Sam Houston St

#133 Sam Houston St: 2010-11 Basketball Preview

Joel Welser — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 16:42:51 -0700

Overall Rank: #133

Conference Rank: #2 Southland Conference

2009-10: 25-8, 14-2

2009-10 postseason: NCAA

Coach: Jason Hooten (First year at Sam Houston State, 0-0 overall)

Sam Houston State may have lost three of their top four scorers and their head coach, but this is still a team brimming with talent. Another NCAA Tournament trip may be asking a little too much, but the Bearkats should be in the mix to get back to the big dance in Coach Jason Hooten’s first year at the helm.

Key Losses: G Corey Allmond, F Preston Brown, G Ashton Mitchell

Key Newcomers:

In total six new faces could be suiting up for the Bearkats this season. The most important two are junior college transfers Nafis Richardson and Marcus Williams. Both can do a ton of scoring in a hurry. At 6-2, Richardson has a little more size and strength to attack the basket, but Williams is a superb all-around scorer and will immediately bolster the Bearkats offense. The backcourt gets more of a boost from incoming freshmen Byron Randle, Kuamaine Osborne and Randy Collins. The lone big man joining the squad, although Collins has the ability to be an undersized four, is redshirt freshman Kelly Lawson. The junior college players will make the biggest impact, but this team needs a little depth and the freshmen will need to provide at least a little bit of it.

Backcourt:

Corey Allmond and Ashton Mitchell leave behind a combined average of 28.2 points and 7.4 assists, but the backcourt is not in as bad of shape as it may sound. Drae Murray only started two games as a sophomore, but this is his team now. The point guard dished out 3.5 assists per game and only turned the ball over 1.5 times. Murray has not proven to be much of a scorer, but he has not needed to be either. After spending the last two years behind Mitchell, Murray could turn into an effective scorer if his outside shot starts falling a little more consistently. Yet, as long as Murray can become a full-time point guard, the scoring can be done by others. One of those others is Lance Pevehouse. Pevehouse may not be as dynamic of a scorer as the new junior college transfers, but he is an experienced senior who is a decent outside shooter and a solid rebounder for a 6-2 guard.

Frontcourt:

The frontcourt has fewer players to replace. Josten Crow has been a superb small forward over the years and has turned into a great all around player. As a junior he averaged 8.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.7 steals. He is the do-it-all player small forward and the glue guy for the Bearkats. Crow is very important to this team, but Gilberto Clavell has taken over the headlines. The 6-7, 225 pound senior came out of the junior college ranks and immediately took this team to the next level. He led the squad with 17.1 points and 6.4 rebounds. While Clavell is not a true post player, he does do most of his scoring around the basket. Sam Houston State hopes that Antuan Bootle can be the post player this team needs. Bootle is only 6-7, but he uses his 265 pound frame quite well around the basket to create space for himself. After starting 11 games a year ago, he is the likely candidate to step into a starting role at the five spot.

Who to Watch:

If Richardson or Williams can have the impact that Clavell had in his first year with the team, Sam Houston State could make another NCAA Tournament run. That is asking a lot from the junior college transfers, but they certainly have the ability to take over the scoring numbers left behind by Allmond and Mitchell. Whether or not it all comes together in a winning way is a whole different story.

Final Projection:

The loss of Allmond, Mitchell and Brown can be overcome, but it will not be easy. At the least, it will take some time. By March the Bearkats could be a very dangerous team, yet they could just as easily struggle with all the new faces and the new coach. The reality probably lies somewhere in-between and that should be enough for Sam Houston State to compete for a conference title.

Projected Post-season Tournament: none

Projected Starting Five:

Drae Murray, Junior, Guard, 4.2 ppg

Lance Pevehouse, Senior, Guard, 5.8 ppg

Josten Crow, Senior, Forward, 8.0 ppg

Gilberto Clavell, Senior, Forward, 17.1 ppg

Antuan Bootle, Junior, Forward, 4.3 ppg

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College Basketball Preview - 144 Teams in 144 Days - Alphabetical Ranks/Previews

Baylor vs Sam Houston St: Odds & Prediction

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 23:26:30 -0700

Start: Mar 18 2010 - 2:55pm

Team Previews: #3 Baylor -- #14 Sam Houston St

Vegas Odds: Baylor by 10.5 -- Bet at bodog

Why Sam Houston St will win:

The Bearkats are 21-7 against D1 competition this year despite only playing 10 home games. It takes a quality team to win on the road, and Sam Houston has shown they can compete with the best by losing to Kentucky by just 10 in Lexington. They compete well away from home because their a well-oiled offensive machine and unlike most mid-major teams, scoring isn't a major issue.

