Career Coaching Legacy of Logan Martinez (CH2K8)

[HarkTheSound]

Re: Career Coaching Legacy of Logan Martinez (CH2K8)

Grambling State (9-19)vs Texas Southern (20-7)
March 7, 2009

Houston, Texas - The Texas Southern Tigers closed the regular season with a 56-47 win over Grambling on Senior Day. The game was not pretty by any stretch of the imagination, but the Tigers hit their shots when it mattered.

The Tigers avenged an early season loss to Grambling as they finish the year 14-4 in SWAC play.

SG Lawrence Danner-Johnson led the Tigers in scoring with 14, C Laurence Garza contributed 12, and Senior Keithtrick Denson chipped in 12 to help the Tigers pull away in the second half after they were down 32-26 at the break.

The Tigers end the year on a 6 game winning streak and will look to carry that momentum into the postseason, where they will be seeking their first ever bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Texas Southern 56 Grambling 47

[HarkTheSound]

Re: Career Coaching Legacy of Logan Martinez (CH2K8)

1. Texas Southern (21-7, 14-4)
2. Arkansas Pine-Bluff (16-17, 12-6)
3. Alabama State (12-14, 11-7)
4. Alcorn State (12-15, 11-7)
5. Mississippi Valley State (11-18, 9-9)
6. Prairie View (13-18, 7-11)
7. Jackson State (9-18, 7-11)
8. Alabama A&M (8-19, 7-11)
9. Southern (10-21, 6-12)
10. Grambling (9-20, 6-12)

SWAC TOURNAMENT BRACKET - Birmingham Alabama

1. Texas Southern
8. Alabama A&M

4. Alcorn State
5. Mississippi Valley State

3. Alabama State
6. Prairie View

2. Arkansas Pine-Bluff
7. Jackson State

[HarkTheSound]

Re: Career Coaching Legacy of Logan Martinez (CH2K8)

#8 Alabama A&M (8-19)vs #1 Texas Southern (21-7)

March 11, 2009

Birmingham, Alabama - With the regular season in the books, Coach Logan Martinez and the Texas Southern Tigers shifted their focus to the postseason and the perils that the one game elimination format can bring. Just last year, one of the better season in recent Tiger history was abruptly ended in the first round of the SWAC tournament as they suffered a bitter defeat in the #3 vs #6 matchup to Arkansas Pine-Bluff.

Martinez reminded his team after their regular season finale win against Grambling that they only needed to win 3 more games to lead the Tigers' program to their first ever NCAA tournament.

Players like Lawrence Danner-Johnson, Keithtrick Denson, and Aaron Clayborn remember the sting from last season's loss, and they were looking forward to redeeming themselves this year. Despite winning the SWAC regular season title and at the very least securing an NIT bid, the Tigers' coaches, players and fanbase want more. They want to see their names flash across the screen on Selection Sunday.

The Tigers' first opponent in the 2009 SWAC Tournment was 8 seed Alabama A&M. The Bulldogs, up to this point, had underachieved all season despite boasting one of the conferences' more talented rosters that includes 3 *** freshman.

The Tigers handled the Bulldogs in their first two matchups of the season, but they were wary of their opponent and did not take them for granted heading into the game. They learned last season it is difficult to beat one opponent on 3 separate occasions. Coach Martinez and his staff did everything they could to prepare this young, but talented, Tiger team for this crucial game. Here is how it all played out...

The 3-ball was definitely the key in this win. The Tigers only shot 24-56 from the field, but they hit 13 out of 21 three-pointers. Danner-Johnson hit 5 threes and tallied 21 points. Keithtrick Denson scored 11, while star bench performer Micah Flowers hit 6 out of his 7 threes (5 in the first half) on his way to a 25-point effort in the win.

Texas Southern will play Mississippi Valley State in the 2nd round of the SWAC Tourney on Friday.

[HarkTheSound]

Re: Career Coaching Legacy of Logan Martinez (CH2K8)

Despite Recent Success, Tigers Wary of Delta Devils

vs

Coach Logan Martinez and his Texas Southern Tigers are the odds on favorite to win the SWAC Tournament. He knows it, his players, know it and every fan who follows the conference knows it.

After an impressive 21-7 (14-4) campaign, the Tigers will face off against the Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils, who are a measly 11-18 (9-9). Still, Martinez realizes the danger of being the prohibitive favorite.

"I don't know why everyone is already assuming we're a lock to compete in the NCAAs. The people are so starved for that first every NCAA Tournament appearance that they're already penciling us in their brackets the moment we are the 'favorites'. I think we need too real back expectations a bit and realize two of our starters are freshmen, one's a sophomore, and our best bench player is a JUCO transfer playing in his first season. We may have looked good at times this year, but that doesn't mean a team like Mississippi Valley State can't sneak up on us and win this game. They've proved they can beat us in the past."

