Southland Conference men's basketball tournament

Southland Conference men's basketball tournament
Conference basketball championship
SportCollege basketball
ConferenceSouthland Conference
Number of teams8
FormatSingle-elimination tournament
Current stadiumThe Legacy Center
Current locationLake Charles, Louisiana
Played1981–present
Last contest2024
Current championMcNeese
Most championshipsNortheast Louisiana (6)
TV partner(s)ESPN
Official websiteSouthland.org Men's Basketball
Sponsors
Jersey Mike's Subs

The Southland Conference's men's basketball tournament began in 1981, with the winner of the tournament receiving the conference's automatic bid into the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship.

From 1981 to 2001, the first round of the tournament took place at the higher seed, with the remaining rounds at a set location. In 2002, the Southland changed the format to play games at the campus of sites of each higher seed, during every round of the tournament. This was changed again in 2007, the first year that the conference selected a neutral site for all rounds of the tournament.

Starting with the 2023 edition, the event is held at The Legacy Center on the campus of McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana, reportedly as part of a deal that kept McNeese in the Southland after it had been courted by Conference USA and nearly joined the Western Athletic Conference.[1] This move followed a 15-season run (2008–2022) at Leonard E. Merrell Center in the Houston suburb of Katy, Texas.

Tournament results

Year Winner Score Opponent MVP Venue
1981 Lamar 83–69 Louisiana Tech Mike Olliver, Lamar first round at campus sites; rest at Beaumont Civic Center, Beaumont, Texas
1982 Southwestern Louisiana 81–75 Texas–Arlington Alford Turner, Southwestern Louisiana Blackham Coliseum, Lafayette, Louisiana
1983 Lamar 75–54 North Texas State Kenneth Lyons, North Texas &
Lamont Robinson, Lamar		 Beaumont Civic Center
1984 Louisiana Tech 68–65 Lamar Willie Simmons, Louisiana Tech first round at campus sites; rest at Beaumont Civic Center
1985 Louisiana Tech 70–69 Lamar Jerry Everett, Lamar first round at campus sites; rest at Thomas Assembly Center, Ruston, Louisiana
1986 Northeast Louisiana 59–57 McNeese State Arthur Hayes, Northeast Louisiana first round at campus sites; rest at Fant–Ewing Coliseum, Monroe, Louisiana
1987 Louisiana Tech 58–51 Arkansas State Robert Godbolt, Louisiana Tech first round at campus sites; rest at Thomas Assembly Center
1988 North Texas 87–70 Northeast Louisiana Tony Worrell, North Texas first round at campus sites; rest at UNT Coliseum, Denton, Texas
1989 McNeese State 85–68 North Texas Michael Cutright, McNeese State first round at campus sites; rest at UNT Coliseum, Denton, Texas
1990 Northeast Louisiana 84–68 North Texas Anthony Jones, Northeast Louisiana Fant–Ewing Coliseum
1991 Northeast Louisiana 87–60 Texas–Arlington Anthony Jones, Northeast Louisiana
1992 Northeast Louisiana 81–77 Texas–San Antonio Ryan Stuart, Louisiana-Monroe Convocation Center, San Antonio, Texas
1993 Northeast Louisiana 80–66 Texas–San Antonio Ryan Stuart, Northeast Louisiana Fant–Ewing Coliseum
1994 Southwest Texas State 69–60 North Texas Lynwood Wade, Southwest Texas State
1995 Nicholls State 98–87 Northeast Louisiana Reggie Jackson, Nicholls State first round at campus sites; rest at Hirsch Memorial Coliseum, Shreveport, Louisiana
