Another week down, another week closer to the Southland Conference
Torment Tournament.
At this point in the season, it looks to be a five team race for the title with really only three who look legitimate. Of those three, exactly zero look like they have a chance to win beyond the conference.
So this week, I am officially launching the hashtag
#RACEforSIXTEEN and retiring my use of the #SouthlandStrong motto that I have hated for so long. The fact is, nobody in this league looks worthy of more than a 16 seed in the Big Dance and a merciless beating at the hands of Kentucky or North Carolina.
With that said, at this point, any tournament birth would be a wildly successful season for its eventual recipient. So with no further ado, here's where they all stand after 10 weeks:
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1. Sam Houston State
2016-17 record: 15-6 (6-2) | Last week's rank: 2
Last week I mentioned how slim the margin was between the Bearkats and the Privateers. It is still that close. What gives Sam the edge is their 6-straight wins, most by convincing margins. The Kats look finely tuned and are playing great basketball (by SLC standards). It wouldn't be a major surprise if this team doesn't lose more than maybe once more in the regular season.
2. New Orleans
2016-17 record: 11-7 (6-1) | Last week's rank: 1
Once again, I will reiterate Sam is 1A but New Orleans is 1B. The margin is razor thin. With UNO hitting the road this week and stopping in Nacogdoches, a place where no Southland team has won in 3 years, it will be their toughest test of the season. A win there could put them back in the driver's seat.
3. Southeastern Louisiana
2016-17 record: 12-8 (5-2) | Last week's rank: 3
This week, the Lions got revenge for their early season loss to HBU. This team has played really well since the Lamar loss and is starting to regain the form of the group that held the top spot in these ranks for much of the season. This team looks for real and with their remaining schedule have a chance at a double-bye in Katy.
4. Stephen F. Austin
2016-17 record: 9-10 (4-3) | Last week's rank: 5
Their first road win of the season came on Thursday and things were looking up. Until Saturday, at least. The Lumberjacks found yet another way to throw their momentum out the window. Saturday's loss to a mediocre Incarnate Word team shows that this SFA team just isn't ready to play outside of WRJ. SFA will have a chance to reclaim steam with a win over the league-leading Privateers at home this weekend.
5. Lamar
2016-17 record: 12-8 (4-3) | Last week's rank: 6
This week, the Cardinals went 1-1. Copy and paste this every week for the remainder of the season and it will probably apply. Lucky for Lamar, this is the SLC and 9-9 gets you a 1/8 chance at a tournament bid.
6. Nicholls
2016-17 record: 10-10 (3-4) | Last week's rank: 8
The Colonels sit in an interesting spot in the rankings. They are the dividing line between the good and the bad. While I want to believe that this team is closer to the bad teams, the talent they have makes them dangerous if they can get rolling. Will that happen? Probably not. But it could.
7. Central Arkansas
2016-17 record: 3-4 (4-16) | Last week's rank: 4
Well, time to get out the shotgun because my dark horse team has a broken leg. Three-straight losses by the Bears and a game at SFA has this team in a worse spot than James Franco in
127 Hours.
8. Incarnate Word
2016-17 record: 8-10 (3-4) | Last week's rank: 12
8. Incarnate Word- A win over a streaking SFA team always looks good until you realize the Jacks cant beat anyone on the road this season. The Cardinals did prove that they can win games with their deep threat offense if they, like SFA, could win away from home (0-8 on the road).
9. Houston Baptist
2016-17 record: 7-11 (3-5) | Last week's rank: 7
After a hot start that had me actually believing in the Huskies, they have now dropped four-straight by an average of nearly 10 points. I don't think that this team is slumping, I just think they are a legitimately mediocre group who got lucky early. No disrespect to the Huskies - they just aren't a threat to win this conference.
10. Abilene Christian
2016-17 record: 8-10 (2-5) | Last week's rank: 10
ACU dropped their only game of the week to Nicholls. Like so many other teams in the league, ACU has a road game problem. They may have a few more home court upsets in store for better teams but their preseason goal of a top 3 finish is looking pretty far out of reach.
11. Texas A&M-CC
2016-17 record: 9-9 (2-5) | Last week's rank: 9
With two-straight losses to SFA, a loss to Sam, a loss to New Orleans, and a suspension of their best player, the season is looking lost for the Islanders. It’s hard to tell why it all went so wrong for a team many thought would sweep through the league unscathed. The recent indefinite suspension of Rawshawn Thomas could be a sign that there has been trouble behind closed doors all season. They're still putting up admirable fights and they could still make a run with all the talent available, but right now this team looks too far gone.
12. Northwestern State
2016-17 record: 8-9 (2-4) | Last week's rank: 13
On the back of Sabri Thompson, the Demons have started winning games again, including two of their last three. Thompson has been as hot as they get lately averaging 22.5 per game, putting in an average of four 3-pointers, and giving the program hope beyond the Zeek Woodley era. If he stays this hot, the Demons are far from out of the conference tournament picture.
13. McNeese
2016-17 record: 6-12 (3-4) | Last week's rank: 11
For the first time since conference play began, we have a new team in the basement. After a 13-point beating at the hands of Northwestern State, this team has fallen a long way since beating SFA. Having lost four of their last five, the Cowboys are beginning to settle right where everyone expected them to earlier in the season.
