Auto Bid Alert: SAM HOUSTON STATE

Sam Houston State dispatched Stephen F. Austin 64-48 in the Southland Conference championship game, fighting for the deeply held principle that while first and last names (see Robert Morris) are allowed in the Big Dance, a middle initial is just unsportsmanlike. The March presumes the Bearkats (That's right, it's Texas, they don't need no stinkin' Cs.) will accept their tourney bid, but there's just as much chance that they will refuse to accept the NCAA's jurisdiction over the Southland and try to form an independent tournament that teaches that basketball started this year, and James Naismith is just a theory promoted by the mainstream media.