College Basketball Preview - Southwestern Athletic Conference

NCAA Basketball Betting Lines

11/02/2007 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - OUTLOOK: The past six seasons have seen six different teams capture the conference title in the Southwestern Athletic Conference and this year the trend might continue. The Tigers of Grambling State are coming off a solid campaign in which the team posted a strong 10-8 league ledger. Larry Wright has done well since taking over the coaching job at his alma mater, but this could be his best year yet, as the team is returning the majority of its starters and a strong portion of bench players. Also looking to take the title in the SWAC are the Hornets of Alabama State. ASU did not have much sting in its swagger this past year, but the team has a strong core of talented, hard nosed players and should be one of the more impressive teams. Looking to make the biggest jump this year are the Bulldogs from Alabama A&M. Last year this team was the laughing stock of the league, finishing last with a 4-14 mark. However, coach Van Pettaway has all five starters returning and in a conference where parity rules, the Bulldogs could take a huge bite out of their conference opponents. Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Southern both finished this past season with an even 9-9 mark in conference play, and while the team does have some solid components in place, there is little room for these two schools to progress. Another team that should reside in the middle of the standings will be Prairie View A&M, as the Panthers should show slight improvement. The biggest surprise will most likely be Mississippi Valley State and Jackson State. Both schools battled for the conference title this past season, but with the loss of some many players, including the SWAC Player of the Year for JSU, both schools will take a huge hit in conference action this time around. Rounding out this competitive conference will be Texas Southern and Alcorn State. The Tigers of TSU are dealing with coaching issues which will hamper progress all year. As for the Braves, they have very little talent returning to the lineup.

CONFERENCE CHAMPION: Grambling State

PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH: 1. Grambling State, 2. Alabama State, 3. Alabama A&M, 4. Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 5. Southern, 6. Prairie View A&M, 7. Mississippi Valley State, 8. Jackson State, 9. Texas Southern, 10. Alcorn State

TEAM BY TEAM ANALYSIS:

GRAMBLING STATE: The Tigers are coming off a solid 10-8 ledger this past season, but as Grambling State opens a new Health and Physical Educational Building which will seat 7,500 fans the Tigers are primed to make a push for a league title. Leading the way for the Tigers will be guard Andre Ratliff. The senior only stands at 5-10, but plays with tremendous heart and strength is should not be overlooked. He is clearly one of the top players in the SWAC and has the potential to snag the Player of the Year honors in this conference. Ratliff posted 16.4 ppg and dished out 3.9 apg this past season and both numbers should increase this time around. In the paint, the Tigers will look for Anthony Williams to claw his way to the hoop. Williams is a monster in the post and this past year the senior collected 14.3 ppg, while grabbing 7.4 rpg. Center Jamal Breaux will try to give Williams a helping hand down low, but the player that could be the missing piece to a title run is sophomore Andrew Prestley. As a freshman, Prestley averaged 8.1 ppg, but with a year under his belt this high flying swingman could be just what Grambling State needs to make a run to the Big Dance.

ALABAMA STATE: The Hornets did not have a particularly strong season this past year, as the team finished with 20 overall losses and posted a mere 8-10 mark in SWAC action. With the return of guard Andrew Hayles the Hornets have a solid scorer and team leader on their side. Hayles averaged 14.6 ppg this past year and will certainly be one of the top backcourt players this season. In the paint the Hornets will look towards Richard Lott Jr to be the main source of production. Lott is a stocky forward who uses his size well to position himself on under the basket. He aggressive play helped him record 8.7 ppg, while also pulling down 7.0 rpg. Fortunately for Lott he will get a tremendous boast down low with the arrival of 7-0 Grlenntys "Chief" Kickingstallionsims. Kickingstallionsims is a junior who previously played at Stetson. The big man is a formidable presence in the paint and should be an instant contributor to this talented squad.

ALABAMA A&M: Coming off a season in which the Bulldogs posted a pathetic 4-14 conference record, coach Vann Pettaway is confident that his team will improve drastically and contend for the title this season. With five starters returning, there is a good chance of Alabama A&M making a tremendous jump from last to near the top of the standings. Although there are five starters back, none are more important then Mickell Gladness. The 6-11 center is a terror down low is could be in line for Player of the Year honors in the SWAC. Not only did Gladness post 7.6 ppg and 7.6 rpg this past season, but the center also led the nation with 6.3 blocks per contest. The senior set a NCAA record for 16 blocks in one game this past year and in a four game stretch the big man collected 47 blocks. while Gladness is the most important player for this Alabama A&M squad the team also possess a solid backcourt with a scary two- headed monster in Trant Simpson and Cornelius Hester. Both sophomore guards posted over 10 ppg a year ago and should be ready for an even better 2007-08 campaign.

ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF: If there is a dark horse in this conference this season it is the Golden Lions of Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Last season the team was a mediocre 9-9 in league play, but with two of the top performers in the conference on the roster, along with some key components, this could be a surprise team this year. Sophomore Terrance Calvin will lead the backcourt for UAPB and should be joined by senior Larry Williams. Calvin averaged 10.2 ppg as a freshman this past season and has the natural ability and the scorer's touch to post even better numbers this year. As for Williams, he is dangerous when left alone behind the arc. He is a sharp shooting three-point assassin and if given a chance, could change the momentum in a game with his shooting ability. Down low coach Vann Holt will rely on William Byrd. Byrd is an outstanding forward that can get it done at both ends of the floor. This past season the senior collected 13 ppg and 7.5 rpg and should have no trouble averaging a double-double this campaign. If all the pieces fall into place the Golden Lions could surprise a few teams.

SOUTHERN: The Jaguars return four starters from a team that went just 9-9 in league action this past year. The lone starter that is not back was the team's leading scorer this past year. The backcourt has potential to be one of the best in the SWAC, thanks to the dangerous tandem of Chris Davis and Steffon Wiley. Davis is a tremendous shooter from the outside and also has the ability to hurt opponents in the lane. On top of it all, Davis is a tremendous floor general and can be the leader Southern needs on the court. As for Wiley, the junior only netted 7.6 ppg this past season and that is a number coach Rob Spivery is hoping will increase drastically. While the backcourt is solid, the biggest concern for coach Spivery is the lack of size in the frontcourt. Joseph Jack is the tallest player on the roster at 6-9 and will be called upon to be the team's leader in the paint. For Southern to be successful, the team will have to rely on its quickness and strong defensive play.

PRAIRIE VIEW A&M: There is not much that can be said about this year's Prairie View A&M squad, as the team does not possess any real scoring threats. Brian Ezeh is the only player that averaged double figures in points this past season, as the guard tallied 10.8 ppg. Fellow guard Derek Johnson is expected to make tremendous strides forward this year and he must if the team is going to have another offensive presence. Coach Byron Rimm II does not have much to work with in the paint, as the team will rely on strong defensive play. The top two options for Prairie View A&M will most likely be Johnny Cobb and Jonathan Dixon, but neither player has a strong amount of experience. As mentioned earlier, there is not much here that can help lead the Panthers to a record above .500.

MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE: Repeating as regular season champions will be a very tough task for the Delta Devils, as the team is returning only two starters. Fortunately one of those two players is Stanford Speech, the team's top scorer (12.3 ppg) and rebounder (5.1 rpg) from a year ago. Speech will once again look to be the main source of production for MVSU, but he will not be able to carry the load, as the Delta Devils will need help from other areas. Hopefully, center Larry Cox can be of assistance, as the 6-10 senior has the capability of averaging a double-double. However, for Cox to consistently reach those numbers, the center must stay out of foul trouble, while playing more aggressive. Cox will have help from forward Carl Lucas, who has strong post moves and the ability to get to the foul line.

JACKSON STATE: The Tigers went 12-6 in league play this past season and snatched the conference title from Mississippi Valley State. Unfortunately the team served as the opening round punching bag for Florida. However, all and all it was a fantastic season for JSU, one that will probably not be duplicated, especially with the departure of Player of the Year, Trey Johnson. Johnson averaged 27.1 ppg this past season and without him, the Tigers have a tremendous hole to fill. The main source of production this season will most likely come from the frontcourt, which possesses two returning starters in Jeremy Caldwell and Grant Maxey. Maxey is an extremely dangerous player and while he will not put up the numbers Johnson did, he will have no trouble leading this squad offensively. As for Caldwell, he is the anchor in the paint for Jackson State. The center has a slew of post moves and does a terrific job at both ends of the floor.

TEXAS SOUTHERN: The firing of coach Ronnie Courtney in the off-season was a bit surprising for this young squad and with the team still dealing with coaching issues, do not expect the Tigers to put up much of a fight this season. Forward Jacques Jones will be relied on heavily, as the forward has the potential to carry a team offensively. However, not to be overlooked is Jones' efforts at the defensive end of the floor, as the senior is one of the top defensive forwards in the league. Texas Southern does possess a solid backcourt duo in Sollie Norwood and Dominique White. Norwood had a tremendous campaign this past season and should be ready to post double figure points this year.

ALCORN STATE: With their top two players from last season gone, the Braves are staring down another season of transition. Coach Samuel West will rely heavily on forward Jarvis Williams, who has the potential to be a scoring machine in the paint this season. However, other than Williams there is not much else down low for the Braves. Hopefully, newcomers Justin Burks and James Kendrick can step in and contribute instantly. The backcourt is also in bad shape, as the team does not have a proven point guard. As of now Jumane Reed will have the chance to lead the squad on the court. Reed has a nice touch on his shot and can beat a defender off the dibble. As mentioned earlier, a large amount of the team's offense from a year ago is gone, so coach West is hoping the younger players and newcomers can gel quickly, so Alcorn State can perhaps put together a late run in hopes of posting a record better than .500.