Is Stephen F. Austin this season's Florida Gulf Coast?

Harry · March 6, 2014

NACOGDOCHES, Texas — Its laidback leading scorer has long hair, wears tie-dyed shirts and is called Sunshine. Its point-power forward helps videotape a nonsensical shooting routine before every road game that teammates plan to release to the public at season's end. And its best on-ball defender will pause if you ask about the team's rap song.

"We do have three different ones," says point guard Trey Pinkney.

BRACKET BRIEFING: Sleeper teams poised for deep NCAA tourney runs

Welcome to Stephen F. Austin State University, home of one of the nation's hottest and most colorful college basketball teams. After waiting 27 years for a Division I

head coaching job, first-year coach Brad Underwood has constructed a team that is loose and free-spirited off the court and stoic and almost emotionless on it.

Almost every March a double-digit NCAA tournament seed – last year it was Florida Gulf Coast becoming the first 15 seed to reach the Sweet 16 – captivates the college basketball world with its play and personality. Few potential sleeper teams will have a better chance to do so this month than the Lumberjacks, a potentially dangerous No. 13 seed if they can win the Southland Conference tournament to claim the league's automatic berth.

And their players know it.

Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/southland/2014/03/04/college-basketball-stephen-f-austin-streak/6020971/

Censored by Laurie · March 6, 2014

So...they're a "potential top 25" team?

Harry · March 6, 2014

One thing interesting to me about this article, is how much the players in terms of talent and chemistry play a role in success.

Of course coaching matters, but even USA Today misses the fact that Underwood hasn't done crap yet. They say, "Brad Underwood has constructed a team..." Come on -- He is winning with the talent and philosophy that Danny Kaspar left behind. And kudos to him for doing that.

This isn't meant as an absolve Benford thread - to the contrary, I have major questions about him and the team he is assembling.

As an aside -- does anyone know why Kaspar left SFA? They are poised for a NCAA run and he probably could have parlayed that into a bigger gig than TSU no?

emmitt01 · March 6, 2014

One thing interesting to me about this article, is how much the players in terms of talent and chemistry play a role in success.

Of course coaching matters, but even USA Today misses the fact that Underwood hasn't done crap yet. They say, "Brad Underwood has constructed a team..." Come on -- He is winning with the talent and philosophy that Danny Kaspar left behind. And kudos to him for doing that.

This isn't meant as an absolve Benford thread - to the contrary, I have major questions about him and the team he is assembling.

As an aside -- does anyone know why Kaspar left SFA? They are poised for a NCAA run and he probably could have parlayed that into a bigger gig than TSU no?

Like maybe UNT...if we'd picked up a phone.

Eagle1855 · March 6, 2014

Like maybe UNT...if we'd picked up a phone.

Boom. This.

CMJ · March 6, 2014

I don't think you can ever predict the net FGCU. They were a 15 seed that got to the Sweet Sixteen. That hadn't even happened before and it may be another 30 years till it does again.

curtisdaa · March 6, 2014

One thing interesting to me about this article, is how much the players in terms of talent and chemistry play a role in success.

Of course coaching matters, but even USA Today misses the fact that Underwood hasn't done crap yet. They say, "Brad Underwood has constructed a team..." Come on -- He is winning with the talent and philosophy that Danny Kaspar left behind. And kudos to him for doing that.

This isn't meant as an absolve Benford thread - to the contrary, I have major questions about him and the team he is assembling.

As an aside -- does anyone know why Kaspar left SFA? They are poised for a NCAA run and he probably could have parlayed that into a bigger gig than TSU no?

Kaspar almost doubled his salary by going to TSU. He hopes it will be easier to recruit to being near two airports. His daughter graduated from TSU this past December so the family could be together a while longer. Plus San Marcos ain't Nacogdoches.

Underwoods genius is that he recogized what they talent he inherited was good at and kept 80% of what they were used to doing.

Eagle1855 · March 6, 2014

Kaspar almost doubled his salary by going to TSU. He hopes it will be easier to recruit to being near two airports. His daughter graduated from TSU this past December so the family could be together a while longer. Plus San Marcos ain't Nacogdoches.
Underwoods genius is that he recogized what they talent he inherited was good at and kept 80% of what they were used to doing.