Indeed they have. The Delta Devils were the best team in the SWAC last season, winning both the regular season and conference championships, reaching 20 wins and earning an NCAA Tournament birth. They easily dismantled the Tigers in their two matchups last year as well.

However, a lot of the key contributors from that squad have graduated and they were left with a much younger team. The Tigers took advantage of that their two meetings this year, as they easily dispatched of the Delta Devils, including a 30-point drubbing in their most recent matchup. Still, those remaining holdovers know what it takes to defeat the Tigers, and they will do their best to ensure that their season doesn't end Friday night.

[HarkTheSound]

Re: Career Coaching Legacy of Logan Martinez (CH2K8)

SWAC TOURNAMENT BRACKET - Birmingham, Alabama

Quarterfinals

1. Texas Southern - 67
8. Alabama A&M - 53

4. Alcorn State - 72
5. Mississippi Valley State - 74

3. Alabama State - 69
6. Prairie View - 72

2. Arkansas Pine-Bluff - 72
7. Jackson State - 55

Semifinals

1. Texas Southern
5. Mississippi Valley State

2. Arkansas Pine-Bluff - 62
6. Prairie View - 63

Finals

TBA
6. Prairie View

[HarkTheSound]

Re: Career Coaching Legacy of Logan Martinez (CH2K8)

Mississippi Valley State (11-18)vs Texas Southern (22-7)

March 13, 2009

With Big Win, Comes a Big loss

Birmingham, Alabama - Despite earning a bid to the SWAC Championship game, the Tigers Southern Tigers' locker room was eerily quite after the game. The entire team, along with Coach Logan Martinez, were all huddled together around their young captain.

Despite only being a sophomore, Lawrence Danner-Johnson was named co-captain of the Tigers' basketball team (along with Senior Keithtrick Denson). He is the team's vocal leader, and has proven to be clutch in tight games (see: Houston this year on the road, Purdue on the road last year).

With that being the case, one can understand why there was not a single dry eye in the locker room as Danner-Johnson was fitted with a bulky black boot after breaking his ankle 4 minutes into the game Friday night. He has been ruled out for the rest of the season.

The Tigers' adrenaline after seeing their fallen comrade go down carried them to a big lead in the first half. In the second, they played the way many would expect the Tigers to play without Danner-Johnson on the floor. They squeaked out 26 measly second half pointed after scoring 45 in the first, but it was enough to hold on to the win, 71-57. The Tigers will have a chance to earn their first ever NCAA Tournament bid Sunday afternoon against Prairie View (14-18, 7-11)

This was supposed to be a night of jubilation. Instead, despair was all anyone could feel.

[HarkTheSound]

Re: Career Coaching Legacy of Logan Martinez (CH2K8)

Prairie View (14-18)vs Texas Southern (23-7)

March 15, 2009

Birmingham, Alabama - With the presumed conference player of the year out for the rest of the season in Lawrence Danner-Johnson, coach Logan Martinez and his staff were forced to go back to the drawing board. Danner-Johnson's production (16.9 ppg, 3 apg, 46% shooting, 40% from three) is impossible for any one player on the Tigers to duplicate.

Regardless, JUCO sophomore Micah Flowers was inserted into the starting lineup by Martinez. Flowers has had numerous games this season of scoring 20+ points in his role as sixth man, and as it turned out, he was the reason the Tigers manged to pull out this victory.

Flowers knocked down shots and served as the playmaker of the offense, tallying 23 points, grabbing 4 rebounds, dishing out 8 assists, and, accumulating 3 steals. Flowers made key plays when the Tigers needed it most and more than made up for the loss of Danner-Johnson in this contest.

In only his second year as coach, Logan Martinez has guided the Texas Southern program to its first ever NCAA Tournament birth. This breakthrough victory, in the face of immense adversity, shows the resiliency and determination of Martinez, his staff, and the players. It certainly wasn't pretty as there were times when the offense sputtered and the players looked out of place without their co-captain, but in the end, the Tigers made plays when they had to (with the help of several missed free throws by Prairie View) and pulled out the 79-70 victory.

They could have easily folded up their tents and left Birmingham using "The Ankle" (as this issue is being called in the Houston area the past two day) as an excuse for not winning a SWAC title that was theirs to lose in the first place.

Now, the Tigers will finally experience the satisfaction of their hard work later this afternoon when they see their names flash across the screen on Selection Sunday.

[HarkTheSound]

Re: Career Coaching Legacy of Logan Martinez (CH2K8)

Here is the Selection Show for the 08-09 NCAA Tournament!

