Southland Basketball: 2021 conference tournament preview, predictions

Southland Basketball: 2021 conference tournament preview and predictions

Mar 11, 2017; Katy, TX, USA; Members of the New Orleans Privateers raise the Southland Conference Championship trophy following their 68-65 overtime win over the Texas A&M Corpus Islanders in the Southland Conference Championship game at Merrell Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports /

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Southland Basketball Sam Houston State Bearkats Zach Nutall Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports /

Key Teams

Nicholls State

As mentioned earlier, Nicholls pretty much had their way with the conference this season with the lone exception of Sam Houston State. They played to the tune of a 17-6 record that included a dominant 14-2 run within the conference.

While they didn’t get to challenge one of the tournament favorites in Baylor due to Covid, they did have some solid games against other formidable opponents. Most notably an 86-80 loss against LSU on the Tigers court. The Colonels are seen as the favorites in the tournament, but none of their games are going to come easy.

Sam Houston State

The Bearkats were able to get several big games played on their schedule, including bouts with teams like Texas Tech and Texas. While they struggled in most of the contests, they rebounded nicely playing to an 19-8 record on the season. They finished 13-3 in conference play, and are going to be out for blood in the tournament. They are led by Junior Zach Nutall, who is averaging 18.9 ppg on 43.3% from the field. If the 6’3″ guard can get hot from deep (36.5%), the Bearkats will be a force to reckon with.

Lamar

Everyone loves a good dark horse, and the Cardinals are mine. While their peripherals aren’t great they did end the season on a four-game win streak including an impressive 88-83 victory over the Lumberjacks of SFA. Lamar finished 8-17 on the season with a 6-10 record in conference play. They also kept both games with Nicholls close, losing by seven and five respectively. They are led by Junior guard, Davion Buster who is averaging 15.1 ppg on 37.8% shooting from the field.

He also holds an impressive 94.4% clip from the free throw line this season. He was able to start his season off hot with a game-winning three-pointer from just in front of half-court against Louisiana-Monroe. If Buster can create some shots during the tournament, the Cardinals just might be able to turn a few heads this week.