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.
