jordan (11.1 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 3.0 apg, .491 FG%), a third-team all-conference pick. Streeter must step into a bigger role operating the offense this season.

Marlin, now in his seventh season with the Bearkats, will once again place high emphasis on team defense. A stingy defense is what led the Bearkats to a conference title back in 2003 and could produce some late season mayhem in Huntsville, TX this year.

Texas-Arlington (13-15, 7-9 SLC)
Predicted finish: Fifth, SLC
Southland Player of the Year candidate Steven Thomas will lead a very experienced group which returns all five of its starters from last season. The Mavericks struggled at times last season, but they were a young team and had some trouble finding chemistry. Thomas, a 6-foot-5 forward, averaged 17.1 points and 7.9 rebounds per game last season and has already been selected to the preseason all-conference first team. Thomas hit the 1,000-point milestone last year and is an explosive scorer who cleans the glass. He’s a force at the other end of the floor as well, as he currently sits at tenth on the school’s career blocked shots list.

The go-to-guy has plenty of talent to work with. He should form an effective inside/outside tandem with three-point marksman Jarret Howell. Howell, a senior guard, averaged 12.0 ppg last year and shot an impressive .506 from downtown. Look for 6-7 freshman forward Anthony Vereen, a product of the prestigious Gulf Shores Academy in Houston, to make an immediate impact. He’s a physical specimen who can put points on the board and crash.

Texas-San Antonio (15-13, 10-6 SLC)
Predicted finish: Sixth, SLC
For the Roadrunners, it’s really a matter of rebuilding and finding new players to take on scoring roles. But boy do they lose a lot from last season: the Roadrunners said goodbye to four starters who averaged a combined 53.5 ppg in May, which was pretty damaging to the program. This quartet of players also combined for an average of 24 rebounds per game while leading the Roadrunners to a 10-6 conference record. They finished with an overall record of 15-13 as the fourth-best team in Southland. Head Coach Tim Carter adds seven new faces this year, in what ESPN describes as one of the largest roster turnovers in Carter’s 11-year stay with San Antonio. The go-to-guy will likely be Andre Owens, the Roadrunners’ lone returning starter. Owens averaged 11.2 ppg and 4.0 rpg last season at the 2-spot. The point guard duties will be handled by 6-0 junior Kurt Attaway. Attaway showed promise in various games last season, though he must evolve into a more aggressive scorer this season.

McNeese State (13-15, 8-8 SLC)
Predicted finish: Seventh, SLC
McNeese State will probably look a little sloppier early this winter than it really is, because this team is very young. Eight underclassmen – including three freshmen – form a large part of this roster. With non-conference tilts against Richmond, Auburn, LSU and La Lafayette, the Cowboys could look downright ugly early on, but it definitely shouldn’t be a sign of what’s to come. MSU will be a team nobody wants to play come February.

Three starters who will look to lead the Cowboys to a strong run in the Southland are junior guard Troy Aaron, senior forward J.T. Williams and sophomore forward Aldryan Wardell. The trio combined for 23.3 points per contest last winter. Major losses include Edward Garriet (11.9 PPG) and forward Bryce May (6.9 PPG, 4.4 RPG).

Incoming transfers who should give the Cowboys a nice spark include Colorado State transfer Dwight Boatmer and junior college transfers Jarvis Bradley and Chris Prince.

Stephen F. Austin (12-15, 6-10 SLC)
Predicted finish: Eighth, SLC
What a down year it was in Nacogdoches, TX last year. During what was essentially a rebuilding year, the Lumberjacks managed to collect just six wins in conference play, finishing just a few wins above the basement in ninth place. They finished with an overall record of 12-15, after putting together consecutive 21-win seasons prior to this.

But the outlook is solid – particularly because they return their top three scorers from last season. The trio of Marcus Clark (13.0 ppg, 3.9 apg), Josh Porter (12.5 ppg), and Anthony Paez gives sixth-year head coach Danny Kaspar something to smile about. He sure didn’t sport too many smiles last season. No, not after the Lumberjacks managed to lose nine of their 12 road games and conclude the season with one of the school’s worst records in recent memory.

Clark earned Second-Team All-Southland honors last season, and is a unanimous preseason First-Team selection. He’s a veteran point guard who can take on a bulk of the scoring duties, and he’s capable of creating offense and setting up his teammates for the easy bucket. Clark also excels at creating his own shots off the dribble. He was instant-offense at times last season. The Marshall, TX native scored over 20 points in nine games, including a 29-point outburst in an 85-67 thrashing of Nicholls state.

Texas State (14-14, 8-8 SLC)
Predicted finish: Ninth, SLC
The Bobcats lose three starters from last year’s 14-14 team that finished with an 8-8 conference record. The loss of Anthony Dill (14.9 ppg, 6.8 rpg) and Josh Naylor (13.0 ppg, 68 assists) will be hard to swallow at first, but the ‘Cats will look to a bevy of newcomers to step in and contribute.

Head coach Dennis Nutt has seven new names on the roster this season. He should expect big things from Stetson transfer Evan Patterson. A versatile 6-6 forward, Patterson can play both inside and outside, and is strong as both a power forward and swingman. Junior transfer Charles Dotson is a scoring threat who mans the boards as good as anyone.

6-7 Forward Markee White (7.0 ppg, 3.2 rpg) is the top veteran and this should be a breakout year for him.

The Bobcats have made the conference tournament nine years in a row, a current best among league schools. If the ‘Cats large rookie class can come in and clique with the seniors, you can already pencil in a returning trip to conferences.

Louisiana-Monroe (8-19, 2-14 SLC)
Predicted finish: Tenth, SLC
First-year Head Coach Orlando Early is disappointed with the expectations the media places on his team, and it’s difficult to disagree with him. Though only two players return who started in at least 50 percent of games in ’04-05, several who averaged more than 20 minutes per game will slip on La-Monroe uniforms again this winter.

Daryl Mason, who averaged 8.4 points per game last season, and Gary Robinson, who sunk 5.8 tallies per contest, are the only two returnees who have any sort of starting experience. Almost another 25 points per game returns with Cecil Hood (9.9), Adrian Harper (8.6) and RoShon Jacobs (6.2).

Similar to McNeese State, it’s hard to see this team getting walked on toward the end of the season, though it may be a long non-conference slate. Nine underclassmen occupy this roster, which includes six true freshmen. These young guys will have to face the likes of Texas, Florida State, Missouri, West Virginia and Fairleigh Dickinson early on.

Don’t worry, though, La-Monroe fans – Orlando Early’s preseason expectations seem a higher possibility than the media.

Nicholls State (6-21, 1-15 SLC)
Predicted finish: Eleventh, SLC
Much like a lot of teams in the Southland, Nicholls State is dominated by young players – good news for the future, but not necessarily this winter. Ten of the 15 players on Nicholls’ roster are underclassmen – nine of them true freshmen. Among those nine, four were plucked from Australia: Ryan Bathie, Mitch Boyce, Michael Czepil and Dominic Friend.

The lone newbie who isn’t a freshman played a large part in helping his school earn a NJCAA Division II national title. 6-7 forward James Dixon sunk 12.4 points per game and grabbed 10.9 rebounds per contest while helping Brown Mackie College earn some hardware last winter.

Give credit to Nicholls State for getting this young group up against quality competition immediately. Non-conference matchups include contests against Indiana, LSU, Penn State and Maryland. It may be a little too soon to expect victories in those games.

Southland Championship Recap

Southland Conference Championship Recap

by Phil Kasiecki

No. 2 SE Louisiana 49, No. 1 Northwestern State 42

Southeastern Louisiana held host Northwestern State below 30 percent shooting and got 16 points and eight rebounds from Ricky Woods en route to a 49-42 win in the Southland Conference championship game.

A run of ten unanswered points by the Lions (24-8) gave them a 41-32 lead, which they would never relinquish. The Demons would score the next eight points, but they could never tie the game or take the lead. The Demons posted their lowest point total of the season and had their 10-game winning streak stopped.

The Lions’ 24 wins are a school record as they now prepare for their first NCAA Tournament appearance.

Jonathan Patton added 13 points for the Lions and Nate Lofton had nine points and 10 rebounds. Jermaine Wallace led Northwestern State (21-12) with 12 points.

Southland Tournament Recaps

Southland Conference Tournament Recaps

by Phil Kasiecki

Unlike many conference tournaments, the 2005 Southland Conference Tournament is held entirely at campus sites instead of one site for all or most rounds. That gives teams a homecourt advantage based on their finish in the regular season, with the regular season champion potentially being able to play on their home court throughout the tournament. More and more mid-majors are trying to better protect their top seeds, and this is the Southland’s way of doing it.

In the quarterfinals, three of the top four seeds won, bearing out the homecourt advantage, and both home teams won in the semifinals. It all leads up to a championship game on Sunday that will feature the two teams that tied for the regular season championship.

Quarterfinal Recaps

No. 1 Northwestern State 81, No. 8 Texas-Arlington 67

Northwestern State got 26 points from Jermaine Wallace and never trailed en route to an 81-67 first round win over Texas-Arlington. The Demons broke open a close game in the second half and pulled away, aided by taking good care of the ball. Texas-Arlington (13-15) ended its season getting 16 points from both Jarrett Howell and Larry Posey.

No. 2 SE Louisiana 75, No. 7 Texas State 58

Southeastern Louisiana used a strong second half on the defensive end to turn a two-point halftime lead into a 75-58 victory over Texas State. Jonathan Patton led the Lions with 21 points, while Ricky Woods added 19 and Nate Lofton filled the stat sheet with 11 points, eight rebounds, six steals and five assists. Texas State (14-14), which was led by Josh Naylor’s 14 points, had the last tie of the game at 36 less than three minutes into the second half.

No. 3 Sam Houston State 88, No. 6 McNeese State 70

Defending champion Sam Houston State got a big effort inside from Eddy Fobbs with 20 points and 15 rebounds, and the Bearkats shot 56 percent from the field en route to an 88-70 win over visiting McNeese State. Fobbs made 9-of-10 from the field and was supported by Joe Thompson’s 18 points. John Ford led McNeese State (13-15) with 21 points and seven rebounds.

No. 5 Lamar 91, No. 4 UT-San Antonio 83

The lone first round upset was a mild one as Lamar got a career-high 34 points from Raymond Anthony and finished the game with a 14-2 run for a 91-83 win over host UT-San Antonio. Anthony scored 10 points in the decisive run, including five free throws, and he added seven rebounds. Alex Daniels supported Anthony with 27 points. 21 offensive rebounds helped keep UT-San Antonio (15-13) in the game, as did Justin Harbert’s 24 points and John Millsaps’ 20.

Semifinal Recaps

No. 1 Northwestern State 90, No. 5 Lamar 75

Northwestern State shot 57 percent from the floor and got 48 points from its bench as they advanced to the championship game with a 90-75 win over Lamar. Clifton Lee led the balanced attack with 17 points and eight rebounds, as four Demons scored in double figures, including reserves Alfonse Dyer (14 points) and Kerwin Forges (12). Lamar (18-11) shot just 39 percent from the field and was led by Alan Daniels’ 30 points. Northwestern State (21-11) never trailed in the game.

No. 2 SE Louisiana 71, No. 3 Sam Houston State 62

Ricky Woods scored 19 points and grabbed 12 rebounds as SE Louisiana overcame foul trouble to All-Southland player Nate Lofton in their 71-62 win over defending champion Sam Houston State. Lofton played just 21 minutes and scored eight points, but Woods, Jonathan Patton (14 points) and Terry Bryant (13 points, including 6-6 from the foul line) all picked up the slack as the Lions (23-8) beat the Bearkats for the third time this season. Sam Houston State (18-12) was led by Chris Jordan’s 15 points.

Southland Conference Preview

Southland Conference 2004-05 Season Preview

by Matt Isam

The 2005 season in the Southland Conference should be very entertaining with recent powerhouses falling and new teams starting to earn the respect and compete at the top of the conference.

Of course there will be some familiar teams such as University of Texas-San Antonio, Sam Houston State University, Southeastern Louisiana University and University of Texas-Arlington battling for the conference crown, this season could be full of surprises with teams such as Lamar University rising up and Teams such as Stephen F. Austin falling down.

Also, the conference as a whole got great news this off-season landing a multi-year corporate sponsorship agreement with O’Reilly Automotive. O’Reilly will be hosting the championship tournament along with being the feature television sponsor for the SLC. This is a huge boost to the 11 team conference and O’Reilly Automotive.

Hoopville All-Southland Conference Team
Senior forward Joe Thompson, Sam Houston State
Senior guard Raymond Anthony, Lamar
Senior guard Willie Depron, Nicholls State
Junior guard Jermaine Wallace, Northwestern
Senior center Nate Lofton, Southeastern Louisiana

Conference MVP

Senior guard Raymond Anthony, Lamar

Honorable Mention

Senior forward Joe Thompson, Sam Houston State

Freshman of the year

Guard John Ford, McNeese State

Newcomer of the year

Junior guard Jeremy Long, Lamar

Defensive player of the year

Senior center Nate Lofton, Southeastern Louisiana

Most Improved Player

Senior forward Eddy Fobbs, Sam Houston State

Coach of the Year

Billy Tubbs, Lamar

Team Previews (In projected order of finish)

Texas San Antonio Roadrunners

(19-14 overall, 11-5 SLC)

Projected starting five:
Sophomore guard Kurt Attaway (last year’s freshman of the year in SLC and led the team with 105 assist)
Senior guard David President (led team with 55 steals last season)
Senior forward Raphael Posey (second on team last season with 11.4 ppg)
Senior forward John Millsap (started 16 games in ’03, has tremendous upside)
Senior center Anthony Fuqua (led the team with 42 blocked shots)

Coach Tim Carter is really going to miss the SLC’s leading scorer LeRoy Hurd from last year’s championship squad, but he has four returning starters and a lot of depth on the bench. Add that with junior college transfers center Ray Salvage, guard Andre Owens and high school recruit Adam McCoy and you get another SLC championship. Many polls and sports gurus have the Roadrunners earning another NCAA tournament bid and I have to agree, because in my mind they are still the champions until another team beats them for the SLC crown.

Sam Houston State Bearkats

(13-15 overall, 8-8 SLC)

Projected starting five:
Junior guard Chris Jordan (9.8 ppg last season)
Junior guard Marcus Ebow (top ten in assist in SLC last season with 3.9pg)
Senior forward Joe Thompson (led the team last season with 15.3 ppg)
Senior forward Wilder Auguste (led the team in field goal pct. with .573 last season)
Senior center Eddy Fobbs (very dominant post player, comes back after a medical red shirt last season)

This team is for real; they led the nation in assists last season and return four starters. Bearkat fans are pumped to have Eddy Fobbs back who has something to prove after missing last season with an injury. This team could be very dangerous this year and will be one of the only teams who can knock off UTSA. Coach Bob Marlin recruited a great freshman class with forward Ryan Bright leading the way.

Lamar Cardinals

(11-18 overall, 5-11 SLC)

Projected starting five:
Senior guard Raymond Anthony (15.5 ppg last season could be conference MVP)
Senior guard Teddy Davis (13.2 ppg last season but could lose starting job to Jeremy Long)
Junior forward Alan Daniels (NJCAA All-American last season)
Junior forward Thomas Fairly (Junior college transfer with loads of talent on the inside)
Junior center Jason Grant (led SLC with 71 blocked shots last season)

Coach Billy Tubbs has finally turned this program into a powerhouse this year. The Cardinal’s have two of their top three scorers returning and this could be a great defensive year for Jason Grant. Tubbs recruiting class has been ranked as high as third in the nation. The class includes junior college transfers center Nashid Beard, forwards Thomas Fairly and Alan Daniels who are expected to contribute immediately, and guard Jeremy Long who could very well take over the starting spot from Teddy Davis. Also Tubbs brought in freshman standouts guard Chuck Foster and forwards John Mertz and Larry Handy, who will all see playing time this season. There is also some experience coming off the bench with sophomore guards Blake Whittle and Kevin Smith. This team is my surprise pick this season and could give all the tops team trouble during the championship run.

