SAM HOUSTON MEN S BASKETBALL

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1 MEN S BASKETBALL BEARKAT GAME NOTES Sam Houston vs. SMU Saturday, November 14, Dallas, Texas - 7 p.m. BEARKATS OPEN WITH SMU MUSTANGS Sam Houston s young men s basketball squad faces an awesome challenge Saturday when the Bearkats open the season against defending American Athletic Conference champions SMU at Moody Coliseum in Dallas. The Mustangs went 27-7 last year, spending nine weeks in the AP and USA Today Top 25 and finishing the year No. 18 in the AP Poll. Picked to successfully defend their conference championship, SMU placed two players guard Nic Moore and forward Markus Kennedy on the preseason all-conference first team. Moore was selected by the media as the American Athletic Conference preseason Player of the Year. Taking on an SMU team that is No. 20 in the preseason national rankings is going to be a tall order, Sam Houston head coach said. They have a lot of guys coming back off that 27-7 team. They re well-coached and their kids are going to be focused coming into their opener. The Bearkats expect to be playing in front of a large crowd at Moody Coliseum in Dallas Saturday. Last year SMU set home attendance records, averaging 6,944 fans per contest while going 16-2 in the newly-renovated arenda. SMU has a rich basketball tradition. It s going to be a great experience for our team, Hooten said. Experience is something we need. Even three of our top four returning players from last year don t have that much experience as starters. Dakarai Henderson averaged 21 minutes a game and both Aurimas Majauskas and Jamal Williams averaged about 14 minutes a game. FIRST NCAA DIVISION I EXPERIENCE FOR EIGHT KATS The Bearkats have eight players who will be seeing their first action in an NCAA Division I contest. Five are junior college transfers. Two are red-shirt freshmen and one is a true freshman. We ve had 28 practices to get ready for SMU, Hooten said. We re definitely still a work in progress. What we re looking for Saturday will be a consistent effort from every play. We want to see how the players take what they work on in practice every day carries over into the game. Sam Houston has held two scrimmages against outside competition in the past two weeks. Both scrimmages, the Bearkats started different line-ups. Early on our starting line-up won t determine how we play the whole game, Hooten said. We re going to keep mixing things up, searching for the right chemistry. Last season, Sam Houston led the Southland Conference in scoring defense and field goal defense last year on the way to a 26-9 record, a runner-up regular season league finish, the finals of the Southland Conference tournament and a second consecutive CollegeInsider.com post-season tournament berth. Defense will be our biggest concern, Hooten said. We will be looking for improvement game by game. We ve been very impressed by the toughness and work ethic of this group. We re going to learn a lot about ourselves with this challenging preconference schedule this year. Sam Houston will play host to the University of Saint Thomas on Tuesday, November 17, in the Bearkats home opener at Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum. BEST TWO-YEAR RECORD IN PROGRAM HISTORY Beginning his sixth season, Sam Houston head coach has compiled a record as Sam Houston head coach. The last two years, his team has won 50 games the most in consecutive seasons at Sam Houston, tying a mark of 50 wins set by the 1972 and 1973 Bearkat squads in the program s NAIA days. The Kats RECORD: Overall Home Away Neutral ALL GAMES CONFERENCE November 14 at SMU...7 p.m. 17 SAINT THOMAS... 6:30 p.m. 21 SOUTHERN ILLINOIS...1 p.m. 23 at California#...10 p.m. 27 at Las Vegas Classic#... 1:30 p.m. 29 WILEY... 6:30 p.m. December 2 at Texas Tech...8 p.m. 6 SUL ROSS...2 p.m. 14 LeTOURNEAU...6:30 p.m. 18 at LIU-Brooklyn...6 p.m. 21 at Sun Bowl Classic...6 p.m. 22 at Sun Bowl Classic... TBA 29 at North Texas...7:30 p.m. January 2 at Incarnate Word*...4:30 p.m. 4 at Northwestern State*...7 p.m. 9 NEW ORLEANS*...4:30 p.m. 11 SOUTHEASTERN LA.