by Bob West, The Port Arthur News, Texas , The Port Arthur News

The Cardinals are 9-4 overall and 5-1 when you throw out games against traditional top 25 programs on the top end and cupcakes on the bottom end. Other than stumbling against a bad Indiana State team in Louisville's tournament, they maxed out the realistic non-conference portion of their schedule.

LU's most impressive victory, of course, was the thrilling 85-79 decision over Texas Tech in the Montange Center. Also noteworthy were road victories at Louisiana-Lafayette and Rice, and a neutral floor decision over Ohio University.

All in all, especially when you figure in the injuries that have left Steve Roccaforte with a short bench at times, it's been pretty impressive. Indeed, Jerry Palm's College Ratings Percentage Index, which is always pretty close to the computer numbers used at NCAA tournament time, have the Cardinals No. 73 out of 343 Division 1 teams.

Up front, it should be pointed out that the RPI can be as flawed as the BCS. Kentucky, for instance, a team that buried the Lamar, 103-61, stands No. 74 on the RPI list. Still, it's a feather in Steve Roccaforte's cap that his Cardinals have reached such a lofty perch in their sport's most accepted ratings system.

Normally at this time of the year, Lamar can be found somewhere in the 200 to 300 range on a format that rewards strength of schedule and road success, and doesn't count games against non-Division 1 opponents. Over the past 20 years or so, it's been extremely rare for a Lamar team to be inside the top 100.

So what's it all mean, as far as the SLC race? Other than that swagger value, which is certainly worth something, not much. Conference play is an entirely different beast. Opponents know your strengths and weaknesses better, and generally come at you with more intensity than in non-league play.

Based on what's transpired up to this point, Lamar does look like the favorite in the SLC West, while Stephen F. Austin is even more clearly the team to beat in the East. SFA is 8-4 and weighs in at No. 60 in the College RPI. Highest ranking for an SLC team after that is A&M Corpus-Christi's 147. Perennial conference power Sam Houston State is 252.

Again, those numbers, like non-conference records, are little more than talking points when teams start going head-to-head. Over a 16-game conference schedule like the SLC plays, there can be a tremendous ebb and flow. Teams get hot, other teams go cold. Injuries invariably become a factor. So is when and where you play the games.

A year ago, Lamar became a textbook example of not putting too much stock in what happened over the first six weeks. The Cardinals were 1-5 at one point, 5-7 starting SLC play and split their first two conference games. A loss at SFA, however was followed by an 11-game winning streak.

Arch-rival McNeese State snapped the winning streak in Lake Charles, but LU would win the East Division at 13-3. As rabid LU fans are well aware, it was the first time in 25 years for the Cardinals to finisher higher than third in a conference race.

Although the season ended on a downer with a first-round loss to Texas-Arlington in the SLC tournament, a significant step back toward respectability had been made in Roccaforte's second year. The next step in the progression would be earning the conference's automatic NCAA bid this season.

Roccaforte thinks he has a club capable of doing exactly that, if it can just stay healthy. Already the Cardinal are without two of the players they expected to have -- 6-6 Justin Nabors and 6-8 Lawrence Nwevo. At different times during non-conference play, 6-6 senior Tristan Worrell, 6-11 sophomore Coy Custer, 6-2 sophomore Skyler Williams and 6-6 freshman Charlie Harper have been on the shelf.

One thing Roc has learned about his team through it all is that it has an almost uncommon mental toughness. He see that as one of Lamar's greatest assets at this point.

"We are a lot tougher than I thought we would be," says Roccaforte, who pushes his players hard in practice. "These guys have been able to handle adversity and bounce back and that's a great trait to have. There is none of that woe is me stuff.

"You can get a lot accomplished when your players have that kind of attitude."

Beyond their collective toughness, Lamar's most obvious assets are extreme quickness, solid inside-outside balance offensively, the ability to wreak havoc with defensive pressure, better than expected rebounding and terrific leadership from senior point guard Kenny Dawkins.

Another trait that could be invaluable, if it holds up in conference, is the knack for making free throws. LU, after shooting 67.3 percent at the foul line a year ago, is burying freebies at a 75.4 clip. Over the course of a conference season, five or six games will be decided by making or missing free throws at crunch time.

Thanks to an SLC alignment quirk, Lamar can't repeat as East Division champions. That's because they are now in the West, having switched with Stephen F. Austin. Consequently they play East teams only once, while meeting Western teams on a home-and-home basis.

From year to year, the balance of power shifts, and it's too early to tell where it is for this season. Clearly not in Lamar's favor, though, is their one meeting with SFA and McNeese being on the road. Two of the Cardinals three league losses a year ago were in Nacogdoches, where they often lose, and Lake Charles, where they always lose.

"I don't like that part of it," Roccaforte said. "Our only game with SFA last year was up there. Now it's that way again. But, after playing before 22,000 at Rupp Arena, 18,000 at Louisville and 17,500 at Memphis, this team won't be intimidated."

Roccaforte is offering one more guarantee. His team is going to provide terrific entertainment for eight nights in January, February and March at the Montange Center. The more of you who show up to rock the building, as was the case against Texas Tech, the merrier it will be.

Sports editor Bob West can be e-mailed at rdwest@usa.net His Sportsrap radio show airs Wednesday at 8:05 p.m. on KLVI (560-AM).

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