Fact or Fiction: What's true about SFA basketball's offseason?

Spring time is officially upon us and that means clear skies, green grass, and everything gets a baseball analogy.

Batting averages, dropping the ball, throwing a curve, going to bat for someone, in their own league - we hear them daily and not necessarily in reference to the diamond sport.

At Stephen F. Austin, even leaders of other sports are doing their best to channel the lingo of America's pastime. "I really like our team," SFA basketball head coach Kyle Keller told me during a conversation this week. "But I'm still out here [on the recruiting trail] just in case we hit a home run."

The Lumberjacks are likely poised to be the basketball favorites out of the Southland Conference in 2017-18, coming off a runner-up finish this past season. Keller's squad returns the bulk of their talent and adds some serious star potential in a trio of early period signees. As we surge into the late signing period, here are some facts and fiction surrounding the program this spring:

At least one player you've not yet heard of will a part of the team this November -

SFA is currently one scholarship over the thirteen player limit. Even carrying an extra for most of the season and with Dallas Cameron departing to graduation, the Lumberjacks added three players, point guard Cameron Mack, wing Shannon Bogues, forward Stefon Fisher, to put them back over the top.

Two more tidbits of news came out this week. First, that SFA has offered point guard John Comeaux, an incoming sophomore from JUCO. Secondly, that forward Josh Huntley will be leaving SFA (more on this in a minute).

Kyle Keller does not make a habit of taking away scholarships. The kind of player that is recruited to the Lumberjacks' program is the type that wants to play meaningful minutes. If it becomes clear they will not see the court, the scholarship shortage usually fixes itself in the form of a transfer. That has been the case on other staffs that Keller has worked for and there is no reason to expect a different outcome here.

Needless to say, SFA is still chasing talent in the late-signing period. Comeaux is a player who could immediately help the Lumberjacks at the point, but a couple of graduate transfers and Lakeview Centennial product Zhaire Smith have also been linked to the Jacks this spring.

Comeaux has a very good chance of being a Lumberjack. Smith, less so. The graduate transfers are toss ups. Barring a surprise, though, at least one more player that has not made it on any list, tweet, or report will be a Lumberjack before the end of this month.

Barring a surprise, this is fact.

Josh Huntley will transfer from SFA before next season -

Verbal Commits, a generally reputable source but not one that cites sources, reported this week that senior forward Josh Huntley would be leaving the SFA program.

All-in-all, that is not particularly surprising considering the Jacks' crowded front-court and Huntley's desire to play.

An individual close to the program, however, has told the Sawmill that Huntley and the SFA coaches have not yet spoken on this topic at all. To be completely clear, that does not mean Huntley is staying at SFA, only that Verbal Commits' report cannot be independently confirmed and there has been no official conversation at this point.

If VC's source is a family member of Huntley, they may know something nobody else does. In the meantime, we would expect Josh to make his own announcement when he's ready and the appropriate people have been informed.

There's no reason to think that VC is incorrect, but this is TBD.

Wichita State to the AAC opens a door for SFA to leave the Southland Conference -

A few short years ago, seeking regional rivalries and more convenient travel arrangements, Oral Roberts left the Summit League to join the Southland Conference. Just three short seasons later, they were back. “When the Southland Conference expanded to 14 teams, some of our primary objectives in joining the Southland, such as improving travel costs and developing rivalries with selected schools, are no longer possible to achieve," AD Mike Carter said in a statement at the time.

There was clearly more to it, though. "We didn't see the Southland as a basketball conference," said former ORU assistant (and now SFA assistant) Wade Mason in an interview with The Sawmill several months ago. SFA's exception to that rule was among the primary reasons Mason agreed to join Keller's staff early last year. The Lumberjacks in some ways are an odd fit in the SLC, though: a school that emphasizes basketball in a league where the hardwood is generally not the priority.

So clearly, the "when will SFA finally leave" questions persist among fans. Texas State left the SLC, UTSA and UT-Arlington did too, and Lamar has been trying to for years. Every time mid-major realignment is broached, that seems to reintroduce the topic of conversation among SFA faithful.

The truth is, there is almost a 0% chance that SFA leaves the Southland Conference any time soon. For one, the budget just isn't there to compete in a more prestigious league. Winning matters in Nacogdoches and the growing pains that would be associated with a move are hardly worth the minimal benefit.

When the SFA student body failed to pass the athletic fee referendum in Fall of 2016, it only furthered the funding dilemma of keeping up with the broad emphasis of competing institutions on facility improvement. Before the Lumberjacks can even discuss the implications of a next-level league, next-level facilities are a vital prerequisite.

Keep in mind, too, that almost any regional mid-major league, even if perceived as better than the SLC, is probably still only sending one team to the NCAA Tournament each year. How much of an advantage is there really in making your path to the Big Dance even harder?

Almost without a doubt, complete fiction.

It's impossible to schedule DI teams at home in Nacogdoches -

We heard no shortage of reports of the struggle that Brad Underwood had scheduling home games in Nacogdoches. His final season at SFA, the Lumberjacks played just one home game in the non-conference against a DI opponent - Texas Southern from the SWAC. Not having a commercial airport, unwilling regional foes, inconvenient arrangements, they've all been cited as legitimate reasons why.

In Keller's first season, it was more of the same. A game against Longwood (as part of ESPN's Tip Off Marathon) and a return game from a home-and-home with UAB were the only non-conference DI opponents to set foot in William R. Johnson Coliseum.

Within reason, expect that to change this year. Early indications are that the Lumberjacks could play as many as eight or nine home games this coming season, with four or five of them being against DI opponents.

As successful as SFA has been in the SLC and in postseason play over the last few seasons, the Lumberjacks have not had a particularly impressive non-conference record since the year was 2013. Gunning for a few opponents in the comforts of home could help reverse that trend.

There might even be a nice handful of winnable road contests against high-major opponents. Like, for instance:

Just because it's hard doesn't make it impossible. This is fiction.

There are no real positions of need on this team even if adding talent improves depth -

Cameron Mack and Shannon Bogues will be a dynamic duo in SFA's backcourt for awhile. Ty Charles, TJ Holyfield, and Leon Gilmore all have star potential on the front. Stefon Fisher, Ivan Canete, Samuli Nieminen, and others, could all play major roles.

What could this team be missing? Maybe nothing. You could play with that roster and win a lot of games. There is one missing piece, though - the same piece that has been absent for years: a true center and rim protector that is good enough to play meaningful minutes on the court.

Jovan Grujic could become that at some point. SFA has far from given up on the seven-foot Serbian. In fact, it wouldn't be a major surprise to see the Lumberjacks redshirt Grujic this season while allowing his game to mature. It would be, however, to see Jovan contributing in a notable way on the court this season. Because of that, this is a legitimate need on SFA's roster that hasn't been filled for a long time.

You can play with three forwards or three guards and win, certainly. The Lumberjacks have had a lot of success with that and so do many teams around the country every year. But if you're looking for a player that could potentially improve this team from a personnel standpoint immediately, a true center would definitely be one.

For that reason, we will call this assessment fiction.

It's going to be a long, long offseason waiting for more college basketball -

It already feels like years. This is undeniably fact.