*...6:30 p.m. 16 at McNeese State*...3 p.m. 18 NICHOLLS*...6:30 p.m. 23 at Stephen F. Austin*...6 p.m. 25 ABILENE CHRISTIAN*...6:30 p.m. 30 at Houston Baptist*...7 p.m. February 1 at Lamar*...7 p.m. 6 at A&M-Corpus Christi*...7 p.m. 13 HOUSTON BAPTIST*...4:30 p.m. 15 at Abilene Christian*...7 p.m. 20 CENTRAL ARKANSAS*...4:30 p.m. 27 A&M-CORPUS CHRISTI*...7 p.m. 29 at Central Arkansas*...4 p.m. March 3 LAMAR*...6:30 p.m. 5 STEPHEN F. AUSTIN*...7 p.m Southland Tournament in Katy...TBA *Southland Conference game Sam Houston Media Relations Paul Ridings, Asso. AD for Media Relations Office: (936) ridings@shsu.edu Jason Barfield, Assistant AD for Media Relations Office (936) jbarfield@shsu.edu Andrew Pate, Media Coordinator Office (936) apate@shsu.edu Press Row telephone: (936)

2 GAME NOTES 2 Men s Basketball Facts UNIVERSITY FACTS Location...Huntsvillle, Texas Enrollment...20,181 Founded President... Dr. Dana G. Hoyt (Texas Woman s U., 1981) Director of Athletics... Bobby Williams (Rice, 1981) Nickname...Bearkats Colors...Orange and white National Affiliation...NCAA Division I Conference...Southland Coliseum...Bernard Johnson (6,100, opened 1976) SHSU record at Johnson Coliseum... Won 321, Lost 141 MEN S BASKETBALL STAFF Head Coach... (Tarleton St., 1993) Record at Sam Houston...Won 98, Lost 69 (Sixth season) Assistant Coach...Chris Mudge (Texas, 2006) Assistant Coach...Matt Braeuer (Wichita State, 2008) Assistant Coach...Omar Lowery (Concordia Wisconsin, 2002) MEN S BASKETBALL TEAM INFORMATION Overall, Conference 2015 Record/Finish , 15-3 / Conference runner-up Post Season:...Southland finalist / CollegeInsider.Com 2nd round Letterwinners Returning / Lost... 7 / 5 Starters Returning / Lost... 1 / 4 Newcomers... 7 MEN S BASKETBALL HISTORY First Year of Basketball Joined Southland Conference All-Time Record/Seasons...Won 1,247; Lost 1,195 / 96 NCAA Division I Record/Years...Won 339, Lost 586 / 28 Southland Regular Season / Years...Won 203, Lost 285 / 28 Southland Conference Titles...3 (2000, 2003, 2010) NCAA Appearances(Division I)...2 (2003, 2010) Other Post Season (CIT)...2 (2014, 2015) Bearkat Pronunciation Guide Dakarai Henderson... Duh car ee Aurimas Majauskas... R uh miss My ow skus Ameer Jackson...Ah mear Jamal Williams...Juh mall 2016 Squad Breakdown by Class & Height SENIORS - 2 Paul Baxter Mitch McCormick JUNIORS - 7 Dakarai Henderson Jalin Barnes Torry Butler Ameer Jackson Aurimas Majauskas Andre Sands Jovante Spivey Marc Andre Fortin 6-9 Aurimas Majauskas 6-8 Andre Sands 6-8 Jesse Lopez 6-7 Albert Almanza 6-6 Torry Butler 6-5 Cameron Delaney 6-4 Ameer Jackson 6-4 SOPHOMORES - 3 Cameron Delaney Jesse Lopez Jamal Williams FRESHMEN - 3 Albert Almanza Josh Delaney Marc Fortin Jamal Williams 6-4 Paul Baxter 6-2 Dakarai Henderson 6-2 Mitch McCormick 6-2 Jalin Barnes 6-1 Josh Delaney 6-0 Jovante Spivey 6-0 Sam Houston State 2015 Men s Basketball Roster No Player Pos. Ht. Wt. Class Hometown / High School (Previous College) 0 Albert Almanza F Fr-RS Austin / Saint Stephens 1 Ameer Jackson G Jr -Tr Concord, NC / Evelyn Mack Academy (Dodge City CC) 2 Cameron Delaney G So-Tr Harker Heights / Harker Heights (Denver) 3 Dakarai Henderson G Jr-2L Pearland (Dawson) 4 Jovante Spivey G Jr-Tr Savannah, Ga. / Savannah (South Georgia St.) 5 Jesse Lopez F So-1L El Paso / Bowie 11 Jalin Barnes G Jr-Tr Raleigh, NC / Chrisitan Faith (Barton County CC) 13 Aurimas Majauskas F/C Jr-2L Marijampole, Lithuania / Future Prep 15 Josh Delaney G Fr-RS Harker Heights / Harker Heights 20 Jamal Williams G So-1L Houston / Episcopal 21 Paul Baxter G Sr-3L Austin / Bowie 22 Mitch McCormick G Sr-3L Montgomery / Montgomery 23 Andre Sands C Jr-Tr Freeport, Bahamas / Sun Rise Christian 24 Torry Butler F Jr-Tr Monticello, Ark. / Monticello (Three Rivers CC) 33 Marc Andre Fortin C Fr-HS Quebec City, Quebec, Canada / Cegep De Sainte-Foy Head Coach: (Tarleton State, 1993) - 6th season at Sam Houston (Won 98, Lost 69) Assistants: Chris Mudge (Texas, 2006), Matt Braeuer (Wichita State, 2008), Omar Lowery (Concordia Wisconsin 2002)

