Sam Houston headed to New Orleans for NCAAs
3/14/2010 7:14:00 PM | Men's Basketball
That's what Sam Houston State senior point guard and New Orleans native Ashton Mitchell calls getting to play Baylor in the first round of the NCAA Thursday in his home town. The Bears are No. 3 seed in the South and the Bearkats are No. 14 seed.
"This is something I've dreamed about forever," Mitchell said. "I've got my family and so many friends that I haven't seen in a long time in New Orleans. It will be the thrill of a lifetime for me."
His senior year in high school, Mitchell was forced to play at Westwood High School near Austin as he and his family had to evacuate New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. His family moved back his freshman year and have seen him play in Hammond, LA and Thibidoux.
"But never in New Orleans," Ashton said. "We had such great fan support in Katy Saturday for the Southland tournament that it seemed like a home game. We hope with New Orleans so close, a lot of those fans will be able to come to New Orleans and cheer for us."
Head Coach Bob Marlin was equally excited for Mitchell, one of his team captains and the only four-year player on the 25-7 Bearkat squad.
"Ever since we saw that New Orleans was one of the game sites, we've been talking about playing there with Ashton. He's very excited," Marlin said. "We're also excited about playing a great team like Baylor. We've seen them play on TV late night so we're more familiar with them. They have finished so strong and beaten Texas three times. They play that zone well and will contest our shots. It's an exciting matchup."
Mitchell and his backcourt partner Corey Allmond both were first team All-Southland guards for the Bearkats this year. Allmond set a Rupp Arena record with 11 3-pointers in a 10-point loss to Kentucky in November.
"We've played in some big arenas in front of some great crowd, but nothing is like going to the NCAA tournament," Allmond said. "We're really excited about Baylor. They're a great program. Our team motto has been 'respect everyone but fear no one' and that's the attitude we're going to take into the game. Baylor is a great team. They do what they do and they do it well. Everyone is excited. This day is what college basketball is all about and its been great to be part of this team."
