Tipping Off
The Southern Arkansas men's basketball team is set to host their first GAC game since December 2 with a matchup against Harding on Thursday in Magnolia, and will trek to Russellville, Ark. on Saturday to take on Arkansas Tech.
Coming into the weekend, the Muleriders notched their first win against a GAC opponent, after going 0-4 prior to the break in their schedule, with a road victory against Southwestern Okla. on January 6. Despite their start to conference play, optimism remains high with 16 more league games still on tap.
The first of those will be against the upstart Bisons of Harding inside the W.T. Watson Center. Harding has yet to clinch a victory this season and is currently 0-11 overall and 0-6 in conference play.
SAU's next road test will be a tough matchup against Arkansas Tech who has only lost a pair of games this season with a 10-2 overall record and 4-2 record in GAC play. Both of Tech's losses were to GAC opponents in four points or less.
MULERIDER NEWS & NOTES
The Southern Arkansas men's basketball team enters play this weekend with a 5-7 overall record and an 1-5 record in GAC play. The Muleriders are coming off of an 11-point win on the road at Weatherford, Oklahoma on January 6. It was SAU's first conference win of the 2017-18 season, as well as, its first season win against a GAC Oklahoma opponent. In that game, SAU downed the Bulldogs, 84-73, and had five individuals score in double-figures.
On the season, the Muleriders are averaging 80.8 points per game, which ranks fifth in the GAC. Defensively, the Muleriders rank fourth in scoring defense in the GAC at 72.0 points per game, and their 8.8 scoring margin ranks fifth in the league.
As a team, the Muleriders are shooting .447 (339-of-759) overall from the floor which includes a shooting mark of .353 (100-of-283) from long range. From the free throw line, the Muleriders are shooting .690 (191-of-277). Their overall field goal percentage, 3-point field goal percentage and free throw percentage ranks ninth in the GAC.
Individually, the Muleriders have three players who are averaging double figures in scoring with
CJ Elkins leading the team at 13.7 points per game.
Draylan Perkins is not far back at 12.8 ppg and
Keeton Tennison rounds out double figure scoring with an 10.8 ppg average. The leading rebounder on the team is
DeVante Brooks with 6.1 rpg, while the top assist man on the team is Elkins with an average of 2.8 assists per game.
COACH
The Muleriders are coached by
Andy Sharpe, who is in his sixth season at Southern Arkansas. In his five previous seasons at SAU, Sharpe is 67-74.
Since the 2014-15 season, Sharpe has turned the Muleriders into serious contenders in the Great American Conference as SAU has won 35 conference games and have finished in the top half of the standings each year as well. The first two seasons in this recent stretch saw the Muleriders post consecutive winning seasons for the first time since the 2000-01 and 2001-02 seasons.
As far as post-season play is concerned, Sharpe has led the Muleriders to the GAC Tournament all five years at the helm and has advanced the team to the semi-finals twice with opening round wins in 2014 and 2016. Under Sharpe, SAU is one of only three schools that have made the GAC Tournament in five-consecutive seasons; joining Arkansas Tech and Harding.
SCOUTING HARDING
The Harding men's basketball team enters play this weekend with a 0-11 overall record and a 0-6 mark in the Great American Conference. The Bisons enter the weekend having lost their last two games on the road to GAC Oklahoma opponents.
On the season, the Bisons are averaging 67.8 points per game, which ranks last in the GAC. Defensively, the Bisons are allowing 78.2 points per game, ranking their scoring defense ninth in the GAC. Their -10.4 scoring margin ranks last in the league.
As a team, the Bisons are shooting .424 (276-of-651) overall from the floor which includes a shooting mark of .348 (88-of-253) from long range. From the free throw line, the Bisons are shooting .586 (106-of-181). Their overall field goal percentage ranks 11th in the GAC while their 3-point field goal percentage ranks 10th. At the charity stripe the Bisons' percentage ranks last.
Individually, Tim Wagner is the only Bison averaging double figures and leads the team at 16.4 points per game. Adam Horn is the team's leading rebounder at 4.8 boards per game. Reggie Anthony is the leading assist man on the team at 3.2 assists per game.
COACH
The Bisons are coached by Jeff Morgan, who is in his 25th year as the head coach at Harding. Overall, Morgan is in 26th season as a head coach after spending his first season at his alma mater, West Texas A&M. Since taking over at Harding, Morgan has amassed a 412-275 overall record. Six times, Morgan has won 20 or more games in a season and he has led the Bisons to the NCAA Tournament seven times while capturing the GAC Tournament Championship in 2014. Additionally, he has won conference regular season titles in 2008, 2013, and 2016.
LAST YEAR/LAST TIME OUT
Last time out, the score was tied three times and the lead changed eight times before SAU secured the win, 88-58, in Searcy. After the half of that game, SAU did not trail as they went on to score 55 points to claim their first 30 point marginal victory of the season against a GAC opponent.
THE SERIES
This is the 40th meeting since 1999-200 between SAU and Harding with the two teams meeting at least twice a year in that time. In three of the last four seasons, the two have met in the GAC Tournament and Harding has won all three of those games.
SCOUTING ARKANSAS TECH
The Arkansas Tech men's basketball team enters play this weekend with a 10-2 overall record and are 4-2 in the Great American Conference. The Wonder Boys are coming off of a loss on the road last week to Southern Nazarene, 82-85, after an eight game winning streak this season.
As a team, the Wonder Boys are shooting .458 (394-of-860) overall from the floor which includes a shooting mark of .364 (150-of-412) from long range. From the free throw line, the Wonder Boys are shooting .756 (152-of-201). Their overall field goal percentage and their 3-point field goal percentage ranks eighth in the GAC. At the charity stripe the Wonder Boys' percentage ranks second.
So far this season, the Wonder Boys are averaging 90.8 points per game offensively, and are allowing 82.5 points per game defensively. Their points per game scoring ranks first in the GAC while their scoring defense per game ranks last in the league.
Four Wonder Boys are averaging double-figures in scoring with R.J. Glasper leading the team with 17.4 points per game. Harris Brown is next at 14.8 ppg, Trevin Woods follows at 10.8 ppg and Montrell Williams rounds out the double-figure scoring average at 10.6 ppg. Alex Brown is the team's leading rebounder at 7.7 rebounds per game. Freddy Lee is the team's top assist man at 5.6 assists per game.
COACH
The Wonder Boys are coached by Chad Kline, who is in his fourth season at Arkansas Tech. In his three seasons as head coach, Kline has led the Wonder Boys to a 80-42 overall record and a GAC Tournament Championship in his first season. Prior to being named the head coach at Tech, Kline was an assistant coach in the program for three years under former head man Doug Karleskint.
LAST YEAR/LAST TIME OUT
Last time out, Arkansas Tech edged out the Muleriders, 72-68 at the GAC tournament championships. In that game, SAU battled from a 16 point deficit in the second half to tie the score with 0:55 seconds left, but suffered the eventual loss after Tech scored the final four points of the game.
THE SERIES
This is the 42nd meeting since 1997-98 between SAU and Arkansas Tech and Tech holds a 29-14 advantage. SAU and ATU have met at least twice a year in that time as conference opponents.