3 GAME NOTES 3 have finished as league regular season runner-up, reached the Southland tournament finals and played in the CollegeInsider. com post-season event those years. REPLACING FOUR ALL-SOUTHLAND PLAYERS In , Hooten and his staff face the challenge of replacing four starters who each earned All-Southland Conference honors last year. Gone are Southland Defensive Player of the Year 6-11 Michael Holyfield (who signed with the Memphis Grizzlies) and guards DeMarcus Gatlin, Jabari Peters and Kaheem Ransom. The quarter accounted for 38.6 of Sam Houston s 74.0 points per game in SEVEN NEWCOMERS NOW ARE BEARKATS Seven new players (one freshman and six transfers) join the team this season. As a coaching staff, I think we got spoiled last year with 11 guys back from a 20-plus win season, Hooten said. They knew all the drills and our terminology and had bought into our philosophy. This year, we re basically starting over at ground zero. No matter where you have played before, there s always new things to learn. But the new guys are very receptive. The newcomers include junior college transfers 6-1 Jalin Barnes (Barton County), 6-5 Torry Butler (Three Rivers Community College), 6-4 Ameer Jackson (Dodge City), 6-8 Andre Sands (Casper College) and 6-0 Jovante Spivey (South Georgia State). Cameron Delaney, a 6-4 transfer from the University of Denver, and 6-9 Marc Fortin, a freshman from Quebec City, Quebec in Canada. OFFENSE WILL BE A POSITIVE FOR KATS As a team, I think we re faster and more athletic this year, Head Coach said. I think we have a team as talented as last year s and that we can play faster than we did last sesaon. We averaged 75 points a game. That was good enough to rank us 30th in the nation in scoring. We can continue that pace. TOP RETURNING PLAYERS Guard Paul Baxter is Sam Houston s lone returning starter. Baxter has been a starter each of the past three seasons. Three other key returning players are Aurimas Majauskas, a 6-8 post player who was Holyfield s back-up last year; Dakarai Henderson, a 6-2 junior guard who was the first player off the bench and Jamal Williams, a 6-4 sophomore, also was a key reserve. OFFENSE UNDER THE BOARDS While the Bearkats don t have a player in the lineup as tall as departed 6-11 Michael Holyfield, head coach believes that size inside will be a team strength. Aurimas Majauskas, a 6-8 junior who has been Holyfield s backup the past two seasons; 6-7 sophomore Jesse Lopez and 6-6 redshirt freshman Albert Almanza return to join newcomers 6-8 Andre Sands and 6-9 Marc Fortin under the basket. We have more depth with good size, Hooten said. Our wings are bigger than the last couple of years as well. Aurimas is a talented offensive player. We ll be trying to get the ball inside more this year. VETERANS LEADERSHIP KEY IN NON-CONFERENCE We re very happy with the way the veterans have come back this fall, said. Aurimas Majauskas has worked hard and has become more athletic. Paul Baxter has always been a great leader and he has stepped it up even more as a senior. Dakarai Henderson is much improved both offensively and defensively. Jamal Williams has shown a great work ethic as well. Both the red-shirts bring something to the table. Albert Almanza is a good shooter and can hit the three. Josh Delaney is another leader for us. As with any year that you have a lot of new players mixed with your veterans, we re a work in progress. We have added a lot offensively. With Michael Holyfield gone, our interior defense will be a key factor. We ll find out a lot about ourselves during a challenging non-conference schedule. EIGHTH 20-VICTORY SEASON AT NCAA DIVISION I LEVEL With its 26-9 record, the Bearkats posted Sam Houston s eighth 20-win team at the NCAA Division I level. Sam Houston s previous NCAA Division I 20-win teams have been ; ; ; ; ; and (20-9). Head Coach has been a part of six of the 20- win seasons since joining the Bearkat staff as an assistant in the 2005 season. SOUTHLAND S TOP DEFENSIVE TEAM Sam Houston led the Southland Conference in scoring defense (58.2), scoring margin (+16.5), field goal percentage defense (.380) and three-point field goal percentage defense (.313) last year. The Kats held opponents to 50 or less points in eight games SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE PRESEASON FORECAST Head Coaches Preseason Poll Place Team (First Place Votes)...Total 1. Stephen F. Austin (12) Northwestern State (1) Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Sam Houston Lamar Incarnate Word Southeastern Louisiana New Orleans Houston Baptist McNeese State Nicholls Central Arkansas Abilene Christian... 17

