SFA To Face ACU On CBS Sports Network
1/16/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Game 17: Stephen F. Austin (13-3, 3-0 SLC) at Abilene Christian (9-7, 3-0 SLC)
Date/Time: Saturday, Jan. 17 • 11 a.m. CT
Site: Moody Coliseum (4,600)
TV: CBS Sports Network
Talent: Grant Boone (PXP), Van Chancellor (Color)
Radio: Q107.7 FM (listen online at Q1077.com)
Talent: Rob Meyers (PXP), Kyle Rogers (Color)
Live Stats | @SFA_MBB (#AxeEm/#DreamBigger)
SFA Game Notes 
Team Information
Stephen F. Austin
Head Coach: Brad Underwood (Kansas State, 1986)
Career Record: 45-6 (2nd season), Record at SFA: Same
Abilene Christian
Head Coach: Joe Golding (Abilene Christian, 1999)
Career Record: 35-50 (4th season), Record at ACU: Same
STORY LINES
• The Stephen F. Austin men's basketball team will look to extend their 12-game win streak on Saturday, Jan. 17, at Abilene Christian in a 11 a.m. tip inside Moody Coliseum. The game will be carried on the CBS Sports Network with Grant Boone and Van Chancellor on the call. Rob Meyers will call the game on Q101.7 FM.
• The Lumberjacks (13-3, 3-0 SLC) beat the house on their trip to Las Vegas, snapping a three-game losing streak, and the success has since continued. SFA downed Prairie View A&M (73-61) and Austin Peay (83-62) in the 2014 Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational at Orleans Arena to win its respective bracket, before rolling Memphis (64-52) inside FedExForum to open the month of December. The `Jacks then returned to Nacogdoches, where they have picked up wins over Long Beach State (74-45), Ouachita Baptist (84-60), North Texas (59-48), Texas State (66-60), and Arkansas Tech (94-57). SFA then closed 2014 with a 61-57 win at Cal State Northridge, before opening 2015 and SLC play with wins over McNeese State (80-75), Southeastern Louisiana (81-66) and Central Arkansas (109-58).
• The `Jacks are looking to continue their success under second-year head coach Brad Underwood. Last season, SFA became the first Southland Conference team to win 29 games in the regular season and then became the first 30-plus win team in conference history with two wins in Katy, Texas, host site of the league's tournament, and one in the NCAA Tournament to finish 32-3. The 32 wins surpassed the 1985 Louisiana Tech team that finished 29-3 after reaching the "Sweet 16" and set a new school record for most wins in a single season, passing the 1971-72 `Jack squad that went 31-3 and advanced five games in the NAIA Tournament, and picked up the program's first win in the NCAA Tournament.
• In 2013-14, SFA finished a perfect 15-0 at home for a second consecutive year, while the team's 29-game overall win streak obliterated the former conference record of 19 set by Louisiana Tech in 1992-93 and 1993-94 and ranked led the nation for the `Jacks entering the third round of the NCAA Tournament, following Wichita State's 78-76 loss to Kentucky the same afternoon.
THE LAST TIME OUT
• SFA placed four in double figures in a 109-58 blowout of Central Arkansas on Tuesday night. In doing so, the `Jacks extended two of nation's top win streaks. With the win over UCA, SFA has now won a nation-leading 25 consecutive in conference play and 12 straight overall (non-conference + conference) on the season, which is tied for third in the NCAA.
UP NEXT
• Following the tilt at ACU, the `Jacks will host New Orleans on Monday, Jan. 19, in a 7 p.m. tip.
OTHER NOTES
• SFA vs. ABILENE CHRISTIAN: The `Jacks will meet Abilene Christian for the 30th time on the hardwood when the two teams face off on Saturday, Jan. 17, inside Moody Coliseum. SFA holds a 15-14 edge and has won its last seven against the Wildcats. The `Jacks are 7-6 when playing ACU in Abilene, Texas. SFA defeated the Wildcats 64-48 last season.
• SCOUTING ABILENE CHRISTIAN: Abilene Christian enters Saturday's tip 9-7 on the season under fourth year head coach Joe Golding. The Wildcats are riding a three-game win streak to open Southland play, defeating Central Arkansas (87-70), Nicholls (71-54) and, most recently, Northwestern State (95-81). ACU was picked 11th and tied for 12th in the preseason polls conducted by coaches and sports information directors.
