Bearkat Bowlers Goes 5-0 On First Day Of Kat Klash Tournament
Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information
The Sam Houston State women’s bowling team won all five of its matches in quad baker match play Friday as the second annual Track Kat Klash tournament completed its first day of action.
The Bearkats defeated Tulane 744-595, Louisiana Tech 833-703, Nebraska 847-838, Wisconsin-Whitewater 822-767 and Vanderbilt 785-771.
Sam Houston State came into the tournament ranked No. 8 in NCAA Division I women’s bowling.
Eight of the 16 teams in the event stand in the top 20. The Bearkats’ victories Friday included wins over the No. 4 (Vanderbilt), 5 (Nebraska) and 14 (Wisconsin-Whitewater) squads in the rankings.
The event is being held at Huntsville Lanes.
Other ranked teams in the field include No. 2 Arkansas State, No. 8 Sam Houston, No. 9 Valparaiso, No. 10 Stephen F. Austin and No. 17 Prairie View A&M.
Bowl.com has announced is streaming all three days action live all weekend on VIA www.bowl.com
The schedule for the Track Kat Klash calls traditional team matches on day two and bracket play best of seven Baker competition on the final day.
Tournament action will run from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Sunday.
Sam Houston won inaugural Track Kat Klash championship last year, defeating Arkansas State four games to none in the finals.
This year’s Bearkat bowlers have already won tournament championships at Tulane and Alabama A&M and finished as runner-up at Bethune-Cookman.
Bearkat Football Players Receives All-Southland Honors
Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information
Sam Houston State’s 2012 Southland Conference championship team produced 21 players who have earned spots on the all-league honor squad.
Those awards include both “Player of the Year” recognition for running back Timothy Flanders and “Defensive Player of the Year” Darnell Taylor. Darnell and his twin brother Darius also become the first pair of twins at Sam Houston to earn all-conference recognition together.
The Bearkats’ list of All-Southland players after an 8-3 overall regular season and 6-1 march to a second consecutive league title include 10 first team selections, six second team honorees and six honorable mention players.
First team offense All-Southland players from Sam Houston include Flanders, tight end T. J. Jones, offensive linemen Kaleb Hopson and Chris Rogers and all-purpose back Richard Sincere.
First team defense Bearkats are defensive lineman J. T. Cleveland, lineback Darius Taylor, defensive backs Darnell Taylor and Dax Swanson and punter Matt Foster.
Second team all-conference Kats include quarterback Brian Bell, wide receiver Trey Diller, defensive lineman Gary Lorance and defensive backs Kenneth Jenkins and Bookie Sneed. Diller also received second team recognition as kick return specialist.
Receiving All-Southland honorable mention were running back Keshawn Hill, offensive linemen Donald Jackson and Riley Smith, defensive lineman Jarrett Brown, linebacker Jesse Beauchamp, defensive back Robert Shaw and place kicker Miguel Antonio.
Flanders and Darnell Taylor both earned their “Player of the Year” recognition for the second consecutive seasons. Flanders, Jenkins and Cleveland are three-time All-Southland selections.
Darnell Taylor, Hopson, Sincere, Swanson, Foster, Bell and Sneed each are in their second consecutive year as All-Southland honorees.
Sam Houston State will face Cal Poly in the second round of the NCAA Division I football championship Saturday, Dec. 1 at 3 p.m. at Elliott T. Bowers Stadium.
Complete ticket information is available on www.gobearkats.com. The SHSU athletic ticket office located in the Ron Mafrige Field House at Bowers Stadium is open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The telephone number is (936) 294-1729.
2012 All-Southland Conference Football Team
First-Team Offense
Pos. Name University Ht. Wt. Cl.
QB Wynrick Smothers Central Arkansas 6-1 208 Jr.
RB Timothy Flanders Sam Houston State 5-9 210 Jr.
RB Gus Johnson Stephen F. Austin 5-10 215 So.
TE T.J. Jones Sam Houston State 6-3 245 Sr.
WR Cordell Roberson Stephen F. Austin 6-3 215 Sr.
WR Jesse Grandy Central Arkansas 5-11 165 Sr.
WR Dominque Croom Central Arkansas 6-1 193 Sr.
OL Corey Howard Central Arkansas 6-1 290 Sr.
OL Kaleb Hopson Sam Houston State 6-6 300 Sr.
OL John Steel Stephen F. Austin 6-5 295 Sr.