4 HEAD COACH JASON HOOTEN 4 Sam Houston has compiled eight 20-victory seasons in its 28 years at the NCAA Division I level. has been a part of six of those eight seasons either as head coach or as an assistant. Joining the Bearkat staff in July 2004, Hooten has been part of a program that has compiled a record of 225 wins and only 126 losses. The Sam Houston men have earned Southland tournament berths each of Hooten s 11 years in Huntsville. Southland Conference champions in 2010, Sam Houston has finished among the top three teams in the league nine of the last 11 years. The Bearkats won three West Division titles and advanced to national post-season play three times. Named head coach on April 2, 2010, Hooten has directed Sam Houston to a overall record including back-to-back 20- wins seasons in 2014 and The 50 victories compiled in a mark in 2014 and a 26-9 record last year represent the most wins by a Sam Houston men s basketball team in consecutive seasons since the mid-1970s. The past two years, Hooten s Bearkats have made their third and fourth NCAA Division I post-season appearances, reaching the second round of the CollegeInsider.com Tournament in both years. Sam Houston s victory over Alabama State in the 2014 first round represented the program s first NCAA post-season victory. The past two years the Kats have reached the Southland Conference tournament finals with victories over Oral Roberts and A&M-Corpus Christi in 2014 and the Islanders again in In his first season as Bearkat head coach in 2011, Hooten directed the team to their third consecutive Southland West Division championship and the program s seventh consecutive winning season. The Kats 18 wins represented the most victories by a first-year coach in the program s NCAA Division i history. As an assistant coach, Hooten helped direct SHSU to a record. The 2010 Bearkats won the Southland regular season and tournament titles to earn a berth the NCAA New Orleans regional. RecruitingRumors.com selected Hooten as one of the top 100 NCAA assistant coaches and CollegeInsider.com named him Mid-Major Top 25 assistant coaches honorable mention. Previously, he was assistant basketball coach at Tarleton State University for Lonn Reisman. He helped lead the Texans to a combined record. A 1987 graduate of Killeen Ellison High School, Hooten lettered in basketball and baseball. He earned All-CenTex and All-Super CenTex honors. Hooten has been named as a Killeen ISD Distinguished Alum. Hooten holds two degrees from Tarleton State, earning a bachelor s degree in exercise and sport studies in 1993 and a master s in He is married to the former Kristen Miller. The pair have a daughter, Jadyn, and a son Jayce. AS HEAD COACH - Won 98, Lost 69 Year Team... W L Pct. Post Season 2015 Sam Houston Southland Finals CIT Second Round 2014 Sam Houston Southland Finals CIT Second Round 2013 Sam Houston Southland Semifinals 2012 Sam Houston Southland First Round 2011 Sam Houston Southland Semifinals AS ASSISTANT COACH - Won 331, Lost 170 Year Team... W L Pct. Post Season 2010 Sam Houston Southland Champions NCAA Div. I Tournament 2009 Sam Houston Southland Quarterfinals 2008 Sam Houston Southland Semifinals 2007 Sam Houston Southland Quarterfinals 2006 Sam Houston Southland Finals 2005 Sam Houston Southland Semifinals 2004 Tarleton State NCAA Div. II Tournament 2003 Tarleton State NCAA Div. II Tournament 2002 Tarleton State NCAA Div. II Tournament 2001 Tarleton State Tarleton State Tarleton State Tarleton State Tarleton State Tarleton State Tarleton State NAIA Playoffs 1994 Tarleton State NAIA Playoffs Chris Mudge (Texas, 2006) ASSISTANT COACHES Matt Braeuer (Wichita State, 2008) Omar Lowery (Concordia Wisconsin, 2002)

