Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks
Record: 29-4, 17-1 Southland
Head Coach: Brad Underwood (2nd year)
Season summary: After stunning fifth-seeded Virginia Commonwealth in the first round of the NCAA tournament a season ago, the Lumberjacks return to the Big Dance after capturing the automatic bid out of the Southland conference with a 17-1 conference record and a tournament championship. Stephen F. Austin ranks ninth in the country in scoring offense—averaging 79.5 points per game and are one of the most efficient teams in the country due to their 56-percent shooting on two-point field goals. The Lumberjacks are led by the duo of senior forward Jacob Parker—the Southland player of the year—and Thomas Walkup who combined for 34 points in the upset victory a year ago. With veteran leadership and the learning lessons from tough road losses at Northern Iowa, Xavier and Baylor, don’t expect Stephen F. Austin to go down without a fight.
How they make a run: The Lumberjacks combine their tournament experience with their super-efficient offense to dictate the pace of games en route to the Sweet 16.
How they falter: Stephen F. Austin’s pressure defense fails to force turnovers and leads to easy transition buckets for opponents and an early exit for the Lumberjacks.
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