Men?s basketball schedule released
8/26/2014 11:04:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Sam Houston State men's basketball coach Jason Hooten has announced the schedule for the 2014-15 season, featuring non-conference matchups with LSU, Texas A&M and UNLV.
The Bearkats will open the season at Johnson Coliseum against Austiin College, Friday, November 14 at noon before heading to Las Vegas, Nev. to face UNLV for the first time in school history. The Rebels have made 20 NCAA Tournament appearances and won the national title in 1990.
In the second week of the season the Kats travel to Fairfield, Conn. to play South Dakota, Fairfield and Wofford in a tournament hosted by Fairfield University.
The month of the December will be packed with big games. SHSU will start the month with a short trip to College Station to face Texas A&M, Dec. 3. The Kats then host UT-Pan American on Dec. 6.
The LSU Tigers will welcome Sam Houston to Baton Rouge, La., Dec. 13, for just the second time in the two schools' histories.
Sam Houston rounds out Dec. with home contests against Eastern Washington (12/16), Prairie View A&M (12/20) and Howard Payne (12/29).
Southland play gets started Saturday, January 3 at home against Incarnate Word. The Kats will be looking for revenge as the Cardinals handed the Kats one of just a handful of league losses last season.
SFA will come to town Jan. 24 for the first of two games against the Lumberjacks. SHSU and SFA will close the regular season against each other in Nacogdoches.
The Southland Conference Tournament will return to the Merrell Center in Katy, March 11-14, for the eighth consecutive season.
The 2013-14 season was one to remember for Sam Houston. The Bearkats' 24 wins were the second-most in school history at the Division I level and the team made the finals of the league tournament.
The Kats were invited to play in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament and their first round win over Alabama State was the school's first ever win in the postseason.
The top three scorers from last season, Jabari Peters, Kaheem Ranson and Paul Baxter, all return in 2014. Guards Marquel McKinney, DeMarcus Gatlin and center Michael Holyfield also return for their senior seasons. Sophomores Dakarai Henderson and Aurimas Majauskas are also back. Junior College transfers Sean Goodwin and Marcus Burwell will look to fill the spots left by Terrance Motley and James Thomas.
