BEARKAT HOOPS: Digesting the disappointment of another empty postseason

After simmering for 24 hours, I found myself parked in front of the TV tonight watching hoops with my laptop in hand and decided to see if I could make any sense of the latest postseason disappointment. I'm not sure what I learned from what I'm about to present, but it helped pass the time.

Here's what I think I now know:
• SHSU has been better than just about every team in the SLC postseason since 2000 with the exception of NW State.
• We're 1-3 in the past 3 seasons, and I think that leaves a bad taste in my mouth, the "what have you done for me lately" factor.
• Tournament play is as much about luck as it is skill; the track record of every team in the SLC supports that evidence. Even NW State for all of its impressive success has seen its season end in disappointment 8 of the past 10 years.
• All things considered, I'd damn proud to be a SHSU graduate, I still believe BM & Co. have the best program in the SLC and I'm excited about what the future holds.

Chew on this for a while, digest it and please flush when you are finished...

SLC TOURNAMENT STATISTICS (since 1999-2000 season)

SLC Tournament appearances
9 — SHSU, UTA
8 — UTSA
7 — SFA, McNeese, NW St., Texas St.
6 — SE La., Lamar
5 — UL-Monroe%
3 — Nicholls St.
2 — A&M-CC#
% — Not a member of the SLC after 2005
# — SLC member since 2007


SLC Tournament Games Played & Record (listed in order of most games played)
NW State (19) 14-5 (6 finals appearances — 2000, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008; 2 titles — 2001, 2006)
SHSU (16) 8-8 (2 finals appearances — 2003, 2006; 1 title — 2003)
SFA (13) 7-6* (2 finals appearances)
UTSA (13) 7-6* (1 finals appearance; 1 title — 2004)
Lamar (12) 7-5 (1 finals appearance; 1 title — 2000)
McNeese (12) 6-6 (2 finals appearances — 2001, 2002; 1 title — 2002)
UTA (12) 4-8 (1 finals appearance; 1 title — 2008)
SE La. (9) 4-5 (1 finals appearance; 1 title — 2005)
Tx. St. (9) 2-7
UL-M (6) 1-5 (1 finals appearance — 2002)
A&M-CC (5) 4-1 (1 finals appearance; 1 title — 2007)
Nicholls St.(4) 1-3

* — will play Sunday in 2009 title game

Some other random facts about SHSU in the tournament…
• Record at Johnson Coliseum — 7-0
• Record at Road/Neutral site — 1-8
• Avg. margin of victory: 5.25 pts (7 wins by 6 points or less; 4 wins by 3 points or less; 1 win by 10+ points 88-70 vs. McNeese in 2005)
• Avg. margin of defeat: 11 pts (skewed by 32-points loss to SFA in 2004; 3 losses by 6 pts or less)
• 7 consecutive tournament appearances (tied most w/ UTA)
• Top 3 seed 7 times; No. 4 in 2001; lowest seed was No. 5 in 2004
• Record as favorite (higher seed) 8-4
• Record as underdog (lower seed) 0-4
• Kats are 4-0 in overtime games
• Kats are 1-4 in last 5 games

SHSU results by seed
No. 1 (2001, 2003): 3-1
No. 2 (2006, 2007) 2-2
No. 3 (2005, 2008, 2009): 2-3
No. 4 (2002): 1-1
No. 5 (2004): 0-1

SHSU results vs. opponent seed
vs. No. 1: 0-2 (L 99-82 vs. McNeese 2001 semis; L 85-87 NW St. 2006 finals)
vs. No. 2: 1-1 (W 69-66 OT vs. SFA 2003 final; L 71-62 @ SLU 2005 semis)
vs. No. 3: 1-0 (W 78-72 vs. SFA 2006 semis)
vs. No. 4: 1-1 (W 64-58 vs. McNeese 2003 semis; L 85-53 @ SFA 2004 1st round)
vs. No. 5: 1-1 (L 70-64 NW St. 2000 semis; W 103-98 2OT vs. UTA 2001 1st round)
vs. No. 6: 2-1 (W 88-70 vs. McNeese 2005 1st round; W 64-62 OT vs. McNeese 2008 1st round; L 83-74 vs. UTSA 2009 1st round)
vs. No. 7: 1-2 (W 86-64 2OT vs. UTA 2006 1st round; L 99-98 vs. Lamar 2007 1st round; L 72-66 vs. UTA 2008 semis)
vs. No. 8: 1-0 (49-48 vs. Nicholls in 2000 1st round)


SHSU result vs. opponent
vs. McNeese: 3-1
vs. UTA: 2-1
vs. SFA: 2-1
vs. Nicholls St.: 1-0
vs. NW State: 0-2
vs. UTSA: 0-1
vs. Lamar: 0-1
vs. SLU: 0-1