Texas Arlington Mavericks

(17-12 overall, 11-5 SLC)

Projected starting five:
Junior guard Jarrett Howell (Started last 9 games averaging 7.7 ppg and 3 apg last season)
Junior guard Brady Dawkins (Considered most dangerous threat from outside and was second in SLC in three point pct. last season)
Junior forward Steven Thomas (Lone starter from last season, all-SLC honors, 12.1 ppg and 5 rpg)
Sophomore forward Stephen Floyd (Considering a scoring threat from perimeter)
Sophomore center Jay Neukomm (Played in final 18 games last season)

This could be a good year for the Mavericks even though they only have one returning starter. They get senior forward Stevin Ozier back after sitting out because of transferring. Ozier was freshman of the year in the 2001-2002 season while playing for Stephen F. Austin. Also this could be the best recruiting class coach Eddie McCarter has ever had at UTA. The class includes guards Roderick Epps, Myles Guidry, Baron Sauls and forwards Larry Posey and Jermaine Griffin. Not to mention the returning lettermen Senior forwards Chris Hairfield and DeMarcus James. I predict the Mavericks to be near the top of the standings when it’s all said and done.

Southeastern Louisiana Lions

(20-9 overall, 11-5 SLC)

Projected starting five:
Senior guard Jonathan Patton (6 ppg last season)
Senior guard Neil Berry (2.6 ppg but brings experience)
Junior forward Ricky Woods (Junior college transfer, 18 ppg and 8rpg last season)
Junior forward Jonathan Walker (Started 26 games last season)
Senior center Nate Lofton (Averaged a double-double with 13.2 ppg and 10.9 rpg, which was fourth in the nation)

Well the Lions had a great season last year finishing first in the regular season but losing in the SLC tournament. Nate Lofton is poised to dominate the boards this season and junior college transfer Ricky Woods is expected to start immediately. Also J/C transfers Chris Lee and Leonard Harden are expected to see significant minutes as well as freshman recruit Thomas Woods. This should be another successful season for the Lions but I see a couple of teams pushing them out of the way by the end of the season.

Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks

(21-9 overall, 10-6 SLC)

Projected starting five:
Junior guard Marcus Clark (9.4 ppg, 117 assists vs. only 53 turnovers last season)
Junior guard Jerry Cheves (Junior college transfer, 19.3 ppg and 4 rpg last season)
Senior forward Taylor Moore (9.9 ppg and 6.3 rpg last season)
Junior forward Anthony Paez (Junior college transfer, 17.3 ppg last season)
Senior center Hank Rivers (7.2 ppg and 5.1 rpg last season and started the final 18 games)

The Lumberjacks will have a tough time this season defending the nations longest home-winning streak at 30 games. Coach Danny Kaspar has to find replacements for the top scorer and top rebounders from last year’s team. He might have found some hope though in junior college transfers Anthony Paez, Jerry Cheves, Justin Thomas along with freshman recruits Scott Weaver and Matt Kingsley. Also returning role players Josh Porter, Rodrigo Segantin, Patrick Hannaway and Leonard Brown should add some help off the bench. I predict SFA will be a good team, just not as good as last year.

Texas State Bobcats

(13-15 overall, 8-8 SLC)

Projected starting five:
Senior guard Josh Naylor (11.3 ppg last season)
Junior guard Andre Oupoh (Junior college transfer, 13 ppg, 7 rpg last year and earned 1st team all-Conference honors)
Senior forward Anthony Dill (led team in rebounding last season with 4.7 pg)
Junior forward Terrell Broussard (Junior college transfer, 12 ppg and 8 rpg last season and earned 1at team all-Conference honors)
Senior center Zach Allison

Coach Dennis Nutt has some promising talent this season with three returning starters and junior college transfers Andre Oupoh, Terrell Brousard and Rory Green, who can play either one or two guard. All three are expected to contribute immediately to a team that hung in there with the best of them last season. Freshman recruits Roderick Adams and Matt Canady are also expected to see some playing time while developing under coach Nutt’s wing. I think that the Bobcats will finish in the middle of the pack and make the SLC tournament, but I don’t see them beating the tops teams, but you never know.

Northwestern State Demons

(11-17 overall, 8-8 SLC)

Projected starting five:
Junior guard Jermaine Wallace (15.5 ppg last season and was on all -SLC team)
Junior guard Kerwin Forges (6.7 ppg last season)
Sophomore forward Demetrius Bell (4.9 ppg last season)
Junior forward Clifton Lee (13.2 ppg last season and was on all-SLC team)
Junior center Byron Allen (8.3 ppg last season)

This season the Demons have a lot of young talent with a lot of experience. I pick this team to surprise some people and win games, but I don’t pick them to win the whole thing. There just aren’t enough talented role players behind Wallace and Lee. However Coach Mike McConathy would probably disagree and argue the fact that he has recruited a few players and made it to the SLC tournament last season.

Louisiana Monroe Indians

(12-19 overall, 8-8 SLC)

Projected starting five:
Senior guard Aaron Branch (4.5 ppg and 2.1 apg last season)
Sophomore guard Roshon Jacobs (two sport standout, 4.5 ppg last season as a freshman)
Sophomore forward Isaac Gay (only returning starter and teams best defender as a freshman last season)
Senior forward DeAndre Alexander (top returning scorer with 6 ppg last season)
Junior F/C Daryl Mason (team’s most promising junior college transfer)

Coach Mike Vining has won more championships and games than any other coach this season has a very tough job. How his team plays this season depends heavily on their talent, which the Indian’s have plenty of. With two sophomores Isaac Gay and Roshon Jacobs gaining more experience this season, the Indians will be a force in the SLC for the next couple of seasons. Vining is also pumped about his junior college transfers including guard Cecil Hood, center Darien Bynum, and forwards Gary Robinson and Adrian Harper.

McNeese State Cowboys

(11-16 overall, 7-9 SLC)

Projected starting five:
Senior guard Edward Garriet (14 ppg and 4.1 rpg last season and ranked among the nation’s top three point shooters)
Sophomore guard Ryan Price (8.3 ppg last season)
Senior forward Ronald Dorsey (4.4 ppg 3.2 rpg last season)
Junior forward Lance Hood (Junior college transfer who averaged 21 ppg and 8.5 rpg last season)
Junior center Darrius Manciel (Junior college transfer who averaged 15 ppg and 15 rpg last season)

This is a rebuilding year for head coach Tic Price and the only thing good coming out of this season will be for his team to gain experience for the 2006 season. He brought in two junior college transfers who are expected to start immediately. He also recruited high school phenom guard John Ford, and he has guard Troy Aaaron back from last year’s sit out because of transferring from Tulane. Love me or hate me Cowboy fans but I think it will be a long season for your team and I predict them to finish close to last.

Nicholls State Colonels

(6-21 overall, 1-15 SLC)

Projected starting five:
Senior guard Willie Depron (15.4 ppg and 5.7 rpg last season)
Junior guard Cyril Djoukeng (Junior college all-American last season with 16.7 ppg and 7.8 apg)
Senior forward Jason Wilkins (11.1 ppg last season)
Senior forward Dominique Gleason (6.4 ppg last season)
Sophomore center Kieran Gleeson (Big body, lots of talent and potential to excel)

Just when you thought it couldn’t get worse for the Colonels, their head coach Ricky Blanton resigned for personal reasons on Oct. 18th. Man o Man, they are going to have a long season. Top assistant J.P. Piper was tabbed as the new head coach. Piper has been at the school for two years, and prior to that was a successful high school coach for eight seasons. They do have some talent, and they do have a great freshman recruit Adonis Gary, but they don’t have a chance this season and whoever inherits the head coaching job will probably pull his hair out by the season’s end.

(Ed note: Just yesterday, November 8th, center Kieran Gleeson and forward Maurice Veal were ruled academically ineligible for the entire season.)

Overall Conference Outlook

This will be a very exciting season for SLC men’s basketball fans. I see a lot of teams being able to fill in hole with junior college players right away, and on the flip side I see some teams having disastrous seasons. When it’s all said and done, every fan should applaud the winner of the SLC crown because this year it won’t be a cakewalk.

Southland Recap

Southland Conference 2003-04 Season Recap

by Zach Ewing

After a regular season that finished with three teams tied atop the standings and another just a game behind, it came as no surprise that parity ruled the Southland Conference Tournament.

The top four teams all survived the first day of quarterfinals, but on semifinal day, the No. 4 seeded Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks took out top seed Texas-Arlington in a thriller won by an Antonio Burks three-pointer with four seconds left. The other semifinal also did not disappoint. Texas-San Antonio’s Justin Harbert hit all three free throws after being fouled on a three-point attempt in the last 20 seconds to lead the Roadrunners to an 87-85 win. UTSA came back from seven points down at halftime to advance to Friday’s final.

In the championship, UTSA made the most of their opportunity, holding off a game Stephen F. Austin team at home 74-70. The Roadrunners took the lead at 12-11 and, although the game remained close, the Lumberjacks could do better than tie the score from that point on. Late in the game, SFA had the ball down by two, but couldn’t score. When LeRoy Hurd hit two free throws seconds later, Texas-San Antonio was dancing for the third time in its history.

It didn’t last long. Stanford easily ended UTSA’s season in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. But for this conference, getting to the Big Dance is an accomplishment in itself. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the final standings and awards for the Southland Conference in 2003-04.

Southland Conference Tournament Results

Quarterfinals – Monday, March 8
(1) Texas-Arlington 77, (8) Louisiana-Monroe 62
(4) Stephen F. Austin 85, (5) Sam Houston State 53
(3) Texas-San Antonio 78, (6) Texas State-San Marcos 73
(2) Southeastern Louisiana 72, (7) Northwestern State 64

Semifinals – Wednesday, March 10
(4) Stephen F. Austin 69, (1) Texas-Arlington 68
(3) Texas-San Antonio 87, (2) Southeastern Louisiana 85

Championship – Friday, March 12
(3) Texas-San Antonio 74, (4) Stephen F. Austin 70

Postseason
NCAA Tournament Phoenix Regional
(1) Stanford 71, (16) Texas-San Antonio 45

Hoopville All-Southland Conference Team
Senior forward LeRoy Hurd, Texas-San Antonio
Junior guard Amir Abdur-Rahim, Southeastern Louisiana
Senior forward Derrick Obasohan, Texas-Arlington
Junior forward Michael Gardner, Southeastern Louisiana
Senior guard Antonio Burks, Stephen F. Austin

Player of the Year:

LeRoy Hurd, Texas San Antonio – 19.4 ppg, 8.1 rpg

Honorable Mention:

Rafael Posey -Texas-San Antonio, Terry Conerway – Texas State-San Marcos, Joe Thompson – Sam Houston State, Raymond Anthony – Lamar, Terrell Petteway – Lamar

Hoopville All-Southland Freshman Team
Forward Kelvin Williams, Sam Houston State
Guard Ryan Price, McNeese State
Guard Kurt Attaway, Texas-San Antonio
Guard Stephen Floyd, Texas-Arlington
Forward Demetrius Bell, Northwestern State

Freshman of the Year:

Kelvin Williams, Sam Houston State – 7.2 ppg, 6.0 rpg

Honorable Mention:

Jonathon Walker – Southeastern Louisiana, Othello Alford – Sam Houston State, Ryan Griffith – Sam Houston State, Blake Whittle – Lamar, Shaun King – Nicholls State

Around the Southland

Lamar Cardinals (11-18 overall, 5-11 Southland)

Key players lost:
F Terrell Petteway (15.1 ppg, 7.8 rpg)

Key players returning:
G Raymond Anthoney (15.5 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 3.8 apg)
G Teddy Davis (13.2 ppg, 5.7 rpg)
G Gil Goodrich (12.9 ppg)

2004-05 Outlook: Lamar, though it failed to even make the Southland tournament this year, could put the conference on the map. That’s because Billy Tubbs, formerly of Tulsa, Oklahoma and TCU, started his career at Lamar and is back for his second season of his second stint. Not only do his Cardinals have everyone significant back save Petteway, but they had a superb recruiting class. This seems ridiculous, but little Lamar’s nine-player signing class was rated No. 3 in the country according to some websites. The only downside is the lack of any experienced players returning in the paint.

Louisiana-Monroe Indians (12-19, 8-9)

Key Players Lost:
G John Andrews (10.1 ppg)
G Larry Parker (9.6 ppg, 4.2 rpg)
C Chavis Thompson (8.2 ppg, 5.6 rpg)

Key Players Returning:
F DeAndre Alexander (6.0 ppg, 6.4 rpg)

Outlook: Not good. The Indians, senior-laden last year but still unable to accomplish anything, return only one player with a scoring average above six points. It will be interesting to see where ULM gets its offense.

McNeese State Cowboys (11-16, 7-9)

Key Players Lost:
F Jerrick Oliver (10.4 ppg, 6.4 rpg)
G Edward Garriet (14.0 ppg, 4.1 rpg)
G Greg Tucker (10.9 ppg)

Key Players Returning:
G Ryan Price (8.3 ppg, 2.1 apg)

Outlook: The Cowboys will likely battle for the cellar of the conference in ’05. Price will be a promising sophomore, but he will have to lead a very young team that won’t be able to replace its three leading scorers from this year.

Nicholls State Colonels (6-21, 1-15)

Key Players Lost:
G Markeith Brown (8.2 ppg, 4.0 rpg)

Key Players Returning:
G Willie Depron (15.4 ppg, 5.7 rpg)

F Jason Wilkins (11.1 ppg, 4.3 rpg)

Outlook: The Colonels have a long way to go, but they won’t be an easy opponent next year. They lose mostly minor players and will have a senior-laden team. And keep in mind, NSU did keep it close against Texas-San Antonio at beat Lamar at home this year.

Northwestern State Demons (11-17, 8-9)

Key Players Lost: None

Key Players Returning:
F Clifton Lee (13.3 ppg, 7.6 rpg)
G Jermaine Wallace (15.6 ppg, 4.9 rpg)
G Byron Allen (7.7 ppg, 4.6 rpg)

Outlook: The Demons are a team that has been dangerous in this conference in the past and may be headed in that direction again next year. A great sophomore class will become juniors, and the Demons may be able to turn close losses into close wins with the added maturity.

Sam Houston State Bearkats (12-15, 8-9)

Key Players Lost:
G Jason Stephenson (9.4 ppg, 2.4 apg)

Key Players Returning:
F Joe Thompson (15.6 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 3.7 apg)
F Wilder Auguste (10.9 ppg, 5.5 rpg)
G Chris Jordan (9.5 ppg, 4.3 rpg)
F Kelvin Williams (7.2 ppg, 6.0 rpg)

Outlook: The Bearkats have quite a ways to go to get into the upper echelon of the conference, but they have a load of talent coming back next year. Thompson, along with Amir Abdur-Rahim, is one of the most complete players in the conference, and Williams is a force inside.

Southeastern Louisiana Lions (19-9, 12-5)

Key Players Lost: None

Key Players Returning:
G Amir Abdur-Rahim (15.1 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 2.2 apg)
F Michael Gardner (13.2 ppg, 5.0 apg)
F Terry West (12.7 ppg, 4.8 rpg)

Outlook: The Lions won their first conference tournament game this year and should continue the trend and win the whole tournament next year. Abdur-Rahim will be hungry to redeem himself for two silly fouls in the closing minutes of this year’s semifinal loss, and SE Louisiana should improve on this year’s 12-5 record.

Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks (21-9, 11-6)

Key Players Lost:
Guard Antonio Burks (15.8 ppg, 4.7 rpg)

Key Players Returning:
F Taylor Moore (9.9 ppg, 6.3 rpg)
G Marcus Clark (9.3 ppg, 4.0 apg)

Outlook: The loss of Burks means the Lumberjacks will need a new scorer and a new leader. Taylor Moore and Marcus Clark may be ready to step into those roles, but if they don’t find them, it may be a long season for Stephen F. Austin.

Texas-Arlington Mavericks (17-12, 12-5)

Key Players Lost:
F Derrick Obasohan (16.6 ppg, 6.0 rpg)
F Donny Beachem (9.7 ppg, 6.7 rpg)
G Keith Howell (10.1 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.3 apg)

Key Players Returning:
F Steven Thomas (12.3 ppg, 5.2 rpg)

Outlook: Texas-Arlington’s window of opportunity may have passed when Antonio Burks sunk a three-pointer in the Southland semifinals to end the Mavericks’ system. With teams like Lamar, Sam Houston State and Southeastern Louisiana improving from last year, Arlington will have a hard time keeping up next year.

Texas-San Antonio Roadrunners (19-13, 12-5)

Key Players Lost:
F LeRoy Hurd (19.4 ppg, 8.1 rpg)

Key Players Returning:
G Rafael Posey (11.6 ppg, 3.9 rpg)
G Justin Harbert (10.4 ppg)
F Justin Millsap (8.2 ppg, 5.2 rpg)
G Kurt Attaway (7.3 ppg, 3.3 apg)

Outlook: The majority of the Roadrunners’ conference championship team returns, but you can’t lose the leading scorer and rebounder in the conference and not fall a bit in the standings. Then again, never count out a champion. UTSA will be looking for a back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearance like they had in 1998-1999.

Texas State-San Marcos Bobcats (14-14, 8-9)

Key Players Lost:
G Terry Conerway (13.7 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1.9 spg)
guard Roosevelt Brown (9.9 ppg, 2.6 apg)

Key Players Returning:
G Josh Naylor (11.1 ppg, 2.7 apg)
F Anthony Dill (8.0 ppg, 4.6 rpg)
F Zach Allison (8.2 ppg, 4.5 rpg)

Outlook: The Bobcats lose a lot in the backcourt for next season, and Naylor will be hard-pressed to pick up the slack. The frontcourt should be improved, but don’t look for the artist formerly known as Southwest Texas State to be anywhere but where they were this year: the middle of the pack.

Southland Finals Recap

Southland Conference Finals Recap
		Recap by Paul Oren No.3 Texas San-Antonio 74 No.4 Stephen F Austin 70 Southland Conference Player of the Year Leroy Hurd has consistently carried the Texas San-Antonio Roadrunners on his back throughout the season, and in their biggest of the season, the trend continued. Hurd scored 23 points including two free throws with 17 seconds left to ice the Southland Tournament Championship for UTSA and send the Roadrunners back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1999. UTSA won their three tournament games by a combined 11 points and closed out the tournament on a 7-game winning streak and winners of 10 of their last 11. “To be able to close out the Tournament in this fashion is a dream come true,” said UTSA coach Tim Carter. “I’m so proud of the effort of these players this season. There has been a lot of sacrifice by players and coaches on this team to help make it successful, and it has paid off. We are going to enjoy this for a couple of days and then start getting ready for next week.” The Roadrunners started the season at 5-10 before rallying in conference play to win 14 of their last 17 games and a big part of that was balance. Hurd was simply amazing in the title game. Along with his 23 points, he grabbed 9 rebounds, dished out 3 assists and had 2 steals. For his efforts, Hurd was named Tournament MVP. He was joined on the All-Tournament team by teammates Justin Harbert and Kurt Attaway. Attaway, the freshman, scored a career-high 24 points in the Roadrunners semi-final victory over Southeastern Louisiana “This is unbelievable,” said Hurd. “I’m proud of how the team came together late in the year to make this happen. When we stood at 5-10 earlier this season a lot of people counted us out. We hung together and got it done.” SFA finishes the season at 21-9 and for the second year in a row, they come up short in the Championship game. Marcus Clark and Hank Rivers led the Lumberjacks with 16 points while semi-final hero Antonio Burks added 12. UTSA appears headed to the NCAA Tournament Play-In game. According to CollegeRPI.com, the Roadrunners have an RPI of 236. They have a 19-13 record, but 3 of those wins have come against Non-Division 1 programs. Against projected 2004 NCAA Tournament teams, UTSA lost by 26 to Illinois-Chicago and by 30 to Oklahoma St. UTSA has played in three overtime games this season and one double overtime contest.

Southland Semifinals Recap

Southland Conference Semifinals Recap
		Recap by Paul Oren On paper, in every conference tournament, you’d expect the number one and number two seeds to advance to the championship, and for the first 39 minutes in both Southland Conference Semi-Final contests, it appeared as if that perception would be reality. But that’s why the games are 40 minutes. No. 3 Texas San-Antonio 87, No. 2 Southeastern Louisiana 85 With 25 seconds left in the game, Southeastern Louisiana was rolling, up 85-81 over Texas-San Antonio. Freshman Kurt Attaway then scored two of his career-high 24 points to pull the Roadrunners to within two at 85-83. Amir Abdur-Rahim was then whistled for a push off foul and the ball was given back to UTSA. Abdur-Rahim then committed his second foul in as many possessions as he fouled Justin Harbert during a three-point attempt. Harbert connected on all three free throws to give UTSA a 86-85 lead, their first lead of the second half, and a lead they would not relinquish. The Lions Jonathon Walker was then fouled, but missed both free throws with 3 seconds left, and after a Harbert free throw, Nate Lofton, who had 15 points and 22 rebounds for the Lions, missed a 10-foot bank shot and the Roadrunners advanced to the Southland Championship game. “I told the guys in the locker room that great character always finds a way to win, and I believe that,” said UTSA coach Tim Carter. “There were so many plays that could have gone the other way tonight but didn’t. Somehow we found a way to win.” The Lions were playing in their first Southland Tournament since joining the conference in 1997-98 and completed their best season in 30 years at 20-9. “For 39 minutes, we played really well,” Southeastern head coach Billy Kennedy said. “Like I told our guys, unfortunately it’s a valuable lesson we had to learn off the floor … ‘life is not fair.’ To play 39 minutes so well, and then for one minute we didn’t.” No. 4 Stephen F. Austin 69, No. 1 Texas-Arlington 68 For the second year in a row, the Lumberjacks from SFA are heading back to the SLC Tournament Championship game, but for a while, it didn’t appear that it was going to happen. Down 5 points in the final :22 seconds, the Lumberjacks went to the long ball to pull out the victory. Sophomore Marcus Clark nailed a three pointer with 22 seconds left to cut the lead to 68-66, and after the Mavericks Jarret Howell missed the front-end of a one-in-one, the Lumberjacks Dedrick Sanders grabbed the rebound, raced up the court, dishing it off to the nation’s second leading three-point shooter, Antonio Burks, who calmly sank a shot with 4.9 seconds left to give SFA the 69-68 advantage. UTA was unable to get a shot off in the final seconds. “I thought it was a great college basketball game,” said SFA coach Danny Kaspar. “There were a lot of experienced seniors on the floor at the end of the game and both teams gave everything they had to win the game. We were able to get the ball to Antonio’s hands and he made a great play to win.” SFA was led by Sanders with 20 points and 7 rebounds. Derrick Obasohan, who missed a half-court shot at the buzzer, led all scorers with 22 points for the Mavericks. Burks’ game-winning shot was his 76th three pointer of the year, tying SFA’s single-season record.

Southland Conference Notebook

Southland Conference Notebook

by Adam Shandler

Lamar: Terrell Petteway is lighting it up for the Cardinals. Problem is, his efforts may be sneezed upon by the hoops elite. Petteway opened the season with both a 23 and 10 double-double and a 30 point outing. Those stellar performances, however, came against small schools LeTourneau and Hardin Simmons, respectively…Billy Tubbs’s team smote North Texas, 88-72, in its first D-I game of the season on November 29. Junior Gil Goodrich led the Cards with 21. With that victory, coach Tubbs is now just two away from 600.

Louisiana-Monroe: The Indians opened up the season slow out of the gate, but give them credit; they had to tussle with the likes of LSU, Miami, FL, and Rhode Island — teams from conferences with higher RPIs. But Mike Vining’s team got a much needed reprieve. On November 30 ULM finally notched its first W on the year with an 83-53 trouncing of Central Methodist College. The Indians held CMC to 8-of-31 shooting and hit for 52% themselves. Tank Thompson finished the home opener with 12 points, 10 boards and Mark Keith had 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting…It’s back into the fire for ULM. They challenge Mississippi State in Starkville on Dec. 3.

McNeese State: The Cowboy campus is still commiserating over their humbling 35-3 defeat at the hands of Northern Arizona in the I-AA football playoffs. Ranked No. 1 in the nation with a 10-1 record going into the game, hopes were sorely dashed Thanksgiving weekend. Now McNeese sports fans can look to a basketball team that is 3-2 and which put up a good fight against LSU, 77-87. Most recently, Tic Price’s boys fell to Mississippi State, despite seven three-pointers and 23 points from Edward Garriet…The Centenary Gents are next for MSU, a Dec. 6 matchup in Shreveport, LA.

Nicholls State: After getting thumped by Florida State and Arkansas to open the season, the Colonels dialed it down and got much needed confidence-boosters against Wiley College (96-59) and Dillard (79-68). NSU does not play another game until December 10, when they face Southern at home…The Colonels are led in points and rebounds (15.0 and 6.5) by Jason Wilkins. Wilkins had 21 points, eight rebounds against Arkansas and 19 points in the loss to the Seminoles.

Northwestern State: This past Thanksgiving weekend, the Spirit of Giving was the theme for the Demons. In more ways than one. While in Chicago to face namesake Northwestern, Mike McConathy’s team united with two Aurora, Ill., churches to feed the needy. Shortly after on the 29th, the Demons fed the Wildcats a 69-61 victory. NSU did a nice job defensively on Northwestern’s leading scorer Jitim Young (9 points, 0 rebounds, 0 assists) but four other purple players hit for double-digits. All-Southland forward Jermaine Wallace scored 15 for the Demons, while the other Jermaine – Spencer – had13 points and brought down 9 boards…NSU got even more generous with Centenary as the Gents took a 44-21 halftime lead and turned it into a 90-67 triumph. The 1-4 Demons got 14 from Wallace; the next highest scorers were Jermaine Hancock and Demetrius Bell with 8 each.

Sam Houston State: The Bearkats are already building for next year. Bob Marlin just signed local high school forward Ryan Bright from Deer Park. The 6-6, 200 lb. big man averaged 17.9 ppg and 10.4 rpg as a junior and was named his district’s MVP…The Kats have beat up on some lower-division squads so far (Jarvis Christian, 74-60, and Central Arkansas, 68-57) but their pride got whacked by a two-by-four in the form of the Texas Longhorns (122-71). Sam Houston has some games they can win coming up, namely against Texas-Corpus Christi, Arkansas State and Texas-Pan American. Then it’s another Lone Star juggernaut: Bobby Knight’s Red Raiders on December 17…Auguste Wilder is SHSU’s points leader with just over 11 a game.

Southeastern Louisiana: The 2-2 Lions showed Bellhaven what D-I is all about by handing the Blazers an 83-67 drubbing on Dec. 2. Guess SELA was still charged up after giving Ole Miss a scare on Nov. 29 and posting a valiant effort against Alabama on the 25th. Against Mississippi, the Lions came down from 31-14 at the half to outscore the Rebels 34-21 in the second stanza. A fast-paced 11-4 run made this one interesting, but down the stretch clutch shooting by Ole Miss’s Justin Reed – both from the floor and the line – put the game just slightly out of reach, and SELA went home with a 52-48 loss. Lions Center Nate Lofton posted a 14-11 double-dandy, the first of two on the year…Against Alabama, it was again a game of second-half catch-up. With the Tide up 38-31 at the break, SELA went bucket for bucket with ‘Bama but came up short, 83-76. All-Southland forward Amir Abdur-Rahim had a season best 17 to lead the Lions. Earnest Shelton scored 28 for the Crimson Tide.

Stephen F. Austin: The Jacks are 3-0 and looking like the hungriest team in the Southland field. SFA rolled over Alcorn State, 80-63, and embattled Baylor, 79-57, and opened with a hurtin’ of Houston Baptists 98-83. Senior forward Antonio Burks has been a man possessed. He’s put up big numbers, 20, 28, and 17 and his rebounding, at 6-per-game, ain’t half bad either. Thus far, Burks is the runaway favorite for postseason player of the year, but TCU is up next for the Lumberjacks.

Texas-Arlington: The Mavs wasted no time in the early signing period, recruiting two of the most highly touted prep players in all of Texas. Myles Guidry, a 6-4 forward who is regarded as one of the 300 best high school seniors, averaged 12.5 points and eight boards last year. He led Elsik High School to a 29-6 record and was named to the Adidas Big Time AAU All-Tournament team in Las Vegas. Guidry will be joined by Houston Milbry’s Larry Posey, a 6-5 forward and two-time all-district selection. Posey, who put up 15.8 ppg, 9.7 rpg and 2.1 bpg, is also listed as one of the top 50 prep players in the Lone Star State…The 0-2 Mavericks had a chance to redeem themselves greatly against New Mexico State on Nov. 24, but the Aggies pooled together a 21-5 run in the second half to record a 72-62 W. The game featured 10 lead changes over a 7:16 span. UT-A got their first victory on November 29, an 81-75 squeaker over Texas-Pan American. Steven Thomas poured in 23 in the Mavs’ unconvincing showing…Texas-Arlington doesn’t face another D-I opponent until Dec. 22 when the Mavs visit Wichita State.

Texas-San Antonio: If the Roadrunners’ season-opening loss to Alaska-Fairbanks is any omen for the rest of the season, then it’s going to be a long year in San Antone. 1-3 UTSA notched their lone victory against VMI in the consolation bracket of the Top of the World Classic, then regressed against Idaho State and Illinois-Chicago. Raphael Posey scored 16 against the Flames in the home opener…On Dec. 3, things get even dicier as the Roadrunners travel to Stillwater to face an Oklahoma State team that wants in on the Hoopville Top 25…All-Southland pick LeRoy Hurd leads his team with averages of 13.5 points and 6 rebounds.

Texas State: The Bobcats join a troubled fleet of Southland teams with their 1-4 mark. The troubles began with a 77-64 loss to New Orleans, then TSU took their problems out on Texas-Lutheran, 73-39. After the temporary glee, the Cats traveled up – way up – to Anchorage and posted three straight losses to Purdue, Alaska-Anchorage and Pacific in the Great Alaska Shootout. Texas State now prepares for the Southwest Missouri State Tournament (Dec. 5-6) where it draws Weber State in round one and will face either the host Bears or Coppin State in the next wave.

Southland Conference Preview

Southland Conference Preview

by Adam Shandler

If you’re a college coach, you gotta love the junior colleges. They’re like the minor leagues for NCAA Division I programs. You may get a guy that can only give you two years, but those are two quality years. Players out of the JuCo system are a little more seasoned than your high school recruit, and for a couple of seasons have been incubating in the same hatchery with bigger, faster, quicker and hopefully more mentally mature guys. What can possibly be the downside? I’m not pontificating on anything that coaches in the Southland Conference don’t already know, which is why they went ga-ga on the JuCos like Star Jones at a Payless.