The Wildcats currently lead the SLC in free throw percentage (.760) and 3-point field goal percentage (.391), but rank 12th in field goal percentage (.419). ACU currently has three averaging double figures, led by junior Parker Wentz (14.4). Wentz is joined by Harrison Hawkins (13.8) and LaDarrien Williams (11.7). Austin Cooke sits just outside a double figure average with 9.4 points per game and leads the Wildcats with 5.9 average rebounds per game. Jalen Little has dished out a team-high 58 assists.
• HOW TO WATCH SATURDAY: Saturday's game will be broadcast on the CBS Sports Network. CBSSN is available on DirecTV 221 (nationwide), DISH 158 (nationwide) and cable. To find what channel on cable in your local area, visit http://www.cbssportsnetwork.com/channel-finder.
• SFA IN THE SLC: The `Jacks currently lead or rank near the top of the Southland in several categories. SFA is first in scoring defense (61.1), rebounding defense (30.4), assists (16.3) and turnover margin (+4.4), second in scoring margin (+13.0), steals (8.8), 3-point field goal % defense (.301) and defensive rebound % (.711), third in field goal % (.459), 3-point field goal % (.361) and rebounding margin (+4.2), fourth in free throw % (.719), scoring offense (74.6), assist/turnover ratio (1.1) and fourth in offensive rebound % (.369).
• `JACKS IN THE SLC: SFA has several `Jacks ranked among the elite in the conference. Jacob Parker ranks third in 3-point field goal % (.431), fifth in assist/turnover ratio (2.0), seventh in free throw % (.833), 10th in field goal % (.537) and steals (1.5), 13th in scoring (13.6) and 17th in rebounding (5.5). Thomas Walkup sists fifth in offensive rebounds (2.6), 10th in assist/turnover ratio (1.5), 12th in rebounding (6.3), 13th in assists (3.1) and 16th in scoring (13.0). Demetrious Floyd is fourth in 3-point field goal % (.408), while Jared Johnson is eighth in 3-point field goal % (.386). Tanner Clayton ranks eighth in blocks (1.4), while Trey Pinkney is 11th in assists (3.4) and 13th in steals (1.4).
• KEEPING THE TITLE & STREAK: SFA entered 2014-15 as the two-time reigning Southland Conference champion and winner of its last 22 in league play. Since then, the `Jacks have won their first three games in conference play this season and currently lead the nation with their 25-game conference win streak. SFA, undefeated in SLC play under Underwood, lead Wichita State (23 straight) and Florida (21 straight).
• SFA's LAST TIME OUT: Walkup paced the `Jacks on the night, shooting 5-of-10 from the floor and hitting a career-high 10 free throws. The native of Pasadena, Texas, also recorded a career-best six assists.
Junior Demetrious Floyd just missed a 20-point performance, finishing with 19 off the bench on 7-of-12 shooting with three shots from deep and a 2-of-2 showing from the foul line. Senior Jacob Parker netted 15 points, while freshman Ty Charles recorded 10 to round out the double-figure scoring for SFA.
Specialty Stats:
Pts In Paint - SFA 62-36 Pts Off Turnovers - SFA 47-4 2nd Chance Pts - SFA 19-4
Fast Break Pts - SFA 16-0 Bench Pts - SFA 53-13
• FROM DOWNTOWN: Over 30.6% of SFA's made field goals this season have come from beyond the arc. The `Jacks have made 123-of-341 (.361) attempts from 3-point land, while shooting 401-of-874 (.459) from the floor. SFA's 3-point shooting is over double their opponent in converted attempts. When facing the `Jacks, the opponent is 58-of-193 (.301) from deep.
• NEARING 1,000: Senior forward Jacob Parker is three points shy of netting his 1,000th career point.
• LAST LOSS: When the `Jacks takes the floor to face ACU, it will have been 54 days since their last loss.
• #VOTESFA: Head coach Brad Underwood is participating in the Infiniti Coaches' Charity Challenge. Underwood is one of 48 top college basketball coaches in the nation participating in the fan-vote challenge, as he tries to help win $100,000 for the Nacogdoches Area United Way. Fans can register and vote online daily at http://www.espn.com/infiniti.
• HOT START FOR UNDEROOD: Head coach Brad Underwood has racked up a 44-6 career record through his first 50 games as a head coach at the Division I level. A stat not kept by NCAA, his 44-6 mark through 50 games is tied for fifth all-time and tied with Steve Prohm for the best of any active coach according to research by assistant director of media relations Kyle Rogers (See complete chart on Pg. 6 for more).
• COMFORT IN HALFTIME LEAD: When leading at halftime, the `Jacks are 38-1 all-time under head coach Brad Underwood. SFA's lone loss when taking a lead into the lockerroom was at Texas on Friday, Nov. 15, 2013, just the third game of Underwood's tenure both with the `Jacks and as a head coach at the Div. I level. Since then, SFA has won 35 consecutive games under Underwood when on top after the first 20 minutes.
