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SOUTHERN ARKANSAS
MULERIDERS
12-11 (8-9 GAC) |
ARKANSAS TECH
WONDER BOYS
9-8 (15-8 GAC) |
HARDING
BISONS
4-13 (4-18 GAC) |
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TIPPING OFF
The Southern Arkansas men's basketball team is set to enter in to the stretch run of their 2017-18 regular season schedule as they prepare for their final five league contests over the span of the next 10 days where they will also be looking to complete season sweeps as they were victorious in the first meetings.
This five-game in 10-days go-round will see the Muleriders host Arkansas Tech this Thursday and then play on the road at Harding this Saturday and Arkansas-Monticello on the following Tuesday.
This weekend's games carry a tremendous amount of importance to the Muleriders as they are playing to secure a spot in the upcoming Great American Conference Tournament in March. It would be the Muleriders' seventh-straight appearance in the GAC Tournament.
Currently, the Muleriders are slotted in the seventh tournament position and are just one game behind Arkansas Tech and Arkansas Monticello, who are both in a tie for fifth-place. Saturday's opponent, Harding, sits in 11th place in the league standings.
MULERIDER NEWS & NOTES
The Southern Arkansas men's basketball team enters play this weekend with a 12-11 overall record and a 8-9 record in GAC play. The Muleriders are currently ranked seventh in the league's standings and are just one game behind Arkansas Tech and Harding, who are both tied for fifth place.
On the season, the Muleriders are averaging 78.5 points per game, which ranks fifth in the GAC. Defensively, the Muleriders rank third in scoring defense in the GAC at 72.1 points per game, and their +6.4 scoring margin ranks fourth in the league.
As a team, the Muleriders are shooting .451 (627-of-1389) overall from the floor which includes a shooting mark of .373 (197-of-528) from long range. From the free throw line, the Muleriders are shooting .668 (354-of-530). Their overall field goal percentage ranks ninth while their 3-point field goal percentage ranks fifth. Their free throw percentage ranks tenth in the GAC.
Individually, the Muleriders have three players who are averaging double figures in scoring with
CJ Elkins leading the team at 13.9 points per game and
Keeton Tennison following at 11.6 points per game.
Draylan Perkins rounds out double figure scoring with an 11.0 ppg average.
The leading rebounder on the team is
DeVante Brooks with 7.3 rpg which also ranks him first in the league in that category, while the top assist man on the team is Elkins with an average of 3.2 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 ARKANSAS TECH
The Arkansas men's basketball team enters play this weekend with a 15-8 overall record and are 9-8 in the Great American Conference. The Wonder Boys have accumulated a 6-5 record on the road this season in conference play with one of those losses being to the Muleriders on January 13 in a 80-76 final decision.
As a team, the Wonder Boys are shooting .454 (718-of-1582) overall from the floor which includes a shooting mark of .359 (271-of-755) from long range. From the free throw line, the Wonder Boys are shooting .765 (287-of-375). Their overall field goal percentage ranks eighth in the GAC while their 3-point field goal percentage ranks 10th. At the charity stripe the Wonder Boys' percentage ranks second.
So far this season, the Wonder Boys are averaging 86.7 points per game offensively, and are allowing 82.3 points per game defensively. Their points per game scoring ranks first in the GAC while their scoring defense per game ranks 11th in the league and their +4.4 scoring margin ranks sixth.
Currently, five Wonder Boys are averaging double figures in scoring with R.J. Glasper leading the team with 19.0 points per game, followed by Montrell Williams at 13.3 points per game, Harris Brown at 13.0 ppg, Alex Brown at 12.8 ppg, and Trevin Woods rounds out the double-figure scorers at 10.5 ppg. Williams is also the team's leading rebounder at 6.5 rebounds per game. Freddy Lee is the team's top assist man at 5.1 assists per game.
COACH
The Wonder Boys are coached by Chad Kline, who is in his fourth season at Arkansas Tech. In his four seasons as head coach, Kline has led the Wonder Boys to a 95-50 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, the Muleriders handed Arkansas Tech its first home loss of the 2017 season in an 80-76 victory inside Tucker Coliseum that saw six tied scores and 12 lead changes on January 13.
THE SERIES
This is the 43rd meeting since 1997-98 between SAU and Arkansas Tech and Tech holds a 29-15 advantage. SAU and ATU have met
at least twice a year in that time as conference opponents.
SCOUTING HARDING
The Harding men's basketball team enters play this weekend with a 4-18 overall record and an 4-13 mark in the Great American Conference. The Bisons have accumulated a 3-6 conference record at home this season and are currently in 11th place in GAC standings.
On the season, the Bisons rank 12th in scoring with an average 70.5 points per game. Defensively, the Bisons are allowing 80.8 points per game, ranking their scoring defense 10th in the GAC along with a -10.2 scoring margin.
As a team, the Bisons are shooting .433 (567-of-1308) overall from the floor which includes a shooting mark of .358 (187-of-522) from long range. From the free throw line, the Bisons are shooting .626 (231-of-369). Their overall field goal percentage ranks last in the GAC, while their 3-point field goal percentage ranks seventh in the league. At the charity stripe the Bisons' percentage ranks 12th.
A pair of Bison players are currently averaging double figures in scoring with Tim Wagner leading the team at 15.0 points per game and Preston Anderson is next at 10.4 ppg. Adam Horn is the team's leading rebounder at 5.2 boards per game and Reggie Anthony is the top assist man on the team at 3.6 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 416-293 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, SAU led wire-to-wire, and had four Muleriders score in double figures, to cruise to an 88-55 win over Harding in Magnolia on January 11.
THE SERIES
This is the 41st 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.