Kudos to the SLC commissioner for a positive formatting change. Up until this year, the 11-team Southland required that its teams play fellow members twice a year. With every team playing 20 conference games, that left very little scheduling room for out-of-conference games against teams with higher RPIs and deep pockets. This format terribly affected the Southland, as Sam Houston State won the automatic bid, but left 21-game winner Stephen F. Austin without any kind of postseason appearance. Beginning this year, each Southland team is only mandated to play 16 in-conference games. Schools like Louisiana-Monroe took advantage of the breathing room by slating LSU, Baylor, Mississippi, and Texas A&M. Meanwhile schools like SFA did nothing to aid their cause, creampuffing their docket with small, regional clubs like Oklahoma Panhandle, Cameron, and Alcorn State. Twice.

Texas-Arlington is ready for a title run. The Mavericks will remind fans of what Wisconsin-Milwaukee was last year in the Horizon: a team that paid its dues, had players that matured and were ready for a championship. Stephen F. Austin will be breathing down UTA’s neck, and will probably collect 20 wins or more. But will the Lumberjacks have enough gas for the conference tourney? Sam Houston State, who posted a remarkable run to the Big Dance last year goes from Conference Champs to Conference Cramps. Texas State (formerly Southwest Texas State), who landed a trip to the Great Alaska Shootout, could be the spoiler.

Preseason Awards

All-Conference
G/F Terry Conerway, Senior, Texas State
G LeRoy Hurd, Senior, Texas-San Antonio
G Amir Abdur-Rahim, Senior, Southeast Louisiana
G Jermaine Wallace, Sophomore, Northwestern State
C Roy Johnson, Senior, Texas-Arlington

Player of the Year
Terry Conerway, guard/forward, Texas State

Rookie of the Year
Daryl Mason, guard, Louisiana-Monroe

1. Texas-Arlington Mavericks (16-13, 13-7 Southland)

Projected Starters:
Roy Johnson, Sr., F, (11.1 ppg, 5.9 rpg)
Derrick Obasohan, Sr., F, (11.3 ppg, 4.2 rpg)
Steven Thomas, Sr., F, (6.8 ppg, 4.7 rpg)
Keith Howell, Sr., G, (11.3 ppg, 5.9 rpg)
Brady Dawkins, So., G (2.0 ppg, 20 assists)

Top Newcomer: Jay Neukomm, Fr., C

Depth, leadership, balance. What coach could ask for anything more? The Mavericks return three starters who know what they’re doing. All-Southland pick Roy Johnson anchors a squad not of superstars, but consistent, unselfish players. Center Johnson, forward Derrick Obasohan and guard Keith Howell all average a sliver over 11 points but need to step it up offensively. Howell prefers the 2-guard spot but may need to take some time at point while Josh Daniel’s replacement is found. The Roadrunners are not very big inside, but coach Eddie McCarter was impressed with the big ups and long stretch of 6-5 Steven Thomas last year. Depending on his off-season development, 6-10 freshman center Jay Neukomm may be accelerated into the lineup as well.

2. Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks (21-8, 16-4 Southland)

Projected Starters:
Antonio Burks, Sr., F (9.1 ppg, 51% FG)
Taylor Moore, Jr., F (4.2 ppg)
Jasen Gast, Sr., G/F (9.2 ppg)
Marcus Clark, So., G (9.2 ppg)
B.J. Banks, Sr., G (7.9 ppg)

Top Newcomer: Rodrigo Segantim, Jr., F

Last year’s regular season and conference tourney runner-up is coming off a storybook 21-win season that only Sam Houston State eclipsed. Point guard controversy is a good problem to have and SFA has it in spades. During the regular season sophomore Marcus Clark came off the bench to score 9 ppg and lead the team with 3.4 assists. Senior B.J. Banks will challenge the young Clark but both are good enough to be on the floor at the same time. With big man Percy Green gone, Coach Danny Kaspar will assign junior Taylor Moore (4.8 ppg, 3.7 rpg) as the frontcourt leader. Moore, one of the more active reserves, will be joined by ‘Jacks leading scorer Antonio Burks (9.1 ppg) and Nebraska JuCo rookies Rodrigo Segantim and Henry Rivers.

3. Texas State Bobcats (17-12, 11-9 Southland)

Projected Starters:
Nick Ponder, Jr., G (Transfer)
Terry Conerway, Sr., G (15.4 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 40% 3-Pt. FG)
Roosevelt Brown, Sr., G (7.7 ppg)
Josh Naylor, Jr., F (Transfer)
Jeremiah Coleman, Sr., F (13.1 ppg, 5.3 rpg)

Top Newcomer: Nick Ponder, Jr., G

First order of business: name change. Oh, they’re still in the Southwest of Texas, they just won’t be Southwest Texas State anymore. The Bobcats now hail from lingually friendly Texas State. TSU acted fast and made the most of the league’s new schedule-flexibility ruling. Tulsa and New Orleans grace the Bobcat docket this year as does a first-round clash with Purdue in the Great Alaska Shootout. And Dennis Nutt’s club has goods to compete with such formidable competition. Hoopville SLC Player of the Year Terry Conerway is coming off a career year (15.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg) and should get backcourt assistance from junior college transfer Josh Naylor (Northern Oklahoma JC). Another JuCo face helps out up front – Redlands CC’s Nick Ponder.

4. Lamar Cardinals (13-14, 10-10 Southland)

Projected Starters:
Brian Rowan, Jr., C, (3.4 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 21 blocks)
Jason Grant, So., F/C (5.7 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 52 blocks)
Terrell Petteway, Sr. F (Redshirt)
Jonathan Burnet, So., G, (10.1 ppg, 2.0 rpg)
Hayes Grooms, Jr., G (26 assists, 75% FT)

Top Newcomer: Teddy Davis, Jr., G

Lamar didn’t have to go far to find its new coach. Er, old coach, who interviewed with an athletic director, who was himself. Yeah, Billy Tubbs got so sick of seeing his Cardinals go 13-14 last year, he reinstated himself as coach. He needs just five wins to become only the 28th coach in NCAA history to earn 600 wins. Tubbs re-ups with a Cardinals team that’s not too heavy on senior leadership. But sophomore leadership ain’t bad when it comes in the form of 6-0 point guard Jonathan Burnett and 6-9 center Jason Grant, who was an all-SLC pick in some polls. Burnett averaged over 10 points per game before a season-ending ACL injury against Texas-San Antonio. He’s back, he’s healthy, he’s ready to rock and he’s going to be needed. Tubbs, like many Southland coaches, dipped into the JuCo well and pulled out SE Illinois CC’s Teddy Davis, a versatile 6-3 shooting guard.

5. Louisiana-Monroe Indians (12-16, 10-10 Southland)

Projected Starters:
Daryl Mason, Jr., F (Transfer)
Chavis Thompson, Sr., F (7.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 52% FG)
John Andrews, Sr., G (8.2 ppg)
Brandon Horn, Sr. G (7.1 ppg, 79 assists)
Mark Keith, Sr., G/F (9.4 ppg)

Top Newcomer: Daryl Mason, Jr., F

The Indians lost Lemons – all-forward Kirby Lemons, that is – but have made lemonade with, what else, JuCo recruits. Lemons powered through last season with averages of 16.5 ppg and 10 rpg and was largely responsible for ULM getting into the postseason tournament. Daryl Mason, our Southland newcomer of the year, may not be the Shaqesque player that Lemons was, but he’s a flexible 6-6 swingman who averaged 13 ppg with national JuCo power San Jacinto. Seven other strangers fill out the roster, but don’t think of this as a rebuilding year for ULM. Five of their guys have ample experience, especially in the backcourt with returning starters Mark Keith and John Andrews.

6. Northwestern State Demons (6-21, 6-14 Southland)

Projected Starters:
Jermaine Wallace, So., G (11.1 ppg, 3.6 rpg)
Tyron Mitchell, So., G (6.9 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 3.3 apg, 70 steals)
Jermaine Spencer, So., F (7.8 ppg, 4.7 rpg)
Clifton Lee, So., F (10.4 ppg, 6.2 rpg)
Byron Allen, So., C (10.2 ppg, 4.7 rpg)

Top Newcomer: Greg Tyler, Fr., F

Few teams can boast every player returning. The youngest team in the nation last year is a touch older and should be more competitive. All-SLC guard Jermaine Wallace came out of nowhere last season and his 11.1 ppg and natural groove for the floor salvaged an otherwise unforgettable season. Another Jermaine – 6-7 forward Jermaine Spencer – will likely improve upon his 7.1 ppg average, which was a little lower than last year’s expectations. 6-11 sophomore center Tim Van has already shown promise in intercollegiate preseason games. With a team of predominantly sophomores and an out-of-conference schedule featuring Tulsa, Oklahoma State and the Demons’ namesake Northwestern, Mike McConathy’s club could be one of the more intriguing stories this year.

7. Texas-San Antonio Roadrunners (10-17, 7-13 Southland)

Projected Starters:
LeRoy Hurd, Sr., F (17.6 ppg, 8.0 rpg)
John Milsap, Jr., F (Transfer)
Anthony Fuqua, Jr., C (Transfer)
Sammie Cole, Sr., G (9.4 ppg, 37% 3-Pt. FG)
David President, Sr., G (5.4 ppg, 3.3 apg, 3.8 rpg)

Top Newcomer: Anthony Fuqua, Jr., C

The Roadrunners have their own “Thundering Hurd”: Leroy Hurd, who led the SLC in scoring last year at a 17.6 ppg clip. He’ll sizzle again, but the rest of the offense remains a mystery. Someone is going to have to replace the departed Ike Akotaobi’s 3-point shooting, and that someone just may be senior guard Sammie Cole (9.4 ppg). Scrapping underneath with Hurd are JuCo additions Anthony Fuqua, a 6-10 center and 6-6 power forward John Milsap.

8. Southeastern Louisiana Lions (11-16, 9-11 Southland)

Projected Starters:
Terry West, Sr., F (11.5 ppg, 4.7 rpg)
Nate Lofton, Jr., F/C (Transfer)
Jonathan Walker, So., C (5.1 ppg, 4.1 rpg)
Michael Gardener, Sr., G (3.4 ppg, 47 assists)
Amir Abdur-Rahim Sr., G (15.4 ppg, 3.3 rpg)

Newcomer of the Year: Nate Lofton, Jr., F/C

If all-SLC selection Amir Abdur-Rahim (15 ppg) doesn’t get some help this year, the Lions may be one of three teams that don’t make the postseason tournament. It looks like Abdur-Rahim will get his help, although SELA is a perfect example of how returnees need to gel with newcomers quickly. With Abdur-Rahim and veteran Michael Gardener in the back, the frontcourt will have old and fresh faces. Heralded JuCo Center Nate Lofton, of Arkansas-Fort Smith, will probably step into a starting role immediately. The 6-10 big man will be joined by steady senior forward Terry West and sophomore forward/center Jonathan Walker. Redlands CC guard Jonathan Patton adds depth at the 1 or 2 position.

9. Sam Houston State Bearkats (23-6, 17-3 Southland)

Wilder Auguste, Jr., F (Transfer)
Joe Thompson, Jr., F (Transfer)
Sam Onwuchekwa, So., F
Marcus Ebow, So., G, (2.3 ppg, 61 assists)
Jason Stephenson, Sr., G (5.5 ppg)

Top Newcomer: Joe Thompson, Jr., F

Things go south for the Bearkats, who swept the regular season and conference tourney for a well-earned trip to the dance. But all five starters went cap-and-gown in May, leaving the conference champs with a blank page. Senior forward Eddy Fobbs, the most experienced and highest scoring returnee, had knee surgery in September, and will miss the upcoming season as a medical redshirt. The Bearkats were dealt another blow in the classroom, when senior Rodrick Winters and junior Mario Kinsey failed to meet academic requirements. Backup point guard Marcus Ebow, who saw about 9 minutes a game last year, will be one bright spot, while 6-2 guard Jason Stephenson – the only returning senior – joins him.

10. McNeese State Cowboys (15-14, 10-10 Southland)

Projected Starters:
Monte Farmer, Sr., F (4.2 rpg, 52% FG)
Marcus Watts, So., C (4.3 ppg, 3.0 rpg)
Eldridge Lewis, Sr., G (4.15 apg)
Greg Tucker, Sr., G (7.1 ppg, 72% FT)
Edward Garriet, Sr., G (7.1 ppg, 45% 3-Pt. FG)

Top Newcomer: Erkan Oguz, Jr., G/F

Two years ago the Cowboys showed the basketball world that they were not just a football school, by winning the conference tourney and going to the dance. McNeese isn’t a surefire pick this year, but Tic Price’s team is gunning for a fourth straight winning season. Senior guard Eldridge Lewis (5.3 ppg, 4.3 apg) and sophomore center Marcus Watts are the only returning starters, and neither one was a scoring machine. But according to reports out of Lake Charles, coach Price is running more intense, high-scoring scrimmages to get his team to used to up-tempo games. The week of November 3rd was a bad one for McNeese Basketball. Two key players – forward Brett Teeter and 2-guard Erkan Oguz – are out with extensive thumb and knee injuries respectively and three players returned home due to deaths in the family.

11. Nicholls State Colonels (3-25, 1-19 Southland)

Projected Starters:
Markeith Brown, Sr., G (5.5 ppg, 2.5 apg)
Shaun King, Fr., G (Rookie)
Stefan Blaszczynski, Fr., G/F (Rookie)
Eric James, Jr., F (6.2 ppg, 3.4 apg)
Kieran Gleeson, Fr., C (Rookie)

Newcomer of the Year: Stefan Blaszczynski, Fr., G/F

You might say after a 3-25 season, you can only go up, but the Colonels find themselves in another rebuilding year. Coach Ricky Blanton returns only three players this season, none of them starters. Second-year Blanton didn’t rest on his proverbial laurels. He went out and got a two-for-one deal by landing Wilkinson County High (Milledgeville, GA)’s Shaun King (5-11 point guard) and 6-8 power man Maurice Veal. Then Blanton went down under and scored a pair of Aussies. 6-6 big man Stefan Blaszczynski scored 30 ppg with his New South Wales traveling club and 6-9 Kieran Gleeson put up nightly double-doubles and was selected to the All-Australian high school team. The Colonels will put their AusGeorgia formula to the test when they face Arkansas and Florida State in their first two games.

Southland 2002-03 Season Recap

Southland Conference Recap

by Scott Allen

The race for the regular season conference title came down to the last weekend with Sam Houston State securing its second regular season crown in four years and Stephen F. Austin finishing a close second. The Bearkats and Lumberjacks both showed that the recipe for success in the SLC is good home cookin’, combining to go 20-0 in conference play and 30-1 at home overall.

For as dominating as the teams at the top of the standings were at home, the conference cellar dweller couldn’t find success no matter where they played. Nicholls State lost 14-straight games to end the season and finished 1-19 in conference play. The Colonels, who started three seniors, were even outshined throughout the season by the nation’s youngest team, Northwestern State, which managed five more wins in conference play despite not having a single senior on the roster.

Defending SLC champion McNeese State was one of three teams to finish 10-10 in conference play, as five teams finished within one game of each other in the middle of the conference standings. The story of the season, besides Sam Houston State earning its first NCAA tournament bid, was the infiltration of new talent in the form of junior college transfers. One such transfer, Texas-San Antonio’s LeRoy Hurd, led the conference in scoring with 17.6 points per game.

