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Stephen F. Austin Basketball: 2018-19 season preview for the Lumberjacks

By Tristan Freeman

DALLAS, TX - MARCH 15: Leon Gilmore III
DALLAS, TX - MARCH 15: Leon Gilmore III /
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DALLAS, TX – MARCH 15: Kevon Harris #1 of the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks celebrates against the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the first half in the first round of the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at American Airlines Center on March 15, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
DALLAS, TX – MARCH 15: Kevon Harris #1 of the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks celebrates against the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the first half in the first round of the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at American Airlines Center on March 15, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

Stephen F. Austin made it back to the NCAA Tournament last season. Will the 2018-19 Lumberjacks team replicate that kind of success?

When Stephen F. Austin lost head coach Brad Underwood to Oklahoma State, there were concerns that the program would take a step back and not be the dominant team in the Southland Conference. And to a small degree, that happened, with the Lumberjacks going 12-6 in conference play and were unable to win the conference tournament to make it back to the NCAA Tournament.

But there was hope for Kyle Keller in his second season with the program last year, with the team’s top four scorers all returning. And while each of them played well in their own way, it was newcomer JUCO transfer Shannon Bouges who provided the spark to bring Stephen F. Austin back to winning over 20+ games.

The Lumberjacks finished last year with a 28-7 (14-4) record, including an upset win against LSU. In what turned out to be a hotly contested Southland Conference towards the top, Stephen F. Austin won the postseason conference tournament and got the ticket back to the Big Dance. The team received a 14-seed and gave Texas Tech all they could handle before falling short in the first round.

But now it’s time to focus on this season, with Stephen F. Austin having both good and bad news with the overall roster. The top three scorers return but a few key contributors graduated as well, including starters Ivan Canette and Leon Gilmore, along with important reserve Ty Charles. The team will be looking for role players to replace that kind of production.

Can the Lumberjacks continue to be one of the best mid-major programs in the country? Or are there issues that may ultimately derail them this season? Find out in Stephen F. Austin’s season preview.