NCAA Basketball: Gonzaga, Hofstra likeliest to finish without conference loss

SPOKANE, WA - JANUARY 17: Fans for the Gonzaga Bulldogs cheer for their team in the game against the Loyola Marymount Lions at McCarthey Athletic Center on January 17, 2019 in Spokane, Washington. Gonzaga defeated Loyola Marymount 73-55. (Photo by William Mancebo/Getty Images) /

3 of 6

LAS VEGAS, NV – NOVEMBER 16: Head coach Jason Hooten of the Sam Houston State Bearkats gestures to his players during a game against the UNLV Rebels at the Thomas & Mack Center on November 16, 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada. UNLV won 59-57. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

4. Sam Houston State Bearkats (Southland)

2018-19 season record: 12-8 (7-0)

Like the SWAC, the Southland Conference had a different preseason favorite in Stephen F. Austin, who represented the league in the NCAA Tournament a year ago. The Lumberjacks have fallen short of expectations due to a few key injuries and is a middle-tier team now.

The Bearkats lead the pack so far with a 7-0 conference record, with five of them coming by a margin of victory higher than 10 points. They already have home wins over Abilene Christian and Texas A&M Corpus Christie, the second and third place teams in the Southland respectively.

Like Prairie View, Sam Houston State is a veteran-laden team that has improved in conference play. No one scores more than 12.2 ppg but seven different players average at least 6.0 ppg to create a balanced offense. Defensively, the Bearkats are one of the better mid-majors in the country, giving up under 67 ppg.

The league schedule has been friendly for Sam Houston State so far, but back-to-back road trips versus Abilene Christian and Texas A&M Corpus Christie await them. Odds aren’t great that the Bearkats can run the gauntlet but it has been done in the Southland twice by Stephen F. Austin since 2014. Everyone else already has two losses so the overall competition might just be weak enough for it to happen.

Home/NCAA Basketball News