Southland Conference Tournament Recap:

Having received first-round byes in the tournament by finishing first and second during the regular season, Sam Houston State and Stephen F. Austin dispatched of McNeese State and Southwest Texas, respectively, in the semifinals to set up a very exciting nationally televised Southland Conference final.

The top-seeded Bearkats let a 14-point second half lead slip away before finally prevailing in overtime, 69-66. Donald Cole, who scored 19 of his 26 points in the second half, nailed a 3-pointer with 14 seconds left in overtime and later added a free throw to seal the win. The SLC player of the year also tallied 11 rebounds. The Sam Houston State win marked the eighth straight year that a different team has won the conference tournament. No team has won back-to-back tournaments since Lamar ten years ago.

NCAA Tournament Results:

No. 15 Sam Houston State, South Region
First round: lost to No. 2 Florida, 85-55

All Southland Conference Team:
Donald Cole, senior forward, Sam Houston State
Kirby Lemons, senior forward, Louisiana-Monroe
Percy Green, senior forward, Stephen F. Ausin
Leroy Hurd, junior forward, Texas-San Antonio
Terry Conerway, junior guard, Southwest Texas State

Honorable mentions:
Robert Shannon, Sam Houston State
Jason Coleman, McNeese State
Amir Abdur-Rahim, Southeastern Louisiana
Mack Callier, Texas-Arlington
Ron Austin, Lamar

Conference Player of the Year:

Donald Cole, senior forward, Sam Houston State

Cole finished second in the conference in scoring (17.4 points per game) and third in rebounding (8.2 rebounds per game) but more importantly was the anchor of the Southland Conference’s representative in the NCAA tournament. Cole shined in the conference tournament as well, earning MVP honors.

Conference Freshman of the Year:

Jermaine Wallace, Northwestern State

Conference “Newcomer” of the year:

Terry Conerway, Southwest Texas State

Conference Defensive Player of the Year:

Eddy Fobbs, Sam Houston State

Southland Coach of the Year:

Bob Marlin, Sam Houston State

In his fifth season as head coach of the Bearkats, Marlin led them to their first Southland Conference title and the school’s first appearance in the NCAA tournament. With a plethora of senior leadership, Sam Houston State was predicted to finish first in the conference in the preseason coaches’ poll, but Marlin’s leadership was a large part of the Bearkats’ living up to that hype.

Sam Houston State (23-6, 17-3)

Starters leaving: 5
Donald Cole, graduated
Felton Freeman, graduated
Robert Shannon, graduated
Eddy Barlow, graduated
Jay Oliphant, graduated

Key players staying/underclassmen starters returning:
Eddy Fobbs, junior center

Stat Sheet:
Donald Cole, 17.5 points per game
Donald Cole, 8.2 rebounds per game
Robert Shannon, 5.7 assists per game

Stephen F. Austin (21-8, 16-4)

Starters leaving: 2
Percy Green, graduated
Ben Hunt, graduated

Key players staying/underclassmen starters returning:
Antonio Burks, junior guard
Stevin Ozier, sophomore forward
Jasen Gast, junior guard
B.J. Banks, junior guard

Stat Sheet:
Percy Green, 12.3 points per game
Stevin Ozier, 4.2 rebounds per game
Marcus Clark, 3.4 assists per game

Texas-Arlington (16-13, 13-7)

Starters leaving: 2
Mack Callier, graduated
Josh Daniel, graduated

Key players staying/underclassmen starters returning:
Keith Howell, junior guard
Derrick Obasohan, junior forward

Stat Sheet:
Keith Howell, 11.3 points per game
Mack Callier, 7.9 rebounds per game
Josh Daniel, 4.6 assists per game

Southwest Texas State (17-12, 11-9)

Starters leaving: 2
David Sykes, graduated
Brady Richeson, graduated

Key players staying/underclassmen starters returning:
Terry Conerway, junior guard
Jeremiah Coleman, junior forward

Stat Sheet:
Terry Conerway, 15.4 points per game
Terry Conerway, 5.8 rebounds per game
David Sykes, 4.6 assists per game

McNeese State (15-14, 10-10)

Starters leaving: 3
Jason Coleman, graduated
Adrian Johnson, graduated
Damond Williams, graduated

Key players staying/underclassmen starters returning:
Greg Tucker, junior guard
Edward Garriet, junior guard

Stat Sheet:
Jason Coleman, 14.9 points per game
Damond Williams, 6.3 rebounds per game
Eldridge Lewis, 4.3 assists per game

Lamar (13-14, 10-10)

Starters leaving: 4
Lewis Arline, graduated
Eddie Robinson, graduated
Damany Hendrix, graduated
Ron Austin, graduated

Other key losses:
Terrell Petteway, graduated

Key players staying/underclassmen starters returning:
Sophomore center Brian Rowan

Coaching change: Lamar Athletic Director Billy Tubbs will replace Mike Deane, who compiled a 52-62 record in four-years with the Cardinals.

Stat Sheet:
Ron Austin, 15.7 points per game
Lewis Arline, 8.7 rebounds per game
Eddie Robinson, 4.4 assists per game

Louisiana-Monroe (12-16, 10-10)

Starters leaving: 1
Kirby Lemons, graduated

Other key loss:
Reggie Griffin, graduated

Key players staying/underclassmen starters returning:
John Andrews, junior guard
Brandon Horn, junior guard

Stat Sheet:
Kirby Lemons, 16.7 points per game
Kirby Lemons, 10.2 rebounds per game
Brandon Horn, 2.8 assists per game

Southeastern Louisiana (11-16, 9-11)

Starters leaving: 2
Marcus Smith, graduated
Dyron Clark, graduated

Key players staying/underclassmen starters returning:
Amir Abdur-Rahim, junior guard
Terry West, junior forward
Gary Solomon, junior forward

Stat Sheet:
Amir Abdur-Rahim, 15.4 points per game
Terry West, 4.7 rebounds per game
Michael Gardener, 3.3 assists per game

Northwestern State (6-21, 6-14)

Starters leaving: 0

Key players staying/underclassmen starters returning:
Jermaine Wallace, freshman forward
Clifton Lee, freshman forward
Byron Allen, freshman center

Stat Sheet:
Jermaine Wallace, 11.1 points per game
Clifton Jones, 6.2 rebounds per game
Tyronn Mitchell, 3.3 assists per game

Texas-San Antonio (10-17, 7-13)

Starters leaving: 2
Ike Akataobi, graduated
Raymond Briggs, graduated

Key players staying/underclassmen starters returning:
Leroy Hurd, junior forward
Sammy Cole, junior guard

Stat Sheet:
Leroy Hurd, 17.6 points per game
Leroy Hurd, 8.0 rebounds per game
David President, 3.3 assists per game

Nicholls State (3-25, 1-19)

Starters leaving: 3
Clifton Jones, graduated
Earnest Porter, graduated
Damien Lennon, graduated

Other key losses:
Beau O’Quin, graduated

Key players staying/underclassmen starters returning:
Anthony Wilcher, junior forward
Eric James, freshman forward

Stat Sheet:
Earnest Porter, 11.3 points per game
Earnest Porter, 6.3 rebounds per game
Markeith Brown, 2.5 assists per game

Southland Conference Notebook

Southland Conference Notebook

by Scott Allen

The Southland Conference tournament gets under way this Monday with a pair of first-round games on the campuses of Texas-Arlington and Southwest Texas. Regular season champion Sam Houston State and second-place finisher Stephen F. Austin received first-round byes and will host second-round games on Wednesday. The Bearkats will play host to the lowest remaining seed while the Lumberjacks host the highest remaining seed. The SLC Championship game will be played Friday afternoon.

Monday’s Games:

No. 6 McNeese State at No. 3 Texas-Arlington

McNeese State squeaked into the six-team tournament field with a 72-62 victory over Lamar to close out the regular season. If the Cowboys are to successfully defend their 2002 SoCon championship, they will first have to get past Texas-Arlington on the road, a team they lost to twice during the regular season. Meanwhile, the Mavericks enter Monday night’s game winners of four straight, including an 85-84 double-overtime win against Louisiana-Monroe last week. UTA was streaky throughout the SLC regular season, following up a five-game mid-season losing streak with a six-game winning streak and yet another two-game slide before their most recent run. The Mavericks finished 7-3 on their home court in conference play while McNeese State was 3-7 on the road.

Texas-Arlington boasts the best scoring defense in the conference, allowing just over 62 points per game and the Maverick’s plus-5.6 rebounding margin is also tops in the SLC. Derrick Obasohan paces UTA with 11.4 points per game while Roy Johnson (11.1 points per game), Keith Howell (11.0 points per game) and Mack Callier (9.8 points per game) round out one of the most well balanced offensive attacks in the SLC.

The Cowboys rely primarily on the hot-hand of guard Jason Coleman. Coleman leads McNeese State with 14.7 points per game and led the SLC with 80 3-pointers made.

Demond Williams is the only other Cowboy averaging in double figures in scoring with 10.4 points per game and he also leads the team in rebounding with 6.2 per game. McNeese State shot 44.7% from the field during the regular season and has not been held under 40% since a 56-52 loss to UTA on February 10. The Cowboys shot 37.7% in that game and were held to 36.4% shooting in the teams’ first meeting.

Look for Texas-Arlington to try to establish a slow pace on its home floor, working the ball inside to Obasohan and Johnson. A defensive struggle would favor the Mavericks. As few teams can match up with the Mavericks inside or on the glass, McNeese State needs the three-point shot to start falling after shooting just 17-for-58 (29%) from outside in its last three games.

Prediction: Texas-Arlington 66, McNeese State 59

No. 5 Louisiana-Monroe at No. 4 Southwest Texas

Making its conference best 21st straight tournament appearance, Louisiana-Monroe sets its sights on its seventh SLC Championship. Meanwhile, Southwest Texas will be playing in its seventh straight SLC tournament, the second longest streak in the league. Louisiana-Monroe enters the postseason having suffered two straight losses. Meanwhile, the Bobcats are coming off a 75-70 loss to Southeastern Louisiana in its regular season finale. ULM and SWT both finished 10-10 in conference play and split their two games during the regular season with the home team winning each time. The Bobcats finished 8-2 at home in the SLC while the Indians were 4-6 away from home.

Southwest Texas’ offense has relied on the inside presence of junior forward Jeremiah Coleman and the outside shooting of guards Terry Conerway and Brady Richeson all season and the tournament should be no different. Coleman averaged 24 points, 6 rebounds and 2 blocks in the last week of the season. Meanwhile, Conerway leads the Bobcats with 15 points per game and shot at a 40.6% clip from three-point land during the regular season. Richeson was not far behind, connecting on 36.7% of his three-point attempts. The cool demeanor of a senior point guard is invaluable come postseason and the Bobcats have one in David Sykes. The Duncanville, Texas native has poured in 10 points while dishing out 4.6 assists per game.

The Indians’ success or lack thereof rests on the broad shoulders of senior forward Kirby Lemons. The preseason second-team all-conference selection averaged 17.5 points and 8 rebounds in the last two games and finishes the year as the only SLC player averaging a double-double. Lemons finished third in scoiring (16.5 points per game) and first in rebounding with 10.1 boards per game. Mark Keith averages 9.4 points per game for the Indians.

SWT and ULM boast the third and fourth scoring offenses in the SLC, respectively, and were involved in a 102-86 shootout earlier this season. ULM finished last in the conference in scoring defense, giving up 75.1 points per game. The Indians are also the worst free throw shooting team in the SLC, a stat that does not bode well come tournament time in any conference.

The key to the game could very well be perimeter shooting. The Bobcats knock down a conference-best 8 treys per game and ULM has struggled to defend the outside shot at times this season. Only Southeastern Louisiana allowed their opponents a higher three-point shooting percentage. In SWT’s 102-86 victory over ULM earlier this season, the Bobcats shot 12-25 from beyond the arc and hit 32 of 42 free throw attempts. If Conerway and Richeson get hot, it could mean a quick exit for the Indians.

Prediction: Southwest Texas 79, Louisiana-Monroe 76

Southland Notebook

Southland Conference Notebook

by Scott Allen

Conference crown up for grabs

With one week remaining in the conference schedule, the battle for the Southland regular season title has come down to two teams. Sam Houston State (19-6, 15-3) maintains a slim one game lead in the win column over Stephen F. Austin (18-6, 14-3), as the Bearkats travel to Northwestern State today before returning home to close out their regular season against McNeese State on Wednesday. The Lumberjacks, in search of their first-ever conference title, have three games remaining, including today’s tilt at Southwest Texas and home games against Louisiana-Monroe and Northwestern State later this week. Both schools have already secured first-round byes and a semi-final home game in the Southland Conference tournament, which will be held March 10-14. Only the top-six finishers in the conference will compete, with the third- and fourth-place teams earning first-round home games.

Home cookin’

Home court advantage has been more like home court guarantee for Sam Houston State and Stephen F. Austin this season. The Bearkats are 9-0 and the Lumberjacks 8-0 in the friendly confines of their respective Johnson Coliseums in conference play, and have combined to go 24-1 at home overall. In all SLC games, the home team owns a 58-38 (.610) record.

Bearkats streak stopped

Sam Houston State’s 10-game in conference winning streak came to a shocking end Thursday night in a 78-71 overtime-loss at Louisiana Monroe. The Indians got 18 points apiece from junior center Chavis Johnson and junior forward Kirby Lemons and overcame a dismal 34 percent shooting night including 2-18 from beyond the arc by forcing 24 turnovers.

For a span of 10 games, the ‘K’ in Sam Houston State’s unusually spelled nickname may as well have signified KO. After earning a season-split with second-place Stephen F. Austin with a 69-62 win over the Lumberjacks last Saturday, the seemingly invincible Bearkats looked to have the regular season title wrapped up. But the Indians exposed at least one way to detain head coach Bob Marlin’s squad, by keying on senior point guard Robert Shannon. The Indians forced the Baton Rouge native, who entered the game with a conference-best 6 assists per game and a ridiculous 4.11 assist to turnover ratio, into a season-high four turnovers. Shannon is a large part of the success of senior forward Donald Cole, who is averaging 16.9 points and 8.2 rebounds per game.

Growing pains

Northwestern State freshman Tyronn Mitchell was named the Southland Conference Player of the Week. Mitchell, who leads the SLC with 2.71 steals per game, scored a career high 16 points to lead the Demons to a season sweep of Nicholls State and followed that performance with numbers that approached a quadruple-double: 9 points, 7 assists, 7 steals and 6 rebounds against Louisiana Monroe. Much like his team, Mitchell has struggled with consistency, shooting just 3-for-10 from the field in the Demons’ next game, a 62-47 loss at home to Lamar on Thursday. Northwestern State (6-18, 6-11) scored just 12 points in the first half. It’s fitting that Mitchell became the first underclassman to garner the award this season, as the Demons are the youngest team in Division I. Two years removed from a 71-67 victory over Big South champion Winthrop in the first ever NCAA tournament play-in game, head coach Mike McConathy’s roster consists of 12 freshmen, two sophomores, one junior and one senior.

Middle of the pack

With Sam Houston State and Stephen F. Austin having already secured first-round byes in the six-team conference tournament, five teams are in the mix for the final four spots. At most one game separates Texas-Arlington (13-12, 10-7), Lamar (13-12, 10-8), Southwest Texas (14-10, 9-8), McNeese State (13-11, 9-8) and Louisiana-Monroe (11-13, 9-8) heading into the final week. Southwest Texas has a tall order to get back on the winning track tonight, as it hosts Stephen F. Austin. The Bobcats, in the race for the conference title a week ago, have dropped four straight, including a 52-47 home defeat to Texas-Arlington on Thursday. Texas-Arlington is holding opponents to a conference low 61.9 points per game and the schedule for the remainder of the season would seem to favor the Mavericks, as all three of their remaining games are against teams with sub-.500 conference records, including a pair of home games against Northwestern State and Nicholls State to close the season.

