2021 Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament Bracket
Quarterfinals
February 24th
#8 Panhandle State (5-6) @ #1 SW Assemblies of God (9-1), 6 p.m. Live Video
#5 Texas Wesleyan (10-4) @ #4 Mid-America Christian (9-3), 6 p.m. Live Video
#6 John Brown (7-6) @ #3 Wayland Baptist (7-4), 6 p.m. Live Video
#7 Southwestern Christian (5-8) @ #2 USAO (14-2), 7 p.m. Live Video
Semifinals
February 27th
Finals
March 2nd
League Notes:
The top seed: SAGU
NAIA Locks: SAGU, USAO
NAIA Bubble Teams: Wayland Baptist, MACU, Texas Wesleyan
Best chances to win this tournament: SAGU, USAO, Wayland Baptist, MACU
Possible sleeper: John Brown
KEY PLAYERS:
Joshua Kashila – SAGU: 21.5ppg, 5.0rpg, 3.5apg
Kashila has only played in 6 games this season, but he burst back onto the scene with back to back 30pt performances and hasn’t looked back yet. He is the reigning SAC Tournament MVP and he is back for more!
Luke Harper – John Brown: 17.3ppg, 2.9rpg, 2.3apg
The All-American is red hot right now coming off of being named the SAC Player of the Week. JBU will need some more big performances out of Luke if they are going to try and win the SAC Tournament.
Terrance Jones – MACU: 17.1ppg, 8.5rpg
Tough matchup for teams as he is a big guard or small forward that is a mismatch nightmare. Tough physical player who can really score it. With no more Omar Boone, Jones and Dorsey will have BIG tournaments if they can keep winning!
Stephon Hall – USAO: 15.4ppg, 4.3rpg, 4.4apg, 1.69spg
Yeah, Hines and Hernandez are good players and are outscoring Hall on the year, but Hall is the best all around player on this team. He has shown he can step up in the big moments and he has major tournament experience that makes him primed to have a big tournament.
KEY TEAMS:
#1 SAGU – Long, athletic and nasty! This team is a lot of fun to watch. Crazy thing is they have done it all with out All-American Nykolas Mason.
#2 USAO – Cameron Hines, Elvin Hernandez and Stephon Hall make up a tough trio for this Drover squad. Hines and Hall have the experience that is needed to win the SAC Tournament.
#3 Wayland Baptist – Lost a lot from last season, but somehow may be better! The Freshman Devin Avent has been special this season!
#4 MACU – Just 5-3 against NAIA programs, but are finally back to full strength. This is a dangerous group and Coach Gambel has had great success in tournament play.
UPSET SPECIAL:
#6 John Brown – This JBU team was ranked inside the Top 10 to start the season. They didn’t play their 1st game of the season though until the middle of January, and didn’t play at full strength until their 4th game of the season. By then they already had 3 losses. While they have won 7 of their last 10 since then, they still have some work to be done. It’s win or go home time.
Quarterfinal Game Notes:
#8 Panhandle State (5-6) @ #1 SW Assemblies of God (9-1), 6 p.m. Live Video
SAGU 2-0. They have won by a combined 48pts in the two matchups
SAGU won the SAC Tournament last season and even though it’s been a weird year in the SAC, they have looked like the best team in the league. OPSU has the leading scorer in the league in Jalen Thomas, but this is a tough draw.
#5 Texas Wesleyan (10-4) @ #4 Mid-America Christian (9-3), 6 p.m. Live Video
Haven’t Played this season
This game is BIG for both teams as both currently sit on the bubble and the loser is most likely seeing their bubble pop. MACU has the talent, led by Jones and Tony Dorsey. Texas Wesleyan will answer back with the likes of Vydal Bradford and sharp-shooter Peyton Sallee! Going to be a must watch game tomorrow!
#6 John Brown (7-6) @ #3 Wayland Baptist (7-4), 6 p.m. Live Video
JBU 1-0
John Brown went on the road to knock off Wayland by 5 a month ago. They will have to make it 2-0 on the road against Wayland Baptist if they want to advance. This is another game that is a must win for both teams. JBU will have to win the SAC Tournament to get in, but Wayland still sits on the bubble and a loss would surely pop that bubble and give an extra boost to that Texas Wesleyan/MACU winner.
#7 Southwestern Christian (5-8) @ #2 USAO (14-2), 7 p.m. Live Video
Science & Arts 3-0
USAO has beaten Southwestern Christian by double figures in each of the 3 games. The Drovers are tough to beat at home, so it will be a tough task for Southwestern Christian tonight. However, it is tourney time and teams have some extra fight to them who don’t want to see their seasons end!
OTHER NOTES:
– The SAC is a (2) bid league. The SAC Regular Season Champion: Clinched: #10 SAGU and the Tournament Champion or Science & Arts (Ok) if SAGU wins tournament.
– Best Opening Round Matchup: #5 Texas Wesleyan @ #4 MACU
Our Pick To Win It: MACU – They are full strength right now and as a former Top 5 team in the country they have the weapons to make a run at the SAC Tournament Title.
