Sam Houston State (25-7)
COACH: Bob Marlin, 12 years at Sam Houston State, two years in NCAA Tournament
HOW THEY GOT IN: Automatic bid
MATCHUP BREAKDOWN: Sam Houston State has proven it can shoot the long ball and considering the way Baylor contests shots in the paint and plays a stingy zone defense, the Bearkats need to get hot from 3-point range and shoot over the Bears zone to have a chance. When the team played Kentucky in November, a very respectable 102-92 loss, guard Corey Allmond set a Rupp Arena record with 11 3-pointers. Sam Houston State is not intimidated by big-conference foes. The Bearkats say they're at their best when facing such teams. While the Kentucky game may serve as a blueprint for a possible NCAA Tournament upset, it also was a good example of what may be Baylor's biggest advantage against the Bearkats. Kentucky outrebounded Sam Houston 48-33. Baylor was third in the Big 12 in rebounding margin at plus-6.7 and boasts two 7-footers and a pair of 6-10 post players. Sam Houston State has nobody taller than 6-9.
GO-TO GUYS: Forward Gilberto Clavell grew into the team's star, but senior guards Corey Allmond and Ashton Mitchell are the mainstays. Clavell, a 6-6, 210 forward from Mayaquez, Puerto Rico, who plays much bigger than his frame would suggest, was named the Southland Conference's Newcomer of the Year after averaging 18.0 points and 7.1 rebounds per league game, both up significantly from non-conference play. Allmond (6-1, 180) and Mitchell (5-11, 175) are undersized scorers who combined for 29.4 points per league game.
THEY'LL KEEP WINNING IF: The Bearkats share the wealth as good as any team. Sam Houston State averaged a league-high 20.3 assists per game this season, leading to a Southland Conference-high 79.9 points per game. The team caught fire in league play, winning its first 11 Southland games and all but wrapping up the conference tournament's No. 1 seed before suffering its first league loss. Sam Houston State is a team that can catch fire from the outside, a trait that seems to lead to at least one or two March upsets every season. The team hit 10 or more 3-pointers in 14 games this season, including six of its last 10 entering the NCAA Tournament.
STRENGTHS: The 'Kats are good on both ends of the court, but it's their come-at-you-from-every-position offense that sneaks up on opposing teams. The 20.3 assists per game, and just 13.5 turnovers, gave the team the best assist-to-turnover ratio in the league (1.5). Sam Houston State, a team that won its first 11 SLC games, doesn't make many mistakes and is a hard team to game plan for because of its balance. Of course the league-leading 8.8 3-pointers made per game doesn't hurt at all, especially when considering the Bearkats have six different players who have made 25 or more treys this season.
WEAKNESSES: Sam Houston State doesn't have much size. It's leading rebounder (Gilberto Clavell) stands just 6-6 and the Bearkats don't have a player taller than 6-9. Sam Houston State was able to get away with their mighty midget squad in a Southland Conference that is void of many quality big men. Teams with size can exploit the Bearkats inside and force the already 3-point happy team into a very one-dimensional team. The team was outrebounded in six of its seven losses on the season and if Clavell gets into foul trouble, the team doesn't have much experienced depth in the frontcourt.