• MID-MAJOR TOP 25/RPI: SFA checks in at No. 5 in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 for a second straight week. The `Jacks are also receiving votes in SB Nation's Mid-Major Madness Power 15 Poll. SFA is currently 101 in the RPI, behind Incarnate Word (82) and Sam Houston State (91).
• PERFECT FROM THE LINE: Senior Tanner Clayton enjoyed steady success at the free throw line through SFA's first seven games. The native of San Diego, California, was 6-for-6 from the charity stripe before his first miss. Freshman Jaxon Holden is currently 5-of-5, while the `Jacks are 269-of-374 (.719) on the year.
• PARKER's ALL-TIME WINS: Senior forward Jacob Parker recorded the 92nd win of his Lumberjack career in SFA's 109-58 victory at Central Arkansas. The native of Bixby, Okla., is five wins away from tying former teammate Desmond Haymon as the program's all-time winningest player at the Division I level. Haymon recorded 97 wins across four seasons at SFA.
• WINNINGEST TWO-YEAR PLAYERS: Senior Connor Brooks and Tanner Clayton picked up their 45th win of their Lumberjack careers in SFA's 109-58 victory at Central Arkansas. The two are 15 wins away from tying former teammates Nikola Gajic and Deshaunt Walker as the program's all-time winningest two-year players. Gajic and Walker are also the only two `Jacks to go undefeated inside William R. Johnson Coliseum across their careers, posting 30 wins (15 - 2012-13; 15 - 2013-14). Brooks and Clayton are 22-1 in the coliseum.
• TIED AT THE BREAK: When SFA entered halftime tied 27-27 at Memphis, it marked the first time under head coach Bead Underwood that the `Jacks were tied entering the lockerroom.
• KASPAR RETURNS: Wednesday, Dec. 17, marked the return of former head coach Danny Kaspar to William R. Johnson Coliseum. Kaspar resigned from SFA on April 4, 2013, to take head job at Texas State. In 13 seasons with the `Jacks, Kaspar amassed a 246-141 record. The third longest tenured coach of the men's basketball team, his 246 wins ranked second all-time at SFA. At SFA, Kaspar posted seven 20-win seasons, winning three Southland Conference regular season titles (2008,2009, 2013) and one SLC Tournament title (2009). Kaspar guided the `Jacks to three postseason appearances, making the National Invitation Tournament in 2008 and 2013 and the program's first-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament in 2009. He was named SLC Coach of the Year after winning the regular season in both the 2007-08 and 2012-13 seasons.
• BEATING THE HOUSE: SFA left Las Vegas undefeated, after posting a 2-0 record in the 2014 Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational. The `Jacks downed Prairie View A&M 73-61 and Austin Peay 83-62 to win their respective bracket. Senior Jacob Parker was named to the all-tournament team, after averaging 17.5 points and 6.5 rebounds across two games inside Orleans Arena.
• NEW STARTERS: SFA had a consistent starting five across the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons. From the first game to the last of both campaigns, the `Jacks rolled with the same five during those spans. With new additions to this season's squad, Underwood will have different options for lineups, depending on the matchup, and in the second game of this season, he changed his lineup, ending a SFA's streak of 68 games without changing the starters midseason.
2011-12 Starters (final 2 gms) - Darius Gardner, Antonio Bostic, Desmond Haymon, Jonathan King and Jereal Scott
2012-13 Starters (32 gms) - Hal Bateman, Antonio Bostic, Desmond, Haymon, Jacob Parker and Taylor Smith
2013-14 Starters (35 gms) - Trey Pinkney, Desmond Haymon, Thomas Walkup, Nikola Gajic and Jacob Parker
2014-15 Starters (1 gm) - Trey Pinkney, Dallas Cameron, Connor Brooks, Thomas Walkup and Jacob Parker
2014-15 Starters (3 gms) - Trey Pinkney, Dallas Cameron, Thomas Walkup, Clide Geffrard and Jacob Parker
2014-15 Starters (9 gms) - Trey Pinkney, Jared Johnson, Thomas Walkup, Jacob Parker and Tanner Clayton
2014-15 Starters (3 gms) - Trey Pinkney, Jared Johnson, Ty Charles, Thomas Walkup and Jacob Parker
• SFA IN UNDERWOOD OPENERS: The `Jacks improved to 2-0 in season and home openers under head coach Brad Underwood in a 75-49 win over Mississippi College inside William R. Johnson Coliseum. SFA kicked off the Underwood era last season with a 90-64 win over Texas-Tyler, also coming at home.
