Preseason basketball practice opens
10/12/2011 4:46:00 PM | Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball
Both teams won Southland Conference West Division championships last year, the Bearkat men rolling up an 18-13 overall record while the women produced a season mark of 17-14, the program's first above .500 year since the 1995-96.
The winning record and division titles last year are where the similarities end as one team exudes experience while the other is made up almost entirely of new faces.
Sam Houston's women's team returns 62.7 of the 69.3 points per game the Bearkats scored last year including all five of their starters and six other lettermen.
The men's squad however returns only 11.5 of its 69.7 points and has only one starter back and two lettermen. Nine newcomers dot the 2011-12 Sam Houston men's roster.
"We really don't know what to expect," Bearkat men's head coach Jason Hooten said. "We went out and recruited a bunch of quality young men who fit our philosophy and style of play. All these kids are coachable and work hard. We're looking forward to starting practice Thursday and seeing what they can do."
Antuan Bootle is the only returning starter. Bootle became a force inside for the Bearkats as a junior, finishing the year ranked second in rebounding for the Bearkats and No. 13 in the Southland.
Two key reserves from the squad also return, including forward Marcus James, who averaged 4.5 points per game as a transfer from Seward County Community College, and post Aaron Thompson, who averaged 8.1 minutes per contest as a reserve. Konner Tucker red-shirted last year after transferring from Wake Forest. The other eight players will be putting on the orange and white for the first time this year.
"There's a lot to teach with nine new guys but we believe we've helped ourselves in a number of areas including shooting from the perimeter," Hooten said. The Bearkats open the 2011-12 season at Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum Saturday Nov. 12 against Howard Payne.
Meanwhile women's head coach Brenda Nichols already has started preseason team work. Sam Houston's 2010-11 women's basketball season was one for the record books. As a program that had not finished among the Southland Conference's top five teams since 2000, the Bearkats' 11-5 Southland record marked the SHSU women's highest league victory total since 2000. The team's third place finish in the overall Southland standings equaled the 1996 team's performance as the program's highest ever conference finish.
"We're really excited to get started," Nichols said. "With two returning All-Southland Conference performers, we feel like we're poised to be a big factor in the coming 2011-12 Southland race."
Britni Martin, a junior forward from Conroe, Texas, was a first team selection last year after ranking as the team's leading scorer and second-leading rebounder. She begins her junior year ranked No. 16 in Sam Houston's women's basketball career scoring (787 points, 13.3 career average).
Sequeena Thomas, a junior forward from Allentown, Pa., was Sam Houston's co-most most valuable player (with Britni Martin) in 2010-11 and earned second team All-Southland Conference honors. Her Southland statistical rankings included No. 2 in rebounds (10.3), No. 4 in blocked shots (1.6), No. 8 in scoring (14.6) and No. 14 in field goal pct. (.421).
Senior Khamra Echols and juniors Chanice Smith and Clarke Davis return as starters. Other returning letter winners include sophomores Jasmine Johnson, Ashton Jones and Zoe Tucker and seniors Devin Wombles and Latisha Morgan.
The Sam Houston women begin play on Tuesday Nov. 8 with a 6:30 p.m. exhibition game against UT-Dallas. The regular season starts on Sunday Nov. 13 as the Kats host UT-Tyler at 3:30 p.m.
Orders for season tickets for both Sam Houston men's and women's basketball are being accepted online now at www.gobearkats.com/tickets . Renewal letters for 2010-11 season ticket holders have been mailed.
For more information about Sam Houston season basketball tickets, call the Sam Houston ticket office at (936) 294-1729. The ticket office is located in the Ron Mafrige Field House at Bowers Stadium. Ticket office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