OL Arinze Agada McNeese State 6-1 286 Jr.
OL Chris Rogers Sam Houston State 5-11 270 Sr.
AP Richard Sincere Sam Houston State 5-10 180 Jr.
PK Eddie Camara Central Arkansas 5-9 168 So.
First-Team Defense
Pos. Name University Ht. Wt. Cl.
DL Willie Jefferson Stephen F. Austin 6-6 234 Sr.
DL J.T. Cleveland Sam Houston State 6-0 290 Sr.
DL Jonathan Woodard Central Arkansas 6-5 251 Fr.
DL Darren Robinson Stephen F. Austin 5-11 247 So.
LB Darius Taylor Sam Houston State 6-0 240 Sr.
LB Seth Allison Central Arkansas 5-11 195 Sr.
LB Derek Rose Northwestern State 5-11 229 Sr.
DB Darnell Taylor Sam Houston State 6-0 195 Sr.
DB Robert Alford Southeastern La. 6-0 185 Sr.
DB Dax Swanson Sam Houston State 5-11 185 Sr.
DB Josh Aubrey Stephen F. Austin 5-11 202 Sr.
DB Jestin Love Central Arkansas 6-0 208 Jr.
P Matt Foster Sam Houston State 6-6 195 Sr.
KR Jesse Grandy Central Arkansas 5-11 165 Sr.
Second-Team Offense
Pos. Name University Ht. Wt. Cl.
QB Brian Bell Sam Houston State 6-2 175 Jr.
RB Marcus Wiltz McNeese State 5-9 192 Jr.
RB Jackie Hinton Central Arkansas 5-10 210 Sr.
TE/HB Nick Scelfo Nicholls State 6-4 235 So.
WR Trey Diller Sam Houston State 6-2 200 Sr.
WR Darius Carey McNeese State 6-0 184 Sr.
WR D.J. Ward Stephen F. Austin 5-11 180 Fr.
OL Alec Savoie McNeese State 6-7 309 Sr.
OL Gasten Gabriel Southeastern La. 6-5 310 Jr.
OL Taylor Johnson McNeese State 6-4 290 Sr.
OL Cole Caruthers Central Arkansas 6-4 284 So.
OL Sean Robertson Lamar 6-1 270 Sr.
AP Xavier Roberson Southeastern La. 5-9 170 Fr.
PK John Shaughnessy Northwestern State 5-11 181 Sr.
Second-Team Defense
Pos. Name University Ht. Wt. Cl.
DL Matt Hornbuckle Central Arkansas 6-2 281 Jr.
DL Gary Lorance Sam Houston State 6-0 290 Jr.
DL Jesse Dickson Lamar 6-3 265 Jr.
DL Everett Ellefsen McNeese State 6-3 230 So.
LB Jordan Piper Nicholls State 5-10 242 Sr.
LB Devan Walker Southeastern La. 6-3 240 Sr.
LB Joe Narcisse McNeese State 5-11 222 Sr.
DB Terence Cahee McNeese State 5-9 190 Jr.
DB Kenneth Jenkins Sam Houston State 5-10 195 Sr.
DB Bookie Sneed Sam Houston State 6-0 180 Jr.
DB Jamaal White Northwestern State 6-0 192 Sr.
DB Cortez Paige Northwestern State 6-1 181 Sr.
P Beau Mothe Southeastern La. 6-3 210 Sr.
KR Trey Diller Sam Houston State 6-2 200 Sr.
PR Darius Carey McNeese State 6-0 184 Sr.