A streak they’d like to end

With Thursday’s 71-50 drubbing at the hands of McNeese State, Nicholls State’s losing streak reached 12 games. Things don’t get any easier for the Colonels (3-23 overall), as their final two games of the year are both on the road where they have won just once this season. Head coach Ricky Blanton’s squad is averaging a conference worst 53.4 points per game and last week’s suspensions of senior Earnest Porter and junior Anthony Wilcher due to violation of team policy doesn’t help matters. Porter was the Colonels’ leading scorer, averaging 11.3 points per game. Senior Clifton Jones, who started in place of Porter, has since been suspended from the team as well.

Playing spoiler

In addition to the Colonels, Texas-San Antonio (8-16, 5-12), Northwestern State and Southeastern Lousiana (9-15, 7-10) are resolved to the role of spoiler. After being picked to finish 4th in the preseason SLC polls, Texas-San Antonio’s demise means the conference tournament will not include one of the conference’s most talented players. Roadrunner junior forward Leroy Hurd continues to lead the SLC in scoring with 17.2 points per game and is fifth in rebounding, pulling down 7.7 boards per game.

Southland Notebook

Southland Conference Notebook

by Jason Orts

Stephen F. Austin proves it is for real

The Lumberjacks, who were picked to finish in the middle of the Southland Conference pack at the beginning of the season, proved they are for real with victories over highly-regarded teams Lamar and Sam Houston to run their record to 7-0 in conference action.

The two wins give SFA a 10-game winning streak, dating back to Dec. 7, 2002, on the road at Texas Southern, an 80-75 Lumberjack loss.

SFA has been fairly dominant as well thus far in the conference season, as only two of its wins have been by fewer than 10 points, including the 77-70 overtime win over Sam Houston on Saturday. But the Lumberjacks have played five of their seven SLC tilts in Nacogdoches, with the only two road games coming against Southeastern Louisiana and Nicholls State, the league’s two worst teams.

This means that SFA will have to deal with eight more road games while only being home for five, but appear to be in good shape to finish the SLC schedule 10-0 at home, having taken care of the four teams occupying second-fifth.

Home cookin’

In the SLC this season, it is imperative for teams to be able to hold serve at home, because road wins have been hard to come by. In fact, the home team has won two of every three games thus far in conference play, 26 games to 13.

Also, four teams have recorded undefeated marks in conference home games thus far, led by the 5-0 mark posted by the Lumberjacks. Sam Houston and Southwest Texas are both 3-0, followed by Lamar, who has only played conference games in Beaumont, but has won both of them.

Only three teams are under .500 at home in SLC play, and not coincidentally, they are the three worst teams in the conference in Texas-San Antonio, Southeast Louisiana, and Nicholls State, who are a combined 3-7 at home and 5-17 overall.

UTSA loses Hurd

The Roadrunners, who at 2-4 in SLC play, have been a tremendous disappointment thus far this season, may have suffered its their greatest loss yet. LeRoy Hurd left in the second half of the 66-51 loss to McNeese State with a possible torn meniscus, an injury that would likely end his season.

Hurd, a transfer from the University of Miami, is currently the conference’s leading scorer, averaging 18.2 per game, and is fifth in the SLC in rebounding, grabbing seven boards per game.

This really spells trouble for the Roadrunners, a team that is having trouble scoring points anyway and even more trouble on the boards. UTSA is sixth in the league in scoring at just 67 points per outing, while it is the SLC’s worst in rebounding margin, losing the battle of the boards by an average of 6.5 per game.

Oh, by the way, the Roadrunners’ next opponent-Stephen F. Austin.

Speaking of which:

Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks (11-3, 7-0 SLC)

The Lumberjacks started off the week with a 74-62 win over Lamar, which has possibly been the league’s most disappointing team. They continued to impress with the aforementioned 77-70 overtime win over Sam Houston State.

SFA is the most balanced team in the SLC offensively, as it is scoring a league-best 77 points per game despite not having anyone score more than the 12.5 points per outing Percy Green is averaging.

And a different player is stepping up every week for SFA. This time it was B. J. Banks, who is averaging just eight points per contest, led the Lumberjacks with 14 points against Lamar and had an even better outing against Sam Houston, scoring 20 points.

Sam Houston State Bearkats (9-5, 6-2 SLC)

After a 4-0 start to the conference season, the Bearkats have struggled a bit on the road, falling to Stephen F. Austin and Southwest Texas, two teams that have combined to post a 15-1 record in their respective home arenas.

But SHSU did post a nice road win during that time, defeating the Texas-Arlington Mavericks, 62-60, at Texas Hall.

The Bearkats finally get back home this week following the four-game roadie, taking on Louisiana-Monroe, who is suddenly back over .500 in SLC play at 4-3, and a Northwestern State team that looks to be headed in the right direction as well. So this week looks much more difficult that it did just about a week ago for SHSU.

Louisiana-Monroe Indians (6-8, 4-3 SLC)

The Indians took care of the easy ones last week, as they welcomed Nicholls State and Southeastern Louisiana to Monroe, beating them by a combined total of 30 points. But this week figures to be a little tougher for the Indians, as they travel to face Sam Houston and Lamar, two teams who will be anxious to get back home.

ULM has been an up-and-down team so far this season, and will be doing good just to split its two contests this week.

About the only constant for the Indians this season has been Kirby Lemons, who leads the league in rebounding at 9.6 boards per outing to go with his 16.6 points per game, the SLC’s second-best total. No other Indian is scoring in double figures per game this season.

Southwest Texas Bobcats (9-5, 4-3 SLC)

The Bobcats are possibly the best example of the home-court advantage that is being enjoyed by SLC teams this season, as SWT is 7-0 overall at Strahan Coliseum (3-0 in conference play) and 2-5 on the road (1-3 in SLC action).

SWT opened conference play with four straight on the road, defeating just Northwestern State, but since the Bobcats returned home, they have been dominant, running their winning streak in the ‘Nutt House’ (named after SWT head coach Dennis Nutt) to 11-games, dating back to last season.

Following wins over Sam Houston and Lamar, SWT made its strongest statement of the season, setting a school record for margin of victory against a conference foe with a 38-point (91-53) blasting of McNeese State, a team that had beaten SWT seven straight times.

This week will be an interesting one for the Bobcats, who travel to face Texas-Arlington before returning home for a battle with Texas-San Antonio. SWT will need to sweep those games to keep itself in the thick of the conference race.

McNeese State Cowboys (8-7, 4-4 SLC)

The Cowboys lost their fourth conference game last week, which is one more than they lost in each of the past two seasons and the fourth loss was an ugly one-the 38-point beating administered by Southwest Texas.

But the Cowboys rebounded nicely just two days later, travelling a little further down I-35, defeating Texas-San Antonio 66-51. McNeese actually led that game by just two with 6:30 to go, but went on a 15-2 run to finish the game, as the Roadrunners went cold without Hurd.

The Cowboys play only once this week, as they go on the road to face Nicholls State.

Texas-Arlington Mavericks (6-8, 3-3 SLC)

Just a week ago, the Mavericks were in third place and looking at two home games with a chance to get to 5-1 in SLC action. But UTA could not take advantage of being at home, falling to Lamar and Sam Houston last week, by a combined total of four points.

The Mavericks played very well defensively, giving up 62 points to Sam Houston and 52 to Lamar, but they simply could not get the ball into the basket, despite taking ten more shots than the Bearkats and 22 more than the Cardinals.

UTA will attempt to end its struggles this week, but will have to go through two of the SLC’s hottest teams to do so, as it will host Southwest Texas before heading to Nacogdoches to take on Stephen F. Austin.

Northwestern State Demons (3-10, 3-3 SLC)

The Demons climbed out of the battle for the conference cellar by defeating Nicholls State and Southeastern Louisiana last week and moved into a tie for the sixth and final position in the SLC tournament at this early stage.

The nation’s youngest team, Northwestern State appears to have some building blocks that will be around for a while, led by Clifton Lee, a freshman who ranks in the top fifteen in the SLC in scoring and rebounding, averaging 12.1 points and 6.3 boards per outing.

But now the Demons have to go on the road again and that has been a problem for them thus far this season, as they are 0-7 outside Natchitoches and they will be trying to improve on that mark against two very homesick teams in Lamar and Sam Houston.

Lamar Cardinals (6-8, 3-4 SLC)

The Cardinals have had a tough go of it so far in conference action, mostly due to the fact that they have played five of their seven games on the road, with three of them coming against the league’s best teams in Stephen F. Austin, Sam Houston, and Southwest Texas.

It is tough to tell how good Lamar is at home, since its only two games in Beaumont have come against Nicholls State and Southeastern Louisiana, both Cardinal wins. Despite having three preseason all-SLC picks (including honorable mention selections), Lamar has had trouble scoring points, as the Cardinals rank in the middle of the pack, scoring just 66 points per outing while giving up 68 per contest.

But now the Cardinals return home for four straight, starting this week with tilts against Northwestern State and Louisiana-Monroe, two teams that Lamar certainly has the talent to beat and get right back into the conference race.

Texas-San Antonio Roadrunners (5-8, 2-4 SLC)

The Roadrunners have been a huge disappointment so far this season. Even though they lost more talent to graduation than any other team in the SLC, they were predicted to be much better than they have been, and if Hurd is out for any time at all, UTSA could be in even greater danger of missing the conference tournament.

The Roadrunners only played once last week, falling to McNeese State at home and the road gets no easier this week. They will attempt to upend Stephen F. Austin before heading to San Marcos to try and end the Bobcats’ 11-game home winning streak.

Southeastern Louisiana Lions (4-11, 2-6 SLC)

The Lions started off the conference season 2-0, but since then have gone ice cold, hitting a six-game skid, including road outings last week to Northwestern State and Louisiana-Monroe.

But the Lions have been competitive, as only one of the six losses has come by more than ten points, a 65-50 loss to Texas-Arlington. Amir Abdur-Rahim continues to play solid basketball despite his team’s troubles, averaging 15.3 points per outing, good for fifth in the league.

Southeastern Louisiana is only in action once this week, and the Lions figure to end their losing streak, as they get their home game with Nicholls State. And that leads to…

Nicholls State Colonels (3-13, 1-7 SLC)

The Colonels went on the road last week, falling to Northwestern State and Louisiana-Monroe. They will return home for their only action this week, taking on the McNeese State Cowboys at home.

Nicholls State has been anemic on the offensive end all season, scoring just over 50 points per game and are the worst shooting team in the league, from the field and from the free throw line. The Colonels are the only team in the league without a player averaging double figures in scoring.

Southland Notebook

Southland Notebook

by Jason Orts

Conference Play in Full Effect

Southland Conference action is in full swing now, and Stephen F. Austin has raced out to a perfect 5-0 start, including a big win over preseason favorite McNeese State. But the Lumberjacks can not afford to relax, as Sam Houston is right on their heels, and the two will meet this week in Nacogdoches in a game that should decide who takes control of the conference race in the early stages.

While Stephen F. Austin has been the pleasant surprise of the SLC, McNeese State would probably have to rate as the disappointment thus far, having lost three games already this season after posting a 34-6 mark over the last two seasons in conference play.

Southwest Texas started the season like a house afire, but played an unprecedented four games in eight days-all on the road-losing three of them and putting themselves in an early hole, and moving its road record to 2-5 this season.

But when the Bobcats returned home, they once again became the team they were at the beginning of the season, handing Sam Houston its first conference loss and defeating Lamar to move their home record to 6-0 this season.

Newcomers take center stage

Along with the players that were expected to excel this season, several newcomers have come in this season and given their teams a spark. Probably the best of these so far has been LeRoy Hurd of Texas-San Antonio, who is ranked in the top seven in the SLC in points, rebounds, field goal percentage, and free throw percentage.

Two Southwest Texas newcomers have also come out with a vengeance, as Terry Conerway and Jeremiah Coleman rank 1-2 on the team in scoring and rebounding. These two have also done it on the defensive end, as Conerway has recorded a conference-best 2.5 steals per contest, while Coleman leads the Bobcats in blocked shots.

Stephen F. Austin (9-3, 5-0 SLC)

The Lumberjacks have been the surprise team of the SLC so far this season, as they were predicted to finish in the middle of the pack this season. But SFA has gotten off to an undefeated start, thanks in large part to an offense that has scored 76.8 points a game, shooting 52 percent from the floor as a team, leading the SLC in both categories.

While SFA has no one in the top ten in the league in scoring, the Lumberjacks have three players scoring more than ten points per game, with Percy Green leading the team, averaging 11.4 points per game this season.

One thing that could jump up and bite SFA later in the year though is its lack of ability to rebound the ball, as it ranks dead last in that conference in that category.

Also, the while the Lumberjacks posted solid wins over McNeese State and Southwest Texas, it has also fattened up its early mark by beating Nicholls State and Southeastern Louisiana (although the Lumberjacks only beat the Lions 58-55).

The schedule gets tougher now, as SFA will take on Lamar and Sam Houston this week, two games which could well determine whether or not the Lumberjacks are for real.

Sam Houston State (8-4, 5-1 SLC)

It should come as no surprise that the Bearkats are off to the start that they are, as they were predicted to finish very high in the league, actually being picked by some to take the title. SHSU ranks in the top three in almost every statistical category, including leading the SLC in scoring and field goal defense.

Preseason SLC Player of the Year Donald Cole is leading the team in scoring and rebounding, averaging 15.9 and 8.2, respectively. Felton Freeman, who led the conference in scoring for much of the early portion of the year, has fallen off a bit as of late, but is still averaging 12.1 points per outing.

But while Cole and Freeman carry most of the load offensively, the Bearkats have shown great offensive balance, as six different players have led the team in scoring in at least one game this season.

After a Thursday night meeting with Texas-Arlington, the Bearkats travel to Nacogdoches for the showdown with the Lumberjacks, a game that could determine the conference leader at this point in the season.

Texas-Arlington (6-6, 3-1 SLC)

The Mavericks are a very difficult team to figure. They started off the season with a 56-point defeat to Creighton (a very good non-conference opponent), and their only loss in conference play is to Nicholls State. But UTA did beat McNeese State, the preseason favorite, and even with the 106 points it gave up to Creighton, still ranks third in scoring defense in the SLC.

UTA is another team that relies on offensive balance to win games, as it has also had six different players lead the team in scoring in at least one game. Keith Howell is the Mavericks’ leading scorer at 11.4 per game, and is joined by Derrick Obasohan, Roy Johnson, and Mack Collier, all of which average in double figures in scoring.

Collier has been the dominant force on the boards for the Mavericks, ranking fourth in the league with 7.6 per game.

The Mavericks will be at home to face Sam Houston State Thursday and Lamar on Saturday.

McNeese State (7-6, 3-3 SLC)

An early 3-3 record is no reason to panic, but for McNeese State, the two-time defending regular season champions, the three conference losses match the total from each of the past two seasons. The main problem has been an unusually porous defense that has given up almost 74 points a game, the second-worst total in the league.

But the Cowboys have not had a bad conference loss as of yet. All three of their losses have come against the teams ranked ahead of them and two of those were on the road. But Sam Houston ended McNeese State’s 27-game home winning streak with an 85-79 win on Dec. 30, 2002.

Jason Coleman leads the Cowboys in scoring this year, averaging 14.5 points per game, while Demond Williams has been good for 11.8 per game. Williams also leads McNeese State in rebounding, pulling down six boards per game, but the Cowboys are in the middle of the pack in rebounding as a team.