1996 Northeast Louisiana 71–60 North Texas Paul Marshall, Northeast Louisiana Hirsch Memorial Coliseum
1997 Southwest Texas State 74–64 Northeast Louisiana Dameon Sansom, Texas State
1998 Nicholls State 84–81 Texas–Arlington Donald Harris, Texas–Arlington
1999 Texas–San Antonio 71–63 Southwest Texas State Steve Meyer, Texas–San Antonio Gold Dome, Shreveport, Louisiana
2000 Lamar 62–55 Northwestern State Landon Rowe, Lamar first round at campus sites; rest at Hirsch Memorial Coliseum
2001 Northwestern State 72–71 McNeese State Michael Byars-Dawson, Northwestern State first round at campus sites; rest at CenturyTel Center, Bossier City, Louisiana
2002 McNeese State 65–43 Louisiana-Monroe Fred Gentry, McNeese State all at campus sites; finals at Burton Coliseum, Lake Charles, Louisiana
2003 Sam Houston State 69–66 (OT) Stephen F. Austin Donald Cole, Sam Houston State all at campus sites; finals at Bernard Johnson Coliseum, Huntsville, Texas
2004 Texas–San Antonio 74–70 Stephen F. Austin LeRoy Hurd, Texas–San Antonio all at campus sites; finals at Convocation Center
2005 Southeastern Louisiana 49–42 Northwestern State Ricky Woods, Southeastern Louisiana all at campus sites; finals at Prather Coliseum, Natchitoches, Louisiana
2006 Northwestern State 95–87 Sam Houston State Clifton Lee, Northwestern State
2007 Texas A&M–Corpus Christi 81–78 Northwestern State Chris Daniels, Texas A&M–Corpus Christi Campbell Center, Houston, Texas
2008 Texas–Arlington 82–79 Northwestern State Anthony Vereen, Texas–Arlington Leonard E. Merrell Center, Katy, Texas
2009 Stephen F. Austin 68–57 UTSA Matt Kingsley, Stephen F. Austin Leonard E. Merrell Center, Katy, Texas
2010 Sam Houston State 64–48 Stephen F. Austin Ashton Mitchell, Sam Houston State
2011 UTSA 75–72 McNeese State Devin Gibson, UTSA
2012 Lamar 70–49 McNeese State Mike James, Lamar
2013 Northwestern State 68–66 Stephen F. Austin Shamir Davis, Northwestern State
2014 Stephen F. Austin* 68–49 Sam Houston State Thomas Walkup, Stephen F. Austin
2015 Stephen F. Austin* 83–70 Sam Houston State
2016 Stephen F. Austin* 82–60 Texas A&M–Corpus Christi
2017 New Orleans 68–65 (OT) Texas A&M–Corpus Christi Erik Thomas, New Orleans
2018 Stephen F. Austin* 59–55 Southeastern Louisiana T. J. Holyfield, Stephen F. Austin
2019 Abilene Christian 77–60 New Orleans Jaren Lewis, Abilene Christian
2020 Canceled due to COVID-19
2021 Abilene Christian 79–46 Nicholls Kolton Kohl, Abilene Christian Leonard E. Merrell Center, Katy, Texas
2022 Texas A&M–Corpus Christi 73–65 Southeastern Louisiana Terrion Murdix, Texas A&M–Corpus Christi
2023 Texas A&M–Corpus Christi 75–71 Northwestern State Jalen Jackson, Texas A&M–Corpus Christi The Legacy Center, Lake Charles, Louisiana
2024 McNeese 92–76 Nicholls Shahada Wells, McNeese
2025
2026
2027
2028
2029

Note: Northeast Louisiana and Southwestern Louisiana became Louisiana–Monroe and Louisiana–Lafayette, respectively, in 1999; the latter has since changed its athletic branding to solely Louisiana. Southwest Texas State became Texas State in 2003.

Note on asterisks: Stephen F. Austin kept academically ineligible players from 2013-2020.[2]

Performance by school

Schools indicated in italics with a pink background are no longer in the SLC, as of the current 2024–25 NCAA basketball season. In 2024–25, UTRGV is playing its first SLC season, and Stephen F. Austin returned to the SLC after a three-year absence.