2012 Southland Conference Individual Superlatives
Player of the Year: Timothy Flanders, Sam Houston State
Offensive Player of the Year: Wynrick Smothers, Central Arkansas
Defensive Player of the Year: Darnell Taylor, Sam Houston State
Offensive Lineman of the Year: Corey Howard, Central Arkansas
Freshman of the Year: Jonathan Woodard, Central Arkansas
Newcomer of the Year: Kevin Johnson, Lamar
Coach of the Year: Clint Conque, Central Arkansas
Honorable Mention:
Quarterback: Brady Attaway, Stephen F. Austin. Running Back: Marcus Washington, Nicholls State; Keshawn Hill, Sam Houston State. Tight End/H-Back: Mike Brooks, Stephen F. Austin; Jeremy Meyers, Southeastern Louisiana; Corey Simmons, Northwestern State; Chase Dixon, Central Arkansas. Wide Receiver: Kevin Johnson, Lamar; Dezmin Lewis, Central Arkansas; Louis Hollier, Northwestern State; Erik Buchanan, Nicholls State; Tony McCrea, Southeastern Louisiana. Offensive Linemen: Warren Jones, Northwestern State; Austin Wright, Stephen F. Austin; Abasi Salimu, Nicholls State; Donald Jackson, Sam Houston State; Andrew Ratliff, Stephen F. Austin; Riley Smith, Sam Houston State; Jonathan Landry, McNeese State; Carson Chaisson, McNeese State. Offensive All-Purpose: Phillip Harvey, Northwestern State; Ryan Gambel, Stephen F. Austin. Defensive Linemen: Lesley Deamer, Northwestern State; Pat Williams, McNeese State; Tremaine Lucas, Southeastern Louisiana; Jarrett Brown, Sam Houston State; Ryan Chambers, Stephen F. Austin; John Prescott, Lamar; Wade Williams, Northwestern State. Linebacker: Ryan Epperson, Stephen F. Austin; Justin Heard, Central Arkansas; Jermaine Longino, Lamar; Marcus Malbrough, Lamar; Kerry Guidry, Nicholls State; Patrick Black, Northwestern State; Robert Shaw, Sam Houston State; Jesse Beauchamp, Sam Houston State; Collin Garrett, Stephen F. Austin. Defensive Back: Branden Thomas, Lamar; Guy Morgan; McNeese State; Ford Smesny, McNeese State; Chad Allen, Lamar; Caleb Nelson, Stephen F. Austin; Tyler Stoddard, Southeastern Louisiana; Dillon Winfrey, Central Arkansas; Todd Washington, Southeastern Louisiana. Placekicker: Miguel Antonio, Sam Houston State; Jordan Wiggs, Stephen F. Austin. Punter: Cory Kemps, Nicholls State. Kick Return Specialist: Kevin Johnson, Lamar; Phillip Harvey, Northwestern State.
Bearkat Basketball Hosts Progressive Sub-Regional
Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information
Sam Houston State will host three top NCAA Division I opponents in November as SHSU participates in the Progressive Legends Classic Nov. 19-21.
UC-Irvine, Liberty and Southern Mississippi will visit Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum in Huntsville for the event.
The tournament will feature a round-robin schedule with two games each evening.
Southern Mississippi defeated Georgia in overtime Thursday and brings a 3-0 record into the tournament.
UC-Irvine is 2-1 with the Anteaters’ only loss by one point to UCLA in overtime.
Monday will see Sam Houston host Southern Mississippi while Liberty and UC-Irvine match up.
On Tuesday, the Bearkats play Liberty and USM and the Anteaters battle.
On the final evening of the tournament, Sam Houston takes on UCI and USM and Liberty face.
“Having the opportunity to play three outstanding NCAA Division I teams on our home floor here in Huntsville is really exciting,” Hooten said.
“It’s great for our program and it’s great for area fans.”
Southern Miss has been to Huntsville once, with the Bearkats winning 61-57 in 2005.
Last season the Golden Eagles finished 11-5 and second place in Conference USA play.
They finished the year 25-11 overall and received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, earning the No. 9-seed.
They lost their opening game to Kansas State 70-64.
The Kats and Golden Eagles have faced each other twice, with each winning once.
UC-Irvine visited Johnson Coliseum in 2007 where the Kats pulled off a 61-54 win.
Last season the Anteaters were 12-20 overall and 6-10 in the Big West.
They won the Big West Conference Tournament opening game over first place Long Beach State, before losing in the semifinals to Loyola Marymount.
The Kats and Anteaters have faced each other twice, with each taking care of business at home.
Liberty was the fifth place team in the Big South last season, finishing the year 9-9 in league play and 14-18 overall.
They finished the regular season strong, winning five of their last six games, before losing in the opening round on the Big South Tournament to Charleston Southern.
This will be the first meeting between the Bearkats and the Flames.
Capsules on the Bearkats’ four 2012 Progressive Legends Classic foes:
Liberty Flames – Head Coach: Dale Layer (Big South Conference)
The Flames look to improve upon their 14-win season of a year ago…fourth-year head coach Dale Layer, who has won over 300 games during his coaching career, welcomes back three starters, each of whom averaged double figures – junior guard John Caleb Sanders (11.6 ppg), senior forward Antwan Burrus (11.2 ppg, 6.3 rpg), and senior guard Tavares Speaks (10.2 ppg).
Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles – Head Coach: Donnie Tyndall (Conference USA)
Donnie Tyndall takes over at Southern Miss after leading Morehead State to 114 wins and three straight 20-win seasons in his six years…Tyndall inherits a team that went 25-9 last season and earned its first NCAA bid in 21 years…two starters are back, as is leading scorer Neil Watson, who netted 12.3 ppg as a sophomore…seniors Jonathan Mills (9.5 ppg, 6.1 rpg) and Rashard McGill (2.6 ppg) started for the Golden Eagles in 2011-12.
UC Irvine Anteaters – Head Coach: Russell Turner (Big West Conference)
After a season as one of the youngest teams in the nation, UC Irvine returns five starters from a squad that went 12-20 in 2011-12…third-year head coach Russell Turner will rely on the trio of senior forward Michael Wilder (11.5 ppg), senior guard Damon Starring (11.4 ppg, 100 assists), and junior guard Chris McNealy (10.2 ppg) to lead the Anteaters into the postseason for the first time since 2001-02.
Bearkats Looking Forward To Face Hoosiers
Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information
Sam Houston takes on the No. 1 men’s basketball team in the nation Thursday as they challenge the Indiana Hoosiers at 6 p.m. (Central time) in Bloomington, Ind.
Indiana (2-0) hosts Sam Houston (1-1) in the Bloomington Regional of the Progressive Legends Classic.
The game will be televised on the Big 10 network with Eric Collins and Jim Jackson calling the action.
KSAM 101.7 FM will carry the action live on radio and the internet in the Huntsville area.
Next Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, the Bearkats will welcome Southern Mississippi, UC-Irvine and Liberty to Huntsville for a Progressive Legends Classic sub-regional.
The tournament will consist of doubleheaders each evening starting at 5 p.m. with the Kats hosting the nightcap each day.
The Hoosiers are 4-0 all-time against Southland Conference opponents with the last meeting coming in November, 2010 when IU beat Northwestern State, 100-66.
For the first time since the 1979-80 preseason and just for the third time in school history (1975-76), the Indiana men’s basketball team started the season as the top ranked team in the country.
Indiana was also picked by the Big Ten media to win the conference championship.
The Hoosiers return the same starting lineup they finished their season with last year.
The group helped lead IU to a 27-9 record as they earned the program’s first trip to the Sweet 16 since 2002 and just the second berth in the round of 16 since 1995.
“It’s exciting to have the opportunity to play one of the most storied programs in NCAA men’s basketball,” Sam Houston head coach Jason Hooten said.
“Right now, we’re just working on becoming a better basketball team. It’s going to be a great experience playing the Hoosiers.”
Indiana was ranked 16th by the Associated Press and 13th in the final USA Today/Coaches poll.
Using the formula on how the NCAA ranks a teams’ improvement from one year to the next, IU had a 15 1/2-game improvement in the standings from 2010-11, the seventh largest in NCAA history.
The Hoosiers also rank 11th with 1,692 wins all-time.
After finishing 140th in the country last season in scoring off the bench (18.9 ppg), the Hoosier depth could challenge for the nation’s best after scoring 77 points in the first two games.
Sophomore Remy Abell and freshman Jeremy Hollowell are averaging 13.0 points per game, while Will Sheehey is averaging 9.5.After two games, the Hoosiers have a 14.5 rebound per game edge on its opponents.
Last year at the same time, opponents had outrebounded IU by 1.5 per game.
The Hoosiers are averaging 32 free throw attempts per game. Last year, IU led all Big Six Conference teams making 18.2 charity tosses per game.
The Progressive Legends Classic features 12 teams from across the nation with top-ranked Indiana, No. 13 UCLA, Georgetown, and Georgia serving as regional hosts.
Regional action takes place from Nov. 11-15 with the four hosts advancing to the Championship Rounds, Nov. 19-20, at the brand new Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.
The remainder of the field will participate in Subregionals held in Pittsburgh, Pa., and Huntsville, Texas, Nov. 19-21.
Joining the four Regional Round hosts in the Progressive Legends Classic are Duquesne, James Madison, Liberty, North Dakota State, Sam Houston State, Southern Miss, UC Irvine, and Youngstown.
There’s More To Winning Than Meets The Eye
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