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LOCATION: Nacogdoches, TX
CONFERENCE: Southland
LAST SEASON: 4-22 (.154)
CONFERENCE RECORD: 2-16 (11th)
STARTERS LOST/RETURNING: 1/4
NICKNAME: Lumberjacks
COLORS: Purple, Red & White
HOMECOURT: William R. Johnson Coliseum (7,203)
COACH: Derek Allister (Chico State '76)
record at school 26-53 (3 years)
career record 26-53 (3 years)
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ASSISTANTS: Andrew Prince (Abilene Christian '75)
Mike Burns (Central Washington '98)
Sean McDonough (Marquette '91)
TEAM WINS: (last 5 years) 14-17-12-10-4
RPI (last 5 years) 241-197-181-249-306
1998-99 FINISH: Did not qualify for postseason.
ESPN.com Clubhouse
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Nobody understands the delicate balance of power in the Southland Conference better than Derek Allister. Two years ago, Stephen F. Austin was picked to win the SLC but finished a distant eighth at 6-10. "Every year in this league a team that isn't picked very high rises up," Allister said. "After the top two or three teams, there's not much difference between the fourth, fifth and 10th team." For the Lumberjacks, there is only one way to go after a disastrous 4-22 season. SFA lost its first four games, then beat Texas College and stunned Texas Tech, 75-74, at home in what might be the best victory in school history. From there, SFA imploded. The Jacks lost 18 of their final 20 games, including six by four points or less. If Stephen F. Austin plans to rise, it will do so on the shoulders of forward Patrick Gusters. The slashing 6-5 junior swingman led the SLC in scoring (20.5 ppg) and also finished among the league leaders in rebounding (7.4 rpg), steals (52), field-goal percentage (.446) and free-throw percentage (.732). Gusters is similar to former Nicholls State and All-SLC standout Kenderick Franklin. He is the classic Southland tweener too quick for a small forward to guard and too tall for shooting guards. Gusters does most of his damage inside the three-point arc. He lit up Texas Tech for 32 points on 13-of-19 shooting and added nine rebounds as SFA upset the Red Raiders in Lubbock. He closed the season with a 34-point, seven-rebound effort in a 103-86 loss at McNeese State. His best night, however, came in an 85-83 double-overtime loss to Texas-Arlington, when he had 26 points, including 11-of-11 free-throw shooting, eight rebounds, six steals and four assists in 48 minutes of work.
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Blue Ribbon Analysis |
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BACKCOURT D BENCH/DEPTH D
FRONTCOURT B- INTANGIBLES C
Derek Allister enters his fourth season in Nacogdoches sitting squarely on the hot seat. Since the former California and Nevada assistant took over the program in 1996, SFA has steadily decreased in victories from 12 to 10 to four last year. A nonconference schedule that features trips to New Mexico and Texas A&M and home games against Rice, Texas Tech, South Alabama and Louisiana Tech will not help Allister's cause this season. The Lumberjacks were overpowered inside last season, finishing among the league's worst in defense, field-goal percentage defense, rebounding and blocked shots. Worse, attrition hit the program hard in the offseason. Five players with remaining eligibility did not return. Despite the presence of Patrick Gusters and a promising recruiting class, there are too many questions to expect much an improvement over last season. If younger brother Lonnie Gusters can duplicate Patrick's 11-point, four-rebound freshman season, Aaron Radl returns to form at point guard and one of the newcomers up front steps up, Stephen F. Austin could sneak into the conference tournament. But that's a lot of "ifs." |
"He's a fabulous scorer," Allister said. "He has a tremendous ability to get to the basket. He can score on the block or put in on the floor. His one liability is he's skinny." Terrance Lofton joins Gusters on the wing. The 6-3 senior forward (6.7 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 48 assists, 32 steals) is an undersized front-liner who makes up for his lack of height with electrifying leaping ability. Allister hopes the former junior college product plays with more consistency in his second season of major college competition. If Loften falters, Travis Beavers, a 6-8 sophomore, probably will move into his spot. Beavers (5.2 ppg, 4.3 rpg) is a strong rebounder who started 19 games as a freshman. Beavers needs to improve his defense and gain strength to become a complete player. Stephen Cobb (2.0 ppg, 1.2 rpg), a 6-11 sophomore, is raw and brings much-needed size, but he needs to improve as a rebounder and defender to become a factor. Cobb showed promise, scoring 14 of the 23 points he had last season in a 14-minute effort against Southwest Texas and first-round NBA draft pick Jeff Foster. "He's a legit 6-11, 230 pounds and he can stroke it," Allister said. "I'm expecting big things from Steven this year." Junior college transfers Ron Banks and Emmanuel Jackson, 6-8, 220-pound juniors, add size and experience. Banks averaged 15.0 points and 6.0 rebounds at Northern Oklahoma Junior College last season. Jackson arrives via Kemper Military Junior College in Booneville, Mo. "Ron and Emmanuel are two real keys for us," Allister said. "They're both big and athletic and we need them to contribute." A third junior-college transfer, Milan Simic, will add depth. Simic, a 6-7 junior from Belgrade, Yugoslavia, played at Lon Morris (Texas) Junior College. In the backcourt, look for Lonnie Gusters, Patrick's younger brother, to claim the shooting-guard spot. Lonnie Gusters, a 6-6 freshman from Dallas Kimball High School, is an outstanding jump shooter with great range. He should be the Jacks' top three-point threat immediately. "He's got a chance to be a tremendous player for us," Allister said. Point guard has been the Tigers' primary downfall in recent seasons. Jermaine Lyons and Aaron Radl shared time last season until Radl pulled a hamstring in the seventh game. Radl never returned, leaving the Lumberjacks with only one point guard on the roster. Radl (3.3 ppg, 0.7 rpg, 1.5 apg in seven games) hopes to return to his freshman form, when he started 24 games and led the Lumberjacks in minutes played. The 6-1 junior from Racine, Wis., had a credible 102-69 turnover-assist ratio as a freshman and also had 60 steals. "He's strong, athletic and an adequate shooter," Allister said. "He's a tremendous leader and consummate point guard. When we have him on the floor, things work. Without him we struggle." When Radl went down, Lyons (4.8 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 114 assists, 92 turnovers, 40 steals) was thrust into the uncomfortable role as playmaker. The 5-11 senior finished third in the Southland in assists (4.4 apg) but wore down as the minutes accumulated. He had an incredible 11 turnovers in a 97-70 loss to Northwestern State. Junior-college standout Roland Williams and freshman Kirk White arrive to supply depth at point. Williams, a 5-11 junior from Fort Worth, is an athletic runner who prefers a full-court attack. He led Trinidad (Colo.) State Junior College in scoring with a 14.2 average and added 3.5 rebounds per game. He started both seasons and was chosen to the All-Region IX team as a sophomore. At 6-4, White has nice size and athletic ability. White was a highly ranked prospect out of Amarillo (Texas) Tascosa High School, where he was invited to the Nike All-American camp as a senior. White sat out last season, but is expected to make an immediate contribution at both backcourt spots. Mark Nolan, a powerful 6-2, 210-pound junior combo guard whom Allister added late in the summer from Sierra (Calif.) Junior College, and Henry Howard (0.5 ppg, 0.2 rpg), a 6-1 junior, will provide depth.
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