Southland Conference 2006-07 Preview
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.
