2014 SCAC Men's Basketball Tournament - Preview

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. – The 12th annual Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference men's basketball tournament tips off Friday in San Antonio as the two-time defending champion and top-seeded Trinity University men will be seeking the program's second SCAC tournament three-peat. The Tigers, who won SCAC tournament titles in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2012 and 2013, will have home court advantage in their quest for the program's eighth overall men's basketball championship. Official Tournament Website | Hoops Weekly - Tournament Edition

Trinity (11-3 SCAC / 16-9 overall) is led by senior guard Robert Kitzinger, who is averaging 15.8 points (seventh in the SCAC) and 4.8 rebounds per game. A two-time SCAC Player-of-the-Week, his 55 three-point field goals are good for second in the league. Senior forward Zach Lambert is still rounding into form after an early season illness kept him out of the team's first 10 games. The Tigers have gone 11-4 since his return and he has averaged 9.5 points with nine games in double-figures over that stretch. Trinity leads the league in scoring defense (60.0 ppg) and allows opponents to shoot just 39.2 percent from the field.

Second-seeded Centenary College (10-4 SCAC / 16-9 overall) enters the tournament as the hottest team in the league having won nine of its last 10 games. The Gents have been riding the hot hand of senior guard Jonathan Blount, who is averaging a league-high 23.9 points per game; 26.8 over the last 10 games. The reigning SCAC Player-of-the-Year had a school-record 53 points last week in a 107-79 victory over Open Bible College and is just three points shy of 600 for the season. Centenary, which is leading the SCAC in scoring with 76.8 points per game, also gets strong contributions from junior guard Caden Cheramie (10.5 ppg) and first-year forward Kendall Demouchet (10.4 ppg)

Schreiner University (10-4 SCAC / 14-11 overall) will be the third seed as the program makes its inaugural appearance in the SCAC tournament. The Mountaineers are led by senior guard AJ Myres who is currently second in the SCAC in scoring at 18.8 points per game. Junior guard Stevan Guerrero is ninth in the league in scoring (14.3 ppg), tied for third in rebounding (6.0 rpg) and fifth in assists (3.3 apg). Schreiner has won five of its last seven games and the team's 14 overall wins represents the program's Division III era high-water mark.

Fourth-seeded Colorado College (9-5 SCAC / 16-7 overall) is aiming for a return to the SCAC title game for the second consecutive year. This year's version of the Tigers is led by the 1-2 punch of senior guard Ryan Milne and junior forward Chris Lesnansky. Milne, who enters the tournament just nine points from cracking the SCAC's top 10 list for all-time points scored, is currently third in the league in scoring (18.7 ppg) and leads the SCAC in both assists (4.7 apg) and steals (1.9 spg). Lesnansky is fourth in scoring (16.9 ppg) and tied for third in rebounding (6.0 rpg).

The University of Dallas (5-9 SCAC / 12-13 overall) enters the tournament as the fifth-seed. The Crusaders have a balanced attack, led by the trio of senior forward Ross Davidson, senior guard Nate Wilson and junior forward Aaron Wyatt. Davidson is sixth in the SCAC in scoring (16.1 ppg) and second in rebounding (6.5 rpg) while Wilson is 11th in scoring (12.3 ppg) and fifth in rebounding (6.0 rpg). Wyatt leads the SCAC in rebounding (6.5 rpg) while averaging 11.7 points per game.

Sixth-seeded Austin College (4-10 SCAC / 9-15 overall) is led by senior guard Ransom Okpala, who is averaging a team-high 16.5 points per game (fifth in the SCAC). The reigning SCAC Defensive Player-of-the-Year, Okpala is also 10th in the league in rebounding (4.9 rpg) and third in steals (1.6 spg). Two first-year guards also make significant contributions for the 'Roos as Jeremy Swisher averages 11.9 points per game (13th in the SCAC) and Brian Baehl adds 9.9 points and 3.4 assists per game (sixth in the SCAC).

Perhaps no team in the tournament spreads the scoring wealth like seventh-seeded Southwestern University (4-10 SCAC / 8-17 overall). The Pirates have no one in the top 15 in the league in scoring and only one player – senior guard Michael Cantu – averages in double-figures (10.4 ppg), but senior forward Sean Myers (9.6 ppg), senior guard Chase Kocher (9.2 ppg) and junior guard Blake Scott (8.9 ppg) are all within two points per game of the team scoring lead.

Rounding out the tournament field is eighth-seeded Texas Lutheran University (3-11 SCAC / 9-16 overall). The Bulldogs, playing in their first SCAC tourney, haven't struggled putting the ball in the basket this year (72.8 ppg – third in the SCAC) and have three players averaging in double-figures. Junior guard Garrett Wilkins is averaging a team-high 14.3 points per game (eighth in the SCAC), followed closely by freshman guard Jordan Kouremetis (13.3 ppg) and sophomore guard Robert Watson Jr. (12.0 ppg)

Tournament action gets underway on Friday beginning at 1 p.m. CT. The entire tournament schedule is listed below.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28
SCAC Men's Basketball Tournament - hosted by Trinity University
Game 1 - No. 1 Trinity University vs. No. 8 Texas Lutheran University - 1 p.m.
Game 2 - No. 4 Colorado College vs. No. 5 University of Dallas - 3 p.m.
Game 3 - No. 2 Centenary College vs. No. 7 Southwestern University – 5 p.m.
Game 4 - No. 3 Schreiner University vs. No. 6 Austin College - 7 p.m.

SATURDAY, MARCH 1
SCAC Men's Basketball Tournament - hosted by Trinity University
Game 5 - Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner - 1 p.m.
Game 6 - Game 3 Winner vs. Game 4 Winner -3 p.m.

SUNDAY, MARCH 2
SCAC Men's Basketball Tournament - hosted by Trinity University
Game 7 - Game 5 Winner vs. Game 6 Winner – Noon

PAST SCAC MEN'S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS

*The SCAC did not conduct a postseason basketball tournament prior to the 2002-2003 season; the league champion was determined by regular season finish.