[HarkTheSound]

Re: Career Coaching Legacy of Logan Martinez (CH2K8)

NCAA TOURNAMENT BRACKET

East Region

#1 Duke (25-6) vs #16 Army (14-19)
#8 Clemson (17-12) vs #9 South Florida (21-13)
#5 UCLA (23-9) vs #12 Texas Southern (24-7)
#4 Texas (21-9) vs #13 Harvard (19-11)
#6 Minnesota (22-10) vs #11 Temple (23-10)
#3 Kansas (21-8) vs #14 Houston (17-16)
#7 West Virginia (21-11) vs #10 Saint Louis (22-10)
#2 Maryland (25-9) vs #15 Eastern Washington (18-10)

South Region

#1 Baylor (26-5) vs #16 Charleston Southern (14-15)
#8 Arizona State (19-12) vs #9 Illinois (22-12)
#5 Georgia Tech (22-10) vs #12 Oral Roberts (21-8)
#4 South Carolina (26-6) vs #13 VCU (19-12)
#6 Oregon (20-10) vs #11 Fresno State (23-7)
#3 UConn (23-9) vs #14 Iona (19-15)
#7 Indiana (22-12) vs #10 Wyoming (23-9)
#2 Tennessee (22-7) vs #15 Butler (15-17)

Midwest Region

#1 Marquette (25-9) vs #16 Morgan State (18-14)
#8 Iowa State (21-9) vs #9 NC State (19-10)
#5 Washington State (22-9) vs #12 Drake (18-14)
#4 Pittsburgh (22-9) vs #13 Stony Brook (19-12)
#6 Villanova (21-10) vs #11 Oregon State (21-13)
#3 Florida State (23-9) vs #14 ULM (21-15)
#7 Purdue (20-10) vs #10 Utah (21-10)
#2 Xavier (27-5) vs #15 North Florida (17-15)

West Region

#1 Florida (25-6) vs #16 UC Davis (15-15)
#8 Kentucky (20-12) vs #9 UMBC (23-6)
#5 Oklahoma (23-10) vs #12 St. Mary's (21-9)
#4 Oklahoma State (19-8) vs #12 Western Michigan (18-13)
#6 Memphis (19-7) vs #11 College of Charleston (24-7)
#3 Notre Dame (23-10) vs #14 Jacksonville State (18-11)
#7 Michigan State (20-11) vs #10 Penn State (19-11)
#2 Louisville (25-7) vs #15 UT-Arlington (16-12)

Conference Breakdown:

Big East: 8
Big 12: 6
ACC: 6
Big Ten: 6
Pac-10: 5
SEC: 4
A-10: 3
MWC: 2
AEC: 2
C-USA: 2

[mpejkrm]

Re: Career Coaching Legacy of Logan Martinez (CH2K8)

Congrats on making the tournament! Always fun seeing another SWAC coach... I'll be following this!

Also, what did you use to record the video? Very nice quality.

[superjames1992]

Re: Career Coaching Legacy of Logan Martinez (CH2K8)

Good to see you back!

Love the videos.

Good luck against UCLA! Nice job winning the conference tournament and earning a #12 seed.

[HarkTheSound]

Re: Career Coaching Legacy of Logan Martinez (CH2K8)

Good to see you back!

Love the videos.

Good luck against UCLA! Nice job winning the conference tournament and earning a #12 seed.

Thanks! Since I'm on break I was really itching to get into the legacy again. Still have a good bit of catching up to do in terms of posts though.

[HarkTheSound]

Re: Career Coaching Legacy of Logan Martinez (CH2K8)

#12 Texas Southern (24-7)vs #5 UCLA (23-9)

March 20, 2009

Detroit, Michigan - So many storylines. So many big plays. So much madness.

Those 3 sentences encapsulate the events of the first round matchup between the #5 seed UCLA Bruins and the #12 seed Texas Southern Tigers.

As far as storylines go, this game was chalk full of them. This was the Texas Southern Tigers' first appearance in the NCAA Tournament. This was, without a shadow of a doubt, the best season in program history. On the other hand, you have the tradition-rich UCLA Bruins, who have won more national championships than you can count on two hands. UCLA alumni scoffed at the notion that such a tradition-deprived school could hope to contend with one of the nation's mainstays.

In what was a cruel twist of fate, the Tigers were scheduled to play the Bruins in Michigan. At Ford Field. In Detroit. That's what kills Lawrence-Danner Johnson the most: he was not able to take the court in front of his hometown friends and family. The programs' first tournament in school history, in his hometown, and Danner-Johnson was forced to watch helplessly from the sidelines wearing an over-sized walking boot.

As it turned out, he wasn't the only one who wanted showoff for his home state. Aaron Clayborn, the undisputed MVP of this game, is from Dearborn Michigan. Despite averaging less than 7.5 PPG coming into this contest, the Junior remained confident in his abilities. He knew he would have to step up in the scoring department in the absence of Danner-Johnson.

Step up he did.

