Tampa subregional

Sam Houston State

LOCATION: Huntsville, Texas.

ENROLLMENT: 13,077.

CONFERENCE: Southland.

TOURNAMENT BID: Automatic.

SOUTH REGION SEED: No. 15.

STRENGTHS: Sam Houston State is just the type of team a high seed hates to see coming in the upset-fertile first round. The Bearkats have the priceless double-whammy of experience and depth; five senior starters and 10 players who average more than nine minutes. The combination is rare for any school these days, let alone a small school. Tenacious man-to-man defense is the team's trademark, though it occasionally mixes in a zone. Sam Houston State ranks among the top 10 nationally in field-goal percentage defense, holding opponents to 38.7 percent, and blocked shots with 160. It has not allowed an opponent to shoot better than 49 percent in 30 consecutive games dating to last season. Players in the paint, beware. Three Bearkats have more than 20 blocks, including 6-foot-11 junior center Eddy Fobbs' school-record 75. And that doesn't include the number of shots Fobbs, who comes off the bench to avoid early foul trouble, alters. The Bearkats have won 14 of 15, so the intangibles of momentum and confidence are on their side, too.

WEAKNESSES: Though most teams in the Southland Conference prefer to slow it down, Sam Houston State likes to push the ball up the floor. But if it gets frustrated, it has a tendency to be in too much of a hurry, leading to turnovers. In 23 victories, the Bearkats averaged 15.6 turnovers. In six losses, that number jumped to 21.7. Sam Houston State is so-so at the free-throw line, shooting 70.7 percent. If Fobbs gets into foul trouble, forward Donald Cole is the next-tallest player at 6-8. Also, this is Sam Houston State's first NCAA Tournament appearance, so nerves could be a problem in the biggest game in program history.

WHAT TO EXPECT: The Bearkats will give the people at the scorer's table a workout, running 10 players in and out of the lineup. But their fortunes rest with Cole and point guard Robert Shannon. It would be nearly impossible for Sam Houston State to overcome a poor performance by its top scorer or floor general. Despite solid outside shooting, the Bearkats' offense starts with penetration by Shannon, who dishes inside to Cole and others. Cole, who can score from anywhere on the floor, is the go-to player. His 3-pointer with 13 seconds left in overtime gave Sam Houston State a 69-66 victory against Stephen F. Austin in the Southland tournament final.

HE SAID IT: "It doesn't matter where or who we play. We feel like we are good enough to beat some teams. We won't go out and lay down. I can tell you that." -- Sam Houston State coach Bob Marlin

-- Compiled by Joanne Korth.

The starters and coach

Donald Cole

FORWARD, 6-8, SENIOR

17.6 ppg, 8.2 rpg

The conference player of the year leads the team in scoring and rebounding. He has scored in double figures in 45 of 55 games.

Felton Freeman

FORWARD, 6-5, SENIOR

10.2 ppg, 4.4 rpg

He has made 42 of 92 3-pointers and is among the Southland leaders in scoring, shooting and three-point accuracy.

Jay Oliphant

CENTER, 6-5, SENIOR

4.5 ppg, 4.9 rpg

A strong rebounder with good instincts, his tip-in with three seconds left was the winner at Texas-Arlington.

Robert Shannon

GUARD, 5-11, SENIOR

10.0 ppg, 6.1 apg

The team's vocal leader, he led the Southland in assists the past two seasons. He has made a team-high 52 3-pointers.

Eddy Barlow

GUARD, 6-0, SENIOR

6.2 ppg, 1.3 rpg

A former point guard now at shooting guard, he has sparked the team since moving into the starting lineup eight games ago.

Coach: Bob Marlin

RECORD: 83-56, fifth season.

After inheriting a program that had not finished higher than sixth in the Southland in a decade, he led the Bearkats to their second 20-win season in four seasons.

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