The 2015–16 SLC men's basketball season was the 53rd season of Southland Conference basketball, taking place between November 2015 and March 2016. Practices began in October 2015, and the season ended with the 2016 Southland Conference men's basketball tournament.
Preseason
Preseason Polls
Coaches Poll RankTeam1 Stephen F. Austin2 Northwestern State3 Texas A&M–Corpus Christi4 Sam Houston State5 Lamar6 Incarnate Word7 Southeastern Louisiana8 New Orleans9 Houston Baptist10 McNeese State11 Nicholls State12 Central Arkansas13 Abilene Christian
Sports Information Directors' Poll
RankTeam1 Stephen F. Austin2 Northwestern State3 Texas A&M–Corpus Christi4 Sam Houston State5 Incarnate Word6 Lamar7 Southeastern Louisiana8 McNeese State9 Houston Baptist10 New Orleans11 Nicholls State12 Central Arkansas13 Abilene Christian
Preseason All-Conference Teams Source: Award Recipients First Team Thomas Walkup (Stephen F. Austin) Jalen West (Northwestern State) Zeek Woodley (Northwestern State) Rashawn Thomas (Texas A&M–Corpus Christi) Paul Baxter (Sam Houston State) Second TeamTy Charles (Stephen F. Austin) Zay Jackson (Southeastern Louisiana) Craig McFerrin (McNeese State) Kyle Hittle (Incarnate Word) Anthony Odunsi (Houston Baptist)
Southland Conference Preseason Player of the Year: Thomas Walkup, Stephen F. Austin
Regular season
Head coaches
Note: Stats shown are before the beginning of the season. Overall and SLC records are from time at current school. Team Head coach Previous job Seasons at school Overall record SLC record NCAA TournamentsAbilene Christian Joe Golding Arkansas–Little Rock 5th 45–71 6–26 0Central Arkansas Russ Pennell Grand Canyon 2nd 0–2 2–16 0Houston Baptist Ron Cottrell Arkansas 25th 18–41 9–27 0Incarnate Word Ken Burmeister Trinity 10th 39–17 19–13 1Lamar Tic Price North Texas 2nd 16–19 10–13 2McNeese State Dave Simmons Northwestern State 10th 127–152 80–79 0New Orleans Mark Slessinger Northwestern State 5th 22–33 14–22 0Nicholls State J. P. Piper Nicholls (assistant) 12th 121–201 76–106 0Northwestern State Mike McConathy Bossier Parish CC 17th 259–240 157–117 3Sam Houston State Jason Hooten Tarleton State 6th 99–69 53–33 0 Southeastern Louisiana Jay Ladner Jones County JC 2nd 9–23 6–12 0 Stephen F. Austin Brad Underwood South Carolina 3rd 61–8 35–1 2 Texas A&M–Corpus Christi Willis Wilson Memphis 5th 50–77 36–34 0
Postseason
Southland Conference tournament
March 9–12, 2016: Southland Conference Men's Basketball Tournament, Leonard E. Merrill Center, Katy, Texas
NCAA tournament
The winner of the conference tournament will be awarded an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament.
National Invitation tournament
College Basketball Invitational
CollegeInsider.com Postseason tournament
Awards and honors
Regular season
SLC Player-of-the-Week
Nov. 16 – Jalan West (Northwestern State) Nov. 23 – Thomas Walkup (Stephen F. Austin) Nov. 31 – Rashawn Thomas (Texas A&M-Corpus Christi) Dec. 7 – Rashawn Thomas (Texas A&M-Corpus Christi) Dec. 14 – Rashawn Thomas (Texas A&M-Corpus Christi) Dec. 21 – Jontrell Walker (Incarnate Word) Dec. 28 – Ja'Donte' Frye (Nicholls) Jan. 4 – Anthony Odunsi (Houston Baptist) Jan. 11 – Rashawn Thomas (Texas A&M-Corpus Christi) Jan. 18 – Rashawn Thomas (Texas A&M-Corpus Christi) Jan. 25 – Demetrious Floyd (Stephen F. Austin) Feb. 1 – Kevin Hill (University of New Orleans) Feb. 8 – Jordan Howard (Central Arkansas) Feb. 15 – Zeek Woodley (Northwestern State) Feb. 22 – Mar. 1 –
Postseason
SLC All-Conference Teams and Awards Award Recipients Coach of the Year Brad Underwood (Stephen F. Austin) Player of the Year Thomas Walkup (Stephen F. Austin) Defensive Player of the Year Rashawn Thomas (Texas A&M-Corpus Christi) Freshman of the Year Jaylen Franklin (Abilene Christian) Newcomer of the Year Derreck Brooks (Central Arkansas) First Team Thomas Walkup (Stephen F. Austin) Rashawn Thomas (Texas A&M-Corpus Christi) Zeek Woodley (Northwestern State) Anthony Odunsi (Houston Baptist) Jordan Howard (Central Arkansas) Second Team Kyle Hittle (Incarnate Word) Jaylen Franklin (Abilene Christian) Demetrious Floyd (Stephen F. Austin) Aurimas Majauskas (Sam Houston State) Dakarai Henderson (Sam Houston State) Third Team Zay Jackson (Southeastern Louisiana) Jamaya Burr (McNeese State) Glide Geffrard (Stephen F. Austin) Hameed Ali (Texas A&M Corpus Christi) Christavious Gill (New Orleans) All-Defensive Team Rashawn Thomas (Texas A&M-Corpus Christi) Thomas Walkup (Stephen F. Austin) Hameed Ali (Texas A&M Corpus Christi) Liam Thomas (Nicholls State) Trey Pinkney (Stephen F. Austin) First Team All-Academic Kyle Hittle (Incarnate Word) Thomas Walkup (Stephen F. Austin) Jordan Howard (Central Arkansas) Aurimas Majauskas (Sam Houston State) Parker Wentz ( Abilene Christian) Second Team All-Academic Bryce Douvier (Texas A&M Corpus Christi) Sabri Thompson (Northwestern State) Mitchell Badillo (Incarnate Word) Reveal Chukwujekwu (Houston Baptist) Kevin Hill (New Orleans) All-Tournament Team Thomas Walkup (Stephen F. Austin) Jared Johnson (Stephen F. Austin) Michael Holyfield (Sam Houston State) Jabari Peters (Sam Houston State) Zeek Woodley (Northwestern State) Tournament MVP Thomas Walkup (Stephen F. Austin)
References