As he would later tell the media, Clayborn had a near out of body experience, tallying 26 points on 10-14 shooting, including 5-5 from the three-point line. When they were down in the first half and the middle stages of the second, Clayborn kept the Tigers in the game with his timely shots, and none were more crucial than the three-pointer he buried in the right corner as the shot clock was running down to make the score 68-60, essentially sealing the upset.

In a tournament lacking upsets and excitement thus far, the Texas Southern Tigers provided just that for the college basketball world. It was a performance the 1985 Villanova Wildcats would be proud of, as the Tigers played near flawless basketball (except for the turnovers).

PG Austen Mitchell, a freshman who is rarely asked to contribute any to the scoring column, nailed a key jumper in the late stages of the second half and made ten consecutive free throws to end the game that sealed the victory.

Their next opponent? In fitting fashion, they will face off against the #4 Texas Longhorns, who managed to escape with a 89-81 win in their regular season matchup in Austin.

The way the Tigers competed in early season games against the Longhorns and the UNLV Runnin' Rebels gave them the confidence they needed to take down a perennial power in UCLA. Now, they'll get a second chance to mess with Texas.

Texas Southern 78 UCLA 72

Quick Stats:

Texas Southern

FG: 26/43
3pt FG: 7/10
FT: 19/20
Turnovers: 15

PG Austen Mitchell - 14 pts, 8 asts
SF Aaron Clayborn - 26 points, 5 rebs

UCLA

FG: 27/60
3pt FG: 6/14
FT: 12/19
Turnovers: 7

PG Lazeric Jones - 20 pts (15 of UCLA's first 18), 3 asts
SF Tyler Honeycutt - 19 pts, 4 stls
C Josh Smith - 12 pts, 11 rebs, 4 stls (4/10 FT shooting)

[HarkTheSound]

Re: Career Coaching Legacy of Logan Martinez (CH2K8)

NCAA TOURNAMENT BRACKET - First Round

East Region

#1 Duke 115 vs #16 Army 42

#8 Clemson 79 vs #9 South Florida 62

#5 UCLA 72 vs #12 Texas Southern 78

#4 Texas 67 vs #13 Harvard 63

#6 Minnesota 72 vs #11 Temple 63

#3 Kansas 90 vs #14 Houston 58

#7 West Virginia 81 vs #10 Saint Louis 75

#2 Maryland 77 vs #15 Eastern Washington 74

South Region

#1 Baylor 75 vs #16 Charleston Southern 60

#8 Arizona State 68 vs #9 Illinois 64

#5 Georgia Tech 77 vs #12 Oral Roberts 69

#4 South Carolina 84 vs #13 VCU 63

#6 Oregon 82 vs #11 Fresno State 59

#3 UConn 72 vs #14 Iona 84

#7 Indiana 99 vs #10 Wyoming 75

#2 Tennessee 71 vs #15 Butler 65

Midwest Region

#1 Marquette 88 vs #16 Morgan State 57

#8 Iowa State 70 vs #9 NC State 79

#5 Washington State 88 vs #12 Drake 55

#4 Pittsburgh 76 vs #13 Stony Brook 67

#6 Villanova 72 vs #11 Oregon State 65

#3 Florida State 83 vs #14 ULM 71

#7 Purdue 70 vs #10 Utah 75

#2 Xavier 81 vs #15 North Florida 45

West Region

#1 Florida 109 vs #16 UC Davis 63

#8 Kentucky 80 vs #9 UMBC 67

#5 Oklahoma 81 vs #12 St. Mary's 78

#4 Oklahoma State 68 vs #12 Western Michigan 57

#6 Memphis 95 vs #11 College of Charleston 59

#3 Notre Dame 88 vs #14 Jacksonville State 73

#7 Michigan State 70 vs #10 Penn State 82

#2 Louisville 103 vs #15 UT-Arlington 57

First Round Analysis - Welp, talk about a boring first round. Texas Southern's victory was the only real surprise, along with Iona. However, Iona has the mid-major player of the year in Mike Glover along with outstanding PG Scott Machado. They got the perfect matchup in UConn as Jim Calhoun's deteriorating health has caused a cloud to hang over the program all year. Rumors of his retirement have been running rampant...

#1 Baylor looks to be a extremely vulnerable as they were tied with Charleston Southern at halftime before eventually pulling away they and now face #8 Arizona State, who made the Final Four last year and have one of the best defenses in the country.

The performance of the first round, and probably the entire tournament, was the one turned in by Duke PG Kyrie Irving, who scored 51 points, 8 rebounds, and dished out 4 assists. He scored 9 more points than the entire Army team!

[HarkTheSound]

Re: Career Coaching Legacy of Logan Martinez (CH2K8)

Congrats on making the tournament! Always fun seeing another SWAC coach... I'll be following this!

Also, what did you use to record the video? Very nice quality.

My $20 dazzle recorder, lol. The quality isnt nearly as good as those supped-up HD recorders, but hey, it's cheap and it gets the job done.