5 GAME NOTES 5 Sam Houston State 2015 Men s Season Basketball Statistics TOTAL FG 3-PTS FREE THROWS REBOUNDS POINTS ## FULL SEASON GP GS Min Avg FG FGA Pct 3FG FGA Pct FT FTA Pct Off Def Tot Avg PF FO A TO Blk Stl Pts Avg. 11 Gatlin, DeMarcus Ransom, Kaheem Peters, Jabari Henderson, Dakarai Holyfield, Michael Baxter, Paul Majauskas, Aurimas Williams, Jamal McKinney, Marquel Burwell, Marcus Goodwin, Sean Lopez, Jesse McLeroy, Kyle McCormick, Mitch Total Opponents RECORD: Overall Home Away Neutral ALL GAMES CONFERENCE SCORE BY PERIODS: 1st 2nd OT Total Sam Houston Opponents Specialty Statistics SHSU Foes Points in the paint Points from turnovers nd chance points Fast break points Bench points TOTAL FG 3-PTS FREE THROWS REBOUNDS POINTS ## SOUTHLAND GP GS Min Avg FG FGA Pct 3FG FGA Pct FT FTA Pct Off Def Tot Avg PF FO A TO Blk Stl Pts Avg. 11 Gatlin, DeMarcus Peters, Jabari Baxter, Paul Ransom, Kaheem Henderson, Dakarai Holyfield, Michael Majauskas, Aurimas Williams, Jamal McKinney, Marquel Burwell, Marcus Goodwin, Sean McLeroy, Kyle McCormick, Mitch Lopez, Jesse Total Opponents

6 MEET THE BEARKATS 7 21 PAUL BAXTER Senior-3L Austin, Texas / Bowie High School Played in 103 of the Kats 104 games in three years, helping lead Sam Houston to a overall record... started all but 12 contests since his freshman season... steady floor leader for the Bearkats who has a career average of 26.0 minutes played per game enters senior season with 863 career points and 299 all-time assists scored in double figures 35 times Started every game except for Senior Night vs. UCA... averaged 27.2 minutes and 8.4 points per contest... ranked second in assists for the team... scored in double figures 13 times... season high 17 points vs. Incarnate Word in victory in Huntsville Team Most Valuable Player... started every game, averaging 28.2 minutes per contest... third-leading scorer (9.1 points) and second in assists (129)... scored in double figures 12 times including high game of 19 at SMU Played in all but one game, starting in 22 contest as a true freshman... third-leading scorer with 248 points (7.5 per game)... scored in double figures 10 times... season best was 19 points versus Central Arkansas and Eastern Washington BOWIE HIGH SCHOOL One of the Austin area s top players, ranking among the Centex leaders in scoring (18.4 points per game), assists (7.0) and steals (2.7) in also pulled down 6.7 rebounds per contest, helping lead the Bulldogs to their first district championship since All-Central Texas Newcomer of the Year as a sophomore...defensive Most Valuable Player in District 15-5A in one of only three Centex players to be named to the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches all-state squad... son of Ron Baxter who played for coach Abe Lemons at the Texas on the Longhorns 1979 National Invitational Tournament team Paul Baxter is special. He has been a rock for us the past three years. Even as a freshman with an older team, you could see the guys listened to him. He is a tough, hard-nosed player who practices hard every single day. He is one of the hardest playing guys I ve ever coached. 3 DAKARAI HENDERSON Junior-2L Pearland, Texas / Dawson High School Outstanding perimeter shooter who provided offensive punch off the bench the past two seasons... big reason why the Kats averaged 28.4 bench points per contest during the 26-victory 2015 season... owns.369 career 3-point percentage and has averaged 16.8 minutes per game the past two years... career scoring total of 507 points includes 23 double figure performances Fourth-leading scorer for Sam Houston, coming off the bench as one of the first subs each game... led squad in total 3-point baskets (62) and in 3-point shooting percentage (.348)... scored in double figures in 15 games including eight double figure performances in the Kats last 11 regular season contests season high was 16 points against Austin College, Howard Payne and Louisiana-Lafayette Hit 40.6 percent from 3-point range (41-of-101)... averaged 12.0 minutes playing in 31 games... season best 21 points in victory over Hillsdale Red-shirt as true freshman... signed early with the Bearkats in November in 2011 PEARLAND DAWSON HIGH SCHOOL Shot 49.6 percent from the floor and 39.7 percent from beyond the 3-point arc. He is an 82.3 percent shooter at the free throw line... District 24-4A Newcomer of the Year in 2011, is averaging 24.8 points per game for Dawson his point baskets led Texas Class 4A high school basketball Dakarai Henderson averaged 21 minutes a game for us, giving us offense from the perimeter. He s going to be called upon to step up and play a much larger role for us than in the past. An outstanding leader, Dakarai is an awesome kid with a strong work ethic.

