FIRST ROUND NCAA TOURNAMENT

#14 SFA (28-6) vs. #3 Texas Tech (24-9)

WHEN: MARCH 15 (THURS.) 6:27 P.M.
WHERE: DALLAS, TX
TV: TRUTV

The Red Raiders are 4-6 on the road and 3-2 at neutral sites and have lost 5 of their last 7 after a red hot start to the season.

Big wins over
#20 Northwestern State 85-49
#22 Nevada 82-76
#18 Baylor 77-53
#10 @Kansas 85-73
#2 West Virginia 72-71
#23 Oklahoma 88-78

Irving, Texas (same as Keller) native and Big 12 Coach of the Year Coach Chris Beard has turned the Texas Tech men's program into a power house in this only his 2nd season after going 18-14 last year.

We all know what Beard did at Arkansas-Little Rock and in the tournament, he wins wherever he goes.

Beard's Head Coaching Record
Season, School, Record
1999-2000, Fort Scott Community College, 19-12
2000-01, Seminole State College, 25-6
2011-12, South Carolina Warriors (ABA), 31-2
2012-13, McMurry University. 19-10
2013-15, Angelo State University, 47-15
2015-16, Little Rock, 30-5
2016-17, Texas Tech, 42-23

TEAM
SR:5
JR:3
SO:1
FR:6

They beat you with great guard play.

G: Keenan Evans 6-3; 190 (1st Team) Unanimous
Season High 38 PTS at Texas. (If we can shut down Howard, we can shut him down)

G: Zhaire Smith 6-5; 195 (BIG 12 New Comer of the Year; HM; and All-Defensive Team)

Houston TV station KHOU interviewed HBU Coach Ron Cottrell last night. When asked if SFA could beat Tech he said that, yes, they have a shot. He said that SFA will not be intimidated, having a couple of guys who participated in SFA's last NCAA appearance (Ty and TJ), and should have good fan support in Dallas.

SDLJ said:

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I am hearing reports that Keenan Evans is injured. He has a broken right toe.
He has to wear 2 different shoe sizes. That is probably why Tech hasn't looked great in the past month.

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Thoughts and prayers for Evans and his toe...starting after Thursday night.

Could be but he was injured just prior and is still nursing it. He will play, I am unsure if he will be as effective.

This is the kind of stuff they say about us on the Tech boards. Makes me happy.

I couldn't be happier to be back in the NCAA tournament. I know I am very critical about Keller because I believe that making the big tournament should be the standard, not a wait till next year thing or just make it once and a while and we are happy. So now that Keller made it to the big dance, we need to hold him to this standard year over year. It should be NCAA tournament from here on out. Making the tournament consistently/winning some games is how we get notoriety and boost recruiting/enrollment. This needs to be a school that players come to because they WILL go to the tournament. We need the school to know we don't expect less than the big dance, make them feel pressure that they have to make the right decision. Look at Gonzaga, mid major that consistently wins their conference and they're a 4 seed Their enrollment is approximately 8,000 students or so. I want to be like that them but I know it takes time. They have the consistency down. So now that Keller has made it to the tournament, we don't need to baby him anymore and we need to hold him to it, get there every year until he gets a great offer and leaves. Now I love that we play Tech, I think it's a great match up and we could upset them if he can get our teams mind right. When it comes to the big dance, I truly believe that it comes down to who is going to out hustle who and who has the biggest heart. I know for a fact Underwood was able to get the players to play with their hearts because that West Virginia game and Notre Dame game was the best basketball I've ever seen SFA play. I would give anything to beat the Red Raiders the opening round, so now it just comes to preparation. Should we expect a win? Or just be happy he finally made the tournament? You answering these questions will show yourself how you really feel about SFA basketball.

Expect nothing less than win. I'm sure Keller and players are gearing up for a W. This is a winnable game. Line is now at eleven. That's a couple stops and a couple more buckets.

SFAELITE said:

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Or just be happy he finally made the tournament?

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Finally made the tournament in his second year as the head coach? That is an odd statement to me.

