3MW’s All Conference Team:
Player of the Year: Kevon Harris, Jr., Stephen F Austin
Coach of the Year: Kyle Keller, Stephen F. Austin
Newcomer of the Year: Gavin Kensmil, Jr., Stephen F. Austin
Freshman of the Year: Keaston Willis, Fr., Incarnate Word
Season Storylines:
After an uncharacteristically poor year in which they finished below .500 in the Southland for the first time since 2005, the Lumberjacks reclaimed their dominance over the league. Kyle Keller’s squad finished 19-1 in conference play, its best mark since Brad Underwood’s undefeated 2016 team, leaving no doubt as to who ruled the Southland. SFA scored one of the best wins in the country in November when it traveled to Duke and beat the Blue Devils in dramatic fashion, but unfortunately a strength of schedule of 313 and just three chances at a Q1+Q2 win will prevent the Jacks from at-large bid consideration.
Abilene Christian and Nicholls State have the best shots at upending the Jacks in the Southland tourney, each finishing a meaty 15-5 in league play. ACU lost a ton of talent from its NCAA Tournament squad but still managed to hang around the top of the conference standings. Nicholls shocked the college basketball world in non-conference play under second-year head coach Austin Claunch, taking Illinois to overtime, winning at Pitt, and losing close games on the road to LSU and Rhode Island. The Colonels laughed at their preseason projection and proceeded to wreak havoc on the Southland.
Sam Houston State, the league’s best team from a year ago, struggled at the end of this season. The Bearkats come into postseason play losers of three straight and four of their last five. Jason Hooten has crushed the Southland regular season over the past seven years, but he’s yet to lead SHSU to the promised land. Northwestern State enjoyed its first winning conference season since 2015, getting back to its winning ways under long-time coach Mike McConathy. Bradley transfer Chudier Bile was key to the Natchitoches revival. Elsewhere, Lamar, McNeese State, and Texas A&M Corpus Christi pulled out 10-10 finishes to sneak into the 8-team Southland tourney. McNeese was led by Defensive Player of the Year Sha’markus Kennedy, while senior TJ Atwood had another banner year at Lamar. The Islanders scored the lone win over SFA this season and used a four-game winning streak to close out league play to edge out Central Arkansas for a tourney spot.
Central Arkansas, Incarnate Word, New Orleans, Southeastern Louisiana, and Houston Baptist are done for the year. UIW has a promising future led by second-year head coach Carson Cunningham and Freshman of the Year Keaston Willis. New Orleans had the most disappointing season of any Southland squad, finishing near the basement of the league standings despite picked by many to take home the crown. HBU made over bettors extremely happy this year, while SE Louisiana severely missed its dynamic duo of Marlain Veal and Moses Greenwood.
Tournament Preview
Only eight teams make the Southland tournament, an event held in Katy, Texas from March 11-14. SFA and Abilene Christian both get byes to the semifinals, an enormous advantage designed to send the league’s best team to the Big Dance. The Lumberjacks are the heavy favorites, but ACU is the defending champ. Either Nicholls or SHSU are perfectly good dark horse picks.
Tournament Predictions
(8) Texas A&M Corpus Christi over (5) Northwestern State
(6) Lamar over (7) McNeese State
(4) Sam Houston State over (8) Texas A&M Corpus Christi
(3) Nicholls State over (6) Lamar
(1) Stephen F. Austin over (4) Sam Houston State
(3) Nicholls State over (2) Abilene Christian
(1) Stephen F. Austin over (3) Nicholls State