Bearkat men tabbed 5th by head coaches
11/2/2011 9:29:00 PM | Men's Basketball
UTSA and Northwestern State are the preseason picks to win the West and East Divisions, respectively, according to the 2012 Southland Conference men's basketball preseason poll announced by the league office.
With only one starter and two other lettermen returning from last year's West Division co-championship team, Sam Houston State has been voted to finish fifth in the division by the coaches.
The Bearkats will put nine new players and two redshirts on the floor along with their three returning lettermen. Senior post player Antuan Bootle is the only returning starter for Sam Houston State.The Kats return only 11.5 of its 69.7 points and has only one starter back and two lettermen.
UTSA, winner of the 2011 Southland Conference Tournament, welcomes back 74 percent of their scoring and 79 percent of their rebounding from last year's squad that won 20 games for the first time in 19 seasons. A pair of former Southland freshmen of the year - junior guard Melvin Johnson III and sophomore forward Jeromie Hill - headline the list of returning Roadrunners.
Northwestern State was the No. 2 seed in last year's conference tournament. The Demons were on of four teams in the East Division coaches' poll including Northwestern State (4), McNeese State (3), Lamar (3) and Southeastern Louisiana (2) and were selected in that order.
Central Arkansas and Nicholls State rounded out the coaches picks in that division. UTSA was the overwhelming pick in the West Division and garnered eight first-place votes. Texas State (2), UT Arlington (1) and Stephen F. Austin (1) also collected top picks. Sam Houston State and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi rounded out the selections in the west.
Sam Houston State begins its 2011-12 regular season schedule on Saturday, Nov. 12, when the Bearkats play host to Howard Payne at Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum. Tip is 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are available online now at www.gobearkats.com/tickets or at the Sam Houston athletic ticket office located in the Ron Mafrige Field House at Bowers Stadium. The ticket office is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The ticket office telephone is (936) 294-1729.
Southland Preseason Head Coaches' Poll
|
Coaches |
||
|
East (First-place votes) |
Points |
|
|
1. |
Northwestern State (4) |
54 |
|
2. |
McNeese State (3) |
51 |
|
3. |
Lamar (3) |
49 |
|
4. |
Southeastern Louisiana (2) |
47 |
|
5. |
Central Arkansas |
23 |
|
6. |
Nicholls State |
22 |
|
West (First-place votes) |
Points |
|
|
1. |
UTSA (8) |
68 |
|
2. |
Texas State (2) |
47 |
|
3. |
UT Arlington (1) |
42 |
|
4. |
Stephen F. Austin (1) |
41 |
|
5. |
Sam Houston State |
30 |
|
6. |
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi |
18 |
"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."
