SHSU men open 2007-08 preseason practice
10/16/2007 1:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Sam Houston men's basketball head coach Bob Marlin opened pre-season practice Friday for what promises to be another outstanding season in 2007-08.
With eight lettermen returning from last year's 21-10 squad, the Bearkats are targeting a third consecutive 20-victory year which would be a first for Sam Houston men's basketball.
Preseason practice at Johnson Coliseum will continue through Saturday, Nov. 10 when Sam Houston opens the 2007-08 schedule with Dallas Baptist.
Sam Houston ranks as the second winningest NCAA Division I men's basketball team in Texas during the 21st century (2000-2007)
Only the Texas Longhorns have won more games than Marlin's Bearkats.
Since the 1999-2000 season, the Longhorns have won 197 games, followed by Sam Houston with 149 wins, Texas Tech 147, UTEP 138, SMU 124, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 121, and Texas A&M 118.
Marlin's teams have produced four 20-plus victory seasons. Two of those four 20-win records have come the past two years as Sam Houston has finished as Southland Conference runner-up in both 2005-06 and 2006-07.
One might say the outlook for SHSU in 2007-08 is “bright” since the top returning player for the Bearkats is 6-6 senior forward Ryan Bright.
A candidate for national honors this winter, Bright was a first team selection on both the 2007 All-Southland Conference and SLC All-Academic squads. He was recognized as the league's men's basketball “Student-Athlete of the Year” with his 3.57 grade point average in the class room and averages of 14.8 points and 8.1 rebounds on the floor.
Only the 20th player in Sam Houston to score more than 1,000 career points, Bright was a three-time Southland “Player of the Week” last year and looks to be one of the league's stars this season.
“Ryan has been a consistent performer each of his three seasons,” Marlin said. “He is an excellent shooter with good ball skills and has led the team in rebounding the past two years. He has worked hard to have another great year and go out as a champion.”
Bright is one of five seniors returning, making quality leadership and experience a team strength. Along with Bright, 6-1 Shamir McDaniel and 5-11 Jeremy Thomas, are three-year lettermen and two-time Academic All-Southland Conference selections.
McDaniel started 55 games during his sophomore and junior seasons. Last year, he led the team in free throw shooting (.859) and was second on the squad in minutes played (28.5 per contest).
“Shamir has become one of our most dependable players,” Marlin said. “A great defender, he has worked hard and made himself a good perimeter shooter. Good things seem to happen when Shamir is on the floor.”
Thomas has been a valuable contributor as a backup guard during his career. In his 83 games as a Bearkat, he has hit 43 per cent from the floor and 71 per cent from the line.
“Jeremy has come off the bench and hit big shots for us,” Marlin said. “He has the ability to play both guard positions and has shown he can make crucial plays with the game in the balance.”
The two remaining seniors will complete their Bearkat careers after coming to SHSU from junior colleges.
Post player 6-8 John Gardiner missed the 2006-07 season with a medical redshirt after a pre-season knee injury. A starter for the 2006 Kats, he earned SLC All-Tournament honors with 44 points and 28 rebounds in three post-season games.
“John played an important role for us as a junior, improving with every game,” Marlin said. “In the Southland tournament, he hit the game-winner in double overtime against UTA and earned All-Tournament honors. It will be a plus to have him back this season.”
James Barrett, a 6-5 forward who came on strong in the second half of the 2007 season with several big scoring games also returns and should be a factor this year.
“James is a strong inside player who can step out and shoot,” Marlin said. “After adjusting to a year off from basketball, he settled in and made a contribution off the bench last season.”
The Bearkats lost three starters and a reserve forward to graduation. Two starters, point guard Jejuan Plair and forward Aaron Wade, earned All-Southland honors. The team's other returning lettermen will help fill the void left by these losses.
Ashton Mitchell, a 5-10 sophomore, played in all 31 games as a true freshman as Plair's understudy. His quickness played an important role defensively during 2007 SLC action.
“Ashton's quickness is a big asset for us,” Marlin said. “He has a different gear and is good with the ball in the open court.”
Reggie Rawlins, a 6-6 guard, was a early season starter in 2006-07. He missed two weeks with a shoulder injury in January then averaged 4.6 points in Southland action coming off the bench.
“Reggie is a good passer and shooter,” Marlin said. “He had shoulder surgery after the season and will be cleared by the start of practice.”
Domas Kvedys, a 6-10 post player, saw action in 30 games in 2006-07 after transferring from Odessa College.
“Domas pulled down some big rebounds for us coming off the bench last year,” Marlin said. “He continues to improve as a rebounder and defender.”
Immediate inside help also will come from Barkley Falkner, a 6-8 transfer who red-shirted last season after transferring from Spring Hill College in Alabama. An All-Gulf Coast Conference performer in 2006, he averaged 14.5 points and 9.9 rebounds per game.
“Barkley is a big, strong player who definitely will help us on the glass,” Marlin said. “He has a good understanding of the game.”
Three junior college transfers also will bring athleticism to the table for the Bearkats.
When Jejuan Plair came to SHSU two years ago, 5-10 Ryan Bennett took over as point guard at McLennan Community College. Bennett follows Plair again, transferring to Sam Houston after averaging 10.9 points and 2.5 assists while leading his team to consecutive league titles.
A two-year starter for Odessa College, 6-4 DeLuis Ramirez averaged 11.1 points in junior college ball and 22.1 points in high school.
Arthur Zulu, a 6-8 native of Zambia, brings athleticism to the squad. He has improved each season since coming to the United States.
Josten Crow, the lone freshman on the 2007-08 squad, gained additional experience playing for the Naval Academy Prep School last year after leading Westfield High School to a 36-1 record in 2006.
As always, Sam Houston faces a challenging schedule in 2007-08 that includes eight non-conference games against top NCAA Division I competition. But, for the first time since moving up to the NCAA Division I level in the late 1980s, the Bearkats will play 16 home games.
Big name opponents coming to visit Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum include Texas Tech, Fresno State, California-Irvine, and Central Florida.
“We're excited to bring quality non-conference teams to Huntsville to play before the home crowd in Johnson Coliseum,” Marlin said. “Our appearances in the NCAA tournament, the Preseason NIT, ESPN BracketBusters, and other major holiday tournaments have brought Sam Houston basketball national exposure. It's a big step for our program to bring top NCAA Division I teams into our arena.”
Sam Houston State holds the nation's third longest home court non-conference winning streak as the Kats begin the 2007-08 season. The Bearkats have won 29 consecutive non-conference games at Johnson Coliseum. Their last home non-conference loss was to Texas A&M, 73-70, during Marlin's first season at SHSU in 1998-99. Only Duke and Utah State have longer streaks.
“One of our goals always is to go undefeated at home. We're proud of the non-conference home winning streak,” Marlin said. “But maintaining that streak is going to be a challenge this year with so many top teams coming to play at Johnson. This is the most home games we've ever had and that will really make a difference for our team. Last year we traveled the first four weekends of the season. This season we start with six of our first seven games at home.”
Finishing as runners-up the past two years in the Southland Conference, the Bearkats expect to be in the thick of the race again in 2008.
In the first season of divisional play in the Southland in 2007, the Bearkats found themselves in a nip-and-tuck battle for leadership in the West with eventual conference regular season and tournament champion Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. After winning nine Southland games in a row, the Bearkats lost the last game of the year to finish one game behind the Islanders.
“Top to bottom, the Southland is an extremely competitive league, especially with the expansion of the league to 12 teams last year,” Marlin said. “Our seniors have gone 16-7 on the road in the Southland the past three years. That kind of experience will be a plus for us.”
