WAC Basketball: Examining the 5 newcomer programs for 2021-22 season

Jan 14, 2021; Phoenix, AZ, USA; GCU women's basketball head coach Molly Miller, men's basketball head coach Bryce Drew and Jerry Colangelo (right) talk after announcing that Abilene Christian, Lamar, Sam Houston State, Stephen F. Austin and Southern Utah University will join the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) during a press conference at the GCU Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher-Arizona RepublicNews /

3 of 6

WAC Basketball Houston State Bearkats head coach Jason Hooten Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports /

Sam Houston State Bearkats

Stephen F. Austin will have some familiar faces joining them in the WAC next season and one of them is one of their biggest rivals during their run of success, the Sam Houston State Bearkats. The Bearkats haven’t had the run of success as SFA (and that is in large part because of SFA) but they do have four regular-season titles since 2000 and they won the conference tournament in 2003 and 2010 and made the NIT in 2019.

Head coach Jason Hooten has been at the school for 11 years and only three times has the team finished lower than fourth and has won at least 18 games in all but two of those seasons.

The Bearkats like to get up and down, putting up nearly 80 points per game last season, but Hooten’s team has been one of those that took a big hit in the transfer portal with seven players leaving including Southland Player of the Year Zach Nutall who averaged 19 points and 5.7 rebounds, who will play next season at SMU.

But they have added a couple of senior transfers who should help. Savion Flagg averaged nine points and five rebounds in his four seasons at Texas A&M and 7’2 Kuba Karwowski who saw limited action at Utah State.