Bearkats favored in West by Southland's coaches

Sports

Discussion

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

Text Only

Sports

Big week ahead for Bulldogs, Lady Bulldogs
To say that this is an important week for the Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs basketball team would be a big understatement. With the regular season winding down, much is at stake for the New Waverly boys and girls.

February 6, 2012 2 Photos
Bulldog lifters gain experience at Shepherd meet
Looking back on his lifters’ performance at last Saturday’s meet in Shepherd, New Waverly powerlifting coach Mike Carolan lauded his team’s efforts. Senior Tucker Saxton won the 220-pound classification and freshman Dillon Silvis took fifth in the 114-pound division.

February 6, 2012
Running Shorts: First 50-miler in the books
February 6, 2012
Hornet powerlifters fare well at Shepherd meet
February 5, 2012 2 Photos
Huntsville’s Thompson cruises at Willis tennis tourney, wins singles title
Hard rain, blustery wind and a change of venue could not stop Huntsville senior Kyle Thompson last Friday. The Hornets’ top tennis player cruised to three consecutive victories and earned the championship trophy in boys singles at a dual match in Willis.

February 5, 2012
Who ya got, Pats or Giants?
February 4, 2012
Bearkats back on top
The Bearkats got caught playing down to Southeastern Louisiana’s level in the first half, but a lights-out second half led to a 67-46 victory over the Lions on Saturday.
Sam Houston State turned the ball over 10 times, which resulted in nine Southeastern points at the break. That’s why the Lions trailed by only three at halftime, though they only shot 26.5 percent (9-of-34) from the floor.
Southeastern played even worse in the final 20 minutes, but most of that had to do with Sam Houston’s raised intensity level, thanks to a firm halftime message that stuck.

February 4, 2012 1 Photo
Hornet wrestlers make marked improvements at district meet
Exhausted but still exhilarated, the young wrestlers on the Huntsville High School team are already talking about what they can accomplish next year.
Last-place finishers at the District 20-5A meet last winter, the Hornets made a major move in 2012, finishing fifth in the 13-team varsity boys field at the district meet Friday.
Huntsville’s girls finished sixth in the team standings and Lady Hornets freshman Marissa Dixon won a district championship in the girls 128-pound division.

February 4, 2012
Hornets fall in OT, must win three in row now
The Hornets had their chances in regulation and in overtime, but they couldn’t quite get a much-needed win at Kingwood Park on Friday night.
In a basketball game that was slowed to a crawl, Huntsville dropped a 51-46 decision to the Panthers in overtime.
The pressure’s now on Huntsville in the final week and a half in order to get into the postseason.

February 4, 2012
Whispering Pines golf pro Rowe recognized as one of country’s top 50 kids’ teachers
Whispering Pines golf professional Chris Rowe is among the class of the Top 50 Kids Teachers for 2011, as selected by U.S. Kids Golf.
Rowe has been a junior golf instructor for 22 years and is currently the head professional at Whispering Pines Golf Club near Trinity. This is the first time Rowe has been named a Top 50 Kids Teacher by U.S. Kids Golf.

February 4, 2012
More Sports Headlines

Sports

Search Results

Discussion

Bearkats favored in West by Southland's coaches

Site Map

Contact Us