L&E Cosmetic : Southland Conference Tournament 2015: Bracket, schedule and scores

Thursday, March 12, 2015

Southland Conference Tournament 2015: Bracket, schedule and scores

Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston State are the heavy favorites to clash for the Southland Conference's auto-bid this week.

The Southland Conference Tournament tips off on Wednesday from the Merrell Center in Katy, Texas. Eight teams are in contention for the conference's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament, although the two teams at the top are getting all the attention.

Stephen F. Austin earned the No. 1 seed after blazing through the regular season with a 17-1 conference record. Sam Houston State is the No. 2 seed with a 24-7 overall record but got swept by the Lumberjacks, hurting their chances to get an at-large bid. Either team may have to win the tournament to get their ticket to the Big Dance. SFA scheduled a solid non-conference slate (Northern Iowa, Xavier, Butler) but failed to beat any of those teams. Barring any massive movement in the rest of the bubble picture, it's unlikely the Southland will produce two tournament teams.

If there's one party crasher to watch for, it's Texas A&M Corpus Christi, who beat both SFA and Sam Houston State in the regular season.

The format

The Southland has 13 teams, but this year's tournament field has been gutted by postseason bans. Abilene Christian and Incarnate Word are ineligible due to transitioning from Division II, while Houston Baptist, Lamar and Central Arkansas are facing APR punishments.

As a result, only eight teams are competing in the tournament, although it doesn't follow the standard quarterfinal format. The top two seeds get double byes into the semifinals, while Nos. 3 and 4 get a single bye. The bottom four teams play each other in the first round. Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston State are both well-protected, getting nearly a full week of rest before their matchups.