Bearkat to Watch:

Gilberto Clavell, F - 17 ppg, 6 rpg, 1 apg

Only 6-6, Clavell is SHSU's best big and at times a dominant force. But at 6-6, he'll be seriously tested against Baylor's underrated Ekpe Udoh.

Why Baylor will win:

Baylor went 18-1 against teams outside of the RPI Top 50 (they lost to Alabama), and with the exception of an oddly close game against Hartford early in the year, they've put away the teams they're supposed to. SHSU has a rather blah defense (in the middle of the pack in terms of defensive efficiency), and Baylor has a Top 15 offense, so that combo is clearly in their favor.

Bear to Watch:

Anthony Jones, F - 6 ppg, 5 rpg, 1 apg

As noted, SHSU is relatively short, and besides Udoh, Baylor has big Josh Lomers & Anthony Jones to throw out there. Jones, at 6-10, isn't a traditional big, but his size can cause a lot of problems at times. But he's coming off 2 games in which he's scored a whopping 1 point which isn't going to cut it.

How it will go down:

Although Baylor is certainly capable of scoring, they'd be better off keeping the game focused on the half-court. SHSU can score with the best of them, so if Baylor just plans on running, they'll run into trouble. As the game wears on, Baylor will be able enforce their will on the game.. but it may take awhile.

Betting Pick: Sam Houston St

Real Pick: Baylor

Poll: Most Likely 13 or Below Upset?

Shawn Siegel — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 23:23:25 -0700

Sam Houston St 2010 NCAA Tournament Capsule

Joel Welser — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 11:51:39 -0700

Sam Houston State Bearkats

Southland Conference (25-7, 14-2)

Big Wins: 11/24 vs Oral Roberts (71-65), 11/25 vs Rider (80-68), 12/20 at Auburn (107-89)

Bad Losses: 12/5 Louisiana Lafayette (85-95), 2/20 at Texas San Antonio (90-91), 3/6 at Texas State (97-101)

Last NCAA Appearance: 2003, First Round loss to Florida

Coach: Bob Marlin (0-1 in 1 NCAA appearance)

Why They Can Surprise:

Sam Houston State leads the nation in assists and is fourth in assist-to-turnover ratio. That is why the Bearkats have had so much success in the Southland Conference and beat teams like Auburn, Oral Roberts and Rider in out of conference play. Senior Ashton Mitchell is the catalyst of the offense and keeps the high powered offense moving. Not only is he averaging 12.7 points per game and shooting 41.9 percent from beyond the arc, but Mitchell is also a great defender and dishes out 5.1 assists per contest.

He has some help in the impressive assist-to-turnover ratio from Josten Crow and Drae Murray. Crow, the starting small forward, does just about everything. He is a superb shooter and rebounder and also dishes out 3.9 assists per game. Even Murray, the backup point guard, who only plays about 17 minutes per game, averages 3.6 assists per contest. With those three hanging onto the ball, Sam Houston State has the ability to play fast, but play under control.

Why They Can Disappoint:

But it seems like for every bucket SHSU scores, they will give up an easy one on the other end. The overall team defense is not strong, but the team still wins because they too can shoot well and they will create more turnovers than they give up. The deficiency of quality defense stems from the lack a shot blocker. This is a team that likes to run and the forwards need to be able to run with them. Gilberto Clavell is the star of the frontcourt and a superb interior scorer who can step outside and hit the mid-range jumper. Preston Brown is the team’s most gifted shot blocker, but he averages less than one per game. Yet, led by those two, the Bearkats are a good rebounding team. Antuan Bootle can add another big body to the floor, but a fractured bone in his foot has slowed his progress late in the year. Without Bootle at full strength, the pressure is on Clavell, Crow and Brown to keep the team effective on the glass.

