CIT 2nd Round Preview: San Diego @ Sam Houston State
By James Pigott
Feb 22, 2014; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Toreros forward Brett Bailey (32) celebrates with fans on the court after a win against the Gonzaga Bulldogs at Jenny Craig Pavillion. The Toreros won 69-66. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
San Diego Toreros (17-16, 7-11 WCC) @ Sam Houston State Bearkats (24-10, 13-5 Southland)
Date: Saturday, March 22, 2014
Location: William R. Johnson Coliseum, Nacogdoches, Texas
Time: 4:00 PM PT
TV: None
Video: http://www.collegeinsider.com/
Live stats: http://www.gobearkats.com/liveStats/liveStats.dbml?SPID=11358&DB_OEM_ID=19900&LIST_SPORT_KEY=M_BASKETBALL
PROJECTED STARTERS
San Diego
Christopher Anderson, 10.0 PPG, 6.1 APG
Johnny Dee, 16.9 PPG
Brett Bailey, 3.0 PPG
Dennis Kramer, 11.6 PPG, 6.8 RPG
Jito Kok, 4.6 PPG, 1.8 BPG
Sam Houston State
Jabari Peters, 12.4 PPG, 4.2 APG
Kaheem Ranson, 11.6 PPG, 3.7 APG
Paul Baxter, 8.9 PPG, 3.6 APG
Thomas James, 8.4 PPG
Michael Holyfield, 6.7 PPG, 6.8 RPG
Meet the Teams
San Diego, despite not having Duda Sanadze, put on an offensive clinic against Portland State, putting up a season high 87 points. Despite a disappointing 7-11 conference record in the WCC, the Toreros are looking to build momentum towards next season as they lose just one senior (Dennis Kramer). The tandem of Johnny Dee and Christopher Anderson is as good a backcourt as any team in the country.
Sam Houston State had a very strong season in the Southland Conference with a record of 13-5. They made it to the finals of the Southland conference tournament but lost to Stephen F. Austin, who is in the NCAA Tournament with a 31-2 record. Led by a trio of outstanding guards, the Bearkats will look to keep their momentum going against San Diego after beating Alabama State in the 1st round of the CIT.
Keys to the Game for San Diego
Ball control: Sloppy play hurt the Toreros early against Portland State before pulling away. Anderson needs to take control of this team and make sure everyone is on the same page on offense. The Toreros have a lot of newcomer guards this season, and it is important that the Toreros take advantage of every single possession.
Keep Kramer out of foul trouble: That was also an issue against Portland State. Kramer is the only consistent scoring big man that San Diego has, and since Sam Houston State doesn’t really have a scoring threat down low, Kramer’s presence on the floor could end up being a big advantage for USD.
Prediction
It will be tougher for San Diego to win on the road, and if they don’t have Duda Sanadze, I am worried that they might have difficulty scoring the basketball. Sam Houston State 65, San Diego 63.