TSU is Texas Southern. Is and has been for a very long time. Makes these threads all kinds of confusing.

ttunt · March 6, 2014

What is sad about this is that Danny K. could not even get an interview here. Yes he left Underwood a great team and yes he doubled his salary , but

not what we paid Benford. I have been a gig fan Rick V , but I think he missed the boat on this.

UNTFan23 · March 6, 2014

TSU is Texas Southern. Is and has been for a very long time. Makes these threads all kinds of confusing.

Tarleton State University is referred to as/sometimes goes by TSU and is more local than Texas Southern. I guess it all depends on where you grew up and how well you know the local schools.

Edited March 6, 2014 by UNTFan23

forevereagle · March 6, 2014

And here I thought TSU was the Fightin' Armadillos...

TheTastyGreek · March 6, 2014

They need the next Seneca Wallace if they want to be the next Florida Gulf Coast. Otherwise, they'll just be looking up at the next Boise State.

Cerebus · March 6, 2014

They need the next Seneca Wallace if they want to be the next Florida Gulf Coast. Otherwise, they'll just be looking up at the next Boise State.

I think the MetaSelfReference is becoming self aware... what has Man created?!

Andrew · March 6, 2014

I got bashed by extremely rude people when I said SFA was just a solid team (not even a top 25 team). I'm waiting for those people to come and talk down SFA now...

Edited March 6, 2014 by Andrew

BillySee58 · March 6, 2014

I got bashed by extremely rude people when I said SFA was just a solid team (not even a top 25 team). I'm waiting for those people to come and talk down SFA now...

Were you bashed for calling SFA a solid team, or for trying to justify that a 34-point loss at home wasn't that bad because they're a good team?

Andrew · March 7, 2014

Were you bashed for calling SFA a solid team, or for trying to justify that a 34-point loss at home wasn't that bad because they're a good team?

If calling them a solid team is considered justifying a loss then both... I guess that is just an opinion.

TheTastyGreek · March 7, 2014

We lost to SFA by 34 points. Against a Southland schedule, only 3 teams did as bad or worse.

Matching us in futility was Division 3 Elmhurst, which also lost to SFA by 34 points back on December 21st.

Slightly less successful than us was Texas-Tyler, another Division 3 school that lost to them by 36 points in SFA's opener on November 8th. To be fair, though, the game was only an exhibition for Texas-Tyler. Their actual season didn't start for another two weeks.

Division 3 schools, for anyone who doesn't know, do not offer athletic scholarships. Also not offering athletic scholarships for several years? New Orleans, which went without scholarships while attempting to transition out of Division 1 sports entirely. They signed their first scholarship basketball players again less than 2 years ago, and this is their first year as a Southland member, as a transitional D1 school. They lost to SFA by 40 points. Outscored us by ten, though, so good for them!

9 Division 1 teams that have lost or will lose 20+ games all performed better against SFA than we did. Most of them did it on the road. The only schools as bad as us or worse either offer no athletic scholarships, or have been offering scholarships for less than 2 years.

Benford!

MeanMag · March 7, 2014

If calling them a solid team is considered justifying a loss then both... I guess that is just an opinion.

I think everyone already had an idea that SFA was a solid team. I also think everyone knows that UNT used to be considered a "solid team" as well. No Excuses, remember?

Eagle1855 · March 7, 2014

Tarleton State University is referred to as/sometimes goes by TSU and is more local than Texas Southern. I guess it all depends on where you grew up and how well you know the local schools.

I think that you'll find if you type TSU into a search engine you'll have to go a pretty long ways before you get to Texas State or Tarleton.

UNTFan23 · March 7, 2014

I think that you'll find if you type TSU into a search engine you'll have to go a pretty long ways before you get to Texas State or Tarleton.

Google doesn't go by regional norms though. When I hear TSU, the last school I think of is Texas Southern. I vaguely knew of the school before we played them last season and I really don't know (or care) much about them today. When I hear TSU I first think of Tarleton or Texas State. Again, this is all driven by regional familiarity.

NT03 · March 7, 2014

I root for the mid majors as much as possible , but They haven't really played anyone of note. Just glancing at their schedule and would guess maybe Towson is their best OOC win ? That said , I know it's extremely difficult for solid MM teams like SFA to get a p5 school on the schedule. I wouldn't be shocked that they get left out in the cold if they fall early in the SLC tournament. No way they have the success of FGCU of last year ,but I'll be rooting for the Lumberjacks!