Who To Watch:

The backcourt has plenty of passers, but it is Corey Allmond who is the pure scorer of the bunch. He hits about three long balls per game, but will also use his speed and experience to find a lane and attack the basket. Allmond is mostly a shooter, but this team has other shooters too. Along with Mitchell and Crow, sophomore Drae Murray adds even another long range threat to the Bearkats. And if the outside shot is falling for all those guys, Sam Houston State is tough to beat.

Probable Starters:

Ashton Mitchell, Senior, Guard, 12.7 ppg, 5.1 apg, 1.8 spg

Corey Allmond, Senior, Guard, 15.9 ppg, 2.2 apg

Josten Crow, Junior, Forward, 8.1 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 3.9 apg

Preston Brown, Senior, Forward, 9.0 ppg, 5.3 rpg

Gilberto Clavell, Junior, Forward, 16.9 ppg, 6.3 rpg

Key Roleplayers:

Antuan Bootle, Sophomore, Center, 4.4 ppg, 5.0 rpg

Drae Murray, Sophomore, Guard, 4.3 ppg, 3.6 apg

Lance Pevehouse, Junior, Guard, 6.0 ppg, 1.0 apg, 4.1 rpg

By the Numbers:

Scoring Offense: 80.8 (8^th in nation, 1^st in conference)

Scoring Defense: 69.9 (208, 5)

Field-Goal Percentage: 46.8 (40, 2)

Field-Goal Defense: 43.1 (170, 5)

Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 9.0 (8, 1)

Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 38.0 (33, 2)

Free-Throw Percentage: 70.5 (117, 3)

Rebound Margin: 4.9 (34, 3)

Assists Per Game: 20.9 (1, 1)

Turnovers Per Game: 13.4 (148, 4)

Follow Joel Welser's Postseason Capsules & College Basketball Previews on Twitter @Joel_Welser and on his Facebook page. Joel will be back in June for his annual Top 144 Teams in 144 Days preview on CollegeHoops.net

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Poll: Best Low-Major Team?

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 07:22:00 -0800

Poll: Who Will Win the Southland?

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 09:12:17 -0700

Sam Houston St Basketball Preview: #112

Joel Welser — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 10:09:30 -0700

Overall Rank: #112

Conference Rank: #1 Southland

2008-09: 18-12, 12-4

2008-09 postseason: none

Coach: Bob Marlin (200-123 at Sam Houston State, 200-123 overall)

The story always seems to be the same for Sam Houston State. Even in what was supposed to be a rebuilding year, the Bearkats battled for a Southland Conference title and won the West division, but then failed to make the most of their opportunities in the conference tournament. Part of the issue is a lack of a consistent scoring big man. It is hard to win three games in four days when you rely so heavily on the three-point shot.

Key Losses: F Barkley Falkner, G DeLuis Ramirez

Key Newcomers:

The Bearkats did not get a true big man who is ready to contribute right away, but Gilberto Clavell is pretty close. Despite his 6-6 frame, Clavell, a junior college transfer, is a tough player who can score with his back to the basket against bigger opponents. He should immediately help replace Barkley Falkner in the frontcourt. Power forwards Kelly Lawson and Aaron Thompson are taller, but they will need time to develop more strength before they are ready to play major minutes. While Clavell helps replace Falkner, fellow junior college transfer Trevon Charles will help replace guard DeLuis Ramirez, the only other significant departure from last year’s team.

Backcourt:

Ramirez was a starter, but it was his backcourt mates Corey Allmond and Ashton Mitchell that really made this team tick. Allmond showed up from the junior college ranks and immediately turned into the team’s best scorer. He connected on 3.3 three-pointers per game and ended the season averaging 15.3 points per game. Mitchell, a 5-11 senior, is not nearly as prolific of a shooter, but he is a superb scorer who can work his way through the paint and find open looks. More important than his scoring is his ability to find his teammates. Mitchell dished out 6.8 assists per game and the offense will always go through him.