Member Winners Winning Years
Louisiana–Monroe 6 1986, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996
Stephen F. Austin 5[a] 2009, 2014[a], 2015[a], 2016[a], 2018[a]
Lamar 4 1981, 1983, 2000, 2012
Northwestern State 3 2001, 2006, 2013
Louisiana Tech 3 1984, 1985, 1987
UTSA 3 1999, 2004, 2011
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 3 2007, 2022, 2023
McNeese 3 1989, 2002, 2024
Abilene Christian 2 2019, 2021
Nicholls 2 1995, 1998
Sam Houston State 2 2003, 2010
Texas State 2 1994, 1997
New Orleans 1 2017
North Texas 1 1988
Southeastern Louisiana 1 2005
Southwestern Louisiana 1 1982
UT Arlington 1 2008
TOTAL 43
  1. ^ a b c d e Stephen F. Austin used academically ineligible players from 2013-2020.

All-Time Tournament Standings

School Record Winning pct Championships Runners-up Appearances
Current Members
Lamar 21–14 .600 4 2 18
Northwestern State 21–15 .583 3 4 18
Stephen F. Austin 23–17 .575 5 4 22
New Orleans 5-4 .556 1 0 5
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 8–8 .500 1 2 9
McNeese 24-28 .461 2 3 29
Southeastern Louisiana 9-14 .391 1 1 15
Nicholls 9–15 .375 2 0 17
Houston Christian 3-6 .333 0 0 6
Incarnate Word 0-0 .000 0 0 0
Former Members
Abilene Christian 2–0 1.000 1 0 1
Southwestern Louisiana
(now Louisiana) 		4-1 .800 1 0 2
Louisiana Tech 9-4 .692 3 1 7
Louisiana–Monroe 21-16 .568 6 4 22
UTSA 17-15 .531 3 3 18
Sam Houston 20–20 .500 2 3 22
North Texas 11-11 .500 1 5 12
Arkansas State 4-6 .400 0 1 6
Texas State 10-15 .400 2 1 17
UT Arlington 13-25 .342 1 3 26
Oral Roberts 1-2 .333 0 0 2
Central Arkansas 1–3 .250 0 0 4

Italicized indicates former member as of the 2024–25 NCAA basketball season.
Sources: [3]

Television coverage

Year Network Play-by-play Analyst
2024 ESPN2 David Saltzman Ben Braun
2023
2022
2021 Matt Schick Joe Kleine
2020 Lowell Galindo Lance Blanks
2019 Reid Gettys
2018 Lance Blanks
2017
2016 Bob Wischusen Sean Harrington
2015 Mark Neely Stephen Howard
2014[4] Carter Blackburn
2013[5] Mark Adams
2012[6] Dereck Whittenburg
2011[7]
2010[8] Lou Canellis Mike Kelley
2009[9] Dave Barnett
2008[10] Bucky Walters
2007[11] Eric Collins Jimmy Dykes

See also

References

  1. ^ Gazzolo, Jim (November 9, 2021). "McNeese sticks with Southland in move that will bring millions in for SW La. tourism". American Press. Lake Charles, LA. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  2. ^ "Stephen F. Austin announces postseason bans for men's basketball, football and baseball".
  3. ^ "Southland Champions History & Records" (PDF). Southland Conference. p. 107. Retrieved February 17, 2019.
  4. ^ "Championship Week Presented by DIck's Sporting Goods Schedule". 5 March 2014.
  5. ^ "Championship Week Presented by DIck's Sporting Goods Schedule". 4 March 2013.
  6. ^ "Championship Week: Coverage of a Record 137 Men's Games Begins March 1". 27 February 2012.
  7. ^ "Championship Week Begins Thursday, March 4 | ESPN MediaZone". Archived from the original on 2010-04-12. Retrieved 2010-12-17.
  8. ^ "Championship Week Begins Thursday, March 4 | ESPN MediaZone". Archived from the original on 2010-04-12. Retrieved 2010-12-17.
  9. ^ "20090226_ChampionshipWeekBeginsMarch5". Archived from the original on 2009-03-07. Retrieved 2009-03-01.
  10. ^ "Farther off the Wall". Archived from the original on 2011-09-23. Retrieved 2012-07-30.
  11. ^ "What to Watch: College basketball lovers rejoice". Archived from the original on 2009-02-07. Retrieved 2009-03-01.