7 MEET THE BEARKATS 8 13 AURIMAS MAJAUSKAS Junior-2L Marijampole, Lithuania / Future Prep 20 JAMAL WILLIAMS Sophomore-1L Houston, Texas / Episcopal Talented offensive player under the boards... skilled inside who plays well with his back to the basket... added a new dimension to the Bearkat inside game coming off the bench for starter Michael Holyfield... averaged 6.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 11.8 minutes per game the past two seasons... owns career percentages of.565 from floor and.762 from the line career totals include 396 points and 205 rebounds One of seven Bearkats who averaged 7.0 or more points per game during the 26-victory season... strong contributor as reserve on squad that averaged 29.3 bench points per contest... leading scorer for Sam Houston against Wofford, Nicholls and Abilene Christian... posted seven double figure scoring performances including top game of 20 points versus Wofford Lettered as a true freshman in , playing in 26 games as a reserve post player... averaged 9.2 minutes per contest... shot 57.7 percent from the field... season high was 19 points in victory over Hillsdale posted four double figure scoring games FUTURE COLLEGE PREP (CALIF.) Averaged 11.5 points, 10.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists for a squad that set a national prep record with 52 victories during the season... named as the team s Most Valuable Player... totaled 18 performances with double figure points and rebounds... named to three all-tournament teams... both of his top scoring and rebounding performances came in a contest versus the Korea College All-Stars in which he totaled 34 points and 18 boards Aurimas played behind 6-11 Michael Holyfield and was our seventh leading scorer last year. This year he could be our leading scorer. He is a totally different player from Mike offensively. Aurimas can shoot threes and move around and play inside or outside. Returning sophomore letterman who averaged 13.3 minutes a game playing in all but two contests as a true freshman athletic young player with tremendous upside hard worker with ability to defend and handle the ball 2015 Saw 438 minutes of playing time as a reserve made his first college start in regular season finale at Stephen F. Austin, scoring 11 points... scored in double figures in three other games with 14 points against Southwest New Mexico, 13 in overtime victory over South Dakota and 12 in the Southland tournament final against the Lumberjacks... shot 48.1 percent from the field and 71.2 percent from the line... top games on the boards included seven rebounds at Central Arkansas and five at Stephen F. Austin... totaled 16 steals and 33 assists EPISCOPAL HIGH SCHOOL Averaged 24.3 points per game, 8.1 rebounds, 3.4 steals and 2.6 assists... two-time all-conference and all-state selection... named to top 25 watch list for the 2014 Guy V. Lewis Award, presented to the top high school basketball player in the Houston area... honor roll student Jamal averaged more than 13 minutes a game for us as a true freshman. We re counting on him to step up and play a much larger role this year. He can defend as well as handle the ball. His athleticism and work ethic will be a plus for us. 5 JESSE LOPEZ Sophomore-1L El Paso, Texas / Bowie HS Contributed to the Bearkats 26-victory season in as a reserve forward... red-shirted as a true freshman in averaged 5.5 minutes per game in his 19 appearances last season... shot 41.2 percent from the floor, scoring 31 points and pulled down 23 rebounds... top statistical performance was 14 points in victory over Southwest New Mexico BOWIE HIGH SCHOOL First-team All-City and All-District selection who averaged 16.8 points and 13.4 rebounds per game as he led Bowie to two bi-district championships... selected to the TABC All-Region team and is listed on the Texas Basketball Magazine All-State squad... member of the National Honor Society, ranked in the top 10 percent of his class with a 3.8 grade point average and won the Junior ACT achievement award In his third year with the program, Jesse continues to improve. A versatile athlete with a fine basketball IQ, he can play a lot of positions for us.