McNeese State hits the road this week, taking on Southwest Texas on Thursday in a rematch of a 10-point Cowboy win in the conference opener, before traveling to face Texas-San Antonio on Saturday.

Southwest Texas (8-5, 3-3 SLC)

SWT has been the Jeckyll and Hyde team of the conference. The Bobcats got off to a 5-1 start that included wins over the Universities of Houston and New Orleans was followed by a four-game losing streak-all on the road-and an early 0-3 conference mark.

But SWT finished off the road trip with a win over Northwestern State and have returned home to defeat Sam Houston and Lamar, evening its conference record and moving its home-winning streak to ten, dating back to last season.

The Bobcats have been led by junior college transfers Terry Conerway and Jeremiah Coleman on the offensive end, scoring 14.6 and 12.1 per game. They are also 1-2 in rebounding, with Conerway (a 6-3 guard, no less) averaging a team-high six boards per game.

Not only that, but Conerway leads the conference in steals, while David Sykes ranks in the top five in the league in both assists and steals.

But the road gets no easier for SWT this week, as it faces McNeese State, a team that has had the Bobcats’ number for the past three years on Thursday night, which is the only game for SWT this week.

Lamar (5-7, 2-3 SLC)

Despite having three all-conference selections (including honorable mention picks) in the preseason, the Cardinals have had a rough go of it so far in SLC action. Lamar’s only two wins have come against Nicholls State and Southeastern Louisiana.

While the Cardinals are the league’s best rebounding team, they are just middle of the road in most statistical categories and are the worst free throw shooting team in the SLC.

Demany Hendrix leads the team in scoring at 15.4 points per game and Ron Austin adds 12.5 of his own, but the Cardinals are only scoring just under 68 points per game, which is just seventh in the league. Lewis Arline is second in the league on the boards, grabbing 8.8 per game.

This is a make-or-break week for the Cardinals, as they will face Stephen F. Austin and Texas-Arlington on the road.

Texas-San Antonio (5-7, 2-3 SLC)

The Roadrunners have had a hard season so far, as they lost a lot of experience and talent off of last year’s team, including conference MVP McEverett Powers and first-team all-SLC pick Devin Brown. UTSA is another one of those teams that is ranked in the middle of the pack in almost every statistical category, so it is not hard to see why they are just in the middle of the conference standings.

One pleasant surprise has been the play of LeRoy Hurd, a transfer from the University of Miami, who leads the conference in scoring at 19.3 points per game. Ike Akotaboi is also in the top ten in scoring with 14.2 points per game.

Hurd also leads the team in rebounding, and is fifth in the league in that category, pulling down an average of 7.1 boards per game, making a strong case for SLC Newcomer of the Year honors.

If the Roadrunners are going to get back on track, they are going to have to pull some upsets, as their next three games come at home against McNeese State and Stephen F. Austin and on the road against Southwest Texas.

Louisiana-Monroe (4-8, 2-3 SLC)

The Indians, simply put, have not been very good on defense, which has been the main reason for their struggles so far this season. They are giving up a league worst 81.3 points per game, nearly eight more than any other team in the league.

Kirby Lemons is the league’s leading rebounder, as he is grabbing 9.9 boards per outing, and he is second in the SLC in scoring at 17.5 per game, but he has gotten little help offensively, as no other Indian is in the top 20 in scoring.

After a solid win over Southwest Texas gave the Indians a 2-1 conference mark, ULM has lost to Texas-Arlington and McNeese State by a combined total of 33 points. But if the Indians are going to turn things around this is the week to do so, as they face Nicholls State and Southeastern Louisiana at home.

Southeastern Louisiana (4-9, 2-4 SLC)

The Lions opened up conference play 2-0 this season, defeating Northwestern State and Nicholls State, but as the competition got better, the record got worse, and SLU is now in the midst of a four-game losing streak.

Over the last four, the Lions simply have not been able to score any points, averaging less than 60 points a game and posting 55 or less in three of them. About the only bright spot for SLU this season has been the play of Amir Abdur-Rahim, the SLC’s fifth-leading scorer with 15 per game. No Lion is averaging more than five boards a game, and SLU ranks ninth in that category.

Despite their struggles as of late, the Lions have three winnable games in a row coming up, as they have meetings with Northwestern State and Nicholls State at home sandwiched around a road match up with Louisiana-Monroe. Those teams are a combined 4-11 in SLC action.

Northwestern State (1-9, 1-3 SLC)

Look at the statistics and it is not hard to see why the Demons have struggled so much this season. They are in the middle of the pack on defense, but have the second to last ranked offense. But as bad as they have been, they play Southeastern Louisiana and Nicholls State at home this week, and a sweep would put them right back at .500.

Only Clifton Lee has given any kind of consistent production, as he is the team’s leading scorer and rebounder, averaging 12.7 points and 6.2 rebounds per contest. Lee is the only Demon averaging in double figures in scoring.

Nicholls State (3-11, 1-5 SLC)

Rounding out the conference standings is Nicholls State, who has won only one game thus far in SLC action, but that total equals the Colonels’ total from last year. They are actually fourth in defense, but are absolutely horrendous on offense, scoring a shade less than 50 points per game.

Nobody on the Colonel roster is scoring in double figures per outing, with Earnest Porter (8.9 points per game) ranks as the team’s leading scorer. Porter’s six boards per game also rate as a team-best.

But the Colonels did just break an eight-game skid by taking a 59-54 decision over Texas-Arlington, its first conference win and the Mavericks first conference loss. Nicholls State will be on the road this weekend, taking on Louisiana-Monroe and Northwestern State.

Southland Notebook

Southland Notebook

by Jason Orts

SLC off to slow start

The Southland Conference has had a bit of a rough start to the season, as it is just 14-41 this season against division I foes and 29-41 overall. In fact, only three teams (Southwest Texas, McNeese State, and Stephen F. Austin) are over .500 so far this season.

Despite the slow start, several surprises have emerged this season. Felton Freeman of Sam Houston was not mentioned on the all-SLC preseason teams, but is leading the conference in scoring. Jeremiah Coleman of Southwest Texas has added a new dimension to the Bobcat attack with his all-around game, and is the team’s leading scorer and rebounder.

Actually, Southwest Texas’ fast start has been a surprise in itself, as it was picked to finish in the middle of the pack this season, but it has gotten solid play from several junior college transfers, such as Coleman and Terry Conerway to start strong.

Another surprise is that Nicholls State has already won two games this season. Okay, so neither of those wins came against a division I opponent, but the Colonels only won one game all of last season, so they will take any wins they can get.

Conference action just around the corner

The SLC will begin its conference season on Dec. 28, and there are some very interesting matchups right away. Southwest Texas will travel to take on McNeese State in a meeting between the two best teams thus far in the league and could establish a very early frontrunner for the title.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Nicholls State will take on the only team that it was able to defeat last season – Southeastern Louisiana – on the conference’s opening day as well. Lamar and Sam Houston also square off that day, in a meeting between teams that were second and third in the preseason rankings, so the early conference matchups have a lot of luster.

Southwest Texas (5-1)

The Bobcats are off to their best start since joining the NCAA division I ranks in 1984 and have posted a league-best three wins over division I teams, including quality wins over the Universities of Houston and New Orleans.

The main reason for SWT’s early success has been its defense. The Bobcats finished near the bottom of the league in all defensive categories a year ago, but are fourth thus far in scoring defense and are holding opponents to just 39 percent shooting, second in the league.

Junior college transfers Jeremiah Coleman and Terry Conerway are SWT’s top two scorers, averaging 15.5 and 13 points per game, respectively. David Sykes is second in the SLC in assists and leads the league in steals, posting nearly three per game.

The Bobcats will begin a five-game road trip with a match up with the Arkansas Razorbacks before opening conference action on Dec. 28 in Lake Charles, La., taking on a McNeese State team that is on a 26-game home winning streak.

McNeese State (4-3)

The Cowboys lost on Thursday night to the number ten Texas Longhorns, 97-59, and now have a nine-day layoff before starting conference action at home taking on Southwest Texas. McNeese State was the league’s highest scoring team going into Thursday night’s game, averaging 81 points per outing.

But the Cowboys are only eighth in scoring defense and seventh in field goal defense, largely due to having played three very good teams, in Mississippi State, who beat the Cowboys in last year’s NCAA tournament, LSU, and Texas.

But while McNeese has yet to post a marquee win this season, they are still going to be tough during the conference season, because of proven players such as Jason Coleman and Demond Williams, who both are averaging double digits.

Stephen F. Austin (4-3)

The Lumberjacks are over .500 so far this season, but have only beaten a single division I foe, going 1-3 against such opponents.

While Stephen F. Austin is the best shooting team in the SLC, converting on 52 percent of its shots from the floor and 76 percent from the line, they are second to last in rebounding. Following the 103-79 win over Jackson State Thursday night, the Lumberjacks will travel to meet Louisiana-Monroe in their conference opener, Dec. 28.

The Lumberjacks are also tied atop the conference in scoring defense, giving up an average of 67.8 points per outing.

Percy Green, who led the team in scoring last season, is doing the same so far this year, averaging 12.7 points per game and is shooting 58 percent from the floor. Green is joined by Antonio Burks, who tallies 11 points and leads the team with five boards per game and shoots 57 percent.

Texas-San Antonio (3-3)

The Roadrunners lost two first-team all-SLC selections from last season in McEverett Powers and Devin Brown, but have managed to stay competitive early in the season. Texas-San Antonio is the only team to have defeated a school from the Big 12 conference in Texas A&M. The SLC is 1-8 overall against the Big 12 this season.

Ike Akotaboi is tied for second in the conference in scoring, averaging 17.8 points per contest, leading a young team that is in the middle of the pack in nearly every statistical category. LeRoy Hurd, a transfer from the University of Miami is complementing Akotaboi with 16.7 points of his own while leading the team grabbing 6.2 rebounds per game as well.

Texas-San Antonio will travel to take on UNC-Wilmington in its next game, a rematch of a 14-point Roadrunner loss in San Antonio last month.

Sam Houston State (2-3)

The Bearkats boast the top scorer in the league in Felton Freeman, who is averaging 19 points per game and is shooting a sizzling 73 percent from the floor. Donald Cole is tied for second, tallying 17.8 per game. Cole is also third in the conference in rebounding, grabbing 7.8 boards per game, while Robert Shannon leads the SLC in assists with 6.25 per contest.

Sam Houston is tied for the league lead in scoring defense, allowing 67.8 points per game and are third in scoring, averaging 79.2 points per outing. The Bearkats are shooting 50 percent from the floor as a team, which is good for second in the league, but are the SLC’s worst free throw shooting team, at 58 percent.

Sam Houston is leading the conference in blocked shots (6.25 per game), assists (19.75 per game), and steals (12.5 per game).

The Bearkats will take on Texas-Dallas on Saturday before opening the conference schedule at McNeese State Dec. 30.

Texas-Arlington (3-4)

Following an embarrassing 56-point loss to Creighton in the season opener, the Mavericks turned around the next night and defeated Alabama State, 59-47. But Alabama State is the only division I team that Texas-Arlington has been able to defeat so far, with the other two wins coming against division II schools.

The Mavericks have three players averaging in double figures in scoring in Keith Howell (13 points per game), Derrick Obasohan (11.3 per game), and Mack Collier (10.1 per game). Collier is also the team’s leading rebounder and is seventh in the league, pulling down 6.4 boards per game.

Texas-Arlington is currently ninth in the conference in both scoring and rebounding, which has contributed to its slow start. The Mavericks will go on the road to take on New Mexico State on Dec. 23 and will open their conference schedule at home on Dec. 28, facing Texas-San Antonio.

Lamar (2-4)

The Cardinals have yet to lose on their home floor this season, but they have yet to win on the road. That could have something to do with their opponents though, defeating Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Loyola-New Orleans at home and losing to Pacific, Rice, Texas Southern, and Wichita State on the road.

Lamar has the SLC’s best field goal defense, allowing just 36 percent of their opponents shots to go down so far this season and are the league’s best rebounding team, averaging just shy of 43 boards per game.

Demany Hendrix and Ron Austin lead the Lamar offensive attack, averaging 15.4 and 14.4 points per game, respectively. Lewis Arline is second in the league, grabbing 9.8 boards per contest and Jason Grant is second in blocked shots (2.4 per game).

Lamar will take on Texas-Pan American on Saturday before opening SLC action on the road at Sam Houston on Dec. 28.

Louisiana-Monroe (2-4)

The Indians have played five games against division I opponents, but have only been victorious in one (a 90-79 win over Texas Christian). They have lost to Centenary twice, as well as Baylor and Mississippi.

Partly due to the strength of its schedule, Louisiana-Monroe has the worst scoring defense in the league, giving up 81.7 points per contest, but is tops in the conference in rebounding margin, averaging 4.3 more boards than its opponents.

Kirby Lemons is the only player in the SLC averaging a double double per game (17.7 points, 11.3 rebounds). Reggie Griffin and Mark Keith are also averaging in double figures in scoring, each averaging 11.7 points per game.

The Indians will hit the road to take on Texas A&M on Sunday, before traveling for a Dec. 30 meeting with Nicholls State.

Nicholls State (2-5)

The Colonels have already doubled their win total from last season, defeating Loyola-New Orleans and Southern University.

But while Nicholls State has played fairly well defensively, ranking third in scoring defense, it still has struggled scoring, averaging only 47 points per game, good for last in the league and is shooting just 34 percent from the floor, also last in the SLC.

Earnest Porter is the only Colonel averaging in double figures, scoring 11.2 points per outing and also leads Nicholls State in rebounding, with 6.7 per game.

The Colonels will take on Mississippi Saturday and will open SLC play with Louisiana-Monroe at home.

Southeastern Louisiana (2-5)

The Lions have started the season with a tough schedule, taking on five division I foes, including a game against number three Pittsburgh, going 0-5 in those games. Their only wins thus far came against Belhaven and Loyola-New Orleans.

They simply have not been able to put anything together as they rank at or near the bottom of almost every statistical category. While Amir Abdur-Rahim and Marcus Smith are among the league’s top ten scorers, no Lion is in the top 20 in rebounding.

Southeastern Louisiana will have a 10-day layoff, before playing its first SLC game of the year at Nicholls State on Dec. 28.

Northwestern State (0-6)

The Demons are the only SLC team to have played only division I opponents this season, beginning with a hard-fought 60-54 loss to New Mexico in an historically tough place to play, “The Pit.” Northwestern State played its first five games on the road, before returning home and falling in overtime to Grambling.

The Demons are second in rebounding thus far, but have not been able to do much with the boards, and are in the bottom half in the league in most categories. Clifton Lee and Byron Allen are tied for the team lead in scoring (12 points per game) and are also the top two on the squad in rebounding.

Northwestern State will have two weeks off before taking on Southeastern Louisiana on Dec. 30 in its conference opener.

Southland Preview

Southland Conference Preview

by Jason Orts

Last season, McNeese State ransacked the Southland Conference, finishing 17-3 for the second straight season, including a 14-game winning streak that will carry over into this season. The Cowboys are now 34-6 in the last two seasons in conference play.

There is no reason to believe McNeese State cannot take its third straight title, as it returns its top two leading scorers and the most athletic center in the league.

The Southland Conference was dominated by seniors in the 2001-02 season, as nine of the 15 all-SLC selections, including all five of the first team, were seniors.

This season appears to be no different, as nine of the ten players voted to all-conference teams by the SLC coaches are seniors. Junior Amir Abdur-Rahim is the only non-senior selection.

So here it is, the Southland Conference Preview, in order of predicted finish.