• DOMINANT SENIOR CLASS MOVES ON: After last season, SFA saw the departure of one of the most dominant senior classes to ever come through Nacogdoches in Haymon (starter), Nikola Gajic (starter) and Deshaunt Walker (sixth-man). Haymon left SFA as the program's all-time winningest player at the Division I level with 97 victories, tied for the fourth winningest class overall in program history, while Gajic and Walker were the program's winningest players in a two-year span with 59 wins. Gajic and Walker also became the first two players in program history to close their careers undefeated at home, posting 30 wins inside William R. Johnson Coliseum.
• RETURNERS/NEWCOMERS: The `Jacks returns three of their starters from last season in senior forward Jacob Parker, junior forward Thomas Walkup and junior guard Trey Pinkney. The `Jacks also return Connor Brooks (Sr., G/F), Tanner Clayton (Sr., F), Dallas Cameron (So., G), Justin Dotson (So., SG) and Jason Martin (So., G). Underwood welcomes six newcomers from his early signing class in Ty Charles (Fr., G), Demetrious Floyd (Jr., G), Clide Geffrard (Jr., F), Jared Johnson (Jr., G), Jaxon Holden (Fr., G) and Caleb Johnston (Fr., G/F), along with Bobby King, a senior transfer from Florida A&M.
• WIN STREAKS ENTERING 2014-15: SFA will enter the 2014-15 season with several national win streaks still intact - consecutive home, true road and conference wins. Entering the season, the `Jacks were tied with Duke for the nation's longest active home win streak at 33 games. SFA has not dropped a game inside William R. Johnson Coliseum since a 51-47 loss to Texas-Arlington (2/15/12) during the 2011-12 season. The `Jacks also boast a 12-game true road win streak that is tied with No. 11 Wichita State for the nation's lead, while their 14 overall road wins led the country.
In conference play, SFA sits third nationally, behind Florida and Wichita St., with a 20-game win streak. The `Jacks finished a perfect 18-0 last season, becoming just the 18th team to go unbeaten in a league schedule of 18 games or more in NCAA history.
• EARLY VOTE OF CONFIDENCE: SFA received one vote in the AP Top 25 Poll entering the season. The `Jacks continued receiving one vote in week two. SFA was also ranked fifth in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 poll in week two, moving up one spot from the opening week of the season (tabbed sixth).
• PRESEASON HYPE: CBSSports.com's Sam Vecenie concluded the website's 2014-15 college basketball conference preview with a "Best of the Rest" on Thursday, Oct. 23, and the `Jacks were tabbed sixth out of the 23 conferences not covered during the website's preseason series, while NBCSports.com College Basketball Talk's Rob Dauster had SFA ninth in his mid-major power ranking. USA Today had the `Jacks at No. 53 in its preseason countdown of the top teams.
• PICKED TO 3-PEAT: SFA, the two-time defending SLC regular-season and reigning tournament champion, was named the preseason favorite to repeat in a vote by the league's coaches and sports information directors, the conference office announced Wednesday, Oct. 29. The `Jacks received 11 first-place votes from the coaches for 143 total points while picking up 10 first-place nods from the SIDs and 144 total points.
• PARKER, WALKUP NAMED PRESEASON All-SLC: SFA's Parker and Walkup were named to the 2014-15 Preseason All-SLC teams, the league office announced on Tuesday, Oct. 28. Parker was tabbed to the first team for the `Jacks, while Walkup earned second team recognition.
LEFTOVERS FROM 2013-14
• NCAA TOP 10 BEST STARTS: Head coach Brad Underwood picked up his 28th win at the helm in a 83-72 victory over Oral Roberts (Mar. 6) to crack into the NCAA's top 10 best career starts. Underwood, then added four more wins in 2013-14, to move into sole possession of third in the NCAA's top 10 best career starts at the Division I level. Underwood passed Steve Prohm (Murray State - 31-2, 2012) and Jamie Dixon (Pittsburgh - 31-5, 2004) with SFA's win over VCU. Only Bill Guthridge (North Carolina - 34-4, 1998) and Bill Hodges (Indiana State - 33-1, 1979) recorded more wins in their first season as a head coach.
• PERFECT IN CONFERENCE: With the win over Central Arkansas in the season finale, SFA closed out the season out its conference schedule undefeated for just the third time in program history. The `Jacks finished the season 18-0 in conference to become the third team to do so in 2013-14, joining then No. 1 Florida and then No. 2 Wichita State and just the 18th team to go unbeaten in a league schedule of 18 games or more in NCAA history. SFA also finished 18-0 (29-1 overall) in the Lone Star Conference in 1969-70 and 10-0 (22-8 overall) in the Gulf Star Conference in 1886-87.