I would love to be Gonzaga too and you are right it does take time, but you have to also think they are a private school with double our endowment who is all in on basketball. I am not going to say we will never be a Gonzaga type but it won't be for many many years. I think our administration does see the potential that our basketball program has for marketing and recruiting and think they have done a pretty good job in using that, but unlike the Gonzagas and Xaviers and Butlers and Davidsons of the world we don't have money to throw at the program like they do and the administration has to fight for it from the state and donors (especially since the athletic fee failed.)

All this to say yeah I am pretty much with you. We should aim to be a mainstay in the NCAA tournament, but it isn't just as easy as playing hard and drawing up the right plays. You need money and time and some lucky breaks to become a mid-major power, but I do think we are on our way.

CLHawkins said:

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SFAELITE said:

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Or just be happy he finally made the tournament?

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Finally made the tournament in his second year as the head coach? That is an odd statement to me.

I would love to be Gonzaga too and you are right it does take time, but you have to also think they are a private school with double our endowment who is all in on basketball. I am not going to say we will never be a Gonzaga type but it won't be for many many years. I think our administration does see the potential that our basketball program has for marketing and recruiting and think they have done a pretty good job in using that, but unlike the Gonzagas and Xaviers and Butlers and Davidsons of the world we don't have money to throw at the program like they do and the administration has to fight for it from the state and donors (especially since the athletic fee failed.)

All this to say yeah I am pretty much with you. We should aim to be a mainstay in the NCAA tournament, but it isn't just as easy as playing hard and drawing up the right plays. You need money and time and some lucky breaks to become a mid-major power, but I do think we are on our way.

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I totally agree that their school is completely bought in on basketball and their tuition alone for one year is equal to four years at SFA. I just want to increase enrollment which will increase funds. Maybe after 10 years of going 17-1 or 18-0 every year we are at 25,000 students now. Now we can afford to pay coaches 500K plus bonuses. Then maybe after another 8 years or so and remaining at the top of the southland we reach 33,000 students, that produces even more funds they can disperse to athletics. The thing is the school has to buy in/the team needs to dominate the southland for years. If you don't think we could do it, you wouldn't be here. What are your goals for the team/school then? After all those years, who knows maybe the Missouri Valley Conference(Not saying I want this, just using as an example) calls us up and ask to join their conference because they need depth in quality teams. Now we have the students and we have the team to add quality wins to their conference. Now we have a deal for games on TV now so thats even more income coming in.There needs to be a plan and as alumni we need to make sure we push for having a successful plan to better the university/athletics. Maybe I'm thinking too far ahead or I aim too high but thats what I've always done with everything I do.

nacluth said:

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Yeah I think our fan base has been babying him too. Calling for us to move on from our coach in the midst of a 25 win regular season that saw us not only play but compete with three SEC teams - oh, and punch his ticket in two years with a rebuilt roster - has been a little mild. Honestly, if we don't beat the number three seed by double digits, I'm not sure he should get another offseason.

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So what are your expectations for the next 5 years (If Keller is the coach)? I'm not saying if he loses this game he should be fired, I'm saying we should be pushing the university to allocate whatever resources as possible to make sure he has the tools to win the first round every season. We need to make sure our voice is heard at the athletic office. What we expect, obviously put our money where our mouth is (join the varsity club or some kind of donating) from our lumberjacks year over year. Just coming on here does nothing for us. Alumni/booster can impact decisions and I think we need to be apparent about it.

From VivaTheMatadors board:

Quote:

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Looking forward to a Red Raider appearance in the second weekend
the fly in that ointment is St. Bonaventure IMO, they're a solid team and should be able to get out of the First Four and then past Florida, but three games in five/six days might be too much against TTU's defense. SFA shouldn't be much of a problem, Brad Underwood made that team and they haven't been the same since he left. (Emphasis TallTexan's).
Really good season down in Lubbock, keep it going!

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It's like people in Texas don't know that we're the best & most consistent basketball program in the state.