8 MEET THE BEARKATS 9 0 ALBERT ALMANZA Freshman-HS Austin, Texas / Saint Stephens HS 24 TORRY BUTLER Junior-Tr Monticello, Arkansas / Monticello (Three Rivers CC) Red-shirted as true freshman in has four more seasons to play for the Bearkats... early signee in November, father played basketball at Houston Baptist and his grandfather is in the Texas Longhorn Hall of Fame SAINT STEPHENS Averaged 15.2 points, 2.1 steals and 6.1 rebounds as a senior... named Most Valuable Player for Saint Stephens... ranked ninth in the Central Texas area in scoring, 12th in steals and 16th in rebounding percent shooter from the field including 44 three-point baskets Albert is athletic, skilled and has a great basketball IQ. He can dribble, pass or shoot. With Michael Holyfield gone, we re going to be a different team inside this year and Albert will be part of that mix. positions 11 JALIN BARNES Junior-Tr Raleigh, NC / Christian Faith (Barton County CC) Combo guard from Barton County Community College in Great Bend, Kansas, who can play multiple BARTON COUNTY Averaged 13.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists in named Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference honorable mention all-league team captain of 24-win team for coach Craig Fletchall (who also coached former Sam Houston starter Wilder Auguste, a two-time All-Southland performer in 2004 and 2005) earned KJCCC Player of the Week honors in mid-season after scoring 25 points in a win over Seward County and 22 in an upset of No. 12 ranked Hutchison Community College CHRISTIAN FAITH ACADEMY Starter for 25-4 team as a senior as a junior helped lead Wakefield High School to state class 4A playoffs Jalen was our last signing this spring and we feel he is the final piece to the puzzle. We like the fact that he can play multiple positions and defend the way we want to defend. He can be an effective scorer with his strength and athleticism. Athletic forward from Three Rivers Community College in Poplar Bluff, Missouri versatile player who can player who can play multiple positions THREE RIVERS COMMUNITY COLLEGE Averaged 12.7 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists as a sophomore for coach Bess (who has totaled 1,208 victories at Three Rivers) earned NJCAA first team all-region honors and was a first team all-conference selection led Three Rivers to a 23-8 overall record in led team in rebounding and field goal shooting MONTICELLO HIGH SCHOOL All-state performer on teams that earned back-to-back berths in the Arkansas state tournament the Billies ranked in the top five in Class 4A, finishing with a 26-4 record in , Butler s senior year Torry comes from a quality program at Three Rivers where he played for Hall of Fame coach Gene Bess. We envision Torry in the same kind of role Demarcus Gatlin filled last season. He can rebound, defend and has a great feel for the game. 2 CAMERON DELANEY Sophomore-Tr. Harker Heights, Texas / Harker Heights (Denver) Joins his brother Joshua and his sister Angela as part of the Bearkat basketball family transfer from the University of Denver who will red-shirt during the season and have three years of eligibility remaining afterwards UNIVERSITY OF DENVER Played in 18 games, starting six times as a true freshman in averaged 13.6 minutes per game, scoring 44 points high game was 11 points versus South Dakota, going 4-for-5 from the field with a pair of three-pointers HARKER HEIGHTS HIGH SCHOOL Two-time first team All-District and team Most Valuable Player averaged 12.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists as a senior produced a 12.4 scoring average as a junior We re excited to have Cameron join our program. He brings a lot to the table as a transfer from the University of Denver. With the addition of newcomers like Cameron, we feel like we could have even better depth that last season.

9 MEET THE BEARKATS JOSH DELANEY Freshman-RS Harker Heights, Texas / Harker Heights HS 1 AMEER JACKSON Junior-Tr Concord, NC / Evelyn Mack Academy (Dodge City CC) Red-shirt as true freshman... will have four more years eligibility... early signing in November... joins the Bearkats as a true freshman guard positions Transfer guard from Dodge City Community College in Kansas versatile athlete who can play all three HARKER HEIGHTS Led Harker Heights into the playoffs in averaged 11.2 points, 3.1 rebounds, 5.9 assist and 1.5 steals as a senior... shot 46 percent from the field and 81 percent from the free throw line... earned first team alldistrict and all-region honors... voted Most Valuable Player in district 8-5A... Harker Heights won the district championship A hard-nosed floor leader, Josh has a lot of speed and is fast with the ball. He is a smart player who shoots well and is a good passer. A red-shirt as a true freshman, he is a hard worker who will contribute. 