The last time the Lamar Cardinals and Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks battled on the court, it ended in a 10-point Stephen F. Austin victory and ultimately resulted in first-year Lamar head coach Pat Knight's all-time classic ripping of his six inherited seniors.
Both of these teams have been hot, with Lamar going on a four-game winning streak since that night and Stephen F. Austin remaining consistent with a six-game winning streak. The Cardinals and Lumberjacks, however, could not be more different in terms of team identity.
Lamar is known for its athletic, sometimes undisciplined street-ball kind of attack. Knight's rant basically told the story of how much Lamar lacks leadership and focus. So, it's a good thing that they can really play basketball, which starts with the kid at the beginning of the video, Mike James.
James leads the Cardinals in scoring averaging 17 points a game, and scored 30 against Sam Houston following the Stephen F. Austin loss.
The Lumberjacks are a much more methodical team without the extra dramatic motivation. Stephen F. Austin's strategy is move the ball around the perimeter until the shot clock winds down and see which best option they have, inside or out. The Lumberjacks are led by Jereal Scott and Taylor Smith down low, while Antonio Bostic, Darius Gardner and Desmond Haymon take turns knocking down shots from the perimeter.
The winner between Lamar and Stephen F. Austin will face the winner of UT Arlington and McNeese State on Saturday.
Here is a look at the tournament's complete schedule:
Thursday: Stephen F. Austin vs. Lamar Katy, Texas 6:05 p.m. SLC TV
Thursday: UT Arlington vs. McNeese State Katy, Texas 8:33 p.m. SLC TV
Saturday, Mar 10 Stephen F. Austin/Lamar vs. UT Arlington/McNeese State Katy, Texas 2 p.m. ESPN2
To stay updated on the Southland Conference tournament, check out SB Nation Houston and SB Nation Dallas.