Longhorns Next for Kat men
11/25/2011 8:02:00 AM | Men's Basketball
With only three players who came into preseason camp with Division I playing experience available for duty, the Bearkats travel to the Erwin Center in Austin to take on the University of Texas at 7:15 p.m. Saturday.
The contests matches the two "winningest" NCAA Division I men's basketball programs in the state of Texas over the past 12 years. Since the new century began with the 2000 season, Texas has rolled up 305 victories while Sam Houston has totaled 235 wins. UTEP and Texas A&M trail the Horns and the Kats with 230 and 215 victories, respectively.
The Bearkats are 1-4 this season, playing short-handed with their only returning starter Antuan Bootle and junior college transfer and the Southland Conference's first 2011-12 "Player of the Week" Steven Werner both sidelined.
Konner Tucker, a transfer from Wake Forest who red-shirted last season at Sam Houston, leads the team with a 10.8 average. Tucker was named to the All-Tournament Team last Wednesday when the Bearkats finished action at the Progressive CBE Classic in Macon, Ga.
Tucker scored 14 points in a 77-60 loss to South Dakota State and 11 in a 59-52 defeat by Niagara. Tucker's three-point with 5:21 remaining tied the game with Niagara 50-50 but the Kats were outscored 9-2 down the stretch.
Marcus James, one of three returning lettermen from last year's 18-11 squad that earned Sam Houston its third consecutive Southland Conference West Division title, is the only other Bearkat in double figures with 10.2 points per game.
Michael Holyfield, a 6-11 freshman, is now starting at the post for the Bearkats and is delivering 7.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per game.
The Longhorns stand 2-2 for the year, defeating Boston University 82-46 and Rhode Island 100-90 at the Erwin Center before falling on the road to Oregon State 100-95 in overtime and North Carolina State 77-74.
J'Couan Brown, a 6-7 forward, leads the Horns with 26.3 points per game. Also averaging in double figures for the University of Texas at Austin are 6-3 Julien Lewis 11.5, 6-7 Jonathan Holmes 11.5 and 6-4 Shelden McClelland 11.0.
Sam Houston returns to Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum Tuesday, November 29, to play host to Dallas Christian in a 7 p.m. contest.
Hillcrest Ford of Huntsville will be giving one Sam Houston State student the opportunity to win an F150 truck during the game.
The F150 truck is not the only prize up for grabs.Aberdeen and Brook Place Apartments have added great incentives to enter including an Apple IPA D, a Tom-Tom Navigation System and a Sam Houston t-shirt.
Wing Stop is joining in the fun of the "Hillcrest Toss for a Truck" contest as well. Wing Stop will be providing a $25 gift card as a prize and also will be presenting special discount Wing Stop coupons for the section represented by the first place contestant.
Students can sign up to participate at the Coliseum entrance prior to the game Tuesday. Former basketball players who played in high school or college are ineligible to participate.
A drawing will be held to pick the four contestants for the halftime bean bag toss. Registrants for the contests must be present at the game to be picked. Closest to the target wins an Apple IPAD plus the chance to shoot the halfcourt shot to win the Ford F-150.
Second place wins the Tom-Tom Navigation System, third place an Apple IPAD and four place a Wing Stop $25 gift card and a Sam Houston T-Shirt.
Randall Reed's Hillcrest Ford, Lincoln, Hyundai is located just off I-45 southbound side at IH-45 Exit #114. The hard-working team at Hillcrest Ford, Lincoln, Hyundai are there for all automatic needs. Sam Houston students can save "big bucks" at Hillcrest.
Tickets for all Sam Houston State men's basketball home games are on sale now online at www.gobearkats.com/tickets . The Sam Houston athletic ticket office in the Ron Mafrige Field House at Bowers Stadium is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The ticket office telephone number is (936) 294-1729.