Frontcourt:

Preston Brown, a 6-6 senior, is the only returning forward with any significant playing time. He averaged 9.9 points and 4.9 rebounds last year and will be asked to do more scoring around the basket this time around. Yet, his ability to stretch the defense with his outside shooting ability is a big plus, but that will only help if the Bearkats can find an interior scorer to replace Falkner. The encouraging news is that two years ago Falkner was sitting on the bench barely averaging ten minutes per game. That means players like Antuan Bootle or Arthur Zulu who were both used sparingly last year could turn into solid contributors.

Who to Watch:

Lance Pevehouse was fourth on the team in scoring with 9.1 points per game, but only started one game. His outside shooting ability makes him a perfect sixth man and he could play that role again despite the starting spot opening up due to the graduation of Ramirez. Josten Crow is not much of a scorer, but he is a solid defender and he could be the glue guy who holds this team together if Coach Bob Marlin opts to keep Pevehouse on the bench.

Final Projection:

There is little reason to think that this team will not once again win the Southland West and the power will shift to the West division now that Stephen F. Austin lost most of their players. But in the end, it will come down to three games in March during the conference tournament. An NIT, CBI or CIT bid is a decent consolation prize, but this is a group that should be thinking about the NCAA Tournament.

Projected Post-season Tournament: NCAA

Projected Starting Five:

Ashton Miller, Senior, Guard, 12.5 points per game

Corey Allmond, Senior, Guard, 15.3 points per game

Josten Crow, Junior, Guard, 4.2 points per game

Preston Brown, Senior, Forward, 9.9 points per game

Gilberto Clavell, Junior, Forward, DNP last season

College Basketball Preview - 144 Teams in 144 Days - Preview Interviews

Daily Conference Poll: Who Will Win the Southland?

Shawn Siegel — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 08:25:58 -0800

Southland Basketball Preview: 08-09

CHN — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 07:17:58 -0800

Conference Rank: 21st

10 year average: 27th

Southland Conference Page

All-Southland Team
Pos.	Player	Team	Yr.

G	Devin Gibson	Texas-SA	So
G	Josh Alexander	SFA	Sr
G	Kenny Dawkins	Lamar	Sr
F	Anthony Vereen	Texas-Arlington	Sr
F	Matt Kingsley	SFA	Sr
CHN Award Winners		Returning Leaders
Mid-Major All-Americans Josh Alexander Devin Gibson		Points: Josh Alexander 16.0 Rebounds: Brandon Bush (Tex St) 7.2 Assists: Eric Bell (SFA) 5.7

Southland Standings
Nat'l	Team	League	Tourney

84	Stephen F. Austin	Southland	1	NCAA
133	Lamar	Southland	2
150	Texas Arlington**	Southland	3
187	Sam Houston St	Southland	4
230	McNeese State	Southland	5
242	Northwestern St	Southland	6
250	Texas San Anton	Southland	7
257	SE Louisiana	Southland	8
272	TAMU CC	Southland	9
277	Texas State	Southland	10
294	Nicholls State	Southland	11
312	Central Arkansas	Southland	12

*Click on links for full Top 144 team preview

** returning conference champion

Poll: Who Do You Think Will Win the Southland? (soon)

Other SLC Content

Conference Media/Coaches Poll

Other

Rise & Fall: Southland

State of 08: Texas

State of '08: Texas

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 18:15:15 -0700

Duke or Carolina? BC or UMASS? Gonzaga or Washington.. or Washington State? What is the best program in each state? While there's not much competition in Hawaii.. there are great debates to be had in loaded regions like California, North Carolina, and Texas. The State of '08 is a ranking of every program in every state.. based mostly on recent success (the last five years) mixed in with subjective factors such as conference prestige, historical success, and overall program direction.

For more info, check out the State of '08 introduction.

TEXAS

TEXAS - Easy one here. Texas has made ten straight NCAA Tournaments under Rick Barnes, and have reached the Sweet Sixteen or better fives times.

TEXAS A&M - From 1988 to 2004, A&M was a horrendous BCS program that managed justt one NIT appearance. But thanks to Billy Gillispie, A&M has won at least 20 games and made the postseason in four straight seasons. The future of the program is a bit less certain under Mark Turgeon.

