Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks basketball
College basketball team
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks basketball team is the men's basketball team that represents Stephen F. Austin State University (popularly abbreviated as SFA) in Nacogdoches, Texas, United States. Stephen F. Austin is currently led by head coach Matt Braeuer. The Lumberjacks have appeared five times in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, most recently in 2018.
(capacity: 7,203)
| Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks basketball | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
 | |||
| University | Stephen F. Austin State University | ||
| Head coach | Matt Braeuer (1st season) | ||
| Location | Nacogdoches, Texas | ||
| Arena | William R. Johnson Coliseum (capacity: 7,203) | ||
| Conference | Southland | ||
| Nickname | Lumberjacks | ||
| Colors | Purple and white[1] | ||
| NCAA Division I tournament round of 32 | |||
| 1983†, 2014, 2016* | |||
| NCAA Division I tournament appearances | |||
| 1983†, 2009, 2014, 2015*, 2016*, 2018* | |||
| Conference tournament champions | |||
| Southland: 2009, 2014, 2015*, 2016*, 2018* | |||
| Conference regular-season champions | |||
| Southland: 1987, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2015*, 2016*, 2020, 2026 WAC: 2022 | |||
| Uniforms | |||
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† at Division II level * appearances vacated by NCAA | |||
History
In the 2013–2014 season, the men's basketball team had its most successful year in more than 2 decades, going 32–3 in the regular season and 18–0 in conference play. They won 29 games in a row, including the conference semi-final and finals, and the second round of the NCAA Tournament. SFA repeated the same feat in their 2015–2016 season by going 18–0 in conference and reaching the second round of the NCAA once again, but lost by Rex Pflueger's putback, which gave Notre Dame a 76–75 win over the Lumberjacks.
On May 20, 2020, following the discovery of an administrative error in certifying eligibility for student-athletes, Stephen F. Austin reached an agreement with the NCAA to vacate hundreds of wins across multiple sports from 2013 to 2019. This included all 117 men's basketball wins from the 2014 to 2015 and 2018 to 2019 seasons. As a result, three NCAA tournament appearances and three Southland conference titles were nullified.[2][3]
SFA was one of four schools, all from Texas, that left the Southland Conference (SLC) on July 1, 2021, to join the Western Athletic Conference (WAC).[4] SFA had previously played in the SLC since the 1987–88 season. SFA's affiliation with the WAC would only last three seasons, as it announced on May 29, 2024, that it would return to the SLC effective with the 2024–25 school year.[5]
Postseason appearances
NCAA Division I
The Lumberjacks have appeared in five NCAA tournaments. Their combined record is 2–5; however, as a result of their three vacated appearances, they have an "official" record of 1–2.
| Year | Seed | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | #14 | Round of 64 | #3 Syracuse | L 44–59 |
| 2014 | #12 | Round of 64 Round of 32 | #5 VCU #4 UCLA | W 77–75OT L 60–77 |
| 2015 | #12 | Round of 64 | #5 Utah | L 50–57* |
| 2016 | #14 | Round of 64 Round of 32 | #3 West Virginia #6 Notre Dame | W 70–56* L 75–76* |
| 2018 | #14 | Round of 64 | #3 Texas Tech | L 60–70* |
- appearances vacated by NCAA
NCAA Division II
During their time in NCAA Division II, the Lumberjacks appeared in the tournament once. Their combined record was 1–1.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Round of 32 Regional Third Place | Central Missouri State Tennessee–Martin | L 57–66 W 83–70 |
NIT results
The Lumberjacks have appeared in four National Invitation Tournaments (NIT). Their combined record is 1–4.
CBI results
The Lumberjacks have appeared in the College Basketball Invitational (CBI) once. Their record is 0–1.
| Year | Seed | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | #4 | First Round | #13 UNC Asheville | L 68–80 |
CIT results
The Lumberjacks have appeared in one CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT). Their record is 0–1.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | First Round | Idaho | L 50–73 |
Lumberjacks in the NBA
4 former Stephen F. Austin players have played at least one game in the NBA.
| Name | Draft Year | Draft Team |
|---|---|---|
| Kevon Harris | 2022 | Undrafted |
| George Johnson | 1970 | Baltimore Bullets |
| James Silas | 1972 | Houston Rockets |
| Elvin Lowery | 1959 | [Detroit Pistons]] |