I agree that supporting our team and sports department monetarily is a great benefit. Having high expectations is also a wonderful asset to our program and should be reflected in our comments to the administration. I think also success helps generates future success. I expect next year to be better than this year.

However, I do think second guessing every decision (or loss) from a coach is the way to go about it. I think Keller has shown (in his limited time) that he has what it takes to recruit and win to take this program higher. I think we should let him do it.

SFAELITE said:

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I just want to increase enrollment which will increase funds.

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The problem with this, that I don't think we talk about enough, is the fact that we need funds to increase enrollment. When I graduated in 2014 they were stuffing 4 people per unit in Lumberjack Village. To have 25,000 students they would have to go on a dorm building spree that I doubt they have the funds for or allow underclassmen to live off campus which I don't think they would do because of the lost money there and how awful that would be for retention when you give a bunch or freshman that much freedom.

nacluth said:

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I agree that supporting our team and sports department monetarily is a great benefit. Having high expectations is also a wonderful asset to our program and should be reflected in our comments to the administration. I think also success helps generates future success. I expect next year to be better than this year.

However, I do think second guessing every decision (or loss) from a coach is the way to go about it. I think Keller has shown (in his limited time) that he has what it takes to recruit and win to take this program higher. I think we should let him do it.

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As a booster, I'm going to be critical of Keller if feel like he doesn't have what it takes to get us to the next level. I will also be critical of the school if they're not making the proper accommodations to make it happen. I don't care what happens, he can always improve. I will say this, he has improved but that means I expect more improvement next year...

CLHawkins said:

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SFAELITE said:

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I just want to increase enrollment which will increase funds.

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The problem with this, that I don't think we talk about enough, is the fact that we need funds to increase enrollment. When I graduated in 2014 they were stuffing 4 people per unit in Lumberjack Village. To have 25,000 students they would have to go on a dorm building spree that I doubt they have the funds for or allow underclassmen to live off campus which I don't think they would do because of the lost money there and how awful that would be for retention when you give a bunch or freshman that much freedom.

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You're correct but with proper planning the school can definitely be prepared to make the changes the university need to expand. The problem is the school doesn't seem to take expanding very seriously. Village was supposed to be a whole lot bigger. The original plans were to knock off all the dorms in the horse shoe (hall 10, north, south, and mays) to add more buildings to that side, it was supposed to mirror the buildings they already have. The office of the village was supposed to be the center. I don't know what ended up happening to the plan though. But you're correct the university has to be prepared for enrollment increases.

I agree largely with everyone on here. We do need to do a few things at the University. The answer is not increasing enrollment all the time, the money has to go several places and buildings need to be built, dorms etc. We need to do some work on the college experience side of the house. Players come to SFA to play ball and to feel like they are playing for a national championship every game. With that being said, we need the FAN EXPERIENCE to increase! I think we need to take a look into that. Lumberjack alley is awesome but we could do more for basketball and football (let's be honest).

Second to become like Gonzaga, Butler, Wichita State etc, we have to find a coach that sees the long term vision. The Zags coach has been there for over 15 years. Butler has a coaching tree and Wichita State's coach has been there for over 8 years (I believe). Keller has Texas roots, I do not see him leaving unless its in the Big 12 or SEC. he has a good reputation in Texas and knows he can win here at SFA. The best compliment is to be called the Kentucky of the Southland. Kids will hear that and imitate Rupp arena next year. Brad set the bar high to leave but being known as a school to find the next top basketball coach is great! We will get to play games against top schools and (as difficult as it is to say) it will attract athletes. Yea, everyone gets attached to a coach but to know the mid-major you play for will restock a great young coach and win is a great feeling. I really believe Keller will stay a few years. I think, two more tourney appearances in 2 years and a sweet 16 or elite 8 would bring the university a ton of money and it would get dumped in his bank account.

