Bearkats favored in West by Southland's coaches

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November 4, 2009

Anonymous The Huntsville Item Wed Nov 04, 2009, 11:42 PM CST

With two preseason first-team All-Southland Conference selections leading the backcourt, it isn’t surprising that Sam Houston State is one of the early favorites to bring home the league’s men’s basketball title this season.

Returning guards Ashton Mitchell and Corey Allmond combined to score 27.8 points a game last year, which could be the reason the SLC coaches voted the Bearkats to win the West Division in the preseason poll.

Sam Houston received seven first-place votes in the poll, which was released Wednesday afternoon. Stephen F. Austin (five first-place nods) is the favorite to repeat as East Division champions.

“Somebody has to be picked at the top and if they pick us, it is obviously based on returning experience,” SHSU head coach Bob Marlin said Wednesday. “Our backcourt is preseason first-team all-league. Based on all our returning guys and the guys we signed, is the reason we are picked high.

“I guess if it is a beauty pageant, at least we are in the pageant. We have a good group and have good experience, we just have to put it all together.”

The SLC coaches tabbed Texas A&M-Corpus; Christi (four first-place votes) to finish second in the West, followed by Texas-San Antonio, Texas-Arlington, Lamar and Texas State.

Nicholls (four first-place votes) is picked behind SFA in the East. Southeastern Louisiana is third, followed by Northwestern State, McNeese State and Central Arkansas.

“I think it is good we are picked first in one sense and in another sense, we have to live up to it,” said Mitchell, who ranked fifth in the nation last season in assists (6.9). “With us being first, everybody is going to be coming at us every night. I feel like we should be able to win it with the team we have.”

The Bearkats have four other returners that started at some point last season. Senior forward Preston Brown started 28 games and averaged 9.9 points. Sophomore guard Drae Murray, junior guard Lance Pevehouse and junior guard Josten Crow all combined to start four games and averaged double-digit minutes a game.

Sam Houston also brought in two promising junior college transfers in Gilberto Clavell and Trevon Charles and two freshmen (Aaron Thompson and Kelly Lawson).

Sophomore Antuan Bootle, transfer Marco Cooper, who sat out last season, and senior Arthur Zulu also figure to be in the mix in 2009-10.

The Bearkats were one of the top scoring teams in the SLC a year ago, but struggled defensively.

If Sam Houston can get that area turned around, especially with this squad’s shooting ability, the Kats just might make the preseason poll become a reality.

“The last two years this team has struggled defensively and that is why we have lost,” said Allmond, who ranked 14th in the nation last year in 3-pointers made a game (3.3). “If we shoot 50 percent, it doesn’t matter because if we give up 50 percent we are going to lose. We have to get better on defense if we want to win in the tournament.”

The Bearkats open the season on Nov. 14 with a home game against LeTourneau at 7 p.m.

2009 SLC Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll

East Division

(First-place votes)

1. Stephen F. Austin (5)

2. Nicholls (4)

3. Southeastern Louisiana (3)

4. Northwestern State

5. McNeese State

6. Central Arkansas

West Division

1. Sam Houston State (7)

2. Texas A&M-Corpus; Christi (4)

3. Texas-San Antonio (1)

4. Texas-Arlington

5. Lamar

6. Texas State

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