Great college basketball programs around the country often have an ability to build winning culture across teams of both genders. With Kansas as a notable exception, you can glance at an AP Top 25 list and identify a number of schools with competitive teams on both the men's and women's side. Legendary programs and legitimate basketball schools - Notre Dame, Louisville, UConn - often are in the conversation among top teams regardless of which of their programs is being discussed.
Add another one to that list: Stephen F. Austin.
Although the Lumberjacks' success on the men's side is a more recent trend, women's teams from Nacogdoches frequented the Top 25 during the late 1980s and early 1990s. In 2018, though, both are firing on all cylinders.
That doesn't mean the job is anywhere close to finished; the Lumberjacks are looking to get back into the Big Dance after taking a year off last season and the women are still looking to break a drought that now spans almost 12 years.
But in mid-January, both teams are among elite company in the college basketball world, with a ridiculous combined record of 30-6 (the men are 16-3 and the women are 14-3). Pointed out by men's head coach Kyle Keller on Twitter this weekend, that winning percentage of .833 is one of the tops in country; second, in fact, after Villanova's women's team won last night, among all Division 1 schools in the nation.
There's more, though.
SFA's combined record this season at William R. Johnson Coliseum, one of the best home court advantages nationally in recent years, is a perfect 22-0. There are only two other basketball-sponsoring programs elsewhere who can claim an undefeated home record across both teams: Duke and Morgan State.
The Stephen F. Austin women play arguably their toughest home game of the season this Wednesday when they host defending Southland Conference Tournament champion Central Arkansas - and they'll be tested without question - but if there was any doubt that Nacogdoches was home to some must-see college basketball, let all uncertainty be vanquished.
So the long story short? If you live within a couple hours and don't find a way to make it to a Stephen F. Austin basketball game in 2017-18, you're bad and you should feel bad.
The Lumberjacks and Ladyjacks continue to lead the Lone Star State in the D1 basketball world and there are only six more opportunities per team to watch them play in Nacogdoches. Or, you could just catch a double-header, like the one on January 27th when both teams host rival Sam Houston State.
Let this one thing be clear, though: Stephen F. Austin isn't just on a list with elite college basketball schools. In 2017-18, Stephen F. Austin is an elite basketball school.
And they hosted an NCAA Regional one year, with a full house both nights. Can't remember the year though. May have been in the 90's.BigJack85 said:
Great article..... The Ladyjacks of the 80's routinely had 3000 - 4000 to a home game. Most of our competitors would have 300 - 400... it was quite an atmosphere when I was an undergrad.
