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Stephen F. Austin Basketball
Gameday Predictions: UAB at Stephen F. Austin
The Lumberjacks host the Alabama-Birmingham Blazers tonight at 7PM. If you can get yourself to William R. Johnson Coliseum this is definitely the night to do it.
Nobody knows exactly what will happen during this arguably biggest game of the season for the Lumberjacks. In this week's edition of Gameday Predictions, our writers give you their best guess.
Have a prediction to add? Join the discussion at the bottom of this page.
Isaac Niedrauer: I want to pick SFA in this one. I really do. The Jacks have just not shown an ability to play consistently for 40 minutes.
UAB is without their star point guard this season and they are experiencing some growing pains under a new coach as well, but make no mistake, they will be an excellent team this year. Good enough to beat UL-Monroe is not good enough to beat UAB and unfortunately the Jacks couldn't do the former as of this time last week.
The home court advantage will be largely cancelled out by the experience gap between SFA's personnel and the numerous returners for the Blazers. I think the Jacks show some progress offensively but ultimately the full-court press gets to them. Give me UAB in a semi-close one.
Final Score: 68-59 UAB
Jake Rhodes: As the resident pessimist at The Sawmill, I just have little doubt in my mind that SFA will lose this game. By a fairly wide margin I might add. I like the talent on this Lumberjacks team and I think eventually it will all come together. Not today. Here are three reasons why:
1) Injuries - Bain and Charles are out, others are banged up and this injury report is looks more like a novel each week. Not only is talent missing from the floor but with so many new players and so little practice time with them this team has a big chemistry problem. That lack of confident flow between players has a direct influence of the second of my points: turnovers.
2) Turnovers - “You can’t win if you don't score and you can’t score if you don't have the ball.” - Me, just now. Averaging an astounding 22.3 turnovers per game, SFA ranks 347th in the country in turnovers (that's dead last if you're counting at home). As mentioned before, some of this can be attributed to early-season chemistry. Some of it is just careless basketball. Until the Jacks can keep their focus for a full two halves it’s going to be tough to win a game like this.
3) The Streak - As much as the home winning streak means to SFA’s national relevance it may be time for it to come to an end. While the players or coaches would never admit it, the streak is something that weighs on them every time they tip-off inside William R. Johnson Coliseum. Nobody wants to be the guy who misses the final shot, or goes 0-10 from the floor and kills the streak at 31. There is a pressure associated with streaks like these because the team is expected to live up to the success of the past two years. Nobody wants to see it go but if it helps them loosen up and get back to just playing, maybe its what needs to happen.
No disrespect to UAB but I think the Jacks beat themselves again in this one.
Final Score: 67-55 UAB
Austin Fenoglio: Throughout the season, SFA has struggled mightily with offensive chemistry. Talent doesn't appear to be lacking with Ivan Canete showing his scoring range, Leon Gilmore beginning to emerge, and TJ Holyfield showing Player of the Year potential. As we know, the head-scratching turnovers have been a huge problem for everyone though.
Against a bad Centenary team (and I mean bad), it appeared the Jacks were starting to figure it out a bit. That was a very needed game at this point in the season. We started seeing aggression and confidence that seemed in some ways dashed after the first couple couple games.
For most of the season, SFA has either been huge favorites or huge underdogs. This is the first game I see us playing a team with comparable talent and I think the confidence of the Jacks after a blowout win this weekend will be on display. Expect a tightly contested game decided in the final minutes.
Final Score: 60-65 SFA
Kamron Ward: If the objective of basketball was to give the ball to the other team, we'd be watching two powerhouse programs compete at WRJ tonight.
Both teams are plagued by injuries, but the lack of Ty Charles has been all but debilitating for SFA. If not for divine intervention in the form of a Canete jumpshot, the already disappointing loss at ULM would have been an equally embarrassing one. The 'Jacks will not get easy bucket opportunities in the paint until they become a consistent threat from the arc.
I don't think SFA has the scoring ability (yet) to beat a legitimate program like UAB, and being at the bottom of the country in turnovers certainly doesn't help.
Final Score: 72-60 UAB
Cole Albritton: A year ago, the Jacks were handed a loss right before going on an insane 21-game winning streak. It was the final time they would fall until the heartbreak in the NCAA Tournament's round of 32 to Notre Dame. The loss? At UAB.
There may not be a lot of returners but the Jacks are seeking revenge while protecting their floor today. I think SFA takes a step forward in finding out their offensive identify. UAB's pressure defense and solid offensive output will keep them up for the majority of this one but SFA is going to have a big offensive day out of their guards (Ivan Canete, Dallas Cameron, Isaiah Traylor, Kevon Harris) and with solid defensive play out of their big men (TJ Holyfield, Leon Gilmore) it will be enough.
