HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Sam Houston begins its Conference USA Tournament run against the winner of the play-in game on Wednesday at the Propst Arena.
The Bearkats will face either No. 9 seeded FIU or No. 8 seeded Jax State in the quarter finals of the tournament after claiming the No.1 seed during the regular season.
Both FIU and Jax State split the season series against the Kats, winning their games in Miami and Jacksonville, Alabama, respectively. Sam Houston got its revenge on both teams however, evening the series at Johnson Coliseum.
CUSA Coach of the Year Chris Mudge's squad has defied all expectations this season, as the Bearkats took home the CUSA regular season title after being tabbed to finish sixth in the conference. Now it has the chance to punch its ticket to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 2009-10 season.
Leading the way for the Kats is first-team All-CUSA guard Lamar Wilkerson, whose 13.9 pointer per game is seventh in the conference. His partner in crime Davon Barnes, a second team All-CUSA selection, is 10th in the conference in scoring with 13.6 points per game.
The Bearkats are also seeing great production from their bench unit, which provides Sam Houston with numerous scoring options as the game progresses. Jaden Ray is leading the way with 6.2 points and 4.2 assists, the latter ranking second in the conference. Cameron Huefner and Kian Scroggins provide the Kats with big minutes as well, scoring 7.7 and 5.8 points, respectively.
Sam Houston's first game in the conference tournament will tip-off Wednesday at 5:30 pm with the game being streamed on ESPN+.
NOTES
- Wilkerson's first team All-CUSA selection carries a tradition of excellence for the basketball program. Notching the Kats their seventh consecutive first team all-conference player.
- The Kats live by the motto, "No rebounds no rings,"outrebounding conference opponents in 11 of 16 conference games.
- The Bearkats have been dominant in conference play through the back half of the season, winning seven consecutive conference games by an average of 12 points.
