The fight for the last four spots...

Here are the remaining schedules for teams fighting for the final couple spots in the Southland Conference tournament (in order of standing right now)...

Lamar — @UTSA, @TAMUCC, Nicholls State

Combined record: 25-14

McNeese State — @Nicholls State, SELA, @UCA

Combined record: 15-24

Texas State — Northwestern State, UTSA, @SHSU

Combined record: 20-19

Just by looking at it, McNeese has the easiest road into the tournament, playing teams with a combined record of 15-24, yet, two of its games are on the road. Lamar has the toughest schedule and could lose two out of its last three games. 

So, it puts the pressure on Texas State. The Bobcats should be able to handle Northwestern State at home, but then the true test begins. Texas State will play UTSA and then travel to Huntsville.

The Bobcats just might have another meaningful game against Sam Houston State with its playoff life on the line. Sounds familiar, doesn't it?

Texas State basketball vs. SFA

Both Texas State basketball teams have dates with Stephen F. Austin tonight in pivotal Southland Conference match-ups. The Bobcat men and women team need wins to stay alive in the race for the SLC tourney.

Right now, the Texas State men's team is still in ninth place. The Bobcats are a game behind Lamar by virtue of common opponents and would be on the outside-looking in should the conference tournament begin today.

Texas State plays SFA, who is tied atop the SLC with a 9-3 record. The Lumberjacks are 11-0 at home, so the Bobcats will need to play like they did against Nicholls State last Saturday afternoon.

The Texas State women are in seventh place in the SLC, right above Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. The Bobcats are 5-7, while SFA is 8-4. 

The Lady Jacks are currently holding down the fourth seed if the SLC tournament started today. SFA is 4-7 away from home, so Texas State should have a good shot tonight.

This will be the 56th meeting between the women's teams. The Lady Jacks hold a 48-8 advantage.

Current SLC standings (top 8*)

Men

------

SFA 9-3

SHSU 9-3

TAMUCC 9-3

UTA 8-4

Nicholls State 8-4

UTSA 7-5

McNeese State 5-7

Lamar 5-7

Texas State 5-7

Women

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UTSA 10-2

UTA 10-2

Lamar 9-3

SFA 8-4

Northwestern State 7-5

Southeastern La. 7-5

Texas State 5-7

TAMUCC 5-7

Vanlandingham to leave Texas State...

Texas State assistant men's basketball coach Russell Vanlandingham will be leaving the program. He accepted a position at Our Lady of the Lakes University as head coach. OLLU plays in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).

http://www.ollusa.edu/s/346/ollu.aspx?sid=346&gid=1&pgid=4383

Wrapping up Texas State vs. Texas A&M (softball)

• Texas State is now 3-1 against the Big XII this season.
• The Bobcats have beat Oklahoma State, Texas and now Texas A&M. Texas State used late rallies to get by both the Longhorns and Aggies.
• Chandler Hall, Bobcat starting pitcher, allowed two solo home runs. The first was on a 3-2 count, while the other came on the first pitch of the at-bat. Hall recovered to retire the side both times after the homers.
• Leah Boatright went 3-for-4, after going 3-for-10 at the UH-Crowne Plaza Classic.
• Texas State set an attendance record. 1,353 fans watched the Bobcats beat A&M. Fans were lined up along the fence as it was standing room only.

Texas State softball vs. Texas A&M

Don't look now, but college softball is gearing up. Texas State (5-4) is already nine games into its 2009 season.

Tonight, the Bobcats host Texas A&M in their home opener. Texas State also opens the newly renovated Bobcat Field tonight and is expecting a sizable crowd.

The Bobcats have only won nine game in 62 tries against the Aggies (5-5). Texas A&M comes into the game ranked 19th in the nation and went 1-4 in a recent tournament. The Aggies were ranked fifth, but dropped to 19th from their losses.

Texas State has taken down several giants this season (Texas and Houston) and are 2-1 against the Big XII this season. The Bobcats' offense will need to step up as they are only averaging 3.7 runs per game.

Chandler Hall will most likely get the start for Texas State.

Bobcats continue to slide in RPI...

Even after scoring a huge road win the Texas State men's basketball team continues to drop in recent RPI rankings.

The Bobcats were 281st a week ago and despite hanging close with McNeese State and beating Lamar on the road, they slid to 303rd. There are 341 teams ranked in Division I-A.

Texas State is ranked two spots below Houston Baptist and is second-to-last in the Southland Conference (UCA is 319th).

Current SLC men's basketball standings...

A huge win by Texas State on the road against Lamar put the Bobcats into eighth. If the Southland Conference tournament began right now, Texas State would be invited. The Bobcats have a tough stretch coming up with Nicholls State (Feb. 21) and Stephen F. Austin (Feb. 25).

Sam Houston State 8-2
Texas A&M-CC 8-2
Stephen F. Austin 8-3
Nicholls State 8-3
UTSA 6-4
UTA 6-4
McNeese State 4-6
Texas State 4-7
Lamar 3-7
Southeastern Louisiana 3-7

http://www.southland.org/standings/Standings.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=18400&SPID=10825

Wrapping up TAMUCC...

Finishing touches

Texas State just can't seem to finish off its opponents.

The Bobcats struggled for what seems like the 10th time this season closing out a close game. Texas State led by eight points with 17 minutes remaining in the game, but saw the advantage dwindle.

Just nine minutes later, the Bobcats trailed by five points and it wasn't getting any better. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi opened up a 10-point lead before Texas State clawed its way back within six.

