Southern Jaguars
SWAC (23-9, 15-3)
Coach Roman Banks has done an amazing job at Southern. For two years in a row the Jaguars have finished second in the SWAC and that was coming off a horrible run that included a postseason ban. Winning over 20 games is a huge accomplishment for a SWAC team. The opportunities for non-conference wins just usually are not there. The Jaguars did beat a few opponents who were not at the Division I level to boost up that win total a bit, but this team also beat Texas A&M.
Big Wins: 12/22 Texas A&M (53-51), 1/02 Texas Southern (63-57), 1/12 Arkansas-Pine Bluff (84-50),
Bad Losses: 12/18 at TCU (57-68), 1/26 at Alcorn State (57-61), 2/09 at Arkansas-Pine Bluff (52-55)
Coach: Roman Banks (2 seasons at Southern)
Why They Can Surprise:
Southern can beat teams like Texas A&M because of their defense. Center Brandon Moore has turned into a major force in the paint and Coach Banks has enough size in addition to Moore to keep the paint clear. Javan Mitchell, a 6-9 center, is a wide bodied player who can score as well as take up space in the paint. And then there is Madut Bol. Bol will not see too much playing time, but having quality depth in the paint was not something this team expected to have heading into the 2012-2013 campaign and is a huge reason why the defense has been so successful. When the Jaguars need to score, they will look to the backcourt duo of Malcolm Miller and Derick Beltran. Miller has exclusively come off of the bench this season, but that has not stopped him from being one of the best all-around scorers in the conference. He makes more shots than he misses and that is very impressive for a player who takes about six three-pointers per contest. Beltran is not as efficient as Miller, but he is an experienced senior who can take over a game. When those two are getting quality looks, Southern can score points in bunches.
Why They Can Disappoint:
With Jameel Grace and Christopher Hyder taking care of the ball, the Jaguars have done a great job keeping the turnovers down. And that will need to continue if Southern hopes to pull off an upset in March. On a team that can dictate tempo and wants to keep it relatively slow, every possession will matter. The Jaguars will be lucky to keep things even in the rebounding department, so handling the pressure of the tournament and playing under control will be crucial.
Probable Starters:
Jameel Grace, Senior, Guard, 9.2 ppg, 3.6 apg, 2.8 rpg
Cameron Monroe, Sophomore, Guard, 2.1 ppg, 1.2 apg
Derick Beltran, Senior, Guard, 15.9 ppg, 4.5 rpg
Javan Mitchell, Junior, Center, 9.5 ppg, 4.9 rpg
Brandon Moore, Senior, Center, 6.2 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 1.7 bpg
Key Roleplayers:
Madut Bol, Senior, Center, 1.8 ppg, 1.4 rpg
Christopher Hyder, Freshman, Guard, 2.0 ppg, 2.5 apg
YonDarius Johnson, Junior, Guard, 6.4 ppg, 2.3 rpg
Malcolm Miller, Junior, Guard, 15.8 ppg, 6.0 ppg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 68.3 (151st in nation, 2nd in conference)
Scoring Defense: 57.4 (13, 1)
Field-Goal Percentage: 43.8 (149, 2)
Field-Goal Defense: 36.4 (2, 1)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 6.8 (107, 2)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 36.2 (70, 1)
Free-Throw Percentage: 69.0 (188, 2)
Rebound Margin: 0.1 (177, 2)
Assists Per Game: 11.6 (262, 5)
Turnovers Per Game: 10.9 (13, 1)
Last Five Postseason Appearances:
No Tournament History
*all team stats through 3/10
See All Men’s Basketball Postseason Capsules