33 MARC FORTIN Freshman-HS Quebec City, Quebec, Canada DODGE CITY COMMUNITY COLLEGE Averaged 14.6 points and 4.3 rebounds as a sophomore shot 46.1 percent from the floor and 37.9 percent from beyond the arc starter who averaged 26.6 minutes per contest as a freshman in , averaged 13.1 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. He averaged 22.1 minutes. EVELYN MACK ACADEMY Averaged 14.2 points, 5.2 assists and 4.1 rebounds for Evelyn Mack Academy in Kannapolis, North Carolina FORT UNION HIGH SCHOOL As a junior in at Fort Union High School in Charlotte, NC, averaged 20.1 points, 6.2 assists and 6.3 rebounds An early signing for us, Ameer is a physically gifted athlete who can play any where on the perimeter. What we like best Ameer is he is the type of person who will fit in well with the guys we have on the squad. He will take on whateverr role we ask to help us succeed. Athletic post player with tremendous work ethic and high energy level athletic and fast with good hands played hockey until two years ago when he began playing basketball picked up the game quickly and continues to progress as a player CEGEP DE SAINTE-FOY Averaged 12.6 points and 7.9 rebounds this past season earned RESQ second-team all-star honors... former ice hockey player We are really impressed with Marc. He is highly athletic. At this point in his career as a freshman he is a lot further than Michael Holyfield was four years ago. He has good hands and is a highly intelligent young man. He is going to help us as a freshman and have a really good career. 22 MITCH McCORMICK Senior-2L Montgomery, Texas / Montgomery HS Reserve guard who has been part of the Bearkat squads that have rolled up 50 victories, reached the Southland tournament finals and played in the CollegeInsider.com post-season event each of the past two years... earned a spot on squad as walk-on... appeared in 19 games in his first three years as Bearkat MONTGOMERY HIGH SCHOOL Two-year starter and three-year letterman... All-District guard as a senior... averaged 12.3 points per game Mitch is a hard worker who brings a lot to the table. He is a real team player who contributes a lot to our program. He is one of those guys who will do whatever he is asked.

10 MEET THE BEARKATS ANDRE SANDS Junior-Transfer Freeport, Bahamas / Sun Rise Christian (Casper JC) 4 JOVANTE SPIVEY Junior-Transfer Savannah, Ga. / Savannah (South Georgia St.) Transfer from Casper College in Casper, Wyoming CASPER COLLEGE Averaged 6.9 points and 5.4 rebounds as a sophomore for coach Dan Russell shot 51.8 percent for 22-8 team. HUTCHINSON COMMUNITY COLLEGE Averaged 13.1 points and 22.1 minutes as a freshman in SUNRISE CHRISTIAN ACADEMY Averaged 14.2 points, 5.2 assists and 4.1 rebounds for coach Kyle Linstead at Sun Rise Christian Academy in Bel Aire, Kansas FREEPORT BAHAMAS Played for Darrell Sears (who coached former Bearkat Antuan Bootle) as a member of the powerhouse Sunland Stingers team that made back-toback appearances in the Hugh Campbell final Andre is a big strong player who has a physcial presence under the boards we really like. As he makes the transition from junior college ball to Division I, he has an opportunity to have some minutes and be a good player for us. A transfer from South Georgia State College who brings a wealth of honors SOUTH GEORGIA STATE COLLEGE First-team junior college All-America selection played in the 2015 National Junior College All-America All-Star game in Las Vegas,... averaged 22.1 points NJCAA national leader in free throws and free throw attempts with a.792 percentage from the line team MVP All- Region... conference Player of the Year and Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association All-Tournament scored in double figures in every game ranks as South Georgia s all-time leading scorer with 1,251 points set the school record for most points in a season as a freshman in , tied the season record for most points SAVANNAH HIGH SCHOOL Starting quarterback in football and all-league guard in basketball led basketball team to state finals Javonte is a player who can come in and contribute immediately. He is an outstanding young man who will fit into our culture here that emphasizes not only performance but leadership in the class rorom and the community. Sam Houston Veterans Career Statistics PAUL BAXTER Year GP GS Min. Avg. FG FGA Pct. FT FTA Pct. FT FTA Pct Reb Avg. Ast Avg. Blk Stl Pts. Avg Total DAKARAI HENDERSON Year GP GS Min. Avg. FG FGA Pct. FT FTA Pct. FT FTA Pct Reb Avg. Ast Avg. Blk Stl Pts. Avg Total AURIMAS MAJAUSKAS Year GP GS Min. Avg. FG FGA Pct. FT FTA Pct. FT FTA Pct Reb Avg. Ast Avg. Blk Stl Pts. Avg Total JAMAL WILLIAMS Year GP GS Min. Avg. FG FGA Pct. FT FTA Pct. FT FTA Pct Reb Avg. Ast Avg. Blk Stl Pts. Avg Total