• ROAD WARRIORS: With the win at Southeastern Louisiana, SFA closed its Southland Conference road slate undefeated at 9-0, the first time the `Jacks have done so in the Division I era. The last conference team that was truly recognized for going undefeated on the road was Arkansas State in 1966-67 when it was 8-0 SLC and 4-0 on road. In 1972-73, Louisiana-Lafayette finished 6-0 (12-0 SLC), but all wins were later forfeited due to NCAA sanctions. Louisiana Tech is listed as 8-0 in league play in 1971-72, but it technically was 6-2 in conference and 3-1 on the road. It was later awarded two league wins (one road win) when ULL forfeited all eight-league games that season.
QUICK HITS
• The `Jacks opened 2014-15 1-3, dropping three straight, SFA's worst start since 1998-99 season (started 0-4).
• SFA's three-game losing streak earlier this season was its since 2011-12 season, when the `Jacks dropped three consecutive in non-conference play (Prairie View A&M, 53-50; North Carolina Central, 65-57; Oregon, 55-45).
• SFA, 2-3 through its first five games, also started last season 2-3, eventually finishing 32-3.
• SFA is undefeated in the months of December, January and February under head coach Brad Underwood.
• SFA's current 12-game overall win streak is tied for third in the country.
• At the Division I level, senior forward Jacob Parker is tied for second all-time at SFA with 112 starts. The native of Bixby, Okla., tied former teammate Desmond Haymon (2010-14) with a start at UCA on Tuesday. Josh Alexander (2005-09) holds the Div. I mark with 116 starts.
• Senior Jacob Parker is three points shy of becoming SFA's latest member of the 1,000-point club.
• Junior Thomas Walkup and senior Jacob Parker both recorded double-doubles in SFA 81-66 win over Southeastern Louisiana. The double-double was Parker's first, Walkup's second and team's third of the season.
• Junior Thomas Walkup recorded his fifth double-double of his career in SFA's season-opening 75-49 win over Mississippi College.
• SFA had its 12-game true road win streak end in a 81-63 loss at Xavier on Friday, Nov. 21.
• SFA had its 34-game home win streak ended in a 79-77 overtime loss to Northern Iowa on Tuesday, Nov. 18.
• In 2013-14, SFA closed the regular season 15-0 inside William R. Johnson Coliseum for a second straight year.
• SFA led the country with 14 true road wins in 2013-14, posting a 14-2 (.875) mark.
• SFA is coming off a record-setting 32-3 campaign in 2013-14. The `Jacks won the Southland Conference's regular season and tournament titles, and picked up the program's first-ever win the NCAA Tournament, upsetting fifth-seeded VCU 77-75 in overtime.
• The 2013-14 Southland Conference regular season title marks the second time the `Jacks have won back-to-back titles. SFA won the SLC in 2007-08 and 2008-09. The year after won their first consecutive titles, the `Jacks were eliminated in the championship game of the league's tournament.
• The `Jacks are 2-5 all-time in postseason tournaments. SFA is 1-2 in the NCAA Tournament and 1-3 in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT).
• Brad Underwood became the 11th head coach in SFA history on April 23, 2013.
Series vs. Abilene Christian: 15-14, 30th meeting
Last Five Meetings (if available):
Season (H/A/N) W/L Score
2013-14 (H) W 64-48
1983-84 (H) W 67-62
1983-84 (A) W 81-67
1982-83 (A) W 62-55
1982-83 (H) W 69-47
Last time vs. UCA - (March 8, 2014 - William R. Johnson Coliseum, Nacogdoches, Texas)
The Stephen F. Austin men's basketball team didn't disappoint in their first home game in nearly four weeks, racing out to an early 20-3 lead and never trailing in a 64-48 victory over Abilene Christian. Jacob Parker led the way offensively for the `Jacks, leading all players in both points (17) and rebounds (nine), complemented by three blocks. Desmond Haymon finished with 11 points and seven rebounds, while Nikola Gajic added 11 points and five boards of his own, all of which were offensive.
Series Notes
• Saturday's game at Abilene Christian marks the 30th meeting between the two programs and first on the road since the 1983-84 season.
• SFA has won its last seven against the Wildcats and eight of its last nine.
• SFA is 7-6 when playing ACU in Abilene, Texas, winning its last four trips.
• SFA defeated ACU 64-48 last season, the first meeting between the two teams as Southland foes.
-SFA-
