Kats looking strong after one week of practice
10/16/2012 2:22:00 PM | Men's Basketball
"We definitely have got some talented young men and should be improved in a number of areas," Hooten said. "We've got some people on the floor who can put the ball in the basket."
With the momentum of a late season drive that earned the Bearkats' their 10th consecutive Southland Conference post-season tournament berth, Hooten looks to see Sam Houston back in the thick of the league title hunt in 2013.
The SHSU men's basketball program has rolled up an overall record of 245 wins and only 146 losses since its 2000 Southland Conference championship. That ranks the Kats as the "winningest" program in the Southland in the past 13 years. Sam Houston also won league titles and the post season tournament to advance to the NCAA regionals in 2003 and 2010.
After several injury setbacks in November and December, the Bearkats bounced back to win five of their final nine Southland Conference regular season games.
Hooten will put a young squad on the floor in 2012-13 with only one senior, Darius Gatson. The 5-11 guard and 6-4 junior guard DeMarcus Gatlin are the only starters back from last year's 13-18 team that finished seventh in the league.
The G-men backcourt duo of Gatlin and Gatson, combined to contribute 17.1 points and 7.1 assists per game last season. Gatlin is the team's top returning scorer with a 10.4 averages. Gatson ranked second in the Southland Conference in assists in 2012 with a 4.5 average. Both started all 32 games.
"Success starts with a strong backcourt and Darius and DeMarcus give us good leadership there," Hooten said.
Three other letterwinners return for the Bearkats.
Michael Holyfield, a 6-11 sophomore center, started 14 games and played in 13 others as a true freshman. He totaled 107 points, 100 rebounds and 16 blocks. Guards Aaron Harwell, a 5-11 junior, and Marquel McKinney, a 6-3 sophomore, both saw extensive playing time as reserve players in the backcourt.
Four of the five returning lettermen are Houston area products. Holyfield is an Albuquerque, New Mexico native.
Two areas where the 2012-13 Bearkats look to improve are three-point field goal production and under the boards.
Sam Houston State's 2010 Southland Conference championship team that battled Baylor in the NCAA Regional led the league with 287 three pointers two years ago. Last year the Kats connected on just 149 treys.
The championship squad also boasted a plus 4.2 rebounding margin with 37.8 boards per game. Last year Sam Houston managed only a 1.3 margin over their opponents.
To address those needs, the Kats have added six transfers and two freshmen for the 2012 season.
Erik Williams, a 6-7 transfer from Marquette who red-shirted at SHSU in 2012, played in 43 games, starting 11 times during his two seasons with the Warriors. James Thomas, 6-5 forward from Navarro, averaged 9.1 points and 6.3 rebounds for a 25-11 squad that earned a berth in the NJCAA national championships.
Terrance Motley, 6-7 forward from Western Nebraska, was an All-Nebraska Junior College and All-NJCAA Region IX selection in 2012. He averaged 10.1 points and 6.5 rebounds as he led the Cougars to within a pair of wins of earning a berth in the NJCAA national tournament.
Nathaniel Mason, 6-4 forward, led Des Moines Area Community College to a 25-8 overall record and the NJCAA Region XI championship game. Mason averaged 15.2 points.
Jeremy McKay, 5-10 guard from Wallace State in Alabama, earned NJCAA Division I All-America honors in 2012. Averaging 15.8 points he was a first team All-Alabama Community College Northern Conference and All-NJCAA Region 22 selection. Will Bond, 6-4 guard from Trinity Valley, averaged 10.1 points as he led his squad to an NJCAA Region XIV runner-up finish.
The Kats' two high school signees both are backcourt standouts.
Paul Baxton, a 6-1 guard from Austin Bowie High School, earned All-Central Texas honors after averaging 18.4 points and leading the Bulldogs to their first district championship since 2007. Dakarai Henderson, 6-2 guard from Pearland Dawson, averaged 24.8 points as a senior and his 126 three-point baskets led Texas Class 4A high school basketball.
Sam Houston begins the 2012-13 schedule on Friday, Nov. 9 in Fayetteville against the Arkansas Razorbacks. The first home game will be Tuesday, Nov. 13 against Hardin-Simmons.
The Kats will have plenty of opportunities to test themselves against tough competition. SHSU also travels to play Indiana and Texas. The Bearkats will play host to Southern Mississippi, Liberty and California-Irvine in the Progressive Legends Classic Monday through Wednesday, Nov. 20-22, at Johnson Coliseum.
