Last week I introduced my new hashtag for the conference
#RaceforSixteen. Maybe I spoke too soon.
The mighty Bearkats are storming through this conference and their dominance may warrant a 15 seed! All jokes aside, its the midway point of the season and I haven’t seen anything yet that would make me think this league has a chance to knock off a 4 seed. No offense, Bearkats, but if you win this conference, the loss your basketball team will take at the hands of UNC-type will make your James Madison loss look like a moral victory.
Regardless of the inevitable ending, there are still some good games left in the regular season. It also might be a little early to make Sam the foregone champion. Here's where everyone stands this week.
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1. Sam Houston State
2016-17 record: 15-6 (6-2) | Last week's rank: 1
For the first time all season, I finally feel confident in making a team my undisputed number one. While the Privateers lost in Nacogdoches this past week, the Bearkats kept rolling - notching their 7th straight win. All those wins won't mean much to Kat fans if this team can’t take care of business on Thursday when SFA comes to town. If Sam can exorcise the demons that have plagued them for the last five years against SFA, they will be on cruise control to the top seed in Katy.
2. New Orleans
2016-17 record: 11-7 (6-1) | Last week's rank: 2
A tough loss to swallow for Privateers fans this past week, but don't worry; nobody gets condemned for losing in Nacogdoches. With a fairly easy schedule over the next five games, New Orleans should keep themselves firmly in the running for a top seed when they meet the Lumberjacks again on February 23rd.
3. Stephen F. Austin
2016-17 record: 9-10 (4-3) | Last week's rank: 4
Just another day inside of William R Johnson for the Lumberjacks. Their home conference winning streak grew to (some ridiculous number) with two more wins over UCA and UNO this week. Heading to Huntsville on Thursday will be their biggest game to date and a win will put them back in the driver's seat for their “Drive for 5."
4. Lamar
2016-17 record: 12-8 (4-3) | Last week's rank: 5
This week, the Cardinals went 1-1. Copy and paste this every week for the remainder of the season and it will probably apply (I told you I could just do this every week). With a win over the lowly Demons and a tough loss to the Islanders, Lamar continued to be mediocre, yet successful, at the same time.
5. Incarnate Word
2016-17 record: 8-10 (3-4) | Last week's rank: 8
Somehow UIW has become the second hottest team in the conference after a losing streak that saw them near bottoming out in these rankings. With four straight wins by a total of 11 points (5,2,3,1), this team is firmly back in the hunt for a top four finish, followed by remaining ineligible for the conference tournament. EXCITING STUFF!
6. Southeastern Louisiana
2016-17 record: 12-8 (5-2) | Last week's rank: 3
After the loss to Northwestern State, I was thinking to myself, "well, this is the end for the Lions." But, the heart they showed in a two-point loss to Sam Houston should give SELA fans hope. This team may not have a true star, but an experienced roster knows that this is the year to seize the Southland and they are going to fight for it.
7. Houston Baptist
2016-17 record: 7-11 (3-5) | Last week's rank: 9
Once again, here is my line in the sand for relevant Southland teams. Last week it was Nicholls (clearly I was wrong). This week, the Huskies are the dividing line in a conference race that has finally started to make some sense. Any team below the Huskies at this point (besides Corpus Christi, perhaps) is dead in the water. As for the Huskies, well better luck next season.
8. Nicholls
2016-17 record: 10-10 (3-4) | Last week's rank: 6
This year, everything was going so well for Nicholls, until it wasn’t. Ja’Dante Fry is still playing All-Conference level ball, but the team around him seems to have gone missing. They are still in the playoff mix (since everyone gets a trophy in the Southland) but now it looks as if they are just playing to make the CBI tournament.
9. Texas A&M-CC
2016-17 record: 9-9 (2-5) | Last week's rank: 11
Don’t count out the Islanders just yet. Two-straight wins and counting. While A&M-CC has struggled mightily until now, they have been blessed with the easiest schedule of all the remaining teams. No more SFA, no more Sam, no more UNO. For a team that has the talent to be a top-three team, the Islanders could very easily run the table or suffer only one more loss. Their final schedule makes them dangerous as they can work out the kinks versus poor competition and could be the hottest team come March.
10. Northwestern State
2016-17 record: 8-9 (2-4) | Last week's rank: 12
The Demons had won 3 of their last 4 entering last week's matchup with Lamar. It wasn't a game that they were expected to win but a game that they should have at least stayed competitive. That didn’t happen and it looks like any offensive mojo the Demons had found is gone again. Hopefully they can find it soon because SFA comes to town on Saturday and as everyone knows, SFA on the road=McNeese or something.
11. Central Arkansas
2016-17 record: 3-4 (4-16) | Last week's rank: 7
5 straight losses…Welcome to the glue factory, dark horses. This is going to be painful for me to admit, so I'm going to just rip it off like a bandaid. The Bears suck. I don't know why or how they continue to be so bad with their great offense every season, but someone should get fired for wasting all the talent that this program has. If anyone from Central Arkansas' athletic department is reading this, give me a call so I can apply for the new HC spot.
12. Abilene Christian
2016-17 record: 8-10 (2-5) | Last week's rank: 10
It’s hard to believe that this was once one of the top teams in these rankings. How can a team can play so well outside of the Southland and then absolutely fall apart? Moving on though, next up this week for the Wildcats are games against UNO and Sam Houston. This must be what hell feels like, huh ACU fans?
13. McNeese
2016-17 record: 6-12 (3-4) | Last week's rank: 13
Buckle in Cowboys fans, the suffering isn't going to end this season. If Corpus has the easiest schedule, you have the hardest. Two more against the Islanders, two against Lamar, one against Sam, and one against UNO. This team has a long and painful road ahead. But hey, there is one game against ACU remaining.
