UK Basketball Preview – Know Your Enemy: Sam Houston State

GAME 3 – 11/19/2009

7:00 PM EST – RUPP ARENA

SAM HOUSTON STATE BEARKATS (2-0)

TV – FOX SPORTS SOUTH, BIG BLUE SPORTS NETWORK

FIRST MEETING BETWEEN TEAMS

Sam Houston State strolls into Rupp Arena on Thursday night with a 2-0 record and dreams of a NCAA Tournament bid. Once again, it seems that this is another small team that can not be taken lightly as some sites have picked Sam Houston State as a favorite in the Southland Conference this year. This is a team with good depth, solid defense, good guard play and a fearless attitude to realize that this is not a team that UK should take lightly.

The Bearkats finished 18-12 last year and return four starters from last year’s squad. Sam Houston has made the dance just once in it’s history and lost in the first round to Florida 83-55 in 2003. Coach Bob Marlin has perhaps his best team in 12 seasons with the conference’s best SG, PG, and five returning lettermen to have the Bearkats dreaming NCAA. And they know that a win at Rupp would cement that tournament resume. Let’s take a look at what to expect from the Bearkats.

THE STARTERS

G- ASHTON MITCHELL – SR – 5’11 – 175

10.0 ppg, 2.5 reb, 4.5 assists

G- LANCE PEVEHOUSE – SO – 6’2 – 180

4.5 ppg, 6 reb, 3 assists

F- JOSTEN CROW – JR – 6’4 – 204

5.5 ppg, 6.5 reb, 6 assists

F- GILBERTO CLAVELL – JR – 6’6 – 210

11.0 ppg, 5 reb

C- ARTHUR ZULU – SR – 6’8 – 220

6.5 ppg, 4.5 reb. 0,5 assist

Sam Houston State has the best guards in the Southland Conference as Ashton Mitchell led the conference with 6.9 assists a game. Pevehouse was a reserve last year and averaged 9 points in just 22 minutes a game. He has started the first couple of games this year, although Corey Allmond is averaging 14.0 a game this season and was a starter last year and averaged .436 from 3 point and had 99 treys. I am not sure why he did not start the last SHS game, but its apparent that this team has pretty good guards. Drae Murray is another guard off the bench and is averaging 8.5 a game.

Clavell is one of three JUCO transfers to the Bearkats this season that are expected to help their defensive toughness. Last season, the Bearkats only allowed their opponents to shoot 43% from the field. The forwards are tough, but small. Preston Brown started at center at 6’6 last season and averaged 9 points a game, but it looks like he will be coming off the bench this year.

OUTLOOK

Yes, I know that I picked Kentucky to beat Miami 81-48, but for my credit, I was one of the few bloggers to point out that Miami would not be intimidated by Rupp due to their schedule on the road last year, giving a couple of tough teams fits. Unfortunately for the Bearkats, I can not say the same as they have played mostly their Southland Conference rivals and a few directional Texas schools over the last few season. So I would expect for the Bearkats to be more than a little slack jawed strolling into Rupp, and despite being a pretty decent team, they have lost the element of surprise thanks to Miami.

This is still a pretty small team and UK will look to expose this advantage more than they did against Miami. And even though the Bearkats are a pretty good three point shooting team, it’s highly unlikely that the Wildcats will allow lightning to strike twice.

Even though Sam Houston State may end up in the NCAA’s this year, they have historically been a tem in the 150 RPI range. Their last home game was in front of a crowd of 1090, and UK should come out angry and with a chip on their shoulder in this game. Unfortunately for the Bearkats, the Wildcats will take out their pent up aggression on the Bearkats to the tune of 85-59.

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