Photo by -
Stephen F. Austin Basketball
Gameday Predictions: Tulsa vs. Stephen F. Austin
The stage is set for the SFA Lumberjacks' grand finale in what's been a rocky non-conference season. The Diamond Head Classic tournament in Hawaii tips off this afternoon with an opening round match between Stephen F. Austin and Tulsa.
They're both young, turnover-prone teams, with a lot more talent than their record would indicate. Both are squads that have a chance to be good by the postseason and both are teams that need a shot of confidence before league play begins.
Have a prediction to add? Join the discussion at the bottom of this page.
THE GAME: Tulsa vs. Stephen F. Austin
THE TIME: 3:30CT
THE LOCATION: Stan Sheriff Center (Hawaii)
THE BROADCAST: ESPNU (or WatchESPN App), Lumberjacks Sports Network radio (Q107.7 in Nacogdoches, TuneIn App)
Isaac Niedrauer: A young, talented, but very sloppy team is looking for a shot of confidence before conference play. If you're an SFA fan, you think I'm talking about the Lumberjacks. Truth is, that's both these teams to a tee.
At this point late in the non-conference season, RPI really means very little after the rocky start these two have had. For SFA, I hate to say it's too late to come back from the losses to UL-Monroe, Rice, et al, but from a tournament-seeding standpoint, it really is. At this moment, SFA is playing this Diamond Head Classic tournament for pride, national exposure, and confidence before Southland play begins.
That last one is the most important. Everything the Lumberjacks are aiming for in their "Drive for Five" is still in front of them. They can still be the dominant force in the Southland Conference they're accustomed to being with or without another non-conference win. The confidence aspect for a young team is huge, though, and this would represent their biggest win of the season by miles.
I think SFA could surprise a few people and pull this off and I expect it to be more evenly matched than most seem to assume either way. I'm not ready to pick the Lumberjacks in a game like this - but I'm close.
Final Score: 72-77 Tulsa
Cole Albritton: Before pummeling Texas State, the Tulsa Hurricanes lost a close one to none other than the former Lumberjack Brad Underwood versus Oklahoma State. Think about how highly the locals here think of their former coach and realize this Tulsa team has to be good. They are playing better basketball right now than their record might back up, they are my pick to win this tournament.
This is going to be no easy task for Kyle Keller and the gang to overcome, but if they're going to do it, it has to be on the backs of the offense; specifically Ivan Canete and Leon Gilmore.
I have confidence that SFA will fight hard in this one, but will eventually come up just short. A string of hard fought competitive games is just what we need before conference play starts. SFA falls to what could possibly be the tournament champs.
Final Score: 72-78 Tulsa
Austin Fenoglio: This SFA team has been strange so far. Statistically, terrible at times, but certainly improved of late. Turnovers caused by sloppy play and lack of chemistry continue to be the Achilles heel for the Lumberjacks but there is visible progress.
If SFA can play to their potential for a full 40 minutes, Tulsa could be in for a surprise. Then again, if SFA could've done that all season they'd maybe be sitting pretty at 8-1.
Final Score: 68-74 Tulsa
They're both young, turnover-prone teams, with a lot more talent than their record would indicate. Both are squads that have a chance to be good by the postseason and both are teams that need a shot of confidence before league play begins.
Have a prediction to add? Join the discussion at the bottom of this page.
THE GAME: Tulsa vs. Stephen F. Austin
THE TIME: 3:30CT
THE LOCATION: Stan Sheriff Center (Hawaii)
THE BROADCAST: ESPNU (or WatchESPN App), Lumberjacks Sports Network radio (Q107.7 in Nacogdoches, TuneIn App)
Isaac Niedrauer: A young, talented, but very sloppy team is looking for a shot of confidence before conference play. If you're an SFA fan, you think I'm talking about the Lumberjacks. Truth is, that's both these teams to a tee.
At this point late in the non-conference season, RPI really means very little after the rocky start these two have had. For SFA, I hate to say it's too late to come back from the losses to UL-Monroe, Rice, et al, but from a tournament-seeding standpoint, it really is. At this moment, SFA is playing this Diamond Head Classic tournament for pride, national exposure, and confidence before Southland play begins.
That last one is the most important. Everything the Lumberjacks are aiming for in their "Drive for Five" is still in front of them. They can still be the dominant force in the Southland Conference they're accustomed to being with or without another non-conference win. The confidence aspect for a young team is huge, though, and this would represent their biggest win of the season by miles.
I think SFA could surprise a few people and pull this off and I expect it to be more evenly matched than most seem to assume either way. I'm not ready to pick the Lumberjacks in a game like this - but I'm close.
Final Score: 72-77 Tulsa
Cole Albritton: Before pummeling Texas State, the Tulsa Hurricanes lost a close one to none other than the former Lumberjack Brad Underwood versus Oklahoma State. Think about how highly the locals here think of their former coach and realize this Tulsa team has to be good. They are playing better basketball right now than their record might back up, they are my pick to win this tournament.
This is going to be no easy task for Kyle Keller and the gang to overcome, but if they're going to do it, it has to be on the backs of the offense; specifically Ivan Canete and Leon Gilmore.
I have confidence that SFA will fight hard in this one, but will eventually come up just short. A string of hard fought competitive games is just what we need before conference play starts. SFA falls to what could possibly be the tournament champs.
Final Score: 72-78 Tulsa
Austin Fenoglio: This SFA team has been strange so far. Statistically, terrible at times, but certainly improved of late. Turnovers caused by sloppy play and lack of chemistry continue to be the Achilles heel for the Lumberjacks but there is visible progress.
If SFA can play to their potential for a full 40 minutes, Tulsa could be in for a surprise. Then again, if SFA could've done that all season they'd maybe be sitting pretty at 8-1.
Final Score: 68-74 Tulsa
Never miss the latest news from The Sawmill!
Join our free email list
