Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks: 28-6, 14-4 in the Southland Conference
Head coach: Kyle Keller (2nd season)
Players to watch: Shannon Bogues (15.4 PPG, 80.7 FT%); Kevon Harris (14.6 PPG, 5.4 RPG); T.J. Holyfield (13.0 PPG, 6.4 RPG)
Season recap: The Lumberjacks are back in the NCAA tournament for the first time under head coach Kyle Keller after beating Southeastern Louisiana 59-55 in the Southland Conference championship Saturday, led by forward T.J. Holyfield's 13 points.
Stephen F. Austin is used to holding opponents to low scoring outputs with its relentless pressure defense that is in the top 70 nationally in Ken Pomeroy's defensive efficiency metric. The team forces 20.0 turnovers per game and has seven players who average between 23 and 28 minutes per contest, cycling through players to maintain its defensive intensity.
The Lumberjacks played three SEC teams during their nonconference slate and beat LSU by one point. They also narrowly lost by one to NCAA tournament-bound Missouri. With a few key contributors remaining from the team that upset West Virginia in the NCAA tournament two years ago, Stephen F. Austin will be a unique matchup for whichever higher seed it faces in the first round.
How they make a run: The Lumberjacks' first-round opponent comes out frustrated by their press, turning the ball over repeatedly in the first as Stephen F. Austin gets a slew of easy transition layups and builds an insurmountable lead on its way to another upset.
How they falter: Matched up against a calm, veteran point guard for a top-25 team, the Lumberjack defense gets picked apart, giving up 2-on-1 and 3-on-2 opportunities for too many points after its traps in the backcourt get solved.
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