Last take and sorry if I step on anyone's toes, I don't mean to be so candid but we cannot think like a small school anymore. We cant have a Texas NCAA Post Season game and people say the tickets are too expensive. Trust me- UT, TT, TAMU, Baylor, TCU fans don't say that. Hell when Prison U when to the National Title for Football, their fans weren't saying that. With the exposure comes the costs. We talk about putting more money in a coaches pocket, we have to pay! Its a ton other teams that wish they were in the post season AND in the same state. C'mon Jacks let's step up!

Axe em!

Just got 2 tickets myself! Can't beat the price compared to other 3rd party sites

Got mine! No fees attacked so the price is good...just wished I would have gotten them yesterday when they were below $50 on line but oh well! GO JACKS!

edstile are you going to be there? I'm bringing your brother in law.

CLHawkins said:

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SFAELITE said:

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I just want to increase enrollment which will increase funds.

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The problem with this, that I don't think we talk about enough, is the fact that we need funds to increase enrollment. When I graduated in 2014 they were stuffing 4 people per unit in Lumberjack Village. To have 25,000 students they would have to go on a dorm building spree that I doubt they have the funds for or allow underclassmen to live off campus which I don't think they would do because of the lost money there and how awful that would be for retention when you give a bunch or freshman that much freedom.

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I still think the answer is online classes. You have to put money into the infrastructure but the incremental cost is minimal. GCU (their plan to return to a non-profit was recently approved by the HLC) has said they will cap on-campus enrollment at 30,000 but they already have 90,000 online students. Liberty University also has 90,000 online students. Purdue purchased Kaplan University last year reportedly for $1. They changed the name to Purdue Global and received approval from HLC in March. It gives them an instant 30,000 additional students and an online presence.

Universities charge the same for online classes - Arizona State charges an extra 50 bucks, all gravy - but there are no dorms, no parking garages, no classroom buildings to pay for (land, water, electricity, HVAC, janitorial service, maintenance, etc.). You could even host them in the cloud, yourself or let Google or Amazon do it and pay a low monthly fee. Many students young and old prefer the online classes and sometimes a traditional on-campus student can find the class they need online when all the traditional classes are full. I am convinced that online classes are money making machines and if the same instructors are teaching both online and on-campus classes, the student is getting the same education, even if not the same college experience.

Morning local Phoenix sports radio talk show host said this morning "Watch out for Stephen F. Austin. They have been making the tournament on a regular basis and the last three number 3 seeds that lost in the first round were all from the Big-12". Those kinds of stats don't mean anything and I don't know if SFA will win - I believe they can win - but making this tournament multiple times has put them on the map. Win just one game and you are this year's Cinderella story and darling of all the talk shows.

Online classes are a big draw for some students. The issue there: they aren't as rigorous. I think it is unwise to sacrifice academic rigor for more students. GCU is a bit of a laughing stock because it is (or soon to be was) for profit online school. Also, they have church in the building before their games which increases their attendance. Plus they market their ass off. I bet entrance is free. I don't pay to go to church.

Liberty U? Is a terrible school.

Purdue- Purdue is Purdue. They bought them for $1 because the online degrees were not worth the paper they are printed on.

I missed the online school era at SFA. However, I have seen tons of students pay others to take their on-line classes. Also, I took a class in law school that was more of a video conference online with a similar platform to online undergrad (you have to take the test at school); I did well in the class but I learned less than I would have in a classroom. Also could be preference. After-all, depends on who you ask. Enough with the tangent.

SFA has a marketing problem. There is literally nothing better to do in Nac than go to SFA basketball games (or football). The coliseum should be maxed out almost every home game. I don't remember the cost of tickets. Is it expensive? My wife played softball (lifetime free baby). Make the tickets cheaper? Any marketing person knows they spend money inside the building.

We have to get the community engaged.

Anyone know if the band will be in attendance?

jboy93 said:

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edstile are you going to be there? I'm bringing your brother in law.

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I was seriously considering it, Jeremy, but that's a mighty long trip for me since I live on the other end of the world (aka Texas). Hopefully, I will live to regret it.

CLHawkins said:

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Anyone know if the band will be in attendance?

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The band will absolutely be in attendance.