Region XIV coaches pick Lamar State to finish third in South Zone

[LamarStatesports]

The 20-win season posted by the Lamar State College-Port Arthur men’s basketball team last season apparently made an impression on their opponents.
This year’s Region XIV Coaches Poll predicts the Seahawks will finish third in the South Zone behind San Jacinto College and Angelina College.

Lamar State received two of the 14 first-place votes.

The Seahawks were sixth in last year’s poll in their second season in the conference.

The coaches picked Navarro College as the North Zone champion for the second straight year. The Bulldogs ended up second to Paris Junior College in 2010, but won the conference tournament and finished fourth in the NJCAA Division I championship tournament.

Navarro is No. 6 in this year’s NJCAA pre-season poll. San Jacinto is ranked No. 11

LSC-PA head coach Matt Cross said this year’s poll reflected the final standings last spring.

“I can understand why the coaches voted in the order of San Jac, Angelina and us because all three teams have several players returning,” Cross said. “But pre-season polls don’t mean much, especially in junior college basketball, because most teams change dramatically from year to year. You really don’t know what to expect. In fact, one coach pointed out there has been a few times that the pre-season No. 1 did not qualify for the post-season tournament.”

Cross said the Seahawks have earned some respect that previously was missing.

“Everyone acknowledged that we came out of nowhere and surprised the conference last year. So, we garnered some respect to be voted third in the South while receiving two first place votes,” Cross said. “If that prediction comes true, then we would have had a really good regular season. However; our team expectation is to come out on top. People are waiting to see if last year was just a fluke or if we can establish ourselves as program that will be a contender for years to come. That certainly is a legitimate question for a program entering its third year in America's best juco conference.”

Cross said Region XIV’s South Zone has been the weaker of the two divisions since the conference split.

“But this year, the South is much stronger. Several South teams are capable of winning the tournament and representing the region at the NJCAA championship tournament,” Cross said. “There is no doubt this year’s team will be presented with a major challenge in having to follow last year’s success. It is one thing to win as underdog. It is another to win as a possible favorite. That will be the major challenge for us.”

Lamar State opens this season at home Monday, Nov. 1, against the Wiley College junior varsity team.

The Seahawks will play five more non-conference games – two on the road and three at home -- before starting their Region XIV schedule on Nov. 23, at home against Lon Morris College.

Region XIV 2010 Coaches Poll
(1st place votes in parenthesis)

South Zone
1. San Jacinto College (9)                            81
2. Angelina College                                    68
3. Lamar State College-PA (2)                      66
4. Lon Morris College (1)                            62
5. Lee College                                            53
6. Blinn College                                          40
7. Jacksonville College                                22

North Zone
1. Navarro College (12)                              96
2. Tyler (1)                                                77
3. Trinity Valley Com. College (1)                63
4. Paris Junior College                                59
5. Kilgore College                                      48
6. Panola College                                      27
7. Bossier Parish Com. College                    18