1. McNeese State Cowboys
The Cowboys finished 17-3 in SLC play last season, 21-9 overall, after finishing with the same conference mark in 2000-01, and claimed their second regular season title in as many years. They were undefeated on their home floor (13-0). They then went on to defeat Louisiana-Monroe in the finals of the tournament, 65-43, earning their second NCAA tournament trip in school history (1989), falling to Mississippi State in the first round, 70-58. McNeese State is the seventh school in as many seasons to capture the tournament crown.

But while the Cowboys will have to find someone to replace tournament MVP Fred Gentry, the team’s top rebounder, and Chauncy Bryart, who was second in the conference, averaging 5.1 assists per game, this team still has plenty of talent. SLC Coach of the Year Tic Price returns his top two scorers, in seniors Jason Coleman and Demond Williams, who averaged 14.4 and 11.4 points per game, respectively.

Price also will have the benefit of having one of the league’s only true centers in Raynell Brewer, an athletic 7-footer who averaged 2.4 blocked shots per contest last season, good for second in the SLC. Until somebody takes the championship away from McNeese State, the Cowboys are the team to beat.

2. Sam Houston State Bearkats
The Bearkats return six players who started at least 16 games for last season’s 14-14 team. Sam Houston finished in a tie for 7th place in the SLC at 9-11, missing out on the tournament following a loss to Lamar in the final game of the season.
Sam Houston was third in scoring last season, averaging 74.6 points per game, but was seventh in scoring defense, giving up and average of 73.2 points per outing. The Bearkats are the league’s deepest team this season, as it returns seven of its top eight scorers, and has one of the conference’s best all-around players in Donald Cole, the SLC’s Newcomer of the Year.

Cole was the only player in the league to average a double double, finishing fifth in scoring (16.2 points per game) and his 10.2 rebounds per contest were the SLC’s best. Complementing Cole are Felton Freeman, who finished second and third in scoring and rebounding, respectively, and Jay Oliphant, who was third in scoring and second in rebounding.

Sam Houston also returns the league’s top assist man in Robert Shannon, who averaged 5.2 per game. Add in Eddy Fobbs, who led the team in blocked shots, and the Bearkats are poised to make a run at the title.

3. Lamar Cardinals
The Cardinals found their way into the postseason last year, finishing fourth place in the SLC with an 11-9 mark, 15-14 overall. In the tournament, the Cardinals pounded Stephen F. Austin, 53-36, before ending the season with a 71-57 loss to McNeese State.

The Cardinals are the league’s only team to return two players who ranked in the top 10 last season in scoring in Damany Hendrix (17.7 points per game, third) and Ron Austin (14.6 points per game, ninth), and have each of their top six scorers back this season. Lewis Arline, the teams leading rebounder and shot blocker also returns, as does point guard Eddie Robinson, who was third in the conference with five assists per contest.

Tyler Hackstadt, Terrell Petteway, Marcus Campbell, Hayes Groom, and Mike Krunti, all of whom played in at least 20 games last season give the Cardinals valuable experience coming off the bench. With that much experience, the Cardinals look to be in a good position to push McNeese State and Sam Houston.

4. Texas – San Antonio Roadrunners
The Roadrunners were the SLC preseason favorite last season, but were only able to manage a third place finish and a semifinal loss to Louisiana-Monroe in the conference tournament. UTSA was the top scoring and rebounding team in the SLC last season, putting up 76.9 points and 41.2 boards per outing.

New coach Brandon Johnson will have his work cut out for him, as he will have to find someone to replace SLC Player of the Year Everett McPowers and first-team all-SLC performer Devin Brown, who were first and third in the league in scoring. The Roadrunners also lose Reggie Minnieweather and James Joseph, the team’s third and fourth leading scorer.
All told, UTSA lost 55 of their 76.9 points per game to graduation.

Only Raymond Briggs and David President started a significant number of games among the returning players for UTSA, and Ike Akotaobi (6.4 points per game) is the leading scorer among the returnees. Transfers Justin Harbert from Colorado and Leroy Hurd from Miami, are the most likely candidates to replace Brown and Powers, respectively. While the Roadrunners have probably the most question marks of any team in the conference, they appear to be the best of the second-tier teams.

5. Louisiana-Monroe Indians
The Indians finished second last season with a 15-5 conference mark and a 20-12 overall record, but lost the NCAA’s all-time leading shot blocker in Wojciech Myrda, who blocked 535 shots while at ULM. Myrda and Bryan Lubeck, the team’s leading scorer last season, were both first-team all-SLC selections that the Indians will have to replace.

Trying to fill Myrda’s shoes will be Clavis Thompson, a JuCo transfer from Kilgore Community College, where he averaged 10.7 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. Kirby Lemons averaged 11.8 points per outing last season, second on the team, but he is the only one of the Indians’ top five scorers that returns. Brandon Horn, who started six games, is the only returnee other than Lemons to start a game last season. But while there is not a lot of starting experience returning, there are six returnees that played in 25 or more games. The Indians have too many question marks to contend, but they could scare some teams along the way.

6. Southwest Texas Bobcats
The Bobcats finished 12-16 overall last season, 10-10 in the SLC, and made a huge turnaround after being 2-8 midway through the conference season, winning eight of their last 10 regular season outings to slip into the tournament. But the run ended in the first round with a 99-83 loss to UTSA.

SWT lost its two best scorers in Clay Click and Marcus Johnson, but returns arguably its best all-around player in David Sykes, who led the SLC in steals and was fourth in assists. Brady Richeson and Brad Brickens give the Bobcats three-point shooting and Moses Aguko give them an inside presence, but if SWT is to improve, it will have to be on the defense end of the floor, as it was eighth, giving up 75.1 points per game.

The Bobcats will rely heavily on transfers this season, especially Roosevelt Brown, a point guard who played previously at the University of Texas. How well and how quickly the all of the new Bobcats can learn to play together could determine if they have a chance to make the tournament.

7. Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks
The Lumberjacks struggled to score points last season, but were one of the best defensive teams in the league, allowing them to finish 10-10 in conference play, 13-15 overall. Seven players who played in at least 27 games return for SFA, as well as four that started at least 22. Percy Green led the team in scoring last season and has established himself as a dominant low-post player in the SLC.

Ransom White led the team in rebounding and steals, and tied for the lead in assists, giving the Lumberjacks an all-around threat. Skip Jackson tied White for the team lead in assists and finished second in scoring and Stevin Ozier led the team in blocked shots.

While the Lumberjacks have plenty of experience, they will need to find a legitimate third scorer to have a chance to contend.

8. Texas – Arlington Mavericks
UTA was the second best team offensively last season, but it was the second worst team defensively, en route to a 12-15 overall record and a 9-11 conference mark, missing the SLC tournament after starting 8-3 in conference play. Three of the Mavericks’ top five scorers from last season return, but they lose the services of Steven Barber, the league’s second leading scorer at 18.6 points per game.

Mack Collier averaged 11.1 points per game last season and was fifth in the SLC in field goal percentage (.530), and is the team’s leading returning starter. Derrick Obasohan, Donny Beacham, Josh Daniel, and Roy Johnson each started at least 10 games for the Mavericks last season and figure to get plenty of time this season as well.

The offense should still be pretty good, but until they learn to stop somebody the Mavericks will struggle to win games.

9. Northwestern State Demons
The Demons finished 13-18 last season overall and 9-11 in the SLC, just a year removed from an NCAA tournament appearance following their conference tournament championship. And this season should be even more difficult for Northwestern State, as seven of its top eight scorers from last season are gone. Only D’or Fischer, who averaged 10 points per game as a freshman last season has started more than one game.

Only two of the other returnees even played in more than half the games (Darnell Bradley, Michael Edwards, and B.J. Edwards). There just does not seem to be a lot going the Demons’ way, as this figures to be a rebuilding year.

10. Southeastern Louisiana Lions
The Lions have Amir Abdur-Rahim and little else, as they are likely to finish ninth or lower, just as they have in every season since joining the SLC in 1997. They allowed the fewest points, but they also scored the fewest points. Last season they finished 6-14 in the SLC, 7-20 overall.

Abdur-Rahim, the younger brother of Atlanta Hawks star Shareef Abdur-Rahim, was third-team all-SLC last season and figures to move up on that list. But unless somebody comes out of nowhere to give him some scoring support, Southeastern Louisiana is looking at another long season.

11. Nicholls State Colonels
The Colonels finished in the cellar last season, with their lone conference win coming in the season finale over Southeastern Louisiana. Overall, Nicholls State finished 2-25. Nicholls State had the second worse scoring offense and the worst scoring defense in the conference, so it is not hard to see why its record was as bad as it was.

The Colonels lose Ronnie Price, their leading scorer, and while they return four players who started at least 12 games, they just do not have the talent level right now and figure to struggle again just to win an SLC game.

All-Conference Team
G Amir Abdur-Rahim – junior, Southeastern Louisiana
G Jason Coleman – senior, McNeese State
F Kirby Lemons – senior, Louisiana-Monroe
F Demany Hendrix – senior, Lamar
C Donald Cole – senior, Sam Houston State

Honorable Mention
Raynell Brewer, David Sykes, Percy Green, Lewis Arline, Ron Austin, Mack Collier, Damond Williams, D’or Fischer

Southland Preview

2001-02 Southland Conference Preview

by David Mosse

With the defending champions McNeese State suffering a couple of
key losses, this league should be Texas-San Antonio’s to win. The Roadrunners
sport virtually the same roster that finished tied for second last season.
With four senior starters including high-scoring guard Devin Brown and
rebounding machine McEverett Powers, the Roadrunners will be tough to beat.
Their stiffest challenge should come from the Cowboys, who still posses one
of the premier players in the league in Jason Coleman, and a high scoring
Stephen F. Austin squad poised for a major turn around from last season’s
10th place finish. This league should be marked by high scoring, fast paced
basketball and an exciting conference tournament to determine which team
makes the field of 64.

1. Texas-San Antonio: The Roadrunners are living up to their preseason billing
as the Southland Conference favorite. USTA already won the Pizza Hut Classic
at Southwest Missouri, defeating Idaho State 81-72 and host Southwest
Missouri 72-71 in overtime in the final, and they have raced to a 2-0 start
in conference play. The Roadrunners posses the most experienced team in the
conference with four senior starters. The key man has been senior guard Devin
Brown, who leads the Southland in scoring at 21.8 points a game. McEverett
Powers has complemented Brown’s outside attack, averaging 18 points and 7.8
rebounds.

2. McNeese State: The defending champion Cowboys got off to a miserable start
this season but have bounced back strong by winning three in a row, including
their first road victory of the season at Jackson State. The Cowboys shooting
has yet to come around as evidenced by their lowly 36 percent shooting as a
team. However, they have found ways to manufacture points. Junior guard
Jason Coleman is averaging 19 points a game and senior forwards Ben Perkins
and Fred Gentry are scoring more than 10 points a game. The Cowboys must
shoot better and improve upon their 10 assists a game average if they are to
repeat as conference champions.

3. Stephen F. Austin: The Lumberjacks will rely on three pronged attack. Junior
forward Percy Green, the Southland player of the week last week, is averaging
a team-high 17.8 points and 7.3 rebounds a game. The Lumberjacks have
consistently gotten him involved in their offense, and he’s hitting 56.4 percent
from the field. Junior guard Ben Hunt is scoring 11 points a game, but more
importantly, shooting 51 percent. Junior guard Skip Jackson is scoring nine points a
game, but he was most influential in the Lumberjacks’ league win over
Southwest Texas with a team-high 21 points. The three will have to continue
their strong play if the Lumberjacks are to compete with the powerhouses of
the league.

4. Texas-Arlington: The Mavericks have done their best to outscore teams thus
far, but must improve a defense that is surrendering 97 points per game. The
star of the show has been senior guard Steve Barber, whose 38 points against
Wichita State were the most by a Southland player this season, and the fifth
most in school history. He accomplished the feat in 29 minutes of play. He
also led the Mavericks with 25 points in the victory at Bradley, and his six
three-pointers were the key. Barber, an early favorite for
conference player of the year, is unlikely to maintain this pace, further highlighting the need for an improvement on the defensive side of the
floor.

5. Lamar: The Cardinals are hoping to benefit from a challenging non-conference
schedule, having recently competed in the Michigan State classic. Junior
forward Damany Hendrix has starred thus far, averaging 19 points a game
including 23 in an 80-71 loss to Michigan State. He also had 10 rebounds and
hit 9 of 9 from the free throw line. Hendrix, a candidate for conference player
of the year, will be the key if the Cardinals are to make a run at the
conference title. Another key will be continuing to protect the ball, as the
Cardinals are committing just 12.8 turnovers a game. Freshman Ben Jacobsen
has made the biggest impact among Lamar’s four freshmen, averaging nine
points in just 20 minutes of play per game.

6. Sam Houston State: The Bearkats feature the most balanced attack in the
league with four players averaging in double figures, led by junior forward
Donald Cole, averaging 17.2 points and 10.2 rebounds per game. He’s the only
player in the Southland averaging a double-double this season. Junior guard Robert
Shannon averages 10 points a game and ranks first in the league with 7
assists per contest. The Bearkats weapons must continue to fire on all cylinders
if they are to make up for a leaky defense that has struggled in defending
the three point shot.

7. Nicholls State: The Colonels are hoping what they lack in experience they can
make up for in energy. Freshman guard Ronnie Price has been a catalyst for
the Colonels, averaging a team-best 13.6 points a game. He also ranks third
in the Southland in assists (3.6) and 15th in steals (1.6) If the Colonels
are to be any sort of factor in the Southland race they must improve upon
their rebounding which has thus far been putrid. The Colonels are being
outrebounded by a margin of 14.5 per game. They also must improve upon their 60 points scored per game average.

8. Louisiana-Monroe: The Indians will lean heavily on their experience, as well
as arguably the best backcourt in the league. Senior guards Nick Colin and
Reggie Griffin are averaging 16.5 and 14.5 points per game, respectively. The
Indians had won three straight, including a 94-90 victory at TCU, before
losing 78-43 at Ole Miss, but they still have high hopes for the conference
season. Behind an up-tempo offense and strong perimeter shooting they could
go a long way.

9. Southwest Texas State: The Bobcats lead the Southland in scoring at 82.3 points per game, but already have dug themselves a hole with league losses to McNeese
State and Stephen F. Austin. The problem has been a shaky defense that has
been unable to stop anyone. A bright spot has been the play of senior guard
Clay Click who leads a balanced scoring attack with 15.7 points a game.
Junior guards Marcus Johnson and David Sykes are scoring 13 points a game.
Six other players are averaging at least six points a game for a Bobcats team
that has been effective from three point range effectively shooting 41
percent.

10. Northwestern State: The Demons hope their frenetic high-flying style will
take them to the top, as they are averaging over 75 points a game. The Demons
must take care of the ball better as they are also averaging over 21
turnovers a game. The Deamons will also need continued strong play from
sophomore center D’or Fisher who had 22 points, 15 rebounds a school-record
12 blocks in the Deamons last game. Fisher should form a strong inside-out
combination with senior guard Michael Byars-Dawson who is averaging 17.5
points a game and hitting 40 percent of his three-pointers.

11. Southeastern Louisiana: Not much has gone right for the Lions who have lost
four straight since defeating Louisiana College in their season opener. The
problem has been an inept offense that is currently averaging a
Southland-worst 58 points per game. Sophomore guard Amir Abdul-Rahim has been
the bright spot offensively leading the team at 12.8 points per contest. Senior
forward Donald Caesar is second in the Southland in rebounding at 9.2 a night.

Player of the Year: Devin Brown, Texas-San Antonio

Coach of the Year: Danny Kaspar, Stephen F. Austin

Newcomer of the Year: Ben Jacobsen, Lamar