Southland Conference Preview

The following preview is provided by Blue Ribbon. For the most thorough preview available of the upcoming season, order the 2002-03 Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, on sale now at 1-800-775-2518.   Blue Ribbon Forecast No. Team  '01-02 Conf. Rec. (Overall) 1. Lamar  11-9 (15-14)  2. Stephen F. Austin  10-10 (13-15)  3. Sam Houston State  9-11 (14-14)  4. McNeese State  17-3 (21-8)  5. Louisiana-Monroe  15-5 (20-12)  6. Southwest Texas  10-10 (12-16)  7. Texas-San Antonio  13-7 (19-10)  8. Southeastern Louisiana  6-14 (7-20)  9. Northwestern State  8-11 (12-18)  10. Texas-Arlington  9-10 (12-14)  11. Nicholls State  1-19 (2-25)  All-Conference Team Did You Know? G: Jason Coleman SR, McNeese State G: Amir Abdur-Rahim JR, Southeastern La. F: Damany Hendrix SR, Lamar F: Percy Green SR, Stephen F. Austin C: Donald Cole SR, Sam Houston State Player of the Year Donald Cole SR, Sam Houston State Newcomer of the Year Antonio Burks JR, Stephen F. Austin Top Backcourts 1. Lamar 2. Sam Houston State 3. Stephen F. Austin Top Frontcourts 1. Sam Houston STate 2. Lousiana-Monroe 3. Stephen F. Austin 2002-03 Conference Tournament March 11, 13, 15 at home sites of higher seeds 2001-02 Champions McNeese State (Reg. season) McNeese State (Conf. tournament) 2001-02 NCAA Tournament Postseason Record 0-1 (.000) NCAA McNeese State The Southland Conference Tournament was played under its new format in 2002. The field was reduced to six teams, and games were played at campus sites of higher-seeded teams. The change was made to give an advantage to teams that performed well during the regular season. No. 1-seeded McNeese State beat No. 2-seeded La.-Monroe 65-43 in the title game. The teams finished first and second, respectively, in the regular season. In the two previous years, the tournament champion was seeded No. 7, and as a result it received a No. 16 seeding in the NCAA Tournament. The league has only one new coach this season. He is Ricky Blanton, who played for LSU in the late 1980s and early '90s. Blanton, a 1992 LSU graduate, was in private business in Baton Rouge, La., giving private lessons and running camps before taking over at Nicholls State's. He replaces Ricky Broussard, who spent 12 years as the Colonels' coach. The five All-Southland Conference first-team players were seniors last year--Texas-San Antonio forward McEverett Powers and guard Devin Brown, Louisiana-Monroe forward Brian Lubeck and center Wojciech Myrda, and McNeese State forward Fred Gentry. Powers, who won the league scoring title with an 18.8-point average, was the player of the year. Donald Cole of Sam Houston State was the newcomer of the year; Steven Ozier of Stephen F. Austin was the freshman of the year; and Tic Price of McNeese State was the coach of the year. Cole was the top rebounder in the league, averaging 10.2 per game. Cole averaged a double-double. Myrda, of Rzeszow, Poland, finished his college career as the NCAA leader in career blocked shots with 535 in 115 games, an average of 4.6 per game.

 

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