TEXAS TECH - In Bob Knight's six full seasons, the Red Raiders made 4 NCAA Tournaments and reached the NIT semifinals. Last year's team was destined to miss the postseason regardless of who the coach was, and its hard to project what type of coach Pat Knight will be.

BAYLOR - Scott Drew took over a broken program at the start of the 03-04 season, but has managed to turn things around. Last year the team won 21 games and reached the Big Dance. Many pundits expect a Top 25 squad this year. Not bad considering the 21-53 record from '04 to '07.

UTEP - Since 2004, a year after Billy Gillispied took over, UTEP has made two NCAA Tournaments and the CBI. The Niners should once again make a postseason push (probably NIT or CBI) in 2009.

6. HOUSTON - Its been over 15 years since Houston last made the NCAA Tournament, but Tom Penders teams have been consistently competitive. His four teams have all won at least 9 games in Conference USA, and 3 made the postseason (2 NITS and the CBI last year).

7. NORTH TEXAS - Johnny Jones has quietly transformed UNT from a consistent loser into a consistent winner. The Mean Green made the Big Dance in 2007 after rolling through the Sun Belt Tournament, and were solid last year, going 17-11 against D1 teams. Once again in 2008, North Texas should be dangerous in league play.

8. SAM HOUSTON STATE - Last year's Bearkats fizzled out after a great start, and late-season SLC tournament success has been hard to come by recently. But overall, this has been the most consistently solid SLC team over the last decade, and one of the only league teams capable of knocking off big-name non-conference opponents.

9. RICE - The program finally parted ways with 16-year coach Willis Wilson, whose teams varied from good to horrible and anywhere in between. From '03 to '05, the Owls finished in the RPI Top 100, but have gone steadily downhill since. Last year's 3-27 finish was an unfortunate end to Wilson's tenure.

10. STEPHEN F AUSTIN - SFA's great 26 win season, which included wins over Oklahoma and Top 100 San Diego, came out of nowhere considering the Lumberjacks were a sub-200 RPI team the previous three seasons. SFA is the 2009 favorite to accomplish what they couldn't last year, winning the Southland tournament.

11. TEXAS A&M-CORPUS CHRISTI - Ronnie Arrow did a masterful job in his tenure at TAMU-CC, turning a green D1 program into a 20-win program. But after making the Dance in 2007, Arrow left, and its hard to tell whether the program can regain a decent level of success under Perry Clark.

12. TCU - In six seasons under Neil Dougherty, TCU never finished over .500 in either the CUSA or MWC, although the 2005 team did sneak into the NIT. Former Kent State coach Jim Christian was hired in the off-season to turn things around.

13. LAMAR - In the last 7 seasons, Lamar has finished .500 or better in the SLC six times, but have never really been able to put together a dangerous postseason run.

14. UT-ARLINGTON - After making the NCAAs last year, UTA is once again one of the league favorites. In the previous 9 seasons though, the Mavs won just a single SLC Tourney game.

15. SMU - The last time SMU was any good was 2003, and the last time SMU was Tournament good was 1993. Matt Doherty was brought in to turn things around, but his teams have gone 7-25 in CUSA play.

16. UTSA - Once one of the more consistently solid Southland teams, UTSA simply hasn't been good the past few seasons. A 2009 .500 finish in the league would be a step in the right direction.

17. UTPA - Considering they've been stuck as an independent for a decade now, UTPA's minimal success isn't that bad. They've been able to beat a good amount of the in-state Southland members over the years, but haven't beaten a Top 200 team since December of 2004.

18. TEXAS STATE - In '06 & '07, this was one of the worst programs in the country, with just 8 D1 wins. That makes last year's 10-16 D1 record shockingly good.

19. TEXAS SOUTHERN - After winning the SWAC in 2003, there hasn't been much to cheer about at Texas Southern. The team has hovered around 300 in the RPI.

20. PRAIRIE VIEW - Like Texas Southern above, Prairie View hasn't been good since 2003.. but unlike Texas Southern who has at least been decent in SWAC play, the Panthers have been atrocious.

*Houston Baptist will also join D1 this season

Last: Tennessee - Next: Utah

State of '08: The Introduction (& State list/links)