Northwestern State Demons
Southland (23-8, 15-3)
Purchase Northwestern State Merchandise
Northwestern State’s high scoring offense gave some pretty good teams fits. The Demons lost to LSU, Texas A&M, Oklahoma and Arkansas, but they did keep a couple of those games close. They even scored 95 points against LSU. In conference play Coach Mike McConathy’s team often took a backseat to Stephen F. Austin. However, this is a team that beat the Lumberjacks at home and then knocked them off again in the Southland Conference Tournament to earn a berth in the 2013 NCAA Tournament.
Big Wins: 12/4 Louisiana Tech (89-83), 1/26 Stephen F. Austin (61-57), 3/16 at Stephen F. Austin (68-66)
Bad Losses: 1/10 at Oral Roberts (74-80), 1/17 Nicholls State (78-93), 2/23 at Niagara (76-92)
Coach: Mike McConathy (14 seasons at Northwestern State)
Why They Can Surprise:
It is not easy to be the highest scoring offense in the nation. A team needs quality depth in order to get up and down the floor and play pressure defense for 40 minutes. Coach McConathy has that depth. Ten players average at least 15 minutes per game and no player averages over 26 minutes. A dozen different players have started at least one game. The scoring is pretty balanced, but Shamir Davis, James Hulbin and Jalan West are the shooters on the team. Davis, a 6-0 senior, and Hulbin, a 6-8 senior, are both capable shooters who can also finish around the basket. Davis is much more of a drive and dish player than Hulbin, who can play with his back to the basket. West is the best distributor on the team and will usually give up the ball when he gets into the paint. DeQuan Hicks, a 6-7 junior, is the team’s best scorer. He is a pure back to the basket player and can really open up space for the rest of the team when he is having his way with the opposing defender. However, that will be more difficult in the NCAA Tournament.
Why They Can Disappoint:
Five of the top six scorers usually do not even start and that just goes to show how deep this team really can be. It does not matter at all who starts as everybody will get their chance. As much scoring as this team does, the team as a whole is not very good at the free-throw line and the Demons will need to take advantage of every possible opportunity if they hope to pull off an upset. The defense is going to give up a lot of points and the offense is going to turn the ball over quite a bit. That is what happens when a team averages over 82 points per game. Yet, Northwestern State must minimize their mistakes and not allow the opposition to get into the paint too easily. Against a squad with a talented big man or two, that will be the end of the Demons postseason hopes.
Probable Starters:
Shamir Davis, Senior, Guard, 12.5 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 2.1 rpg
Gary Stewart, Junior, Guard, 5.5 ppg, 2.9 rpg
Patrick Robinson, Junior, Forward, 3.7 ppg, 3.3 rpg
DeQuan Hicks, Junior, Forward, 14.1 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 1.6 spg
O.J. Evans, Senior, Center, 3.5 ppg, 3.7 rpg
Key Roleplayers:
Jalan West, Freshman, Guard, 10.3 ppg, 5.2 apg, 2.5 rpg, 2.4 spg
Brison White, Junior, Guard, 8.1 ppg, 2.3 apg
Gary Roberson, Senior, Guard/Forward, 6.5 ppg, 3.0 rpg
Marvin Frazier, Sophomore, Center, 4.9 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 1.3 bpg
James Hulbin, Senior, Forward, 12.1 ppg, 5.9 rpg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 82.4 (1st in nation, 1st in conference)
Scoring Defense: 72.0 (296, 7)
Field-Goal Percentage: 46.2 (45, 2)
Field-Goal Defense: 42.4 (161, 3)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 6.2 (155, 3)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 32.6 (223, 4)
Free-Throw Percentage: 68.4 (202, 3)
Rebound Margin: 0.5 (166, 4)
Assists Per Game: 16.0 (16, 1)
Turnovers Per Game: 14.4 (254, 8)
Last Five Postseason Appearances:
2006 NCAA Round of 64 win over Iowa
2006 NCAA Second Round loss to West Virginia
*all team stats through 3/10
See All Men’s Basketball Postseason Capsules
