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In last year's NCAA Tournament, the Lumberjacks caused an early round commotion as the No. 12 seed, ousting coach Shaka Smart's fifth-seeded Virginia Commonwealth Rams 77-75 in overtime. The game was memorable because of Desmond Haymon's four-point play as the clock wound down in regulation.
Now they're back, again as the No. 12 seed, set to face No. 5 Utah in their South Regional opener on Thursday.
Stephen F. Austin earned its berth with an 83-70 victory over Sam Houston State in the final of the Southland Conference Tournament.
"Excited," Southland player of the year Thomas Walkup said about the Lumberjacks' return to tournament. "Excited just for the fact that we get to go back and that we get to be on the big stage and continue to grow the name of Stephen F. Austin and try to build our legacy."
Walkup averaged 15.7 points and 6.4 rebounds per game and Stephen F. Austin (29-4) won its last nine straight heading into the tournament. Coach Brad Underwood has compiled an impressive 61-7 record -- and the consecutive tournament appearances -- in his two seasons at the helm.
But the Lumberjacks will face a considerable challenge in the Utes, who went 24-8 and won an at-large bid after falling to Oregon in the semifinals of the Pac-12 Conference Tournament.
Utah last played in the tournament in 2009.
"You want to approach every game with the mentality that we're just going to go out there and play harder than our opponent," guard Brandon Taylor said. "That right there is going to lead to showing the world that Utah basketball is back."
The Lumberjacks and the Utes have never met. The winner will face the winner of Thursday's game between No. 4 seed Georgetown and No. 13 Eastern Washington.
This post was edited on 3/19 5:38 PM by B. Borg
In last year's NCAA Tournament, the Lumberjacks caused an early round commotion as the No. 12 seed, ousting coach Shaka Smart's fifth-seeded Virginia Commonwealth Rams 77-75 in overtime. The game was memorable because of Desmond Haymon's four-point play as the clock wound down in regulation.
Now they're back, again as the No. 12 seed, set to face No. 5 Utah in their South Regional opener on Thursday.
Stephen F. Austin earned its berth with an 83-70 victory over Sam Houston State in the final of the Southland Conference Tournament.
"Excited," Southland player of the year Thomas Walkup said about the Lumberjacks' return to tournament. "Excited just for the fact that we get to go back and that we get to be on the big stage and continue to grow the name of Stephen F. Austin and try to build our legacy."
Walkup averaged 15.7 points and 6.4 rebounds per game and Stephen F. Austin (29-4) won its last nine straight heading into the tournament. Coach Brad Underwood has compiled an impressive 61-7 record -- and the consecutive tournament appearances -- in his two seasons at the helm.
But the Lumberjacks will face a considerable challenge in the Utes, who went 24-8 and won an at-large bid after falling to Oregon in the semifinals of the Pac-12 Conference Tournament.
Utah last played in the tournament in 2009.
"You want to approach every game with the mentality that we're just going to go out there and play harder than our opponent," guard Brandon Taylor said. "That right there is going to lead to showing the world that Utah basketball is back."
The Lumberjacks and the Utes have never met. The winner will face the winner of Thursday's game between No. 4 seed Georgetown and No. 13 Eastern Washington.
This post was edited on 3/19 5:38 PM by B. Borg
