Conference preview: Southland

The Southland Conference provided a little March magic last season -- its one shining moment. As a No. 14 seed in the Big Dance, Southland representative Northwestern State knocked off Big Ten champ and No. 3 seed Iowa in the most dramatic fashion when Jermaine Wallace nailed a 3-pointer from the corner with under a second on the clock for a 64-63 victory. It was the conference's first win in the NCAA Tournament in 21 years.

For Northwestern State it was the exclamation point to an incredible season after a 17-point rally, giving the little guy the victory over the big-name school. In the second round, the Demons played West Virginia tough but were eventually Pittsnogled 67-54 by Kevin Pittsnogle, Mike Gansey and crew.

But Northwestern State shouldn't get too comfortable at the top of the Southland, because it won't be the same conference as it was last season -- literally. It balloons to 12 teams with the addition of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Central Arkansas (proud alma mater of Scottie Pippen), meaning the conference will be split into East and West divisions for the first time in its 44 years. It will also play its postseason tournament at a neutral location, which will be Houston this season. And while the Demons represented the Southland well last season, this time around it should be Sam Houston State's turn. It brings back four starters from a team that lost in the conference championship game -- played at Northwestern State -- by eight points. Among those returning include likely first-teamers Jejuan Plair and Ryan Bright. Senior Aaron Wade and JC transfer James Barrett will also figure into the offense, but the Bearkats have to get over the loss of starter John Gardiner, who will miss the season with a torn ACL.

Battling the Bearkats in the West Division will be conference newcomer Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Despite starting its athletic program less than a decade ago, the Islanders aren't wasting any time getting noticed. As an independent in ‘05-06, they went 20-8 for their second consecutive 20-win season.

Steven F. Austin and Texas-Arlington could also battle for the West. The Lumberjacks will lean on frontcourt mates Josh Alexander (14.2 ppg, 6.1 rpg) and Scott Weaver, while Matt Kingsley (4.4 ppg, 2.5 rpg) might have to be worked into the starting lineup after a 19-point, seven-rebound outing in an exhibition victory. Nicholls State is a team to watch as well simply because of Aussie transplant Stefan Blaszczynski, who despite being undersized at 6-foot-5 was a third-team selection last season. He averaged 16.4 points (fourth in the league) with 6.9 rebounds.

In the East, Lamar lost most of its star power when coach Billy Tubbs stepped down (up?) to become athletic director. But there's still enough talent to make a run at the title. New coach Steve Roccaforte inherits two starters from a team that went 17-11. Senior guard Matthew Barrow is the top returning scorer with 12.3 ppg last season. The team is excited about the development of Lamar Sanders and James Davis, who both looked good in Lamar's exhibition wins.

McNeese State and SE Louisiana could also contend in the East. McNeese State has a bit of an adjustment under new coach Dave Simmons. Junior John Ford will steer the Cowboys offense but will need steady contributions from Troy Aaron and Jarvis Bradley. For newcomer Central Arkansas, which is making the transition from Division II to Division I, it'll be tough telling a recruit to sign up considering the team can't participate in the conference tournament and thus the NCAA Tournament until '09-10.

Team to beat

Northwestern St.: The Demons are the reigning champs after going 15-1 in conference play with a conference tournament title (14-0 at home overall), so the road to the Southland title goes through Natchitoches.

That said, no team is going to have it easy after losing four starters from a 26-8 team. Senior guard Luke Rogers started every game a year ago and was second on the team in assists and third in scoring, averaging 9.3 points. Rogers put up 30 points in an exhibition victory vs. Division II Harding. Jermaine Spencer (5.3 ppg, 3.4 rpg) also figures to see much more floor time. After that, Colby Bargeman and Keenan Green have to step it up if the Demons want to make it back to the Big Dance. Whoever is in the mix, don't expect two-time Coach of the Year Mike McConathy to allow much dropoff.

Last season, Northwestern State picked up victories against quality opponents out of conference, including Oregon State, Mississippi State and Oklahoma State, so its win over Iowa wasn't out of the ordinary. The Demons have drawn up another tough schedule, playing Oklahoma State, Louisville, Marquette and DePaul. With the games against Oklahoma State and Louisville coming right after a tough home opener against Utah State, the new crew must jell in a hurry.

Watch out for

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi: While it's hard to know what to expect from a first-year member, conference coaches certainly respect the Islanders, picking them second in the West behind favored Sam Houston State in the preseason poll.

But just take a look at the results from last season: The Islanders went 20-8, with a pair of wins came over Southland school Texas-San Antonio.

In all, 12 players return from that team, including three of the team's top four scorers. Seven-footer Chris Daniels led the way with 15 ppg and 7.3 rpg. Cedric Smith put up 12.9 points and 4.4 rebounds, and Josh Washington had 7.7 ppg. All three are seniors, which has to give coach Ronnie Arrow a smile on his face.

Player of the Year

Jejuan Plair, Sam Houston St.: Plair is a playmaker -- plain and simple. The 6-1 guard led the conference in assists last season with just under six per game to go along with 12.5 ppg.

Plair brought his best in the biggest games, especially the Southland Tournament, where he scored 62 points in three games, earning him a spot on the all-tournament team.

Plus, he gets the pleasure of working with former Southland Freshman of the Year Ryan Bright, who could certainly also vie for Player of the Year with a breakout season as a junior.