Unfortunately, that would be as close as the Bobcats got, as head coach Doug Davalos was whistled for a technical foul (his third of the season). The Islanders knocked down three of the four free throws awarded to them and iced the game.

Texas State turned the ball over seven times in the final eight minutes and missed six layups. The Bobcats had a chance to keep it close, but gave it away.

Throughout this season, Texas State has had trouble closing up shop. The Bobcats have lost four games in Southland Conference action by less than six points.

Davalos always speaks about how important the last four minutes of any basketball game are, and after the loss to TAMUCC, he called it, "hard to watch."


No help in the post

If Texas State needs any help, it better not look to its post players.

Ty Gough, Jonathan Sloan and Dylan Moseley are struggling this season. All three players combined to play 23 minutes against TAMUCC, scoring three points (1-of-7 shooting) and picking up four fouls.

The Bobcats did get 22 points in the paint, but it was mainly from Cameron Johnson and Brandon Bush. Johnson has been forced to play center since Gough and Sloan are ineffective.

Islander coach Perry Clark hypothesized that Texas State fouls so much because of their lack of quality post players.

"They foul a lot, but that's the way they have to play," Clark said. "They don't have a real dominant post guy and they need to get some steals and turnovers since they won't get it done in the paint."

Benson suspended for tomorrow's game...

This was just released from the Southland Conference Web site...

FRISCO, Texas – The Southland Conference has reprimanded the Texas State and Southeastern Louisiana men’s basketball teams for a bench-clearing incident during the team’s game on Feb. 4, at San Marcos, Texas.

In addition to the team reprimands, Southeastern Louisiana student-athlete Chris Cyprian and Texas State student-athlete Brent Benson were given subsequent game suspensions. Mr. Cyprian was withheld from SLU’s game versus Texas-San Antonio on Feb. 7. An appeal hearing before the Southland Conference Executive Committee was conducted Tuesday, and the decision of the Conference was upheld. Thus, Mr. Benson’s suspension will occur Wednesday, Feb. 11, against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

Benson's suspension was to be expected after his actions in the bench-clearing brawl. Texas State will now be without its leading scorer against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

Brandon Bush will need to continue his strong play, as will John Rybak. The Bobcats need a third scorer to step up and most likely, it will be Cameron Johnson. But if he doesn't?

Bobcat men scraping the bottom of RPI barrell...

According to RealTimeRPI, the Texas State men's basketball team is near the bottom of all eligible Division I teams. The Bobcats are currently ranked (as of Feb. 9), 295th out of 343 teams.

Texas State is tucked between Quinnipiac and Norfolk State, while other Southland Conference teams, McNeese State (291) and Northwestern State (297) are close by. The Bobcats are seven spots ahead of Missouri-Kansas City, who is 6-17 overall and 2-10 in the Summit Conference.

The SLC is ranked 20th out of 32 D1 conferences, ahead of the Southern Conference, but behind the Mid-American.

Texas State should move up with a win tomorrow night against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (117th).

Texas State lands three transfers...

Texas State head football coach Brad Wright announced he signed three transfers to headline the 2009 signing class. Woody McClendon (Kilgore College), Michael Chambers (Merced College) and Ron Jackson (Arizona) will join the Bobcats next season.

Here is the release from Texas State:

San Marcos, Texas- After leading his alma mater its first outright conference championship since 1983, Texas State head football coach Brad Wright announced the addition of three transfers to the Bobcat roster for the 2009 season.

The Bobcats have added junior college transfers Woody McClendon of Kilgore College and Michael Chambers of Merced College. In addition, Ron Jackson has transferred to Texas State from the University of Arizona.

“All three of the guys can bring immediate experience and will go through spring with us this season,” Wright said. “That will be a tremendous advantage for us and for them heading into next year.”

McClendon is a Two-Time Second-Team All-American and All-Conference First Team selection tight end from Kilgore College, where he played for coach J.J. Eckert. He played in the 2007 Heart of Texas Bowl vs. Mississippi Gulf Coast All-Star game and was selected to play in first ever Triumphant Sports’ Junior College All American game after his sophomore season. McClendon went to Kilgore after playing quarterback at Pleasant Grove High School in Texarkana, where he was a three-year letterman and two-time First-Team All-District 14-3A selection.

Chambers is a two-time All-Conference performer for coach Tony Lewis at Merced College after playing at Merced High School, where he was an All-Conference player for Rob Schiecht.

Jackson was a member of Arizona’s 2008 team that finished the season with an 8-5 record in 2008 and played at Creekview High School in Carrollton, Texas. He was an All-District 6-5A First-Team selection in 2006 and listed among the Top 100 football players in the State by the Dallas Morning News and one of the Top 20 defensive lineman by Texasfootball.com.

The Bobcats will announce the remaining signees later today.

Texas State get commit from local standout

While covering a high school basketball game tonight, I was given word about a local standout signing with Texas State. Roger Martinez from Lehman High in Kyle will play for the Bobcats. Martinez, a 6-foot, 4-inch, 250-pound lineman played both offensive and defensive tackle for the Lobos.

Signing day tomorrow...

Signing day is tomorrow for Division I football teams and Texas State is sure to have a few. The Bobcats can't comment on who is committed or signed until tomorrow afternoon, but a list is growing.

The most recent player to commit is Presitn Brown from Grand Prairie, according to the Dallas News. Brown is a 6-foot, 3-inch 223-pound defensive lineman.

http://recruitingblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2009/01/grand-prairie-dl-commits-to-texas-state.html