The Dragons walk out of William R. Johnson Coliseum with their tail between their legs, slain by the Lumberjacks in what will become an instant classic. Advantage, SFA.
Final Score: 84-86 SFA
Nobody knows exactly what will happen during this arguably biggest game of the season for the Lumberjacks. In this week's edition of Gameday Predictions, our writers give you their best guess.
Have a prediction to add? Join the discussion at the bottom of this page.
Isaac Niedrauer: I want to pick SFA in this one. I really do. The Jacks have just not shown an ability to play consistently for 40 minutes.
UAB is without their star point guard this season and they are experiencing some growing pains under a new coach as well, but make no mistake, they will be an excellent team this year. Good enough to beat UL-Monroe is not good enough to beat UAB and unfortunately the Jacks couldn't do the former as of this time last week.
The home court advantage will be largely cancelled out by the experience gap between SFA's personnel and the numerous returners for the Blazers. I think the Jacks show some progress offensively but ultimately the full-court press gets to them. Give me UAB in a semi-close one.
Final Score: 68-59 UAB
Jake Rhodes: As the resident pessimist at The Sawmill, I just have little doubt in my mind that SFA will lose this game. By a fairly wide margin I might add. I like the talent on this Lumberjacks team and I think eventually it will all come together. Not today. Here are three reasons why:
1) Injuries - Bain and Charles are out, others are banged up and this injury report is looks more like a novel each week. Not only is talent missing from the floor but with so many new players and so little practice time with them this team has a big chemistry problem. That lack of confident flow between players has a direct influence of the second of my points: turnovers.
2) Turnovers - “You can’t win if you don't score and you can’t score if you don't have the ball.” - Me, just now. Averaging an astounding 22.3 turnovers per game, SFA ranks 347th in the country in turnovers (that's dead last if you're counting at home). As mentioned before, some of this can be attributed to early-season chemistry. Some of it is just careless basketball. Until the Jacks can keep their focus for a full two halves it’s going to be tough to win a game like this.
3) The Streak - As much as the home winning streak means to SFA’s national relevance it may be time for it to come to an end. While the players or coaches would never admit it, the streak is something that weighs on them every time they tip-off inside William R. Johnson Coliseum. Nobody wants to be the guy who misses the final shot, or goes 0-10 from the floor and kills the streak at 31. There is a pressure associated with streaks like these because the team is expected to live up to the success of the past two years. Nobody wants to see it go but if it helps them loosen up and get back to just playing, maybe its what needs to happen.
No disrespect to UAB but I think the Jacks beat themselves again in this one.
Final Score: 67-55 UAB
Austin Fenoglio: Throughout the season, SFA has struggled mightily with offensive chemistry. Talent doesn't appear to be lacking with Ivan Canete showing his scoring range, Leon Gilmore beginning to emerge, and TJ Holyfield showing Player of the Year potential. As we know, the head-scratching turnovers have been a huge problem for everyone though.
Against a bad Centenary team (and I mean bad), it appeared the Jacks were starting to figure it out a bit. That was a very needed game at this point in the season. We started seeing aggression and confidence that seemed in some ways dashed after the first couple couple games.
For most of the season, SFA has either been huge favorites or huge underdogs. This is the first game I see us playing a team with comparable talent and I think the confidence of the Jacks after a blowout win this weekend will be on display. Expect a tightly contested game decided in the final minutes.
Final Score: 60-65 SFA
Kamron Ward: If the objective of basketball was to give the ball to the other team, we'd be watching two powerhouse programs compete at WRJ tonight.
Both teams are plagued by injuries, but the lack of Ty Charles has been all but debilitating for SFA. If not for divine intervention in the form of a Canete jumpshot, the already disappointing loss at ULM would have been an equally embarrassing one. The 'Jacks will not get easy bucket opportunities in the paint until they become a consistent threat from the arc.
I don't think SFA has the scoring ability (yet) to beat a legitimate program like UAB, and being at the bottom of the country in turnovers certainly doesn't help.
Final Score: 72-60 UAB
Cole Albritton: A year ago, the Jacks were handed a loss right before going on an insane 21-game winning streak. It was the final time they would fall until the heartbreak in the NCAA Tournament's round of 32 to Notre Dame. The loss? At UAB.
There may not be a lot of returners but the Jacks are seeking revenge while protecting their floor today. I think SFA takes a step forward in finding out their offensive identify. UAB's pressure defense and solid offensive output will keep them up for the majority of this one but SFA is going to have a big offensive day out of their guards (Ivan Canete, Dallas Cameron, Isaiah Traylor, Kevon Harris) and with solid defensive play out of their big men (TJ Holyfield, Leon Gilmore) it will be enough.
The Dragons walk out of William R. Johnson Coliseum with their tail between their legs, slain by the Lumberjacks in what will become an instant classic. Advantage, SFA.
Final Score: 84-86 SFA
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